AI Is On Track To Send Millions Of Bank Workers To Eternal Call Waiting

&l;p&g;Business leaders are finally fessing up to the fact that artificially intelligent enterprise software is going kill thousands of service jobs.

Michael Corbat, CEO at&a;nbsp;&l;strong&g;Citigroup&l;/strong&g;,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.ft.com/content/b04d502a-329c-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;told&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;the&a;nbsp;&l;em&g;Financial Times&l;/em&g;&a;nbsp;in February that AI, coupled with digitalization, could help eliminate tens of thousands of jobs at call centers.

&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-43212843&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/43212843/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Michael Corbat, chief executive officer of Citigroup Inc., left, gestures as he speaks during a Bloomberg event on the opening day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. World leaders, influential executives, bankers and policy makers attend the 49th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from Jan. 22 - 25. Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

It&a;rsquo;s the new reality, and it&a;rsquo;s coming fast.

Customer service is a tough nut to crack for banks.&a;nbsp;Despite all the money they spend developing online banking, smartphone applications and automated teller networks, customers still want to deal with other humans.

Citigroup spends $8 billion annually on technology, according to&a;nbsp;&l;em&g;FT&l;/em&g;, and the firm still employs armies of call center workers.

They are the last line of defense. They help cancel lost credit cards or explain why you can&a;rsquo;t see your electric utility payment online.

But paying them is costly.

Bankers hope to eliminate most customer service reps by digitizing the processes they perform.&a;nbsp;You might have noticed the prevalence of self-service menus online. With the right software, it&a;rsquo;s easy to cancel a lost credit card without ever talking to anyone.

The next step is implementing the right AI software, to help assist customers who want or need some sort of interaction with a company representative that doesn&a;rsquo;t have to be human.

At the Google I/O developers conference last year,&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;strong&g;Alphabet&l;/strong&g;&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2fRxfZTJ2c&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;showed off&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;software it called Duplex. The showstopper was an AI bot that sounded like a human, could carry on a&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/google-duplex-is-calling-we-talk-to-the-revolutionary-but-limited-phone-ai/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;reasonably intelligent conversation&l;/a&g;, and was capable of taking instructions.

Duplex was like a personal valet.

The software was able to make hair appointments at local salons. It even made a reservation at a busy Chinese restaurant.

Humans were none the wiser.

There was some outrage. How dare robots fool humans. There was&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/uh-did-google-fake-its-big-ai-demo&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;some disbelief&l;/a&g;, too. Duplex seemed far too advanced. It couldn&a;rsquo;t be real.

But it was and is. When Google rolled out its Pixel smartphone in October 2018, Duplex came bundled as a service called &a;ldquo;call screening.&a;rdquo;

And if Google can build the software to run on a mobile phone, you know it&a;rsquo;s possible to have similar software run at a call center.

AI is coming fast, and it&a;rsquo;s freaking out people because they can see how disruptive it might be in the real world.

Bankers have been clamoring for more AI, faster for years. In 2017, Vikram Pandit, Corbat&a;rsquo;s predecessor at Citigroup,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-13/ex-citi-ceo-pandit-says-30-of-bank-jobs-at-risk-from-technology&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;told&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;&l;em&g;Bloomberg&l;/em&g;&a;nbsp;that better AI could reduce headcount at the bank by 30%.

Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan told a London audience to&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/sep/06/deutsche-bank-boss-says-big-number-of-staff-will-lose-jobs-to-automation&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;expect a bonfire&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;of bank sector jobs.

I&a;rsquo;m fairly certain they meant this as a good thing, as it reduces costs and increased profitability. And sure, they will make the case it leads to a better user experience &a;mdash; &a;nbsp;but they claimed the same of automated phone trees, too. I&a;rsquo;m still waiting for my positive touch-tone phone menu experience.

McKinsey &a;amp; Co., a global consulting firm,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/jobs-lost-jobs-gained-what-the-future-of-work-will-mean-for-jobs-skills-and-wages&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;estimated&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;in 2017 that as many as 800 million jobs could be lost to automation by 2030.

Creative jobs were safest. Those working in the banking sector were most at risk, and for good reason. Their jobs are mostly repetitive and require only modest analysis. There is also the grim reality their leaders are itching to drop the ax.

Investors should continue to focus on the first part of the process. Digitalization is the sweet spot right now.&a;nbsp;Bank bosses are deploying customer relationship management software at breakneck pace. They are laying the groundwork for the jump to AI bots and other software trickery.

Investors should listen to Corbat when he speaks. &a;ldquo;We still have tens of thousands of people in call centers, and we know when we can digitize those processes,&a;rdquo; he said &a;ldquo;we not only radically change or improve the customer experience, it costs less to provide.&a;rdquo;

&l;strong&g;Salesforce&l;/strong&g;&a;nbsp;is by far the company best positioned to digitalize the customer service process. It has the best software,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/06/gartner-magic-quadrant.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;according to industry experts like Gartner&l;/a&g;. It also has more access to leading Fortune 100 firms than any company in the space.

Unfortunately, shares are not exactly cheap. The stock is near record highs, trading at 47x forward earnings and 9.3x forward sales. The market capitalization has surged to $123 billion.

Longer term investors can safely buy the stock into the next decline toward $130.&l;/p&g;

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019

tags:NXG,CME,GSS,NGD,ORE,

Angel Commodities' report on Gold

On Monday, Spot gold prices rose by 0.18 percent to close at $1303.5 per ounce on hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue to have a dovish approach. The U.S. Fed will commence with its monetary policy meeting today i.e. on Tuesday, which ends with a news conference on Wednesday. The investors expect a dovish stance from the FOMC which has pressurized and Dollar and supported Gold prices. However, worries over U.S.-China trade tensions, U.S.-North Korea relations or Brexit have not really boosted demand for demand in gold, the safe haven asset.

Outlook

Expectation of dovish stance by FED might weigh on the US Dollar and in turn support Gold. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher today; international markets are trading higher by 0.42 percent at $1306.95 per ounce.

For all commodities report, click here

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of NEX Group PLC (LON:NXG) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 696 ($9.21).

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019: CME Group Inc.(CME)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) : "That's an ideal stock for this market. I like the choice."

  Aqua America (WTR) : "This is not the stock for a hot economy, even though this is a well-run company."

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Nucor (NUE) , Ball Corp (BLL) , Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and McDonald's (MCD) .

  Cramer was bearish on United States Steel (X) , Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) , Aqua America (WTR) and Mueller Water Products (MWA) .

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This stock has had a solid 2018 and is a top pick at Deutsche Bank. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options. CME brings buyers and sellers together through its Globex electronic trading platform and its trading facilities in New York and Chicago.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Cashme (CURRENCY:CME) traded 0.1% lower against the dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on September 8th. Cashme has a total market cap of $0.00 and $0.00 worth of Cashme was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Cashme coin can now be purchased for $0.0003 or 0.00000003 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges. Over the last seven days, Cashme has traded up 55.3% against the dollar.

• [By ]

  Case in point, I've held CME Group (NYSE: CME) in my High-Yield Investing portfolio for almost four years now. When I first took a position in the summer of 2014, the stock offered a regular quarterly dividend of $0.47 per share that added up to a modest yield of 2.6%. Many income investors skipped over it without a second glance.

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Golden Star Resources Ltd. (TSE:GSC) (NYSE:GSS) has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$1.48.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:GSS) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 28th, there was short interest totalling 10,021,831 shares, an increase of 6.9% from the September 14th total of 9,371,344 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,038,207 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 9.7 days. Approximately 4.7% of the company’s shares are sold short.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its holdings in shares of New Gold Inc (Pre-Merger) (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) by 5.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,015,289 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 101,852 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI owned about 0.35% of New Gold Inc (Pre-Merger) worth $4,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Shares of miner New Gold Inc. (NYSEMKT:NGD) jumped as much as 19.4% in trading early Wednesday after the company announced a leadership change. Shares were hitting their high at 11:05 a.m. EDT and seemed to be gaining momentum.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 2.9% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $2.35. Shares closed at $2.42 on Friday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 5.8 million shares. The gold mining company had no news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) dropped about 4.7% Friday to post a new 52-week low of $2.05. Shares closed at $2.15 on Thursday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 50% higher than the daily average of 4.2 million. The junior gold miner had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 3.8% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $2.28. Shares closed at $2.37 on Wednesday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 5.9 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose

Top 5 Gold Stocks For 2019: Orezone Gold Corp (ORE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Robertson]

  Finally, Richard Seville, the CEO of Brisbane-based Orocobre Ltd (ASX: ORE) which began lithium sales in 2015 from northern Argentina and also experienced difficulty boosting output, commented that an "inability to access traditional funds has delayed the development of the sector" and that "these projects aren't easy -- so the banks just don't want to go there."

• [By Peter Graham]

  Sandstorm's due diligence is thorough, they don't just invest in any company. They like West Africa because they understand the area and the opportunities that exist there. Sandstorm is a royalty and streaming company, so they make these investments and receive cashflow deals that often kick in much later on. But they have already established a presence in Burkina and have deals in place with larger companies like Orezone Gold (TSXV: ORE) and Endeavour Mining (TSX: EDV). Sandstorm's investment also potentially gives us access to their marketing department through something they call Launch Lab, and it looks like it will really benefit our own marketing efforts and will expose us to more opportunities over the coming year.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Galactrum (CURRENCY:ORE) traded 1.7% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 18:00 PM Eastern on August 31st. Galactrum has a total market capitalization of $866,847.00 and approximately $5,272.00 worth of Galactrum was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Galactrum coin can now be purchased for about $0.42 or 0.00006032 BTC on major exchanges including Stocks.Exchange and Cryptopia. In the last seven days, Galactrum has traded 12.5% higher against the U.S. dollar.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Galactrum (ORE) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  Lyra2RE hashing algorithm. It was first traded on December 13th, 2017. Galactrum’s total supply is 2,781,952 coins and its circulating supply is 2,061,952 coins. Galactrum’s official website is galactrum.org. Galactrum’s official Twitter account is @galactrum.

Hooker Furniture Co. (HOFT) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.15 on March 29th

Hooker Furniture Co. (NASDAQ:HOFT) announced a quarterly dividend on Sunday, March 3rd, NASDAQ reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.15 per share on Friday, March 29th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 15th.

Hooker Furniture has increased its dividend by an average of 12.5% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 3 consecutive years.

Get Hooker Furniture alerts:

Shares of HOFT stock opened at $30.36 on Thursday. Hooker Furniture has a 1 year low of $24.85 and a 1 year high of $49.85. The company has a current ratio of 3.46, a quick ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market cap of $357.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.98 and a beta of 0.58.

Separately, BidaskClub upgraded Hooker Furniture from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 4th.

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Hooker Furniture stock. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Hooker Furniture Co. (NASDAQ:HOFT) by 8.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 131,102 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,433 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.11% of Hooker Furniture worth $3,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.10% of the company’s stock.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Hooker Furniture Co. (HOFT) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.15 on March 29th” was first posted by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this article on another publication, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of US & international trademark and copyright legislation. The legal version of this article can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4220261/hooker-furniture-co-hoft-to-issue-quarterly-dividend-of-0-15-on-march-29th.html.

Hooker Furniture Company Profile

Hooker Furniture Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, imports, and markets residential household furniture products in the United States. It operates through Hooker Branded, Home Meridian, and All Other segments. The Hooker Branded segment offers a range of design categories, including home entertainment, home office, accent, dining, and bedroom furniture under the Hooker Furniture brand name; and imported upholstered furniture.

Read More: Purposes and Functions of the Federal Reserve

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:FFIC,NUS,NSM,

Greenwich, CT, based Investment company Oracle Investment Management Inc buys Adaptimmune Therapeutics PLC, Aduro Biotech Inc, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc, sells Mazor Robotics, Intrexon Corp, Endologix Inc, Accuray Inc during the 3-months ended 2018-03-31, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Oracle Investment Management Inc. As of 2018-03-31, Oracle Investment Management Inc owns 18 stocks with a total value of $303 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: ADRO, Added Positions: ADAP, PACB, ARNA, EPZM, CFRX, Reduced Positions: MZOR, AMRN, TSRO, QDEL, OPK, Sold Out: XON, ELGX, ARAY,

For the details of ORACLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=ORACLE+INVESTMENT+MANAGEMENT+INC

These are the top 5 holdings of ORACLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INCQuidel Corp (QDEL) - 2,336,448 shares, 39.96% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 2.18%Tesaro Inc (TSRO) - 844,718 shares, 15.94% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 5.22%Pacific Biosciences of California Inc (PACB) - 9,537,661 shares, 6.45% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 12.83%Amarin Corp PLC (AMRN) - 5,176,479 shares, 5.14% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 17.88%Mazor Robotics Ltd (MZOR) - 246,317 shares, 4.99% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 80.95%New Purchase: Aduro Biotech Inc (ADRO)

Oracle Investment Management Inc initiated holding in Aduro Biotech Inc. The purchase prices were between $6 and $9.3, with an estimated average price of $7.3. The stock is now traded at around $8.15. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 0.73%. The holding were 238,478 shares as of 2018-03-31.

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Flushing Financial Corporation(FFIC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Flushing Financial (FFIC)

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

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Flushing Financial Corp  (NASDAQ:FFIC)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 01, 2019, 9:30 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Flushing Financial (NASDAQ:FFIC) was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a sell rating to a hold rating.

  Fly Leasing (NYSE:FLY) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a buy rating. Zacks Investment Research currently has $17.00 price target on the stock. According to Zacks, “Fly Leasing Limited, formerly known as Babcock & Brown Air Limited, is engaged in acquiring and leasing modern, high-demand and fuel-efficient commercial jet aircraft under long-term contracts to a diverse group of airlines throughout the world. The Company’s strategy is to effectively manage its fleet and grow its portfolio through accretive acquisitions of aircraft. FLY Leasing is managed and serviced by BBAM L.P., an aircraft leasing company. BBAM acts as manager of FLY Leasing and servicer of the aircraft portfolio under multi-year management and servicing agreements. In addition to arranging for the leasing of the fleet, BBAM assists in the acquiring and disposing of aircraft, marketeering aircraft for lease and release, collecting rents and other payments from the lessees of aircraft, monitoring maintenance, insurance and other obligations under leases, and enforcing FLY Leasing’s rights against lessees. BBAM is an independent company. FLY Leasing Limited is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. “

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Flushing Financial Co. (NASDAQ:FFIC) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 30th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.20 per share by the bank on Friday, June 29th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.96%.

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Nu Skin Enterprises Inc.(NUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) and PetIQ (NASDAQ:PETQ) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and risk.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Federated Investors Inc. PA raised its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS) by 20.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 125,726 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 21,522 shares during the quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA’s holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises were worth $9,267,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS) President Ryan S. Napierski sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $800,000.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 74,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,968,160. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Vident Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 4,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $349,000.

• [By ]

  Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) is benefiting from two key trends: its strong presence in Asia where it books 79% of its revenue and leading brand awareness with millennials. The company has increased its dividend every year since 2001, now paying a 2% yield, and maintains a share repurchase program that returns excess cash to shareholders.

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc.(NSM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News coverage about Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE:NSM) has trended somewhat positive on Saturday, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm identifies positive and negative news coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Nationstar Mortgage earned a media sentiment score of 0.12 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 48.8354214982419 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Max Byerly]

  LSV Asset Management raised its stake in shares of Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE:NSM) by 28.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 282,100 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 62,900 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned approximately 0.29% of Nationstar Mortgage worth $5,066,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Eqis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc (NYSE:NSM) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,391 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $182,000.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Nationstar Mortgage (NSM)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc (NYSE:NSM) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 149,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,824 shares during the quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Nationstar Mortgage were worth $2,684,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE:NSM) Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallJul. 17, 2018 9:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

CORION (COR) Trading Down 8% This Week

CORION (CURRENCY:COR) traded up 3.2% against the dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on March 8th. CORION has a market cap of $0.00 and $366.00 worth of CORION was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last seven days, CORION has traded down 8% against the dollar. One CORION token can now be bought for about $0.0493 or 0.00001334 BTC on exchanges.

Here’s how similar cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:

Get CORION alerts: XRP (XRP) traded down 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.31 or 0.00007971 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 1.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $14.73 or 0.00376588 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded 0.1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.01 or 0.00025784 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded up 1.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0877 or 0.00002243 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 2.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0224 or 0.00000574 BTC. Bitcoin SV (BSV) traded down 3.5% against the dollar and now trades at $65.85 or 0.01683646 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 1.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $8.97 or 0.00229442 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded down 2.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0045 or 0.00000115 BTC. Basic Attention Token (BAT) traded up 0.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.20 or 0.00005077 BTC. TrueUSD (TUSD) traded up 0.2% against the dollar and now trades at $1.01 or 0.00025925 BTC.

CORION Profile

CORION launched on May 16th, 2017. CORION’s total supply is 9,136,859 tokens. CORION’s official Twitter account is @CorionPlatform and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for CORION is www.corion.io.

Buying and Selling CORION

CORION can be traded on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Cryptopia. It is usually not possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as CORION directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire CORION should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Coinbase, GDAX or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase CORION using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Top Cheap Stocks For 2019

tags:GD,IBM,KSS,USG,WEN,

Saving for retirement is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make, and it's not cheap. The average person spends upward of $738,000 in retirement, but depending on your lifestyle and expenses, you could need at least a million dollars to be able to retire comfortably.

For example, say you currently need about $50,000 per year to cover all your expenses. According to the 4% rule -- which states, in a nutshell, that you should withdraw roughly 4% of your retirement savings the first year of your retirement and then adjust your withdrawals each following year based on inflation -- if you're withdrawing $50,000 the first year, your total retirement savings would need to amount to around $1.25 million (assuming you'll spend 30 years in retirement).

Image source: Getty Images

Of course, your income in retirement doesn't need to come solely from your own savings. Social Security benefits also provide a cushion, but that cushion may not be as big as you think. The average beneficiary receives around $1,294 per month in Social Security benefits, according to the Social Security Administration, which amounts to around $15,500 per year. While that money can go a long way in helping cover expenses, a significant portion will need to come from your own savings.

Top Cheap Stocks For 2019: S&P GSCI(GD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  The $3 billion competition, which includes management and maintenance of a range of navy and marine networks, will pit Perspecta against two of the largest government IT vendors, Leidos Holdings (NYSE:LDOS) and the recently bulked-up IT arm of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD). This is a business where scale is vitally important, potentially putting Perspecta in a difficult position.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

  Get General Dynamics alerts: U.S. Air Force Awards General Dynamics Cloud Services Contract (finance.yahoo.com) General Dynamics (GD) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com) America Desperately Needs More Submarines. And That Is Good News for General Dynamics. (yahoo.com) GD completes Hawker Pacific acquisition (janes.com) General Dynamics Unit Secures Work for Aircraft Computer System Repairs, Replacement (govconwire.com)

  Shares of NYSE:GD traded up $3.17 on Tuesday, reaching $199.62. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,149,954 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,720,029. General Dynamics has a 52-week low of $190.30 and a 52-week high of $230.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.84.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Shipbuilding and services specialist Huntington Ingalls (NYSE:HII) was spun off from Northup Grumman in early 2011. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) is roughly six times larger and offers a far more diversified list of products and services that includes submarines, aircraft, and armored vehicles, among other things. Both, however, provide key products and services to the U.S. military. That's normally a fairly consistent business driven by large and often very long contracts. With a supportive administration in the White House, it would seem like now is a good time to take a look at this pair of stocks. But which of these two military-industrial companies is a better buy? Using a Benjamin Graham lens, the answer may not be what you want to hear.

• [By ]

  Finally, General Dynamics Corp. (GD) , along with Lockheed and BAE Systems, could possibly profit from heightened demand ships and other vehicles. 

Top Cheap Stocks For 2019: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  IBM (NYSE:IBM) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallApril 17, 2018 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) earnings looked good on paper. However, one thing was missing. The company’s revenue growth looks nothing like that of a tech company. The promise by CEO Ginni Rometty would become a real tech corporation continue to languish.

• [By Billy Duberstein]

  Accenture is a premier technology brand with highly diversified operations. And there's one final piece of the puzzle: It's a pure-play consulting firm that doesn't sell hardware. In other words, it only serves as a consultant, it doesn't sell its own technology, so there's no potential conflict of interest. While some of its competitors are also pure-plays, its competitors include consulting arms of large tech companies, such as IBM (NYSE: IBM) and HP Enterprise (NYSE: HPE), which sell their own technology.

• [By ]

  That has led some companies to consider hiring "new collar" workers, employees who have or can gain needed skills but who lack degrees or other traditional qualifications. IBM (NYSE: IBM) CEO Ginni Rometty has been one of the leading proponents of this concept; her company has committed "$1 billion in training and development programs for its U.S. workforce, with an approach to filling New Collar roles that prioritizes capabilities over credentials" according to an email interview with IBM's New Collar Initiatives Talent Leader Kelli Jordan.

Top Cheap Stocks For 2019: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) released its fiscal second-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Tuesday. The company said that it had $1.76 in earnings per share (EPS) and $4.57 billion in revenue, which compares with consensus estimates of $1.64 in EPS and $4.26 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $1.24 on $4.4 billion in revenue.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Below are some of investors' favorite value stocks

  Stock Ticker What the company does P/E ratio General Motors (NYSE: GM) Designs, manufactures and distributes vehicles under the brands Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, and Wuling. 5.7 Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Designs and develops consumer electronics and software. 17.5 Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) One of the world's biggest global airline. 10.6 Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) Multinational telecoms company. 12.9 Kohl's  (NYSE: KSS) Department store chain. 12.2

  Source: Yahoo! Finance.

• [By Matt Hogan]

  Against this backdrop, screening for a potentially overlooked value stock with signs of a turnaround itself makes for a compelling thesis. Department store operator Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) seems to fit the bill. The company posted impressive numbers last quarter (more on those below) and finbox.io valuation models show nearly 30 percent upside. With Kohl's set to announce earnings on the 22nd, let's take a closer look at the company's recent performance, competitive position, and strategic initiatives.

Top Cheap Stocks For 2019: USG Corporation(USG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Warren Buffett likes to hold his stock positions for the long run, and his experience with USG (NYSE:USG) has been typical of his other long-term investments. The Oracle of Omaha started buying shares of the manufacturer of Sheetrock drywall and other building materials back in 2000, accumulating a sizable stake that has ballooned to more than 30% of the company. USG ended up going through bankruptcy in order to get a handle on its asbestos liability claims, but thanks largely to Buffett's involvement, the building materials company not only survived bankruptcy but also saw share prices soar briefly on hopes that USG would once again fully participate in the then-strong housing boom.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of USG (NYSE:USG) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Tuesday.

  A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of USG from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the company from $35.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Jefferies Group reiterated a hold rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of USG in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. SunTrust Banks boosted their target price on shares of USG from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. Buckingham Research boosted their target price on shares of USG from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. Finally, Nomura boosted their target price on shares of USG from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.00.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  USG Co. (NYSE:USG) – Equities research analysts at SunTrust Banks reduced their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of USG in a report issued on Monday, July 9th. SunTrust Banks analyst K. Hughes now forecasts that the construction company will post earnings of $0.57 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.61. SunTrust Banks currently has a “Hold” rating and a $44.00 price target on the stock. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for USG’s FY2018 earnings at $2.05 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.71 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.53 EPS.

Top Cheap Stocks For 2019: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Leo Sun]

  However, the fast casual market became increasingly crowded with rival chains like Panera Bread and Chipotle, and Zoe's got squeezed between traditional dine-in restaurants like Darden's Olive Garden and evolving fast food players like Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) and McDonald's (NYSE:MCD).

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) major shareholder Edward P. Garden sold 764,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.53, for a total value of $12,628,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 240,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,973,233.45. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

• [By ]

  Throughout its history, Starbucks has mostly had a company-owned model for its retail locations, a strategy that is at odds with a trend of activist investors pushing fast food, restaurant and coffee companies to franchise locations out to raise cash for stock buybacks and debt reduction. In recent years, activists have targeted Jamba Juice (JMBA) , Potbelly (PBPB) , Jack in the Box (JACK) , Wendys Co. (WEN) , McDonald's (MCD) and elsewhere. In addition, Starbucks has a one-share, one-vote structure, which can make it vulnerable to an activist investor seeking to elect dissident director candidates as it pursued the strategy.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:MIND,CACI,AVY,PSXP,HAIN,

November has been a bad month for Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE). The natural gas refueling company has lost around 10% of its value this month, with most of the decline coming after the company released mixed third-quarter results. I am saying mixed because Clean Energy had missed the top line estimate by around 6.5%, even though it trumped the earnings estimate by $0.02 per share.

What gives?

It looks like investors were disappointed by the fact that Clean Energy reported just 5% increase in revenue from the year-ago period, which was identical to the growth in its volumes. Thus, it is evident that Clean Energy Fuels was unable to take advantage of an improvement in natural gas prices last quarter.

In fact, in the third quarter of 2016, the average Henry Hub Natural Gas spot price was 11% higher as compared to the year-ago period. But, whatever growth that Clean Energy delivered on the top line was volume driven. This can be attributed to the fact that Clean Energy Fuels enters into agreements with its clients to sell gas at fixed price contracts that are subject to a price cap. As such, the company was unable to take advantage of the increase in spot prices.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Mitcham Industries Inc.(MIND)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of Mitcham Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:MIND) by 5.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 324,169 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,005 shares during the quarter. First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. owned about 2.68% of Mitcham Industries worth $1,303,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Teton Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Mitcham Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:MIND) by 22.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 140,069 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,000 shares during the quarter. Teton Advisors Inc. owned about 1.16% of Mitcham Industries worth $563,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Here are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis’s analysis:

  Get Mitcham Industries alerts: Gaps Down – TRUE, MEIP, AMSC, CYTX, PRPH, MIND, CTG (fxpips.com) Mitcham Industries (MIND) Reports Q1 Loss of $0.52/Share (streetinsider.com) Edited Transcript of MIND earnings conference call or presentation 7-Jun-18 1:00pm GMT (finance.yahoo.com) Mitcham Industries down 4.5% post Q1 results (seekingalpha.com) Mitcham Industries, Inc. (MIND) Q1 2019 Results – Earnings Call Transcript (seekingalpha.com)

  Mitcham Industries traded up $0.04, hitting $4.16, during mid-day trading on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. 27,560 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 27,820. Mitcham Industries has a fifty-two week low of $2.82 and a fifty-two week high of $4.57.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: CACI International, Inc.(CACI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  CACI INTERNATIONAL INC Common Stock (NYSE:CACI) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $190.23.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Let's start with the story that sparked the rally. Last night, Reuters cited three sources "familiar with the matter" saying that Engility "is exploring a sale" -- perhaps to CACI International (NYSE:CACI) or Science Applications International Corp (NYSE:SAIC), two peer defense contractors that are both three to four times larger than Engility.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  CACI International (NYSE:CACI) has been one of the most aggressive players in the rapidly consolidating government services sector. The company last year fell short in its audacious bid to steal CSRA from the arms of defense titan General Dynamics, but in the quarters since, it has found intriguing ways to deploy its financial firepower.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  Those deals clearly have others in the industry scrambling, with CACI International (NYSE:CACI) launching an unsuccessful attempt to outbid General Dynamics for CSRA.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) and CACI (NYSE:CACI) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Avery Dennison Corporation(AVY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in Avery Dennison Corp (NYSE:AVY) by 9.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,671 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,265 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Avery Dennison were worth $1,240,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

  WARNING: “Insider Selling: Avery Dennison Corp (AVY) Director Sells 100,000 Shares of Stock” was reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this piece of content on another site, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of US & international trademark & copyright law. The correct version of this piece of content can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4202042/insider-selling-avery-dennison-corp-avy-director-sells-100000-shares-of-stock.html.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp decreased its holdings in shares of Avery Dennison Corp (NYSE:AVY) by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,500 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,500 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp owned approximately 0.08% of Avery Dennison worth $7,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Max Byerly]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis’s analysis:

  Get Avery Dennison alerts: Avery Dennison (AVY) Shares Cross Below 200 DMA (nasdaq.com) Avery Dennison (AVY) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com) Concern in Framingham about environmental contamination (metrowestdailynews.com) Avery Dennison (AVY) Rating Lowered to Hold at Zacks Investment Research (americanbankingnews.com) Avery Dennison (AVY) Upgraded at Zacks Investment Research (americanbankingnews.com)

  Several equities research analysts recently commented on AVY shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Avery Dennison from $140.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research raised Avery Dennison from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $132.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 5th. UBS started coverage on Avery Dennison in a research report on Thursday, January 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $135.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on Avery Dennison from $128.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Avery Dennison in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $123.00.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Phillips 66 Partners LP(PSXP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe, Jason Hall, and Matthew DiLallo]

  So we asked three of our Motley Fool contributors to each highlight a stock they see as a buy in the oil and gas industry right now. Here's why they picked ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG), and Phillps 66 Partners (NYSE:PSXP). 

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  There was a similar trend for smaller midstream player Phillips 66 Partners LP (NYSE:PSXP). It was down 19% in 2018 and rose 16% in January. But the trend didn't hold for Sunoco LP (NYSE:SUN), which distributes gasoline. This limited partnership was off by 4% in 2018, two percentage points less than the broader market, and up 12% in January. Cheniere Energy Partners LP (NYSEMKT:CQP) and Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT:LNG) were even further from the pack, up 12% and 11%, respectively, in January after posting gains of 21% and roughly 10%, respectively, in 2018.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  The region's capacity constraints will likely hold back the Permian's growth engine until the end of next year, when new pipelines enter service. One of those projects is the Grey Oak Pipeline system, which is an 800,000-BPD pipeline under development by Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE:PSXP) and Andeavor (NYSE:ANDX). The companies currently expect the $2 billion oil pipeline to start up by the end of 2019.

• [By Travis Hoium, Matthew DiLallo, and Todd Campbell]

  We asked three of our Foolish contributors for their top dividends today and Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE:PSXP), Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS), and Hess Midstream Partners (NYSE:HESM) were at the top of the list. And these are very different dividends indeed. 

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.(HAIN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Loop Capital set a $30.00 price target on Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) in a report released on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock.

• [By Trey Thoelcke]

  DAVIDsTEA Inc. (NASDAQ: DTEA) and Hain Celestial Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN) both are known for their tea offerings. The latter's products also include snacks, packaged foods and even personal care products. Hain has a market cap of about $3 billion, while other's is a mere $80 million or so.

• [By ]

  Engaged Capital maintained large positions in Rent-A-Center (RCII) , TiVo (TIVO) , Hain Celestial (HAIN) , SunOpta and Jamba Inc. (JMBA) , all companies that have either previously been targeted by Welling or currently are in his cross-hairs.

Spoons out! It's National Cereal Day

Hot or cold, cereal remains a staple of Americans' breakfast.

And it got special attention Thursday for National Cereal Day.

To mark the festivities, Post Consumer Brands released two special edition cereals: Chicken & Waffles flavored Honey Bunches of Oats and Maple Bacon Donuts Honey Bunches of Oats. Both are available in extremely limited quantities at select Walmart, Giant Eagle, Woodman's and Riesbeck's stores ($2.98).

Cereal sales have sogged recently, with U.S. sales of hot and cold cereal of $10.5 billion in 2017 down 9 percent since 2012, according to research firm Mintel. Cold cereal, which accounts for 87 percent of sales, has fallen 11 percent.

Still, about nine out of 10 Americans (86 percent) say they've had cold cereal in the last year, Mintel found.

We made 2 new flavors for Cereal Day,
Get 'em quick before they go away!#NationalCerealDay#Brunchpic.twitter.com/mfkK1jIljB

— HoneyBunchesOfOats (@HBOats) March 7, 2019

Many cereal lovers took to social media to celebrate and ruminate about the dish – catch up on hashtag #NationalCerealDay.

Among those dishing about cereal on Twitter was Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who tweeted that figuring out his five favorite cereals was "harder than trying to figure out the top 4 teams for the College Football Playoff."

Trying to rank the top 5 cereals is harder than trying to figure out the top 4 teams for the College Football Playoff. Been sitting here for 20 minutes having a full blown debate with myself.#NationalCerealDay

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 7, 2019

His ultimate list had Cap'N Crunch's Crunch Berries atop it.

Ok, here's my list. If you don't like it, too bad for you make your own

Crunch Berries
Cinn. Toast Crunch
Frosted Flakes
Lucky Charms
Honey Bunches of Oats
Fruit Loops/Fruity Pebbles
Apple Jacks
Count Chocula/Cocoa Pebbles
Reese's Puffs
Golden Grahams
Smacks/Golden Crisps

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 7, 2019

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler simply wanted to know what cereals were the favorites of his Twitter followers.

NOBODY:

ME: HEY WHATS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?!?!?!!#NATIONALCEREALDAYpic.twitter.com/OHIz32wpU8

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) March 7, 2019

If you are like me, it's hard to pick a favorite, so I mix four or five different cereals into one mega-mix to start the day.

And it's not just infants and toddlers who chomp on Cheerios throughout the day. More than two in five cereal eaters (43 percent) have it as a non-breakfast snack.

.oembed-frame { width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0; border: 0; } View this post on Instagram

Thurs., March 7, 2019: National Cereal Day Be Heard Day Crown Roast of Pork Day Nametag Day Plant Power Day (UK) University Mental Health Day (UK) World Book Day (UK) Thursday celebrates the breakfast food that works well as a midnight snack :) In fact, a U.S. study found 56% of millennials eat it as a snack. •Top 3 bestsellers in the US: Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios, and Kelloggs Frosted Flakes. •Desserts pretending to be cereals: Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Fruity Pebbles, Oreo O's, Reese's Puffs, Fruit Loops, Cap'n Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. :@foodieproblemz

A post shared by National Day Calendar + Days (@worlddaycalendar) on Mar 6, 2019 at 5:51pm PST

It's also not unusual to have cereal for dinner, if you find yourself too busy to whip up something else. More than eight in 10 (81 percent) who responded to a 2016 YouGov survey said they substituted cereal for post-breakfast meals.

If you just can't get enough cereal, some craft beers have used breakfast food as inspiration for new beers. The most recent: Virginia's Smartmouth Brewing Company recently brewed "Saturday Morning," a limited-edition IPA with marshmallows, inspired by Lucky Charms.

Smartmouth Brewing Company has a new limited-edition IPA made with marshmallows. (Photo: Smartmouth Brewing Company)

Cereal has even inspired Funko even has special limited edition cereal figurines including Cap'n Crunch, Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam going on sale at its online shop at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT Thursday.

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Funko Shop Exclusive Items: Ad Icons Pocket Pop! & Tees! #NationalCerealDay https://www.funko-shop.com/

A post shared by Funko (@originalfunko) on Mar 7, 2019 at 7:00am PST

Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:GSB,MTSL,CYRN,ANET,CEL,FEIC,

Ashish Chaturmohta

Sundaram Fasteners is in a long-term uptrend forming higher tops and higher bottoms on the daily chart and weekly chart. The stock has seen in a consolidation zone between the levels of Rs 645 and 545 odd levels over the last four months with a positive bias.

The price has been taking support at its 100-day moving average. The Relative Strength Index on the daily chart has given a positive crossover with its average suggesting that the stock is likely to see a breakout on the upside.

Thus, the stock can be bought at current level and on dips towards Rs 635 with a stop loss below Rs 615 and a target of Rs 720 levels.

Disclaimer: The author is Head Technical and Derivatives, Sanctum Wealth Management. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: GlobalSCAPE, Inc.(GSB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Akorn, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKRX) fell 32.7 percent to $13.25 in pre-market trading after Fresenius terminated its merger deal with Akorn. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE: CBI) fell 15.7 percent to $12.30 in pre-market trading. Subsea 7 confirmed a $7.00 per share proposal to acquire Mcdermott, pending termination of merger agreement with CB&I. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) fell 9 percent to $3.65 in pre-market trading after rising 11.39 percent on Friday. Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) fell 8 percent to $88.36 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected results for its first quarter on Monday. SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR) fell 7.1 percent to $9.00 in pre-market trading. Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK) shares fell 5.9 percent to $2.88 in pre-market trading after declining 3.16 percent on Friday. Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) shares fell 5.5 percent to $12.25 in pre-market trading. Valeritas Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLRX) shares fell 5.1 percent to $2.96 in pre-market trading after rising 76.27 percent on Friday. GlobalSCAPE, Inc. (NYSE: GSB) fell 5.1 percent to $3.57 in pre-market trading. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE: FMS) shares fell 4.1 percent to $49.93 in pre-market trading. Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: OAS) fell 4.1 percent to $9.75 in pre-market trading. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey downgraded Oasis Petroleum from Hold to Sell

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd.(MTSL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alexander Bird]

  Here are the top performers from last week…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Last Week's Gain Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: STAF) $2.58 96.35% IZEA Inc. (Nasdaq: IZEA) $1.65 85.19% ShiftPixy Inc. (Nasdaq: PIXY) $3.35 78.38% MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTSL) $3.31 41.07% IsoRay Inc. (NYSE: ISR) $0.60 38.64% TransGlobe Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: TGA) $3.74 37.76% Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCMKTS: ATNM) $0.27 26.31% Blonder Tongue Labs Inc. (NYSE: BDR) $1.56 24.58% Bridgeline Digital Inc. (Nasdaq: BLIN) $1.51 24.51% Cel-Sci Corp. (NYSE: CVM) $0.91 24.03%

  While these penny stocks generated strong returns last week, they're unlikely to produce the same level of profit again anytime soon.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  News stories about MER Telemanagement Solutions (NASDAQ:MTSL) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, according to Accern. The research group identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. MER Telemanagement Solutions earned a media sentiment score of 0.12 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the technology company an impact score of 45.5243579518781 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: CYREN Ltd.(CYRN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Regional Health Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHE) shares surged 56 percent to $0.3980. Precipio, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPO) shares jumped 34 percent to $0.5632 after the nano-cap specialty diagnostics company said it saw an acceleration of sales in its Pathology services in April. The company now expects to see a sequential double digit quarterly sales growth. SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) rose 16 percent to $1.45 after trading higher at one point Monday by nearly 300 percent. The nano-cap developer of pest control said the California state government approved the company's ContraPest for user in the state. America's Car-Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) gained 13.3 percent to $61.975 after reporting upbeat Q4 results. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares gained 9.8 percent to $4.92 as the company announced the publication of CE Mark multicenter clinical study results on C-Scan® in Gut. Arcimoto, Inc. (NASDAQ: FUV) rose 8.3 percent to $3.41. Ferroglobe PLC (NYSE: GSM) gained 7 percent to $12.13 following stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings. Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAB) shares climbed 6.5 percent to $9.00 after the company reported upbeat Q2 results. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) rose 6.2 percent to $58.94 after reporting a $10 billion buyback plan. Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) gained 6.2 percent to $7.53. Blink Charging disclosed that its vehicle charging network exceeds 125,000 members. The Container Store Group, Inc. (NYSE: TCS) gained 5.4 percent to $7.97. Container Store is expected to release quarterly earnings after the closing bell. Cyren Ltd (NASDAQ: CYRN) shares rose 5.4 percent to $2.95 after reporting Q1 results.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.97 per share on revenue of $2.91 billion. Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.5 per share on revenue of $3.95 billion. The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TJX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.02 per share on revenue of $8.47 billion. AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $13.01 per share on revenue of $2.72 billion. Dycom Industries, Inc. (NYSE: DY) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $734.86 million. Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.79 per share on revenue of $425.42 million. Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $124.17 million. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBRL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.93 per share on revenue of $715.15 million. Radcom Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDCM) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $718.59 million. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $718.96 million. CYREN Ltd. (NASDAQ: CYRN) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $7.72 million. Ferroglobe PLC (NYSE: GSM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.16 per share on revenue of $559.15 million. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited (NYSE: RDY) is estimated to report earnings for its fourth quarter. BioLineRx Ltd. (NASDAQ: BLRX) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.07 per share. Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.76 per share on revenue of $1.58 billion.

   

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB) rose 11.4 percent to $2.93 in pre-market trading. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares rose 6.3 percent to $4.76 in pre-market trading as the company announced the publication of CE Mark multicenter clinical study results on C-Scan® in Gut. Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) rose 6 percent to $ 35.20 in pre-market trading. Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (NASDAQ: APOP) rose 6 percent to $7.60 in pre-market trading. Hexindai Inc. (NASDAQ: HX) rose 5.7 percent to $12.70 in pre-market trading. MoSys, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOSY) shares rose 5.3 percent to $2.07 in pre-market trading. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) rose 5 percent to $58.20 in pre-market trading after reporting a $10 billion buyback plan. Golden Ocean Group Limited (NASDAQ: GOGL) rose 4.1 percent to $8.63 in pre-market trading. MorphoSys AG (NASDAQ: MOR) rose 3.5 percent to $26.99 in pre-market trading. Cyren Ltd (NASDAQ: CYRN) shares rose 3.4 percent to $2.90 in pre-market trading. after reporting Q1 results. Box, Inc. (NYSE: BOX) rose 3.4 percent to $28.76 in pre-market trading. Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) shares rose 3.3 percent to $67.60 in the pre-market trading session after the company reported upbeat quarterly earnings. Micro Focus International plc (NYSE: MFGP) shares rose 3.1 percent to $18.40 in pre-market trading.

   

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: Arista Networks, Inc.(ANET)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Billy Duberstein]

  Data center switching upstart Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) is more open-source; incumbent switch maker Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), perhaps due to its front-runner status as a legacy business from the 1990s, has stayed more "closed."

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  If you believe in open-source cloud networking, then Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) is the obvious choice to provide you with the tools and services to gain access to the cloud. With hundreds of companies scurrying to keep up with their competitors by taking advantage of the latest technological innovations, Arista has plenty of opportunities to win business, but it also faces competition from companies that want to defend their own proprietary solutions. Consolidation in the cloud industry has also started to increase, and smart acquisitions can open doors to further growth.

• [By ]

  Arista Networks (ANET) : "That's a great company with a great CEO."

  Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS) : "You need to wait until the merger closes, then it'll be OK."

• [By Steve Symington, Keith Speights, and Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  To that end, we asked three top Motley Fool contributors to each find a stock that they believe could potentially put Netflix's returns to shame. Read on to learn why they think Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET), Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) fit the bill.

• [By Motley Fool Transcription]

  Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallAugust 2nd, 2018, 4:30 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: Cellcom Israel Ltd.(CEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) and Cellcom Israel (NYSE:CEL) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, profitability and dividends.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Hellenic Telecom Organization (NYSE: CEL) and Cellcom Israel (NYSE:CEL) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, risk, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Thursday afternoon, the telecommunication services shares surged 0.58 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), up 5 percent, and Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) up 2.5 percent.

Best Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: FEI Company(FEIC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media headlines about FEI (NASDAQ:FEIC) have trended somewhat positive on Monday, according to Accern. Accern ranks the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. FEI earned a news impact score of 0.17 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the scientific and technical instruments company an impact score of 43.5801711111494 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

3 Dividend Stocks Perfect for Retirees

The traditional rule of thumb is that as you near retirement -- and especially once retired -- bonds should become an increasingly important part of investment portfolios. That isn't always the case, though. In fact, stocks can provide returns that outpace the cost of living over the years, and they can pay out healthy dividends along the way to help pay for a life free of work.

Of course, staying well diversified is of the utmost importance when picking stocks for retirement. To help, here are three that our Foolish contributors think fit the bill: Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS), Aflac (NYSE:AFL), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG).

Hasbro in the attic... for now

Nicholas Rossolillo (Hasbro): Before I go too far, I first want to acknowledge that owning Hasbro has been no walk in the park the past couple of years. Though the maker of popular brands such as Nerf, My Little Pony, Monopoly, Play-Doh, and Transformers is a part of the lives of millions of children around the world, 2018 was a tough year. The stock is off of its high-water mark set over the summer of 2017 by some 25%.

The situation was mostly brought on by the demise of Toys "R" Us, Hasbro's top retail outlet until it went under last year. As a result, sales fell 12% last year, and earnings adjusted for non-recurring one-time items were down 30%. Hasbro thus underscores the need for retirees to keep their stock holdings diversified. Nevertheless, the stock is still a great pick for those living off their investments.

As of this writing, the stock pays a 3.2% dividend -- which, by the way, was easily covered by the $506 million in free cash flow generated last year. That means the company can keep paying shareholders while it continues to invest in growth. New digital sales channel partnerships are being developed, the company purchased the Power Rangers brand, and movie and game content is continuing to be developed, to name just a few initiatives.

Management didn't provide guidance for 2019 yet, but after a bruising 2018, the new year looks much more promising. Hasbro is making progress on replacing its lost Toys "R" Us business, and a busy year of toy making is likely to lie ahead, with plenty of potential box office hits scheduled for release from key partner Disney (NYSE:DIS). It's been rough going, but Hasbro would still make a great addition to retirement portfolios.

If it walks like a duck...

Chuck Saletta (Aflac): Perhaps best known for its longtime spokesduck, supplemental-insurance giant Aflac has many characteristics that make it a great dividend stock for retirees to consider owning. First, its dividend is well covered by its earnings capacity, with its payout representing only around 28% of its trailing earnings. A strong dividend coverage ratio offers a decent reason to believe the company can maintain its payment even in the face of significant, though temporary, troubles.

Image source: Getty Images.

Second, Aflac has a 36-year history of increasing its dividend annually, with its most recent increase announced this January. Its increase was to $0.27 per share per quarter from $0.26 per share per quarter. That's around a 3.8% boost and keeps up with recent and anticipated inflation. While dividend increases are never guaranteed, when a company establishes a track record of increases, it does send a signal to investors that its dividend is an important part of how it manages its business.

Third, Aflac has a solid balance sheet and a conservative investment strategy. Its debt-to-equity ratio clocks in at a mere 0.25, indicating that it hasn't overleveraged itself on debt. In addition, the vast majority of its own investment portfolio is held in investment-grade or government bonds. While that strategy won't light the world on fire, it also helps provide a very high likelihood that the company will be able to meet its own financial obligations, even if it faces a surge in unexpected claims.

Aflac's approximately 2.2% dividend yield is only slightly ahead of the overall S&P 500 yield of around 1.9%. With the company's solid foundation and track record, along with reasonable projections for modest growth over the next several years, Aflac has much to offer to make it worth a retiree's consideration.

An incredible dividend history

Daniel Miller (Procter & Gamble): When considering stocks that are perfect for retirees, companies that have long-standing competitive advantages, a healthy dividend yield, and a proven track record of success should be at the top of the list. Procter & Gamble absolutely fits the bill.

The consumer-goods juggernaut has been in business for over 180 years and has products in more than 180 countries, spanning 10 categories. It's also increased its dividend for 62 consecutive years and currently offers a healthy and enticing 2.9% dividend yield. But words can only convey so much. This graph sums it up well:

PG data by YCharts.

Beyond its healthy dividend and consistent increases, the company's stock is up almost 25% over the past year because its transition to fewer brands is gaining traction. To make a long story short, P&G offloaded roughly 100 brands from its portfolio, leaving it with a core group of 65 brands to double down on efforts to grow organically in the most lucrative areas.

In the U.S. market, organic sales were up 3% during the first half of 2019. That compares with flat growth during fiscal year 2018, and roughly 1% organic growth for each of fiscal 2017 and 2016. Its turnaround in China is even more impressive: P&G's organic sales declined 5% in 2016, before growing 1%, 7%, and 9% respectively in 2017, 2018, and the first half of 2019.

P&G is a consumer-goods giant with more than 21 brands generating between $1 billion and $10 billion in annual sales, and another 11 brands that generate between $500 million and $1 billion. It has a long history of adapting and succeeding through different economic scenarios, and it has consistently rewarded investors with an increasing dividend. P&G is, in short, a phenomenal dividend stock for retirees.

State of Tennessee Treasury Department Raises Position in Southern Co (SO)

State of Tennessee Treasury Department boosted its position in shares of Southern Co (NYSE:SO) by 17.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 266,631 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 40,247 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Treasury Department’s holdings in Southern were worth $11,710,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Delta Asset Management LLC TN lifted its holdings in Southern by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Delta Asset Management LLC TN now owns 18,260 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $802,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Southern by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 7,135 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $314,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Southern by 38.1% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 798 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Southern by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,825 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $651,000 after buying an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrow Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Southern by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. Arrow Financial Corp now owns 1,481 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.76% of the company’s stock.

Get Southern alerts:

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. SunTrust Banks reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research note on Thursday, November 8th. Mizuho reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of Southern in a research note on Tuesday, December 11th. Zacks Investment Research raised Southern from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $53.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 4th. Citigroup raised Southern from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price target for the company from $45.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 24th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Southern from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 19th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Southern has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.00.

Shares of SO traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $49.90. The stock had a trading volume of 51,749 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,781,495. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Southern Co has a 52 week low of $42.42 and a 52 week high of $50.54. The stock has a market cap of $52.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.26, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 0.19.

Southern (NYSE:SO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 20th. The utilities provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $5.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.88 billion. Southern had a net margin of 9.54% and a return on equity of 11.39%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Southern Co will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.81%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 15th. Southern’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 78.18%.

In other Southern news, insider Mark Lantrip sold 33,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.50, for a total transaction of $1,633,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 56,157 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,779,771.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO William P. Bowers sold 90,942 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.60, for a total value of $4,419,781.20. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 177,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,604,289.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 132,942 shares of company stock valued at $6,481,501. Corporate insiders own 0.73% of the company’s stock.

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Southern Profile

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy facilities and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, and Maryland, as well as provides gas marketing services, wholesale gas services, and gas midstream operations.

Read More: Book Value Of Equity Per Share – BVPS Explained

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:MMM,SSBI,PAYX,APH,CR,PH,

Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX), the world’s largest gold mining firm measured by production, and Randgold Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOLD) announced Monday morning that the two firms will merge in an all-stock deal valued at $6 billion. Barrick has agreed to pay 6.128 shares in a new entity called New Barrick Group for each share of Randgold stock.

The price is based on the weighted average price of Randgold shares in the 20 trading days through last Friday. Barrick is paying no premium.

Once the merger is approved by the shareholders of both companies and by regulators, Barrick shareholders will own 67% of the combined company and Randgold shareholders will own 33%. The deal is expected to close by the first quarter of 2019.

Randgold shareholders will receive a $2 per share dividend payment for the 2018 fiscal year prior to the deal’s closing and Barrick shareholders will receive an annualized dividend of up to $0.14 per share. In the announcement, Barrick noted that the New Barrick Group “intends to grow its dividend from the Barrick level for the financial year ended 31 December 2018 over time…”

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: 3M Company(MMM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  3M Company (NYSE: MMM) traded up 0.8% at $196.10. The stock’s 52-week range is $191.44 to $259.77. Volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 3 million. The company had no specific news Thursday.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Industrial giant 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) received a slight boost to its share price last week, but the gain was not enough to lift it out of the Dow’s basement. Shares added about 1.4% on no significant news, but 3M’s stock has now dropped 13% for the year to date.

• [By Lee Samaha]

  There's no doubt that 3M's (NYSE:MMM) recent set of second-quarter earnings were strong -- 5.6% organic local-currency sales growth in the quarter when the company is forecasting 3% to 4% for the full year. Furthermore, if earnings continue in the same vein, then 3M stock is likely to appreciate.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  3M Company (NYSE: MMM) traded down 2.03% at $210.02. The stock’s 52-week range is $190.57 to $259.77. Volume was about equal to the daily average of around 2.2 million shares.

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: Summit State Bank(SSBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Summit State Bank (NASDAQ:SSBI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday.

  Separately, TheStreet raised Summit State Bank from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th.

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: Paychex Inc.(PAYX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  The secret to becoming a millionaire, of course, is getting out in front of a major investment trend before it becomes mainstream. In 2017, it was Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. But this year, it's a taboo investment that is creating millionaires all across North America. Tap into the "green rush," and prepare to become a "Marijuana millionaire." Learn how to get started right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump is facing criticism after threatening to ramp up taxes on Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG). The iconic motorcycle producer said it will move parts of its production overseas in order to avoid tariffs from the European Union. Trump threatened to increase taxes on the firm. "Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be patient!" Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched a $7.5 billion takeover of the web-based hosting service GitHub. The acquisition, orchestrated by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, brought out critics who claim that GitHub lacks any real profit potential for Microsoft stock. Here's why those critics are wrong… and why MSFT is a buy. Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) has reversed its policy on cryptocurrency ads. The social media giant says that it will permit marketing from "pre-approved advisers." According to TechCrunch, the company will still ban ads pushing binary options and initial coin offerings. The report goes on to explain that cryptocurrency scams cost customers more than $500 million in just January and February 2018 alone. Four Stocks to Watch Today: ORCL, FB, GOOGL, BA Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) were largely flat despite a strong earnings report after the bell yesterday. The cloud computing giant reported EPS of $0.99
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Paypex (CURRENCY:PAYX) traded 2.6% lower against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 14:00 PM ET on June 3rd. Paypex has a total market cap of $40.23 million and $3,013.00 worth of Paypex was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last week, Paypex has traded down 52.6% against the dollar. One Paypex token can now be bought for approximately $0.59 or 0.00007630 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges.

• [By ]

  Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX) is set to do well as the gig economy grows and more small businesses need its outsourced payroll solutions. The company continues to expand into other services including record-keeping for retirement plans, human resources, and health benefits.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 583,975 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,717 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned approximately 0.16% of Paychex worth $39,917,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: Amphenol Corporation(APH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Teacher Retirement System of Texas lessened its holdings in shares of Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) by 50.9% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 154,246 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after selling 160,204 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Amphenol were worth $13,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

  Trending Hot Stock’s Analysis – Amphenol Corporation (NYSE:APH) (thestockgem.com) Royal Bank of Canada Raises Amphenol (APH) Price Target to $80.00 (americanbankingnews.com) Analyst Earnings Forecasts Summary: Amphenol Corporation’s (APH) (getstocksnews.com) Global Medical Pressure Sensors Market 2018 Manufacturers- Amphenol, Honeywell, NXP+Freescale and TE … (themobileherald.com) What’s Better? Amphenol Corporation (APH) Buy or Sell (nasdaqfortune.com)

  A number of research firms have issued reports on APH. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Amphenol from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. ValuEngine raised shares of Amphenol from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. SunTrust Banks reissued a “hold” rating and set a $89.00 price target (up from $82.00) on shares of Amphenol in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Amphenol from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Amphenol in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Amphenol has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $92.00.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  WESPAC Advisors SoCal LLC reduced its position in shares of Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,725 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after selling 250 shares during the period. WESPAC Advisors SoCal LLC’s holdings in Amphenol were worth $626,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: CRB Futures Index(CR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Crew Energy (TSE:CR) had its price objective lowered by equities research analysts at Canaccord Genuity from C$4.50 to C$4.00 in a report issued on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 101.01% from the stock’s previous close.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Crane Co. (NYSE:CR) by 2.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,303,084 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 93,264 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. owned 7.21% of Crane worth $399,069,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  DA Davidson set a $111.00 price target on Crane (NYSE:CR) in a research report released on Friday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the conglomerate’s stock.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Crane Co. (CR) VP James A. Lavish Sells 5,150 Shares” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this news story on another site, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright & trademark legislation. The correct version of this news story can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4168537/crane-co-cr-vp-james-a-lavish-sells-5150-shares.html.

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2019: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Barings LLC decreased its holdings in Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 36.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 26,064 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 14,937 shares during the period. Barings LLC’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $4,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH) had its price target boosted by Wells Fargo & Co from $185.00 to $193.00 in a research note released on Thursday, The Fly reports. Wells Fargo & Co currently has a market perform rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System reduced its position in Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 172,950 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,667 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System owned approximately 0.13% of Parker Hannifin worth $29,580,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.