Fortis (FTS) vs. CPFL Energia (CPL) Head to Head Analysis

Fortis (NYSE: FTS) and CPFL Energia (NYSE:CPL) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and valuation.

Earnings and Valuation

Get Fortis alerts:

This table compares Fortis and CPFL Energia’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Fortis	$6.40 billion	2.18	$792.99 million	$1.95	16.81
CPFL Energia	$8.38 billion	0.70	$369.49 million	N/A	N/A

Fortis has higher earnings, but lower revenue than CPFL Energia.

Volatility & Risk

Fortis has a beta of -0.24, suggesting that its share price is 124% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CPFL Energia has a beta of 1.18, suggesting that its share price is 18% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

49.9% of Fortis shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.5% of CPFL Energia shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Fortis and CPFL Energia’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Fortis	12.06%	6.92%	2.23%
CPFL Energia	4.98%	12.30%	3.30%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings for Fortis and CPFL Energia, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Fortis	0	2	3	0	2.60
CPFL Energia	0	0	0	0	N/A

Fortis presently has a consensus target price of $51.00, suggesting a potential upside of 55.58%. Given Fortis’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Fortis is more favorable than CPFL Energia.

Dividends

Fortis pays an annual dividend of $1.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.0%. CPFL Energia pays an annual dividend of $0.13 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Fortis pays out 67.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. CPFL Energia has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years.

Summary

Fortis beats CPFL Energia on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Fortis

Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 422,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 96,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 2,834 megawatts (MW), including 64 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 64 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,008,000 customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 556,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns four hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador serving approximately 266,000 customers with an installed generating capacity of 139 MW; and on Prince Edward Island serving approximately 80,000 customers through generating facilities with a combined capacity of 145 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 66,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 44,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos, as well as holds long-term contracted generation assets in British Columbia and Belize, and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates transmission and distribution lines; and natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada.

About CPFL Energia

CPFL Energia S.A., together with its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and commercializes electricity to residential, industrial, and commercial customers in Brazil. The company generates electricity through wind, biomass-powered thermal, solar, and hydroelectric power plants. It also manufactures, commercializes, rents, and maintains electro-mechanical equipment; and offers administrative, call center, collection, IT, telecommunication, energy transmission, and energy efficiency management services, as well as maintenance services for energy generation companies. As of December 31, 2017, the company distributed electricity to approximately 9.4 million customers; and had 318,018 kilometers of distribution lines, which included 457,741 distribution transformers. It also has an installed capacity of 3,284 megawatts. CPFL Energia S.A. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Campinas, Brazil. CPFL Energia S.A. is a subsidiary of State Grid Brazil Power Participa莽玫es Ltda.

Analysts Anticipate Louisiana-Pacific Co. (LPX) to Announce $0.97 EPS

Equities research analysts expect Louisiana-Pacific Co. (NYSE:LPX) to announce $0.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Two analysts have provided estimates for Louisiana-Pacific’s earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $1.05 and the lowest is $0.88. Louisiana-Pacific posted earnings of $0.58 per share during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 67.2%. The company is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, August 7th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Louisiana-Pacific will report full year earnings of $3.04 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.78 to $3.40. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the company will post earnings of $2.83 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.42 to $3.45. Zacks’ earnings per share calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that cover Louisiana-Pacific.

Get Louisiana-Pacific alerts:

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 7th. The construction company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by ($0.08). Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 15.13%. The firm had revenue of $691.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $702.19 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.33 EPS. Louisiana-Pacific’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LPX shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “buy” rating and set a $39.00 target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, April 3rd. ValuEngine raised shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 23rd. DA Davidson raised shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. Bank of America raised shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $37.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, July 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Louisiana-Pacific currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $33.25.

In other Louisiana-Pacific news, Director Gary Cook sold 2,558 shares of Louisiana-Pacific stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.00, for a total value of $74,182.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 52,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,528,213. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hartford Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Louisiana-Pacific during the second quarter worth about $345,000. James Investment Research Inc. boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 13.2% during the second quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 117,998 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,212,000 after purchasing an additional 13,762 shares during the last quarter. Columbus Macro LLC purchased a new position in Louisiana-Pacific during the second quarter worth about $550,000. Alpha Windward LLC boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 11.9% during the second quarter. Alpha Windward LLC now owns 19,133 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $521,000 after purchasing an additional 2,033 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Louisiana-Pacific during the second quarter worth about $4,006,000. 91.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

NYSE LPX traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $26.73. 2,048,200 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,438,855. Louisiana-Pacific has a one year low of $23.39 and a one year high of $31.19. The company has a market capitalization of $3.88 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a quick ratio of 4.53, a current ratio of 5.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

About Louisiana-Pacific

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures building products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structures, as well as light industrial and commercial construction applications. It operates through four segments: Siding; North America Oriented Strand Board (OSB); Engineered Wood Products; and South America.

Recommended Story: Understanding Price to Earnings Ratio (PE)

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Louisiana-Pacific (LPX)

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

James Investment Research Inc. Purchases Shares of 28,194 Lear Co. (LEA)

James Investment Research Inc. purchased a new stake in Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 28,194 shares of the auto parts company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,239,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEA. Exane Derivatives grew its holdings in shares of Lear by 1,151,900.0% in the second quarter. Exane Derivatives now owns 11,520 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $2,140,000 after purchasing an additional 11,519 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the second quarter valued at approximately $892,000. Townsend & Associates Inc acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the second quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the second quarter valued at approximately $271,000. Finally, Boston Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lear by 4.4% in the second quarter. Boston Advisors LLC now owns 13,910 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $2,585,000 after purchasing an additional 580 shares in the last quarter. 89.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Lear alerts:

In other Lear news, Director Richard Harold Bott sold 1,063 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $202.35, for a total transaction of $215,098.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $374,752.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jonathan F. Foster sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.24, for a total transaction of $508,100.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 7,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,500,114.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

NYSE LEA opened at $181.21 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Lear Co. has a 52 week low of $140.45 and a 52 week high of $206.36. The company has a market cap of $12.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.33 and a beta of 1.48.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The auto parts company reported $5.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.91 by $0.19. Lear had a net margin of 6.40% and a return on equity of 29.40%. The company had revenue of $5.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.43 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.27 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. research analysts expect that Lear Co. will post 19.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 8th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 7th. Lear’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.47%.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Lear from $227.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 25th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 11th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Lear from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, May 14th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Lear from $234.00 to $243.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 30th. Finally, Longbow Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Lear in a report on Monday, April 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $204.82.

Lear Profile

Lear Corporation designs, develops, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and supplies automotive seating, and electrical distribution systems and related components primarily to automotive original equipment manufacturers worldwide. The company operates through Seating and E-Systems segments. The Seating segment includes seat systems and related components, such as leather and fabric products, seat trim covers, recliner mechanisms, seat tracks, seat structures and mechanisms, seat foams, and headrests primarily for automobiles and light trucks, compact cars, and sport utility vehicles, as well as thermoelectric seat heating and cooling systems.

Further Reading: Do closed-end mutual funds pay dividends?

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

What Is Lifting Five Below's Stock to All-Time Highs?

Discount retailer Five Below (FIVE ) has been on a staggering uptrend recently, soaring 62.8% so far this year and reaching an all-time high of $108.96 per share on Thursday.

That impressive momentum is even more significant when it is compared to Five Below’s Retail-Wholesale peers. Over the same time period, the Retail-Wholesale sector, consisting of 214 companies, has only seen an increase of 14.3%.

Moreover, Five Below’s more direct competitors in value retailing have had even worse performances. For example, Dollar Tree (DLTR ) has dropped by 23% and Dollar General (DG ) has only gained 6% year to date.

A major key to the success of Five Below has been its first-quarter fiscal 2018 results, which revealed a positive earnings and sales surprise for the sixth straight quarter. That June Q1 earnings report made the stock jump 38% in the month alone.

Earnings and sales growth should continue to propel Five below for the rest of 2018. The retailer has a Zacks Consensus EPS estimate of $2.47 for 2018—an increase of 37.99% from the prior year. Moreover, net sales are projected to grow 18.79% to reach $1.52 billion for the year.

Key Initiatives

In addition to recent performance being driven by remarkable earnings and sales surprises and a positive outlook, Five Below’s growth and encouraging future can also be traced back to the strategic moves the company has made.

Ever since the first store was opened, Five Below has made it a priority to expand its store front. The company currently operates roughly 650 stores, with 103 new stores launched in fiscal 2017 and plans to open 125 in 2018. The successful aggressive store growth strategy will be maintained moving forward, as CEO Joel Anderson has stated a goal of 2,500 locations by 2020.

Five Below’s focus on mainly selling to teens and pre-teens, along with its unique pricing strategy, has also helped the company stand out in the retail industry. By only selling products, such as toys, crafts, or candy, that are $5 or under, Five Below can easily cater to the younger demographic of shoppers.

Five Below’s young consumer base particularly paid off for the company when Toys R US was officially shut down and closed its final store in late June. The company is in an ideal position to gain from the shutdown by introducing former Toys R US customers to the Five Below brand.  On a call with analysts, Anderson said that Five Below has been “introduced to several new vendors as the Toys R Us transition [has] taken place.”

As a final testament to the progress of Five Below, the retailer recently announced that it is set to open a store in November on the legendary Fifth Avenue in New York City. Launching a store on a street known for luxury reveals the power of value retailing and Five Below’s ability to manifest that. The company will now have the huge opportunity to bring in massive amounts of New Yorkers and tourists to the store.

Bottom Line

Five Below has outpaced the retailing industry so far this year, and the company’s stellar growth should continue in the future. This rise has been backed by prosperous strategies and a string of stellar earnings reports. All of these factors point to why the stock currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

In a time of e-commerce and often pricey consumer trends, it truly is fascinating that a value retailer like Five Below has been able to achieve what it has. It is a story and company that will be captivating to follow over time.

Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies

It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%.

And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation.

 See Them Free>>

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Sees Unusually High Options Volume (GLDD)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. (NASDAQ:GLDD) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders purchased 520 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 900% compared to the typical volume of 52 call options.

Shares of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock opened at $5.55 on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95. The stock has a market cap of $345.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.56 and a beta of 0.74. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has a 1-year low of $3.60 and a 1-year high of $5.70.

Get Great Lakes Dredge & Dock alerts:

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (NASDAQ:GLDD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The construction company reported ($0.07) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.14) by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $146.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $184.20 million. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock had a negative net margin of 3.51% and a negative return on equity of 7.17%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.28) earnings per share. equities analysts anticipate that Great Lakes Dredge & Dock will post -0.01 EPS for the current year.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. KBC Group NV grew its stake in Great Lakes Dredge & Dock by 23.2% during the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 57,047 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $262,000 after buying an additional 10,730 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in Great Lakes Dredge & Dock by 1.7% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,150 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,133,000 after buying an additional 11,074 shares during the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its stake in Great Lakes Dredge & Dock by 78.2% during the first quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 37,000 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 16,238 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Great Lakes Dredge & Dock by 164.5% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC now owns 27,775 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 17,274 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Great Lakes Dredge & Dock during the fourth quarter worth about $103,000. 78.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 4th. ValuEngine raised shares of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 7th. BidaskClub raised shares of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 4th. Finally, Noble Financial set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $8.00.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Profile

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation provides dredging services in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Dredging, and Environmental & Infrastructure. The Dredging segment is involved in capital dredging that consists of port expansion projects, coastal restoration and land reclamations, trench digging for pipelines, tunnels and cables, and other dredging related to the construction of breakwaters, jetties, canals, and other marine structures.

Recommended Story: Momentum Indicator: Relative Strength Index

PACIFIC �� Dog Days of M&A Summer

What's Next: The Dog Days of M&A Summer. Maybe Peter Kafka was right: Maybe there won't be a media merger frenzy. Sun Valley has come to an end and so far there's no evidence it fostered major deals beyond those already in motion: AT&T-Time Warner (bound for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals) and the Disney-Comcast fight for Fox, coupled with the Fox-Comcast fight for Sky.

Why?: Big tech has shown little appetite for media acquisitions. As we wrote one month ago, Apple, Amazon and other tech giants may decide to forgo buying media companies altogether and instead simply poach the best showrunners and talent. Disney and Comcast are tied up with Fox and Sky. That leaves small fish like CBS, Viacom and Discovery waiting.

Bob Iger, Brian Roberts and the Murdochs still have to keep their eye on the ball -- Sky is still in play, and Fox shareholders will vote on Disney's acquisition later this month -- but the rest of the C-Suite is bound for their yachts and vacation homes. You may not see them until the end of August.

---

Today's PACIFIC

Good morning. Slow day.

Where are you spending the next six weeks? What are you spending them on? Let us know, and we'll do our best to cater our coverage accordingly.

---

The Sky Wars: What Comcast is thinking

Little has changed on the Disney-Comcast front since last week:

�� Brian Roberts still has his sights on Sky (latest offer: $34 billion) and is open to dropping his bid for the 21st Century Fox assets entirely, per a source familiar.

�� That could change if Rupert Murdoch continues to pursue Sky as well. The latest we've heard is that the Murdochs do plan to increase their bid for Sky, which may force Roberts to launch another bid for Fox.

�� Fox shareholders will vote on Disney's $71.3 billion takeover offer on July 27 in New York.

---

2020 Watch: Why execs don't run

Remember when Oprah, Bob Iger and Mark Zuckeberg were going to run for President? That was the buzz until Oprah told InStyle it wasn't going to happen and Iger essentially told Vogue the same. A Zuck run has always been implausible.

There is one notable executive who may make a bid: Starbucks' Howard Schultz. But his trial balloon highlights the perils that likely keep tech and media moguls out of the race.

Politico's Ben Schreckinger reports:

�� "Wall Street analysts are wary, and company leadership is nervous, about the effect a Democratic bid by its chairman emeritus could have on Starbucks' business, given its bipartisan customer base."

�� "As Schultz takes the summer off to contemplate a presidential campaign, the world is giving him a lot of downside to ponder, according to conversations with a dozen former Starbucks executives, equities analysts and others with insight into the coffee mogul, his former business and his recent moves."

The Big Picture: "Chief among the risks of a Schultz run is that it could harm the business he spent decades building into a global powerhouse."

---

Launching Tonight

Facebook Watch's first slate of news shows from CNN, Fox News, ABC News and others launches on the platform tonight. Variety's Brian Steinberg notes that Anderson Cooper, whose show premieres at 3:25 p.m. PT, "will not sit behind a desk for his newest show."

---

The Laugh Factory: Why Netflix likes comics

Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada tells Fortune why Netflix signs comedians with big social media followings, instead of smaller comics who are trying to break through:

�� "According to Masada, who said he's met with Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, the directive to pursue comedians who are active on social media comes from the top."

�� "'He told me he wants to get comedians with good followings,' Masada said. 'He would put them on Netflix and their followers would come.'"

�� "Netflix just didn't decide 'oh I'm going to give a break to comics because we like comics,' said Masada who claims Netflix frequently sends talent scouts to his club ... 'It's their social media part of it. It brings in millions and millions of dollars to Netflix."

Bonus: Netflix has released the first photo from the upcoming season (Emmy nominated) of "The Crown," with Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth II.

---

Talk of Tinseltown: Sacha Baron Cohen's flop

Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime comedy "Who Is America?", which features the impersonator duping the likes of Bernie Sanders, Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney, debuted last night to muted fanfare.

THR's Daniel Fienberg explains why Cohen's time may have passed:

�� "It's hard to be outrageous in a world where ideologies that used to be concealed are now proudly public."

�� "Back in 2000, when Da Ali G Show premiered, people still had a modicum of shame. ... [But] it's 2018 and shame is dead. The proudly deplorable parade through the street in their hateful finery and tweet their slurs and ignorance with pride ..."

�� "The disappointing reality of 'Who Is America?' is that Cohen hasn't really gotten anybody to espouse any ideology that they wouldn't and haven't advocated proudly without the subterfuge."

The Big Picture: "We live in a world in which barriers between public brand and private ideology have essentially been erased."

---

What Next: Road Trips. Eater's Essential Guide to Eating California, plus 12 more restaurants that nearly made the list.

See you tomorrow.

Sky-High Expectations Won��t Hinder Netflix Earnings

It’s safe to say that most investors prefer not buying equity in a company that’s already enjoyed massive success. However, many of those same investors are clearly giving Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) a pass. And why not? Its tremendous rise reflects the justified premium of routinely exceeding expectations. In some circles, the upcoming NFLX stock earnings report is merely a coronation of the obvious.

The issue, though, is that even the best names eventually suffer the inevitable correction. Anyone who isn’t emotionally and financially vested in the streaming-media firm can see that NFLX stock is overheated. Just prior to its second-quarter fiscal 2018 earnings report, shares hit triple-digits against its January opener. For context, NFLX returned nearly 54% last year.

Of course, these standout performances are what raises eyebrows today. The last time Netflix hit a low point in the markets was in 2014. Even then, I can’t call a 6.4% loss devastating, as NFLX delivered over 37% returns the following year.

As our own Joseph Hargett points out, while most analysts are bullish, some have increasingly felt the heat. For instance, UBS analyst Eric Sheridan downgraded Netflix to “neutral” from “buy.” He’s not the only one, joining 13 other fence-sitters prior to the NFLX stock earnings call.

The apprehension is understandable. But Hargett points out that “subscriber growth will, once again, be the big story for Netflix.” He further noted:

“Analysts are worried that the U.S. market may be oversaturated, and that geopolitical issues will slow international growth. Netflix is  currently in roughly 56% of U.S. broadband households and 46% of total U.S. households. Internationally, Netflix’s subscriber base is growing rapidly in India and elsewhere.”

Can the NFLX stock earnings report live up to heightened expectations?

The NFLX Stock Earnings Report Can Realistically Hit Its Target

For the second quarter, the consensus estimate for Netflix’s earnings per share is pegged at 79 cents. This is near the upper level of forecasts, which range from 71 cents to 85 cents. In addition, it’s a massive leap from Q2 2017, when analysts expected (and ultimately received) a 15-cent EPS target.

On the revenue front, analysts forecast that the company will deliver $3.9 billion. The estimate spectrum is much tighter for sales, ranging from $3.9 billion to $4 billion. What’s notable here is the disparity against the prior-year quarter, where NFLX hauled in $2.8 billion.

If everything goes according to plan, the company is looking at 39% year-over-year growth. That’s an almost-unheard-of statistic for an industry leader, and one allegedly fighting in a saturated market.

Going into Netflix’s latest earnings conference call, bearish traders cited concerns about the shares’ excessive momentum. I don’t take any issue with this reasoning. No publicly traded company is correction-proof. Plus, Netflix has more than demonstrated choppy or volatile trading in the past.

But it’s also difficult to dismiss the astounding, but very real progress Netflix makes against increasing challenges. In the last NFLX stock earnings report, the streaming company amassed 125 million subs worldwide. That represented 6.3% sequential growth (from Q4 2017), along with a massive 26.6% year-over-year growth.

I just don’t see Netflix losing in this department. Since Q3 2011, sequential growth averages 6.8%. On a YOY basis, we’re seeing a 30% average. Although growth has dipped in recent years, it has done so slightly.

Management expects total subs to jump to 131.2 million. That’s a 26% YOY lift from Q2 2017, which is well within reason. The actuals could even be a little higher than that.

Compare Brokers
Netflix Enjoys an Unstoppable Trajectory

Prior to the earnings drama, the biggest takeaway I received was from their leadership team. In a corporate statement about their longer-term strategies, Netflix bluntly wrote: “In a few decades, linear TV will be the fixed-line telephone: a relic.”

You should always take a company’s opinion about itself with a huge grain of salt. Nevertheless, I must give credit where credit is due. The last NFLX stock earnings report unquestionably proved that sub growth is still robust. However, within that top-line picture is an underlying reality: traditional media is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Consider that out of the top 20 trending TV shows in 2018, Netflix’s programs occupy three slots. Additionally, Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) The Grand Tour ranks 18th. For Netflix, its most popular offering is Stranger Things, with an estimated 12.9 million daily viewers, according to Insider’s total-audience demand metric, which adjusts for country-population size.

Stranger Things is the second-most popular show in the world. This puts it above renowned fare like AMC Networks’ (NASDAQ:AMCX) The Walking Dead, and CBS’ (NYSE:CBS) The Big Bang Theory. The only program that resonates more with fans is Game of Thrones.

This is like Croatia losing to France in the World Cup final. There’s absolutely no shame in it.

I’d call it a warning against the entertainment-media establishment. Netflix is not just winning in the raw numbers, but also in user engagement. Eventually, future NFLX stock earnings reports will reveal just how much of a relic tethered TV has become.

As of this writing, Josh Enomoto did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Legendary Investor Louis Navellier’s Trading Breakthrough

Discovered almost by accident, Louis Navellier’s incredible trading breakthrough has delivered 148 double- and triple-digit winners over the past 5 years – including a stunning 487% win in just 10 months.

Learn to use this formula and you can start turning every $10,000 invested into as much as $58,700.

Click here to review Louis&rsqu

Why perks aren't the answer to retention problems

Perks like free car washes, dry cleaning pickup and a fully-stocked kitchen can help entice new workers to join a company.

But they won't necessarily keep them there.

"It's a job seeker's market right now. That means employers need to work a little harder to find and retain talent," said Sarah Stoddard, senior public relations specialist at Glassdoor. "And when you boil it down to what employees are really looking for, it is traditional benefits with a strong company culture �� one that really values employees."

Having a strong company culture helps workers feel more purposeful and connected to their work. That leads to more engaged and loyal workers.

"You can pay attention to how much people are paying and their perks and benefits, but ... I would argue that you can could catch up to those offerings very fast," said Chuck Edward, Microsoft's head of global talent acquisition. "The real differentiators are company cultures."

That's something Microsoft (MSFT) has been working to nurture. "Culture is the new currency," said Edward. "Culture and impact matters, that is what an applicant with a lot of choices is anchoring their decisions on more and more."

It only takes a few ingredients to create a culture that workers want.

Trust your employees

Trust in the workplace is essential: among colleagues and also between workers and managers.

"Building trust within a workplace between everybody from the intern to the manager to the CEO makes an impact," said Stoddard. "It shows that the leadership empowers and trusts their employees to make decisions to move the company forward."

Let them grow

Workers want growth and advancement opportunities along with new experiences within their positions.

"Offering employees a personalized pathway to grow and develop skills is the No. 1 way to retain them," said Jeanne Meister, founding partner of human resources advisory and research firm Future Workplace. "It shows that you understand growing one's skillset is the key to long-term employability."

Offering benefits like online classes and courses that expand workers' training and new work experiences and projects also helps boost morale and motivation.

Workers also need to feel like they're making an impact on the company, said Meister. "They need to understand how what they are doing fits into the bigger picture."

Talk to them ... a lot

Informed employees are satisfied employees. And an annual performance review or sporadic email blasts aren't going to cut it.

"Having frequent and transparent communication is important," said Stoddard.

Talking about a worker's achievements and role while also setting very clear and obtainable goals is key to keeping workers engaged.

Paul Marciano, author of "Carrots and Sticks Don't Work" recommended having "stay" interviews, when managers check in with their team members to get a sense of how they are doing and what they need to continue to be successful. It's also important to acknowledge an employee's hard work and achievements.

"People don't exit an organization in a day, they don't wake up one morning and say, 'I am going to go.' There is usually a time period during which they become disgruntled," he said.

Managers should also make sure to give workers the freedom to do their job.

"Nothing kills initiative more than micromanagement," said Marciano. "It's like saying, 'hey, I don't trust you to get the ball over the line.'"

When a company frequently provides updates and explanations of certain decisions and initiatives, workers feel more involved.

"It helps employees feel like they are building a company together and gives them more of a slice of the pie," said Stoddard.

And when the company makes a mistake, don't hide from it.

"Be very transparent, state the facts and how the company is going to work through this, is a proactive offensive strategy to help employees understand where they are today," advised Paul McDonald, a senior executive director at Robert Half, a human resource consulting firm.

Be respectful

Workers who feel respected tend to be more engaged and care about their work.

"When people leave an organization, sometimes it's for money, but the vast majority of people leave because they don't feel they are treated respectfully, they aren't recognized or acknowledged and are not given the opportunity to be successful," said Marciano.

Small moves like showing up on time for meetings, not interrupting and following through on commitments, can all promote respect in the office, according to Marciano.

"When you are respected in your tribe, that means you are viewed as having value and are protected," he said.

Zacks: Brokerages Expect Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (VRX) Will Post Earnings of $0.81 Per Shar

Brokerages forecast that Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX) (TSE:VRX) will report earnings per share of $0.81 for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Six analysts have provided estimates for Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl’s earnings, with estimates ranging from $0.71 to $0.91. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl posted earnings of $1.05 per share in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year-over-year growth rate of 22.9%. The business is scheduled to announce its next earnings results on Tuesday, August 14th.

On average, analysts expect that Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl will report full year earnings of $3.36 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.00 to $3.76. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the business will post earnings of $3.54 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.31 to $3.94. Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that cover Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl.

Get Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl alerts:

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl (NYSE:VRX) (TSE:VRX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.29. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl had a negative net margin of 10.65% and a positive return on equity of 27.87%. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

VRX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho upgraded shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $10.00 to $15.00 in a report on Friday, April 6th. Barclays upgraded shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $20.00 to $34.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 6th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 2nd. Deutsche Bank set a $20.00 price target on shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 21st. Finally, TD Securities lowered shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $24.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, June 22nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.43.

In other Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl news, Director Schutter Richard U. De purchased 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $21.83 per share, for a total transaction of $327,450.00. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 11.54% of the company’s stock.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VRX. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl by 189.4% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,991 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 3,921 shares during the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl during the 4th quarter worth $142,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl by 409.4% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 11,498 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 9,241 shares during the last quarter. First Allied Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl by 33.6% during the 1st quarter. First Allied Advisory Services Inc. now owns 15,101 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 3,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl during the 1st quarter worth $245,000. Institutional investors own 46.95% of the company’s stock.

Shares of VRX stock traded up $0.25 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $23.80. 3,875,654 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,085,823. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl has a 1-year low of $10.94 and a 1-year high of $27.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.59, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of -0.38.

About Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc operates as a multinational, specialty pharmaceutical, and medical device company that develops, manufactures, and markets a range of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) products, and medical devices. The company operates through three segments: Bausch + Lomb/International, Branded Rx, and U.S.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl (VRX)

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

Ace (ACE) Tops 24-Hour Trading Volume of $205,611.00

Ace (CURRENCY:ACE) traded down 7.8% against the US dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on July 9th. One Ace token can currently be bought for approximately $0.12 or 0.00001856 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges. Ace has a market capitalization of $1.15 million and $205,611.00 worth of Ace was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, Ace has traded down 0.4% against the US dollar.

Here is how similar cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get Ace alerts: XRP (XRP) traded 1.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.48 or 0.00007126 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded down 1.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.21 or 0.00003135 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded 4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.06 or 0.00015837 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded up 0.4% against the dollar and now trades at $1.01 or 0.00015003 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded down 5.8% against the dollar and now trades at $37.51 or 0.00559121 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 3.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0363 or 0.00000541 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 1.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $13.81 or 0.00205806 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded down 4.1% against the dollar and now trades at $2.46 or 0.00036648 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded down 8.1% against the dollar and now trades at $4.23 or 0.00063033 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded down 6.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0800 or 0.00001192 BTC.

About Ace

Ace’s genesis date was November 7th, 2017. Ace’s total supply is 14,476,036 tokens and its circulating supply is 9,248,821 tokens. Ace’s official website is tokenstars.com/en/ace. The Reddit community for Ace is /r/TokenStars and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Ace’s official Twitter account is @TokenStars and its Facebook page is accessible here.

Ace Token Trading

Ace can be purchased on these cryptocurrency exchanges: OKEx. It is usually not possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Ace directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Ace should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as GDAX, Gemini or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Ace using one of the exchanges listed above.

new TradingView.widget({ “height”: 400, “width”: 650, “symbol”: “ACEUSD”, “interval”: “D”, “timezone”: “Etc/UTC”, “theme”: “White”, “style”: “1”, “locale”: “en”, “toolbar_bg”: “#f1f3f6”, “enable_publishing”: false, “hideideas”: true, “referral_id”: “2588”});

Hot Casino Stocks For 2019

tags:ASGN,j,LGF.A,XPLR,

A basket of Asian blue chips exposed to outbound Chinese tourism has outperformed the regional benchmark by more that 5 percentage points this year, according to Societe Generale SA.

A bunch of 44 stocks, including casino companies, retailers and transportation firms from Hong Kong, China, Japan and South Korea have benefited from the quadrupling in the number of outbound trips made by Chinese residents over the past decade, analysts including Wei Yao wrote in a note Wednesday.

#lazy-img-327590748:before{padding-top:54.41666666666667%;}

“The impressive growth in Chinese outbound tourism is one of the most convincing signs that China’s economic rebalancing is well under way,” the analysts said. “After a decade of exponential growth, China now accounts for over one-fifth of the world’s international tourism spending, twice as much as the next-biggest spender, the U.S.”

Hot Casino Stocks For 2019: On Assignment Inc.(ASGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Insperity (NYSE: NSP) and ASGN (NYSE:ASGN) are both mid-cap business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ASGN (NYSE: ASGN) and Amn Healthcare Services (NYSE:AMN) are both mid-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, profitability, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Hot Casino Stocks For 2019: Fisher(j)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 17.5% lower against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on June 2nd. Over the last seven days, Joincoin has traded down 4.4% against the U.S. dollar. One Joincoin coin can now be purchased for $0.0862 or 0.00001129 BTC on major exchanges. Joincoin has a market capitalization of $267,889.00 and approximately $123.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 1.7% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM ET on May 8th. Joincoin has a total market cap of $145,714.00 and $7.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, Joincoin has traded up 28.6% against the U.S. dollar. One Joincoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0471 or 0.00000521 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges.

Hot Casino Stocks For 2019: (LGF.A)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Lionsgate (LGF.A)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Class A (NYSE:LGF.A) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, June 8th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Saturday, June 30th will be given a dividend of 0.09 per share on Thursday, August 9th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 28th.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF.A) was downgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A) and Genius Brands (NASDAQ:GNUS) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and risk.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Class A (NYSE:LGF.A) are both mid-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Hot Casino Stocks For 2019: Xplore Technologies Corp(XPLR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  A10 Networks (NYSE: ATEN) and Xplore Technologies (NASDAQ:XPLR) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Xplore Technologies (NASDAQ: XPLR) is one of 25 publicly-traded companies in the “Computer & office equipment” industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Xplore Technologies to related businesses based on the strength of its dividends, profitability, earnings, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Xplore Technologies (NASDAQ: XPLR) and Echelon (NASDAQ:ELON) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and valuation.

Goldman: Commodities are set to rise, trade war fears have been oversold

Concerns about oil and other commodities have been "oversold," and even those most exposed to the risks of a U.S.-China trade war are worth buying, Goldman Sachs said in a Wednesday research note.

In June, some commodities saw traders concerned about demand weakness in emerging markets, trade war rumblings, and oil producers' decision to increase production, the bank noted. The most headline-grabbing of those fears was about the tariff threats traded between President Donald Trump's administration and its international trading partners.

The White House is set to levy a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion in Chinese goods, while the Chinese government has said it would retaliate on the same value of U.S. goods. both countries are set to institute those penalties on July 6.

While many have suggested that could be the starting gun for a global trade war that would hit broader economies, Goldman said commodities were not set to be largely hit.

��Only markets that cannot be rerouted globally to other consumers will be impacted by the proposed July 6th tariffs ... We believe that the trade war impact on commodity markets will be very small, with exception of soybeans where complete rerouting of supplies is not possible," the Goldman note said.

Even so, soybean contracts still have ��value at current levels,�� according to Goldman. On June 19, soybean futures had plunged to a nine-year low, following concerns about a U.S.-China trade war.

��We believe all of these concerns have been oversold. Even soybeans, the most exposed of all assets to trade wars, is now a buy,�� Goldman analysts wrote.

The note continued: ��The momentum in oil has already turned on news of tighter Iranian sanctions and additional supply disruptions.��

Goldman said its broadly bullish view on commodities was bolstered by strong global growth and depleting inventories in energy and metal markets that would likely result in higher prices.

The bank maintained its "Overweight" assessment of the commodities space, and said it has a 12-month expected return of 10 percent for the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index.

Wells Fargo & Company MN Acquires 14,026 Shares of Select Medical Holdings Co. (SEM)

Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in shares of Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM) by 6.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 229,531 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,026 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN’s holdings in Select Medical were worth $3,960,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Select Medical by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,836,694 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $244,216,000 after acquiring an additional 408,230 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in Select Medical by 110.0% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 320,618 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $5,657,000 after acquiring an additional 167,962 shares during the last quarter. TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC increased its position in Select Medical by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC now owns 466,951 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $8,242,000 after acquiring an additional 107,892 shares during the last quarter. HBK Investments L P increased its position in Select Medical by 666.4% during the fourth quarter. HBK Investments L P now owns 90,800 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 78,952 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co increased its position in Select Medical by 225.0% during the fourth quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co now owns 89,780 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 62,152 shares during the last quarter. 75.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Select Medical alerts:

NYSE SEM opened at $18.55 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a PE ratio of 19.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.34. Select Medical Holdings Co. has a 12 month low of $14.80 and a 12 month high of $19.77.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The health services provider reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.23 billion. Select Medical had a net margin of 4.23% and a return on equity of 15.19%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.21 earnings per share. equities research analysts anticipate that Select Medical Holdings Co. will post 1.05 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, Chairman Robert A. Ortenzio sold 21,052 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.52, for a total value of $389,883.04. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 6,789,748 shares in the company, valued at $125,746,132.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Scott A. Romberger sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.63, for a total transaction of $93,150.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 158,485 shares in the company, valued at $2,952,575.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 640,931 shares of company stock worth $11,901,380. Company insiders own 19.86% of the company’s stock.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on SEM shares. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Select Medical from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 14th. ValuEngine cut shares of Select Medical from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $20.63.

About Select Medical

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiary, Select Medical Corporation, operates acute care hospitals (LTCHs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational medicine centers in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Long Term Acute Care, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Concentra.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SEM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM).

QT Has Been Bad News for S&P 500, So Look for a Market Drop Monday

LISTEN TO ARTICLE 1:49 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Quantitative tightening days haven’t been kind to the S&P 500 Index lately. The U.S. equity benchmark has stumbled on the last five occasions the Federal Reserve System Open Market Account has had Treasuries mature.

The connection was made on Twitter by @Martingale_Macro, “a sr PM at fund everyone knows,” and elaborated on by East West Investment Management Co. market strategist Kevin Muir on his blog, The Macro Tourist.

Rather than selling bonds outright, the Fed is allowing them to “roll off,” which means effectively pocketing, rather than reinvesting, the proceeds as the bonds mature. That’s reducing liquidity and, if commentators are right, proving a drain on equities.

#lazy-img-328929963:before{padding-top:73.33333333333334%;}

Each maturity date since Feb. 28 has coincided with a drop of 0.68 percent or more in the S&P 500 Index. The March 31 roll-off was followed by a 2.2 percent plunge the next trading day, the fourth-worst session for the index this year.

Quantitative tightening, or the unwinding of central banks’ extraordinary stimulus, has been the primary driver of asset-class performance this year, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts say. The march higher in U.S. interest rates and tighter financial conditions mean that securities which did well during quantitative easing are now underperforming, while “QE losers” have become stars.

This year marks a shift in a tide of global liquidity that helped push up asset prices, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysis. Securities purchases from the Fed, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are just $125 billion year-to-date, well below the $1.5 trillion rate of 2017, they estimate. That suggests markets are missing an injection of some $1.38 trillion thanks to policy makers changing tack.

— With assistance by Cormac Mullen, Eric Lam, and Rich Miller

Top High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:NYNY,ACIA,ICE,

Pessimism has invaded Genel Energy (OTCPK:GEGYF), and recently, in January 2017, the company has tested its lows. From 1100 pennies in January 2014 to the current 75, it has seen a 96% decrease in three years. In our view, the company is oversold, and the full outlook of the company, although difficult, is not as gloomy as the stock price is making it seem nowadays.

Let's start with the main factors feeding the gloomy feeling. Several consecutive shocks have hit Genel Energy since the beginning of 2014:

The ISIL expansion, taking Fallujah in January and Mosul in June 2014, nearly 50 km from Genel Energy's oil fields. The oil price downturn of mid-2014, which hit the company as hard as it did the sector itself. Then, the company cut the reserves estimate for the Taq Taq field by almost half. And on top of that, the Federal Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government had political frictions. An interruption of the oil payments to Genel Energy followed, resulting in a $700 million debt. The outstanding payments led to a decrease in Genel's capex expense, ensued by a global decline in production.

In addition, if the war with ISIL were not enough, the Turkish pipeline was bombed in February 2016, causing a three weeks' cut, which contributed to feeding the gloom.

Top High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Empire Resorts Inc.(NYNY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wendys (NASDAQ: WEN) and Empire Resorts (NASDAQ:NYNY) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Top High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Acacia Communications, Inc. (ACIA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Just because the daily rhetoric about trade wars with China is dwindling, it doesn't mean there aren't still a lot of companies that could be caught in the crossfire. Cramer said this week's collapse of Acacia Communications (ACIA) could be the first of many volleys in the escalating trade battle.

• [By Ezra Schwarzbaum]

  In response to the news, optical stocks with exposure to ZTE faced heavy selling pressure, led by Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA), which dropped 38.2 percent by the day’s close.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Precipio, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPO) jumped 43.3 percent to $0.5447 after the micro-cap specialty diagnostics company reported preliminary first-quarter results. The company said its first quarter revenue rose 286 percent from the same quarter a year ago to $712,000. Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT) gained 34.5 percent to $4.52 after the company announced it would proceed with Phase 3 development of GR-MD-02 for NASH Cirrhosis following the FDA meeting. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) shares rose 21.9 percent to $8.1063. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) shares surged 16 percent to $15.65. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) shares jumped 15.5 percent to $3.6263 after the company disclosed that its application for Medicare codes received favorable preliminary decision. Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNDM) rose 13.7 percent to $10.12. ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) gained 13.7 percent to $4.6743. Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) shares gained 12.2 percent to $35.34 as optical sector is seeing strength following President Trump's announcement that he would work with China related to ZTE Corp. Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE: TLRD) shares rose 11.3 percent to $35.17. Jefferies upgraded Tailored Brands from Hold to Buy. Kona Grill, Inc. (NASDAQ: KONA) jumped 10.6 percent to $2.875. Federated National Holding Company (NASDAQ: FNHC) shares rose 10.6 percent to $20.29. Raymond James upgraded Federated National Holding from Outperform to Strong Buy. Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) climbed 10.2 percent to $15.15. Renewable Energy will replace Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 on Tuesday, May 15. Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) shares climbed 10.1 percent to $3.16. Stein Mart is expected to release Q1 earnings on May 23. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) rose 9.7 percent to $108.60 after Bloomberg reported that the China’s Commerce Ministry has restar
• [By ]

  Just because the daily rhetoric about trade wars with China is dwindling, it doesn't mean there aren't still a lot of companies that could be caught in the crossfire. Cramer said this week's collapse of Acacia Communications (ACIA) could be the first of many volleys in the escalating trade battle.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) shares rose 18.3 percent to $37.25 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.74 percent on Friday. Kitov Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: KTOV) rose 12.1 percent to $2.69 in pre-market trading after surging 4.80 percent on Friday. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) rose 10.9 percent to $109.75 in pre-market trading after Bloomberg reported that the China’s Commerce Ministry has restarted its review of QUALCOMM Incorporated’s (NASDAQ: QCOM) proposed takeover of NXP Semiconductors. Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) rose 10.6 percent to $15.20 in pre-market trading. Renewable Energy will replace Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 on Tuesday, May 15. NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN) rose 10 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading. Vaxart, Inc. (NASDAQ: VXRT) shares rose 8 percent to $5.54 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.19 percent on Friday. Profire Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFIE) rose 7.3 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.22 percent on Friday. Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) rose 7 percent to $22.49 in pre-market trading after falling 1.96 percent on Friday. Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) shares rose 6.9 percent to $9.16 in pre-market trading. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) rose 5.7 percent to $2.24 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.92 percent on Friday. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) rose 5.4 percent to $19.70 in pre-market trading. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: AGM) rose 5.2 percent to $92.95 in pre-market trading. International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) rose 5.2 percent to $29.94 in pre-market trading. Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) shares rose 5.1 percent to $66.30 in the pre-market trading session. Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: UEPS) shares rose 5 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading after climbing 15.66 percent on Friday. Finisar

Top High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2019: Intercontinental Exchange Inc.(ICE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  iDice (CURRENCY:ICE) traded down 3.3% against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 21:00 PM E.T. on April 20th. iDice has a total market cap of $85,719.00 and approximately $0.00 worth of iDice was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last seven days, iDice has traded 21.8% higher against the U.S. dollar. One iDice token can currently be bought for about $0.0546 or 0.00000680 BTC on exchanges including CoinExchange and Mercatox.

• [By ]

  In addition, Corvex Management's Keith Meister reported owning new significant stakes in Intercontinental Exchange Inc. ( (ICE) ), Microsoft Corp.  (MSFT) , Monsanto Co. (MON) , Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) , Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM) and Servicenow Inc. (NOW)

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  California Public Employees Retirement System lessened its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange Inc (NYSE:ICE) by 5.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,459,403 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 87,370 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.25% of Intercontinental Exchange worth $105,836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Domo Gets a Haircut, Sort of Addresses Yellow Flags

Earlier this month, data analytics start-up Domo filed its S-1 Registration Statement with the SEC, signaling its intention to go public in the near future. However, there were numerous red and yellow flags within the filing, including rapidly deteriorating financials, incredibly inefficient spending on sales and marketing, and a few instances of potential self-dealing through various business contracts with other companies affiliated with CEO Josh James. At the time, I opined that long-term investors should not touch the stock.

Domo has just amended�its S-1 with some new details, including a major haircut regarding its valuation.

Buying Domo shares will be quite the gamble. Image source: Getty Images.

A 78% haircut

Domo's last valuation in the private markets was around�$2.3 billion. The company is looking to sell 9.2 million shares, with the offering now expected to price at $19 to $22 -- pegging Domo's valuation at just $510 million at the midpoint. Domo had raised roughly $700 million in private funding rounds throughout the years, and now has very little to show for it. No more unicorn status for Domo.

The company has also updated its estimate for how much voting power James will retain following the offering: James will control 86% of all voting power through his exclusive ownership of supervoting Class A shares.

Addressing some yellow flags...

The company was widely panned for its related-party transactions with other companies affiliated with James, including an aircraft leasing company, a local restaurant, and an interior design company. Domo now says it has terminated all three of these arrangements.

"We believe we received favorable pricing under this agreement; however, in June 2018, we terminated our agreement with JJ Spud LLC," Domo writes regarding the aircraft leasing deal. For the catering and interior design deals, the company continues, "We believe we have received favorable pricing from both vendors; however, we do not intend to do business with either Cubby's Chicago Beef or Alice Lane Home Collection, LLC in the future."

The amount of money that Domo had spent at these three businesses was not particularly material ($2.6 million in total across all three over the course of several years), but it looks awfully bad when you're trying to convince public investors to prop up your floundering company -- fiduciary duties and whatnot.

...while introducing another

But then there's the introduction of a directed share program, where some of the shares being offered will be reserved for insiders to purchase at the offering price. In the original S-1, which only vaguely outlined the directed share program, Domo said, "None of our executive officers or members of our�board of directors will participate in this directed share program."

Domo has had a change of heart, it seems. This program will include a meaningful proportion of the shares being offered. Not only are insiders now welcome to participate, their friends and family are, too (emphasis added):

At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to�690,000�shares of Class B common stock, or 7.5% of the shares offered by this prospectus, for sale at the initial public offering price to individuals through a directed share program, including our directors, executive officers and employees, as well as friends and family members of our executive officers, founders and certain members of senior management, and persons with whom we have a business relationship, including employees of certain customers and suppliers.�If purchased by these persons, these shares will not be subject to a lock-up restriction, except in the case of shares purchased by any director, executive officer or employee, which will be subject to a 180-day lock-up restriction.�

If friends and family of insiders participate in the directed share program, they'll be free to sell at any time. If Domo somehow has a successful IPO and shares jump, that could be quite a windfall for said friends and family, some of whom are losing lucrative business deals with Domo. (James' two brothers were associated with the aforementioned local restaurant and interior design company.)

In other words, Domo has tried but failed to address criticisms of potential self-dealing, so investors should still stay away.

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:WRI,KNOP,SIG,PRXL,CNK,

There��s no clear consensus on how Apple Inc. (NSDQ:AAPL)�will perform in China, as retail channel checks suggest�demand is robust in China.

However,the Chinese retail commentary wasn��t very supportive in the month of October, and I��m guessing that was attributed to Apple��s cautious stance on channel inventory, as Apple reduced channel inventory by a couple of weeks, which reduced production at the two major ODMs (other device manufacturers).

Since suppliers are further up-stream, the tepid commentary from the Chinese ecosystem can be rationalized as Apple failing to forecast demand (yet again) and ordering a modest sum of iPhone��s. So, Apple��s Q1��17 results will be capacity constrained, and lead times for the iPhone 7 is unlikely to balance itself until we move beyond the seasonally strong quarter. (See also: 3 Reasons To Buy Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock Now)

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Weingarten Realty Investors(WRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Weingarten Realty (WRI)

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

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now: KNOT Offshore Partners LP(KNOP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Carnival Cruise Line (NYSE: CCL) and KNOT Offshore Partners (NYSE:KNOP) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends and earnings.

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Signet Jewelers Limited(SIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Signet Jewelers (SIG)

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

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE: SIG) which traded down about 20% at $38.14. The stock��s 52-week range is $38.11 to $77.94. Volume was 25.5 million compared to the daily average volume of 2.1 million.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Signal Token (CURRENCY:SIG) traded 33% higher against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 23:00 PM ET on May 12th. During the last seven days, Signal Token has traded 136.8% higher against the U.S. dollar. Signal Token has a market capitalization of $9.93 million and approximately $156,257.00 worth of Signal Token was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Signal Token token can currently be bought for $0.0450 or 0.00000466 BTC on popular exchanges including HitBTC, EtherDelta (ForkDelta), IDEX and Bancor Network.

• [By Steve Symington]

  As for individual stocks, earnings news left shares of Signet Jewelers (NYSE:SIG) tumbling, while an announcement from Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) sent shockwaves through cryptocurrency markets.

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now: PAREXEL International Corporation(PRXL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  News headlines about PAREXEL International (NASDAQ:PRXL) have trended somewhat positive on Tuesday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern identifies positive and negative 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 -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. PAREXEL International earned a news impact score of 0.18 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave press coverage about the medical research company an impact score of 49.4978250148766 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Top 5 China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cinemark Holdings Inc(CNK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE: BUD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $13.06 billion. SINA Corporation (NASDAQ: SINA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $433.32 million. Weibo Corporation (NASDAQ: WB) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.47 per share on revenue of $342.39 million. Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.55 billion. Mylan N.V. (NASDAQ: MYL) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.98 per share on revenue of $2.75 billion. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.31 per share on revenue of $1.51 billion. ADT Inc. (NYSE: ADT) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $1.11 billion. Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.13 per share on revenue of $2.18 billion. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: PNK) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue of $644.94 million. Conduent Incorporated (NYSE: CNDT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.21 per share on revenue of $1.44 billion. Delphi Technologies PLC (NYSE: DLPH) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.16 per share on revenue of $1.25 billion. Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.08 per share on revenue of $2.72 billion. Global Partners LP (NYSE: GLP) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.13 per share on revenue of $2.33 billion. Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.37 per share on revenue of $530.99 million. Performance Food Group Company (NYSE: PFGC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $4.46 billion. Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) is projected to report
• [By Shane Hupp]

  A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Cinemark by 73.2% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,081,823 shares of the company’s stock worth $211,768,000 after buying an additional 2,570,923 shares in the last quarter. Rivulet Capital LLC increased its position in Cinemark by 88.0% during the fourth quarter. Rivulet Capital LLC now owns 2,859,216 shares of the company’s stock worth $99,558,000 after buying an additional 1,338,000 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC increased its position in Cinemark by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 2,312,832 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,533,000 after buying an additional 42,982 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Cinemark by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,728,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,187,000 after buying an additional 66,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Cinemark by 3.4% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,334,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,310,000 after buying an additional 43,606 shares in the last quarter. 94.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “$0.61 EPS Expected for Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK) This Quarter” was published by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this story on another publication, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of United States & international copyright & trademark laws. The legal version of this story can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3362835/0-61-eps-expected-for-cinemark-holdings
• [By Shane Hupp]

  Hodges Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) by 2.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 311,681 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,234 shares during the quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.27% of Cinemark worth $11,741,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

How to make sure your Amazon Echo doesn't send secret recordings

It was Alexa's equivalent of a pocket dial.

A woman in Portland, Oregon claimed her Amazon Echo smart-speaker secretly recorded a private conversation, then sent the audio file to an acquaintance. She told her story to a local news outlet and it spread, stoking fears about always listening devices invading privacy.

Amazon confirmed the incident and claimed it was caused by an extremely rare series of events. The Echo misheard four different commands causing it to turn on, record a voice message, and send it to a contact.

While that family says they will no longer use Echo devices, there are some less extreme measures that smart speaker fans can take to protect their privacy.

Turn off calling and messaging features

It sounds like a simple solution: turn off any features that can accidentally record and share audio. Unfortunately, there is no option to turn off voice messaging in the current Alexa app. You have to talk to Amazon customer service on the phone to turn of messaging.

You can call Amazon at (888) 280-4331, or open the Alexa app and go to Help & Feedback and have Amazon customer service call you.

Amazon tells us this is the recommended way to turn of messaging features or delete contacts, but it is working on a way to control these settings inside the app.

Don't give Alexa your contact list

When you first set up an Alexa device on a smartphone, you give the app permission to access the contacts saved on your phone. If you are a new Echo user, you can skip this step and deny it permission. However, once you do give it permission, it uploads your contacts to its servers. Even if you revoke access in the phone's settings, or delete the app completely, Alexa will continue to have all the phone numbers and email addresses it already saved from you address book. The only way to remove them is by calling customer service. You can, however, mute individual contacts in the app.

Pump up the volume or hit the mute button

If the volume on an Echo or similar device is turned all the way down, you may not hear it asking for prompts like the name of a contact. Especially if its excellent microphones pick up your voice in a different room.

Echo speakers have seven microphones that are always listening for Alexa's "wake" word. The devices only record and upload audio once they hear that word, but as this case illustrates, sometimes it can be triggered by mistake.

When you want to be extra sure a smart speaker isn't listening, mute it. The Echo and Google Home have physical mute buttons, and Apple's HomePod has a mute voice command ("Hey Siri, stop listening"). The light ring on the top of an Echo turns red when it is muted.

Avoid saying words that sound like "Alexa"

The recent secret recoding incident began when an Echo misheard something that sounded like "Alexa," its trigger word. According to the Rhyming Dictionary there aren't many exact rhymes for Alexa, but you should avoid dropping adnexa, annexa, celexa, lenexa, or reflexa into casual conversations.

If someone in your house is actually named Alexa or something similar, you can change the Echo's trigger word to Echo, Amazon or Computer.

Live like everyone's watching

While people are wringing their hands over the Echo, it's not the only potential privacy risk in your home. There are other smart speakers using always-on microphones, like Google Home and Microsoft's Cortana devices.

Smartphones can also be set to an always listening mode, including iPhones and Google's Pixel devices. Devices without microphones can collect private data too. Connected cameras like Ring doorbells and Nest Cams, sensors that track movement, and even something like a "smart" fridge can all collect information about you that you'd rather keep secret.

You can unplug them all until you are confident in the tech industries privacy protections, or you can go about your daily life avoiding doing or saying anything embarrassing (or illegal).

Deutsche Bank to cut an additional 7,000 jobs by…

Deutsche Bank announced Thursday that it would cut an additional 7,000 jobs by 2019 in a bid to make the lender profitable again.

"The number of full-time positions is expected to fall from just over 97,000 currently to well below 90,000; the associated personnel reductions are underway," Deutsche said in a statement shortly before its annual shareholder meeting.

The bank said the job cuts would hit its equities sales and trading division, which was expected to lose 25% of its workforce. "We remain committed to our Corporate and Investment Bank and our international presence �� we are unwavering in that," CEO Christian Sewing said Thursday. "However, we must concentrate on what we truly do well."

The bank added it would slash leverage exposure in the investment arm by 10%.

The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday, saying that the workforce reduction was part of stepped-up cost-cutting efforts by the bank's new chief executive Christian Sewing.

In a surprise move last month, Deutsche Bank Chairman Paul Achleitner abruptly replaced Chief Executive John Cryan with�Christian Sewing�amid investor complaints that the bank was falling behind in executing a turnaround plan.

Under Cryan, the bank had a previous target of 9,000 cuts by 2020, though the Frankfurt-based lender may have made less than a third of those cuts.

More: Deutsche Bank in the red again following Trump tax reform

More: Deutsche Bank replaces CEO John Cryan with Christian Sewing

Thursday's announcement comes after weeks of debate over how fast and deep job losses at the struggling German lender should be. Plans for fewer layoffs had divided senior executives and left investors unconvinced, people familiar with internal bank discussions told WSJ. Deutsche Bank declined to comment on�questions from several news media.

Shares in Germany's biggest private lender have fallen 31%�this year, sparking calls from investors to speed up the recovery process.

Hans-Christoph Hirt, head of shareholder adviser Hermes EOS at Hermes Investment Management, told Reuters on Wednesday he wanted to see a "credible strategy with achievable targets," adding that it was critical that the recent CEO appointment "works out."

Christian Sewing �� a Deutsche Bank lifer with a background in audit, risk control and retail banking �� is aiming to refocus the lender on its European home market and reverse a two-decade effort to compete with U.S. rivals in investment banking.

Newspaper reports said Sewing was planning to sharply reduce Deutsche Bank's presence in the US market and to start�cutting activity in the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa region (CEEMEA).

Bloomberg�said that the decision was the result of a "wide-ranging review of the bank's global equities business." Part of the plan was a decision to scale back the bank's business services for hedge funds, as�the trading of stocks would also be affected.

Among those to leave the bank are London-based head of CEEMEA equity sales Darren Veenhuis, as well as Pascal Moura, who runs equity research for the region from Dubai.

The CEEMEA desk specializes in trading emerging-market securities and had been singled out as one area where Deutsche Bank needs to reassess how it competes with other investment banks, the people said.

Deutsche Bank's supervisory board and senior executives will confront investors�Thursday�in Frankfurt at its annual shareholder meeting.�They will face a proposal to break up the company and probing questions about last month's chief executive handoff.

The lender is also under pressure from credit ratings agencies after losing much of its credibility and billions in fines as a result of the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Standard & Poor's is expected to say by the end of the month whether it will cut Deutsche Bank's rating after putting it on "credit watch" in April.

This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.