Sp8de Reaches Market Capitalization of $0.00 (SPX)

Sp8de (CURRENCY:SPX) traded 5.5% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 20:00 PM E.T. on July 22nd. Sp8de has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $120,493.00 worth of Sp8de was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Sp8de token can now be purchased for $0.0004 or 0.00000006 BTC on major exchanges. During the last week, Sp8de has traded flat against the U.S. dollar.

Here’s how related cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get Sp8de alerts: XRP (XRP) traded down 1.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.45 or 0.00006069 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded down 3.7% against the dollar and now trades at $0.28 or 0.00003826 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded 2.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.98 or 0.00013228 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded down 0.1% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013495 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 1.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0351 or 0.00000474 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 3.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $33.17 or 0.00448309 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 1.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $12.08 or 0.00163309 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded down 5% against the dollar and now trades at $1.79 or 0.00024227 BTC. 0x (ZRX) traded down 1.7% against the dollar and now trades at $1.13 or 0.00015239 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 2.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0718 or 0.00000970 BTC.

About Sp8de

Sp8de launched on January 8th, 2018. Sp8de’s total supply is 8,888,888,888 tokens. The official website for Sp8de is sp8de.com. Sp8de’s official message board is forum.sp8de.com. The Reddit community for Sp8de is /r/sp8de and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Sp8de’s official Twitter account is @SP8DE_Official and its Facebook page is accessible here.

Sp8de Token Trading

Sp8de can be traded on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: LATOKEN. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Sp8de directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to acquire Sp8de should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Changelly, Coinbase or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Sp8de using one of the exchanges listed above.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:TACT,RICK,FEIC,LOOK,JOB, LISTEN TO ARTICLE 3:06 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Big Brother is watching you—or at least Americans seem to think so when it comes to the technology giants behind social media.

A whopping 72 percent of those polled think it’s likely companies such as Facebook and Twitter actively censor political views that they consider objectionable, according to a Pew Research Center study released Thursday.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TransAct Technologies Incorporated(TACT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI) and TransAct Technologies (NASDAQ:TACT) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings and profitability.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Rick's Cabaret International Inc.(RICK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  RCI Hospitality (NASDAQ:RICK) was upgraded by research analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: 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.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: LookSmart Ltd.(LOOK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Peel Hunt reissued their buy rating on shares of Lookers (LON:LOOK) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning.

  A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Numis Securities reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 130 ($1.76) price target on shares of Lookers in a research note on Wednesday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase upped their price target on shares of Lookers from GBX 109 ($1.48) to GBX 130 ($1.76) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Liberum Capital reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 145 ($1.97) price target on shares of Lookers in a research note on Wednesday, March 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 146 ($1.98) price target on shares of Lookers in a research note on Monday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Lookers has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of GBX 137.71 ($1.87).

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: General Employment Enterprises, Inc.(JOB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares rose 78.82 percent to close at $7.26 on Monday. GEE Group, Inc. (NYSE: JOB) shares jumped 18 percent to close at $2.36. McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) climbed 15.7 percent to close at $7.00 after the UK-based offshore oil service company Subsea 7 made an unsolicited bid to buy McDermott for $7 per share. However, the acquisition offer is contingent on McDermot terminating its pending merger with Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) gained 17.21 percent to close at $3.61. Stars Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TSG) rose 14.16 percent to close at $33.45. Stars Group Inc (NASDAQ: TSG) announced plans to acquire Sky Betting & Gaming for $4.7 billion. China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc. (NASDAQ: CIFS) shares jumped 12.79 percent to close at $25.58. Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) shares gained 11.52 percent to close at $15.00. Nautilus is expected to release Q1 results on May 7, 2018. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Nautilus with a Buy rating and a $19.00 price target. Box, Inc. (NYSE: BOX) rose 10.94 percent to close at $22.91. Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ: INSM) shares rose 10.76 percent to close at $26.05. Credit Suisse upgraded Insmed from Neutral to Outperform. NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ: NEXT) shares rose 10.02 percent to close at $6.48. Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ: HMNY) shares gained 8.37 percent to close at $2.46 on Monday after falling 10.98 percent on Friday. Cambium Learning Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABCD) shares gained 7.81 percent to close at $11.11. Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) shares rose 7.26 percent to close at $70.31. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) announced plans to acquire Vectren for $72 per share in cash. Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) rose 6.66 percent to close at $74.45 after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and raised its FY18 earnings outlook. Hanesbrands Inc.
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Valeritas Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLRX) shares jumped 17 percent to $3.65. Cambium Learning Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABCD) shares rose 13.5 percent to $11.70. McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) gained 11.6 percent to $6.75 after the UK-based offshore oil service company Subsea 7 made an unsolicited bid to buy McDermott for $7 per share. However, the acquisition offer is contingent on McDermot terminating its pending merger with Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) shares jumped 11.2 percent to $14.95. Nautilus is expected to release Q1 results on May 7, 2018. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Nautilus with a Buy rating and a $19.00 price target. GEE Group, Inc. (NYSE: JOB) shares gained 11 percent to $2.2199. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) surged 10.8 percent to $4.50. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) rose 10.1 percent to $3.39. Stars Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TSG) climbed 9.6 percent to $32.10. Stars Group Inc (NASDAQ: TSG) announced plans to acquire Sky Betting & Gaming for $4.7 billion. Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ: INSM) shares jumped 9.1 percent to $25.66. Credit Suisse upgraded Insmed from Neutral to Outperform. Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) rose 8.4 percent to $75.65 after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and raised its FY18 earnings outlook. Command Security Corporation (NYSE: MOC) shares gained 6.4 percent to $3.0960 after the company disclosed a $23 million five-year contract with LaGuardia Gateway Partners for LaGuardia Airport New Central Terminal Building. Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ: HMNY) rose 6.2 percent to $2.41 after falling 10.98 percent on Friday. Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) shares rose 5.7 percent to $69.31. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) announced plans to acquire Vectren for $72 per share in cash. Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) gained 4.9 percent to $18.035. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Hanesbrands from Hold to Buy. M
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) shares jumped 26.5 percent to $6.9042. Blink Charging reported Q1 net income of $2.2 million, versus a year-ago net loss of $3.1 million. Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO) shares climbed 17.4 percent to $3.11. Eleven Biotherapeutics posted a Q1 loss of $0.11 per share. Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BDL) shares jumped 17 percent to $27.97 following Q2 results. Flanigan's Enterprises posted Q2 earnings of $0.75 per share on sales of $29.456 million. Borqs Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRQS) rose 15.8 percent to $8.05 after reporting Q1 results. Abaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAX) jumped 15.3 percent to $82.75. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) announced plans to acquire Abaxis for $83 per share in cash. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) gained 15.1 percent to $6.33. Gemphire Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GEMP) rose 13.8 percent to $6.27. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) gained 12.8 percent to $5.98. H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage on Enphase Energy with a Buy rating. PetIQ Inc (NASDAQ: PETQ) shares surged 12.1 percent to $21.68 after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. NF Energy Saving Corporation (NASDAQ: NFEC) climbed 11.6 percent to $2.399. Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: AHPI) surged 11.4 percent to $3.0643. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BOOT) gained 11.1 percent to $24.40 after the company reported upbeat results for its fourth quarter and issued strong first-quarter earnings guidance. Ascena Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASNA) rose 10.9 percent to $3.16. Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) gained 10.1 percent to $11.71 after reporting Q1 results. GEE Group, Inc. (NYSE: JOB) climbed 7.9 percent to $2.61 following Q2 results. The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. (NASDAQ: STKS) gained 7.6 percent to $2.41 after reporting Q1 results. Biolinerx Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: BLRX) rose 7.3 percent to $0.8798 after the company was granted a patent approval. The clinical-st

Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno Buys Salesforce.com Inc, Biogen Inc, Sells Adobe Systems

Hilversum, P7, based Investment company Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno buys Salesforce.com Inc, Biogen Inc, sells Adobe Systems Inc, Netflix Inc during the 3-months ended 2018-06-30, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno. As of 2018-06-30, Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno owns 35 stocks with a total value of $625 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

Added Positions: CRM, BIIB, Reduced Positions: ADBE, NFLX, AMZN, PYPL, V, EL, ACN, BKNG, NKE, SPGI,

For the details of BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS+VOOR+DE+MEDIA+PNO

These are the top 5 holdings of BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNOAmazon.com Inc (AMZN) - 28,700 shares, 7.81% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 8.01%Microsoft Corp (MSFT) - 446,000 shares, 7.04% of the total portfolio. Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) - 32,000 shares, 5.79% of the total portfolio. Facebook Inc (FB) - 161,000 shares, 5.01% of the total portfolio. Apple Inc (AAPL) - 154,000 shares, 4.56% of the total portfolio. Added: Salesforce.com Inc (CRM)

Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno added to a holding in Salesforce.com Inc by 42.37%. The purchase prices were between $115.3 and $139.8, with an estimated average price of $127.55. The stock is now traded at around $146.78. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 0.54%. The holding were 84,000 shares as of 2018-06-30.

Added: Biogen Inc (BIIB)

Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno added to a holding in Biogen Inc by 25.00%. The purchase prices were between $257.52 and $306.91, with an estimated average price of $280.94. The stock is now traded at around $351.68. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 0.37%. The holding were 40,000 shares as of 2018-06-30.

Reduced: Adobe Systems Inc (ADBE)

Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno reduced to a holding in Adobe Systems Inc by 32.97%. The sale prices were between $212.28 and $258.1, with an estimated average price of $236.35. The stock is now traded at around $258.88. The impact to a portfolio due to this sale was -1.06%. Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno still held 61,000 shares as of 2018-06-30.

Reduced: Netflix Inc (NFLX)

Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno reduced to a holding in Netflix Inc by 30.19%. The sale prices were between $280.29 and $416.76, with an estimated average price of $340.73. The stock is now traded at around $377.20. The impact to a portfolio due to this sale was -0.77%. Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor De Media Pno still held 37,000 shares as of 2018-06-30.

Here is the complete portfolio of BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO. Also check out:

1. BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO's Undervalued Stocks
2. BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO's Top Growth Companies, and
3. BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO's High Yield stocks
4. Stocks that BEDRIJFSTAKPENSIOENFONDS VOOR DE MEDIA PNO keeps buying

Goldman Sachs Delivers Solid Earnings and New CEO

It wasn’t a big surprise, but Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) announced July 17 that current president David Solomon would replace Lloyd Blankfein as CEO on Oct. 1, ending Blankfein’s 12-year run as chief executive.

Solomon’s promotion wasn’t the only news item on the day’s agenda. Goldman Sachs also released earnings, and except for a few small disappointments, it was a good showing for the bank.

Here are three things I liked best about its Q2 2018 earnings.

A Faster Transition

I last discussed Goldman Sachs in March. At the time it was thought Blankfein would hand over the keys to the C-suite sometime in the next 12-18 months.

Well, here we are four months later, and it used earnings as the perfect time to announce Solomon’s ascension to the top job at least six months earlier than expected.

Why now?

I think it’s clear from Goldman Sachs earnings this past quarter that the bank sits on very sound footing providing Solomon with an excellent jumping off point in his new job while reducing the transition time Blankfein has to sit around waiting for the changing of the guard.

As it stands now, Blankfein will leave Goldman Sachs at the end of the year, avoiding staying in the role for too long.

“When things are going badly, you can’t leave. And when things are going well, you don’t want to leave,” Blankfein said. “So if you’re going out on your own steam, it’s always going to be at a moment when you don’t want to leave. And by the way, that’s why people sometimes stay too long.” 

Since March when Solomon was promoted to sole president of the bank, it became apparent the transition had begun. To move it up as much as it did says a lot about the board’s comfort with Goldman Sachs’ business at the moment.

The Earnings Themselves

On the top line, Goldman generated $9.4 billion in revenue, 19% over last year, thanks to double-digit increases in all four of its operating segments: Investment Banking, up 18% to $2.1 billion; Institutional Client Services, up 17% to $3.6 billion; Investing & Lending, up 23% to $1.9 billion; and, Investment Management, up 20% to $1.8 billion.

On the bottom line, GS generated net income of $2.6 billion, 40% higher than a year earlier; on a per-share basis, it earned $5.98, 51% higher than a year earlier due to a 5% reduction in shares outstanding.

Analysts were expecting $4.66 a share for a 28% beat.

The only downbeat number was from Goldman’s equity trading department, which delivered $1.89 billion in revenue in the quarter, flat over the same period last year and $50 million below what analysts were expecting.   

Other than that, Goldman Sachs delivered the goods.

Marcus

Since the markets bottomed in 2009, GS’ annual trading revenues shrunk by $20 billion. Who knows if they’ll ever revisit their glory days?

As a result, GS has been forced to enter new businesses such as consumer lending using its Marcus platform to loan money to middle-class Americans.

“We’re now building a digital consumer finance platform,” Solomon said in May. “We think digital finance is at a very, very interesting pivot point. And we think we’re in a position where we can be part of the disruption.”

To that end, Marcus has 1.5 million customers who’ve borrowed $3 billion and deposited $22 billion in cash, making it a very attractive revenue stream.

Ultimately, Marcus is going to play in every area of the consumer banking business, something I believe will be very successful. 

While it doesn’t break out Marcus in its press release, it is part of the bank’s investing and lending business, which saw a very healthy 23% year-over-year revenue increase in the second quarter.

The Bottom Line on Goldman Sachs Earnings

There was a lot of negative analyst commentary after it announced Q2 2018 earnings.

Personally, if I were David Solomon, I’d like my chances of being successful in my new role as CEO, because from where I sit, GS’ earnings regarding quality were at least a seven out of ten.

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

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OpGen (OPGN) Shares Up 6.8%

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

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

Get OpGen alerts:

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

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

OpGen Company Profile

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

Qiagen (QGEN) Getting Somewhat Positive Media Coverage, Analysis Finds

News coverage about Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN) has trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern ranks the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Qiagen earned a coverage optimism score of 0.17 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the company an impact score of 45.9679840450792 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Shares of NASDAQ:QGEN opened at $37.14 on Tuesday. Qiagen has a 1-year low of $30.20 and a 1-year high of $37.61. The company has a current ratio of 5.07, a quick ratio of 4.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Get Qiagen alerts:

Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $343.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $339.30 million. Qiagen had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 2.85%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.22 EPS. equities analysts expect that Qiagen will post 1.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on QGEN shares. TheStreet raised Qiagen from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Friday, May 25th. Commerzbank reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Qiagen in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. BidaskClub raised Qiagen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Deutsche Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a price target (up from ) on shares of Qiagen in a report on Tuesday, April 24th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Qiagen in a report on Wednesday, May 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Qiagen presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $35.55.

Qiagen Company Profile

QIAGEN N.V. (QIAGEN) is a holding company. The Company is engaged in providing Sample to Insight solutions that transform biological samples into molecular insights. Its Sample to Insight solutions integrate sample and assay technologies, bioinformatics and automation systems. Its sample technologies are used for isolating and preparing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins from blood or other liquids, tissue, plants or other materials.

Thompson Investment Management Inc. Boosts Position in Starbucks Co. (SBUX)

Thompson Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX) by 18.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,051 shares of the coffee company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,275 shares during the quarter. Thompson Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Starbucks were worth $1,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC lifted its stake in Starbucks by 8.9% in the first quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 10,863 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $629,000 after acquiring an additional 884 shares during the last quarter. Scholtz & Company LLC lifted its stake in Starbucks by 3.7% in the first quarter. Scholtz & Company LLC now owns 25,750 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,491,000 after acquiring an additional 925 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Starbucks by 5.5% in the first quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 18,464 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 959 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Swiss Wealth Advisors AG lifted its stake in Starbucks by 2.7% in the first quarter. Vontobel Swiss Wealth Advisors AG now owns 36,693 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $2,124,000 after acquiring an additional 982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, D.B. Root & Company LLC lifted its stake in Starbucks by 8.2% in the first quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 13,190 shares of the coffee company’s stock valued at $764,000 after acquiring an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.06% of the company’s stock.

Get Starbucks alerts:

A number of research firms have issued reports on SBUX. ValuEngine cut shares of Starbucks from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 4th. BidaskClub cut shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 13th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks to $60.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 20th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $58.00 to $55.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $60.90.

Shares of Starbucks opened at $49.90 on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. Starbucks Co. has a 1 year low of $47.37 and a 1 year high of $61.94. The firm has a market cap of $67.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The coffee company reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.53. Starbucks had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 60.33%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. Starbucks’s revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. analysts predict that Starbucks Co. will post 2.4 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 8th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.89%. This is a positive change from Starbucks’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Starbucks’s payout ratio is 58.25%.

Starbucks announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, April 26th that allows the company to repurchase 0 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the coffee company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Americas; China/Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole bean and ground coffees, single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, and food and snacks; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items.

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

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What's Next: Richard Plepler's Last Dance: AT&T wants HBO to transform itself from a boutique for smart, high-minded shows into a 24/7 operation like Netflix that produces more content and drives more user engagement, sources at HBO and AT&T's WarnerMedia confirm. It is a sea-change moment for Plepler, the affable HBO chief and Manhattan-Hollywood socialite who has long enjoyed the luxury of prioritizing a few quality shows on Sunday nights.

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HBO's future now depends on two things:

1. Whether AT&T will give it enough money to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Apple for the best shows, showrunners and talent.

2. Whether Plepler can bring premium content to scale -- which is going to be really hard for a guy who has spent years stressing that the strength of HBO's brand depends on not throwing a hundred things against the wall to see what sticks, a la Netflix.

More on all that, including the the awkward town hall conversation between Plepler and his new AT&T boss John Stankey, below ... Plus: LeBron in Hollywood, Netflix in India, and Les Moonves vs. Shari Redstone in Idaho ...

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Welcome back to PACIFIC

It's Allen & Co. Week. We're in Sun Valley starting Tuesday, along with Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Rupert Murdoch & Sons, Randall Stephenson, Reed Hastings, Moonves and Redstone, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Barry Diller, Jimmy Pitaro and Adam Silver, all of whom are among the invited guests at the annual summit of media moguls. This highly private event can only be covered from the sidelines, but we'll do our best.

The Latest in M&A: Comcast is expected to make a $31 billion bid for Sky, just as the UK is giving 21st Century Fox the green light to acquire the company itself. How to read it: Comcast's Brian Roberts is forcing the Murdochs (and thus, Disney) to pay more for Sky, just as he forced Disney to pay more for Fox.

There is no thicker thorn in Bob Iger's side than Brian Roberts.

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Talk of Tinseltown: Can HBO scale?

For years, Richard Plepler has said that HBO's edge on Netflix is the power of its brand, which is synonymous with quality, and its ability to care for and cultivate every project it invests in. Netflix, by contrast, seems to release dozens of projects at once and pay special attention to only a few guaranteed successes.

Tough luck ... Plepler's new boss John Stankey, the head of AT&T's WarnerMedia, now says HBO must become more like Netflix.

The two men appeared together at a recent town hall meeting at HBO's New York offices. Stankey's remarks, obtained by NYT's Ed Lee and John Koblin, tell you everything you need to know:

�� "I want more hours of engagement. Why are more hours of engagement important? Because you get more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions, which I think is very important to play in tomorrow's world."

�� "'We need hours a day. It's not hours a week, and it's not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in people's hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.'"

�� "We've got to make money at the end of the day, right?" [Plepler: "We do that"]. "Yes, you do. Just not enough."

What Plepler says now:

�� "I've said, 'More is not better, only better is better,' because that was the hand we had ... I've switched that now ... to: 'More isn't better, only better is better �� but we need a lot more to be even better.'"

Do not underestimate how hard this will be. One Hollywood executive emails: "Quality does not necessarily increase with quantity." If there are 7 great shows out of 10 on HBO today, he said, it doesn't mean there will be 14 great shows if you make 20.

Moreover ... the more shows you have to produce and market, the less time you have to dedicate to each one ... to wit ...

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Cautionary Tales: What's eating Netflix creators

Netflix spends billions on content and marketing, but only the most high-profile shows get big ad budgets, while others seem to disappear into a void.

The Information's Beejoli Shah goes inside Netflix's marketing machine:

�� "When Netflix debuted 'Stranger Things' in 2016, it was so optimistic ... that it poured $50 million into promoting the show, much of it on Facebook. Yet when it came to the reboot last year of classic sitcom 'One Day at a Time,' the marketing team didn't even create a Facebook page until the show's second season."

�� "Netflix plans to boost its marketing spending more than 50% to $2 billion this year. But most of the money is going to promote shows seen as most likely to become hits ... And that is frustrating many television producers who complain their shows are getting ignored amid a glut of shows on the service."

�� "'The most common complaint I hear from fellow Netflix showrunners is that they would make a great show, and no one would know that it was on,' said a creator whose show is currently being produced by Netflix."

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Netflix in Bollywood

"Netflix Wants The Whole World To Binge Its First Indian TV Series" by BuzzFeed's Pranav Dixit: "'Sacred Games,' Netflix's newest original show and the company's first original series produced in India, debuted in 190 countries [and] has been dubbed into four international languages, including English ... 'We want to make Sacred Games a great, global success like Narcos,' Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told reporters during his first visit to India."

Bonus: If Disney lands Fox, and Fox lands Sky, it will give Disney access to 700 million new viewers in India.

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Rules of the Game: What Amazon is watching

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is eyeing a rule change that would make companies treat production costs for television the same way they do for movies, potentially opening up a new avenue for profits.

The Details, via WSJ's Michael Rapoport:

�� "If the change is ultimately enacted by the full FASB, TV producers could record profits more quickly than they do now."

�� "In a market where TV producers are in an arms race, spending billions of dollars on original content, any additional lift to their profits could be important."

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Sun Valley: Moonves-Redstone on tour

The Les Moonves vs. Shari Redstone saga will be on tour in Sun Valley this week, which could make for an awkward encounter given that Moonves' CBS and Redstone's National Amusements are suing one another:

�� Redstone has been pushing for a CBS-Viacom merger, which Moonves opposes. His lawsuit aims to dilute Redstone's voting shares so she can't force the merger.

�� Redstone's lawsuit accused Moonves and the CBS board of "extraordinary, unjustified and unlawful actions."

�� Resisting Redstone would make CBS available for other potential suitors, including tech giants like Amazon.

Other potentially awkward encounters:

�� Bob Iger and Brian Roberts, obviously. As we've noted before, the two execs have a deep animus toward one another that goes far beyond business rivalries.

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Off The Dribble: LeBron goes Hollywood

While we were on vacation, LeBron James signed a $154 million four-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, hastening his off-court transition to Hollywood star/producer:

�� SpringHill Entertainment, run by James and Maverick Carter and housed on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, already has "House Party" and "Space Jam" reboots in the works, as well as a slate of TV projects and documentaries.

�� Adam Mendelsohn, James' media advisor, tells me the two men started SpringHill "to create great television and films and tell the stories they believed in," noting that the company was running strong even before James made the move to L.A.

�� Uninterrupted, LeBron's digital media venture based in Hollywood at Sunset & Gower, is ramping up production of its web series and podcasts with athletes.

Sound Smart: LeBron James is to Hollywood what Kevin Durant is to Silicon Valley: An NBA star capitalizing on the hometown industry.

What Bill Plaschke and the rest of the Southland cares about: "If LeBron James is indeed going to be The King of L.A., sometime in his potentially four seasons here, he must lead the Lakers to at least one championship."

Bonus: Scoop: LeBron is slated to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair's 2018 New Establishment issue coming out this fall, per a source familiar.

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What Next: Something else that happened while we were on vacation ... Facebook is in talks with Ronaldo to acquire a 13-episode reality series about the Real Madrid star that would air on Facebook Watch. What's in it for Ronaldo: $10 million.

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Hold Linc Pen and Plastics; target of Rs 330: ICICI Direct

ICICI Direct's research report on Linc Pen and Plastics

Linc Pen & Plastics (Linc) posted a muted Q4FY18 performance, primarily tracking headwinds in export markets coupled with a slower-than-expected rebound in domestic segment. On the margin front, Linc witnessed compression due to increase in crude price as crude derivatives form ~40% of raw material costs (~65% of sales) Net sales for the quarter came in at Rs 103.4 crore, down 1.5% EBITDA in Q4FY18 was at Rs 8.5 crore with corresponding EBITDA margins at 8.2%, down 130 bps YoY. PAT in Q4FY18 was at Rs 3.1 crore vs. Rs 5.6 crore in Q4FY17. PAT growth lagged the topline and EBITDA growth primarily tracking increased incidence of depreciation and interest on account of commissioning of new plant.

Outlook
We build in 160 bps improvement in EBITDA margins in FY18-20E. We value Linc at Rs 325 i.e. 1.2x market cap/sales on FY20E numbers and assign a HOLD rating to the stock. Linc is a prominent writing instrument player domestically with good brand recall and a trusted name in the marketplace.

For all recommendations 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. Read More First Published on Jul 5, 2018 04:36 pm

Retiring with debt? Here are some strategies

DETROIT �� Rhonda and Lonnie Edwards Jr. had good middle-class jobs most of their lives. He worked nearly 35 years in an hourly union job at�General Motors. She had a job in Detroit Public Schools for 13 years as an attendance agent and earlier as a parent liaison. She later worked for the state unemployment agency for another 10 years.�

"We were just middle-income earners.�My goal was to be debt free by the time we retired," said Rhonda Edwards, 63.�

Things didn't quite work out that way. The medical bills hit after Lonnie, now 67, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007, just�three years after he had taken an early retirement in his 50s.

Around the same time, their finances took a dive�during the depths of Detroit's housing crisis when they had plans to move to a smaller co-op but had trouble selling their family home in the well-regarded University District in Detroit and ended up in foreclosure.�

"We had a rude awakening that something was really going bad in the economy," she said.�

More: Why Fed rate hike can drive you to pay down credit cards

More: Tompor: How car renters can protect themselves from unfair damage claims

More: Financial protection: How your money in the bank can make more money

Older Americans increasingly are discovering that retirement might not go as smoothly as brochures for retirement communities and river cruises across Europe suggest.�

Carrying a boatload of debt, facing job cuts and dealing with bad health news make it tougher to pay the bills in retirement than many expect, even long after the Great Recession officially ended in 2009.�Some, such as the Edwards family, are able to eventually work through their financial struggles in retirement. But the financial curveballs can be stressful nonetheless.�

American�families just reaching retirement or those newly retired are more likely to have debt��� and higher levels of debt��� than past generations, according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute study of debt of the elderly and near elderly from 1992 to 2006.�

About 53 percent�of households ages 55 or older had some level of debt in 1998. That number climbed to 68 percent�in 2016.

CLOSE

How much should you have saved for retirement by the age of 35? A Marketwatch report on Twitter has plenty of people stymied. Keri Lumm reports. Buzz60

Why such a dramatic increase?�

"Debt has certainly become more acceptable," said�Craig Copeland, senior research associate for EBRI in Washington, D.C.

Many people want more manageable payments, so they reject the idea of taking on the higher payments associated with�a 15-year mortgage �� and many may have bought homes in their 40s or 50s.�

"Some people have, instead of downsizing, up-sized as they've gotten older. And if they've taken a 30-year mortgage, that certainly would make them be in debt into their 70s," Copeland said.�

"The biggest bulk of the debt is the mortgage debt."�

According to the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute, the average debt in families age 75 or older was $36,757 in 2016.�That is up from $30,288 in 2010.

Debt can have a significant impact on one's sense of financial security in retirement����� and ability to deal with unexpected expenses��� especially if they don't have a steady pension or anything even close to a six-figure amount saved up in a 401(k) plan.�

"People are going into retirement less prepared," said Donna McNeill, chief operating officer for�GreenPath Financial Wellness, a national nonprofit based in Farmington Hills, Michigan.�

The safety net of a pension and retiree health care from an employer-sponsored plan is not the scenario many people are looking at today, she said.

Like it or not, more people may need to cut up some credit cards before they retire and re-evaluate�whether they should�retire�in their late 50s or early 60s.

Some strategies worth considering if you are�in or near retirement:

Focus on ditching the�debt

"You have to be smart in how you tackle your debt," Copeland said.�

Ideally, pay off your highest-priced loan before you retire, including credit cards that might be charging 15�or 20 percent.�

Maybe even sell the family home to pay off that mortgage and downsize to a less costly home to live in during retirement.�

Given that home values are on the rise in many communities, many families no longer risk going into foreclosure or losing money selling the family home as was the case in 2007 or 2008.�

In some cases, people might even be able to use some of the equity they've built in the home to deal with other expenses in retirement.�

CLOSE

It's going to get more expensive to open up a new credit card. USA TODAY

Get a game plan for how to pay the bills

Some people do need extra help when it comes to budgeting, like finding an app such as�Mint�and�Wela.�Some apps, though, could have promotions for credit offers included in the platform, so consumers should avoid�being tempted to apply for other loans or credit cards.�

GreenPath Financial Wellness, a nonprofit service, offers a "Wellness Wallet," a free personal financial management tool via the app store.�

GreenPath also introduced a new program late last year called the Simple Payment Plan, which involves a partnership with�EarnUp,�an automated loan payment platform.

The tool�currently is free for the first year, thanks to a sponsorship from Freddie Mac. The monthly fee later will be $19.95. GreenPath's number is 877-663-0143.�

The tool��� which can be used by any age group��� automates debt payments�such as an auto loan, mortgage and student loans. The objective is to help consumers pay bills on time to avoid late fees, as well as paying down debt.��

GreenPath's financial counselors review clients' loans and expenses to help them determine the debts that should go on the Simple Payment Plan. The payment schedule takes into account when the consumer is paid. The idea is to set it and forget it.�

The consumer can opt to round up payments to save interest over the life of the loan.�

The increasing rate of consumer debt and low home ownership rates indicate that average Americans can use help managing their debt, according to a statement from Freddie Mac.�

Enrolling in automatic payment plans via utility companies and others might also help older consumers if they're dealing with health issues or dementia to�ensure that bills get paid on time, according to James Ellis, a personal finance researcher for�ValuePenguin, a financial website.�

Some consumers may want to cut back on bills and limit their credit-card spending to one or two cards, instead of five or six credit cards. Consumers can also sign up for bill reminders via text or email.�

CLOSE

A new study shows millennials are delaying life events due to being in debt. Elizabeth Keatinge has more. Buzz60

Learn now to deal with life's letdowns

Rhonda Edwards, who retired in 2014,�said�she and her husband chose to retire relatively early,�he at 54 and she at 59, because�it was something they had planned to do for many years.�

"Lonnie��s mother and father passed away at 33 and 57 years old, respectively, while my father and mother died at 49 and 55," she said.�Her mother died nine days after the birth of their�first child.

"We understood that tomorrow is not promised to anyone, and we wanted to do something our parents never experienced; retire with a decent measure of health and quality of life to look forward to," she said.�

When they started facing challenges over�which bills to pay, they decided to get help and turned to counselors at GreenPath to�get a better handle on their finances. They were clients before the housing crisis hit.�

Today, they continue to pay off some debt but say it's manageable.�

"We're not debt-free but we're not swimming in debt, either," she said.

She was glad that they had outside help as they worked through their medical bills and the foreclosure. At times, she said, they were so stressed that they weren't sure how to prioritize the most important bills to pay with the money they had.�

"Everybody needs to know where they stand financially," she said.�

Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com or 313-222-8876. Follow Susan on Twitter @Tompor.

Credit Suisse maintains 'underperform' on Page Industries, despite PAT rising 41%

Textile and apparel manufacturer Page Industries on May 25�announced its earnings for the quarter ended March, reporting a 41 percent year-on-year jump in its net profit to Rs 94.2 crore.

The company's revenue rose 22.3 percent on year to Rs 608.4 crore. Its�operating profit or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 51 percent to Rs�146.8 crore, while its EBITDA margin rose 450 bps to 24.1 percent.

Despite the seemingly positive set of numbers reported by the company, global research firm Credit Suisse has maintained an 'underperform' rating on the stock. However, it has raised its price target on it to Rs 21,300 from Rs 20,000 earlier.

The research firm said it continues to like the "structural story" of the company, driven by a gain in market share. However, it iterated that stock's valuation appears stretched.�Page Industries is�currently trading at 53�times its estimated earnings for FY20, with its growth nowhere near�its heyday of FY10-15.

At 12:00 hrs Page Industries was trading at Rs 24,307.25, down 0.65 percent, after touching an intraday high and low of Rs 25,199.95 and Rs 24,128, respectively.

Asia Stocks Set to Open Lower; Oil Extends Decline: Markets Wrap

Asian stocks are set for a lower start to the week after declines in U.S. shares Friday. The energy sector will be in focus after oil posted its biggest drop in roughly a year.

Futures in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong declined. U.S. stocks fell on lighter than normal volume Friday heading into the long Memorial Day holiday weekend though S&P 500 futures pointed to gains. The S&P 500 Energy Index plunged as oil slumped after a Saudi minister said that petroleum supply would likely rise in the second half. The dollar rallied and U.S. Treasury yields fell to the lowest in more than three weeks. The euro rebounded as political uncertainty continued in Italy.

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Investors turn their focus to the economy this week with the U.S. jobs report, the last before Federal Reserve policy makers meet in June, the highlight. Geopolitics also remains on traders minds with U.S. President Donald Trump appearing to confirm that his June summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was back on, while Italy sank deeper into political uncertainty as populist leaders pulled the plug on their attempt to form a government.

Terminal users can read more in Bloomberg’s Markets Live blog.

These are some key events to watch this week:

U.S. markets are closed Monday for Memorial Day. U.K. markets are closed for the spring bank holiday.European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels Monday to discuss developments related to North Korea, Yemen, and the Iran nuclear deal.EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are scheduled to meet Wednesday in an informal World Trade Organization ministerial in Paris.U.S. employment report for May due FridayOn Saturday U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will travel to Beijing for more talks with Vice Premier Liu He on topics including ZTE Corp. and trade.

These are the main moves in markets:

StocksNikkei 225 Stock Average futures fell 0.3 percent in SingaporeS&P/ASX 200 Index futures fell 0.5 percent.Hang Seng Index futures fell 0.2 percent.Futures on the S&P 500 advanced 0.4 percent. The S&P 500 closed down 0.2 percent Friday, the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.2 percent.CurrenciesThe Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed after climbing 0.3 percent Friday.The Japanese yen sank 0.3 percent to 109.71 per dollar.The euro jumped 0.3 percent to $1.1681.BondsThe yield on 10-year Treasuries fell five basis points to 2.93 percent Friday.CommoditiesWest Texas Intermediate crude fell 1 percent to $67.21 a barrel after tumbling 4 percent on Friday.Gold lost 0.4 percent to $1,297.05 an ounce. LISTEN TO ARTICLE 2:56 Share Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Send as an Email Print

Italy May Be Cut by Moody's on Concerns Over New Government

Italy’s rating may be cut by Moody’s over concerns about the new government’s fiscal plans and the risk that some important past measures, such as pension reform, might be reversed.

While "some of the coalition parties’ original proposals have been modified in the final coalition agreement, they would still lead to a weaker, not a stronger, fiscal position going forward," the agency said in a statement Friday. "So far, Moody’s has assumed a gradual deficit reduction over the coming years, which in turn would allow for a very gradual decline in the public debt ratio."

Italy’s public debt stood at 2.3 trillion euros at the end of March, according to the nation’s central bank. With the second-biggest public-debt ratio in the euro zone, pledges by the new government of increased spending have unsettled financial markets. The Italy-Germany 10-year yield spread reached the widest since 2014 earlier Friday.

"Far from offering the prospect of further fiscal consolidation, the ’contract’ for government signed by the two parties includes potentially costly tax and spending measures, without any clear proposals on how to fund those," Moody’s said.

Italy is currently rated Baa2 by the agency, the second-lowest investment-grade rating.

The Five Star Movement and League party have published a coalition government plan that includes reviewing fiscal policy, bail-in rules and Basel banking accords. Italy Premier-Designate Giuseppe Conte said Thursday that protecting savers hit by bank failures is a priority and "those who have suffered fraud or have been deceived will be refunded." Analysts and investors worry that the measures could slow the reduction of bad debt and hit banks’ valuations.

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California Says PG&E Power Lines Caused 4 of October's Fires

PG&E Corp.’s equipment was responsible for causing four of the wildfires that tore through Northern California in October, investigators from the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined in a report Friday.

The fires in Butte and Nevada counties were caused by trees or branches coming into contact with PG&E power lines, according to a statement citing results of the first investigations into the fires last year. The causes of the larger wine country fires, including the Tubbs Fire, weren’t disclosed.

The investor-owned utility owner has lost more than $12 billion in market value since the wildfires broke out. It suspended its dividend and withheld its 2018 profit guidance because of uncertainty about how much it might have to pay for damages. The fires in Napa and Sonoma counties were some of the worst in state history, destroying thousands of structures and killed 44 people.

Under California law, utilities can be held liable for costs if their equipment is found to have caused a fire -- even if they followed safety rules -- based on a legal principle known as “inverse condemnation.” PG&E Chief Executive Officer Geisha Williams has called the policy “deeply flawed.” The company, along with California’s other investor-owned utilities, has been lobbying the state’s lawmakers and regulators to change it.

California Governor Jerry Brown said in March that he will work with state leaders to develop policies this year to update wildfire liability rules and regulations for utilities. Brown has said the state is at higher risk for more severe and frequent fires due to climate change.

Insured losses claimed from the Northern California wildfires totaled $9.55 billion as of the end of January, the state insurance agency said.

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State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Buys 86,400 Shares of Golar LNG Partners LP (GMLP)

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its stake in shares of Golar LNG Partners LP (NASDAQ:GMLP) by 126.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 154,800 shares of the shipping company’s stock after purchasing an additional 86,400 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Golar LNG Partners were worth $2,649,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GMLP. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Golar LNG Partners during the fourth quarter worth $107,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in Golar LNG Partners during the fourth quarter worth $927,000. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Golar LNG Partners by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 154,810 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,530,000 after buying an additional 2,679 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Golar LNG Partners during the fourth quarter worth $201,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Golar LNG Partners by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 464,238 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,585,000 after buying an additional 65,759 shares during the last quarter. 42.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Get Golar LNG Partners alerts:

Shares of Golar LNG Partners stock opened at $20.69 on Thursday. Golar LNG Partners LP has a 52 week low of $16.78 and a 52 week high of $23.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 11.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ:GMLP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The shipping company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.10. Golar LNG Partners had a return on equity of 17.99% and a net margin of 29.85%. The business had revenue of $90.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.09 million. equities analysts forecast that Golar LNG Partners LP will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 7th were paid a $0.5775 dividend. This represents a $2.31 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 4th. Golar LNG Partners’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 122.87%.

Golar LNG Partners announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Monday, March 5th that permits the company to repurchase $25.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the shipping company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on GMLP shares. Seaport Global Securities reissued a “hold” rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Golar LNG Partners in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. BidaskClub raised Golar LNG Partners from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. B. Riley began coverage on Golar LNG Partners in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $23.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research lowered Golar LNG Partners from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 1st. Finally, ValuEngine lowered Golar LNG Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Golar LNG Partners presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.50.

Golar LNG Partners Company Profile

Golar LNG Partners LP owns and operates floating storage regasification units (FSRUs), liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, and floating liquefied natural gas vessel industries under long-term charters in Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Jordan, and Kuwait. The company also engages in the leasing of its fleets.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GMLP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Golar LNG Partners LP (NASDAQ:GMLP).

Oil may be headed to $80 next, says drilling pioneer Harold Hamm

Oil prices still have room to run after rallying to 3陆-year highs, drilling pioneer Harold Hamm said Wednesday.

The Continental Resources chairman and CEO said benchmark U.S. crude prices could still rise by about $10 from current levels near $72 a barrel.

"We're not looking at $100 oil in the future, or probably $90 oil, but it certainly could be in the mid-$70s and low $80s," he told CNBC in an interview on the sidelines of the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Continental, one of the so-called frackers that pioneered drilling in North Dakota's Bakken shale fields, is getting an extra boost from higher prices. According to Hamm, the company did not hedge its production. Hedging, or locking in a price with buyers for future oil deliveries, protects drillers against price drops, but the practice can also leave money on the table if the cost of crude rises significantly.

David Orrell | CNBC Harold Hamm

Shares of Continental are up 60 percent over the last 12 months, and 26 percent this year. Meanwhile, the XOP, a closely followed ETF that tracks oil and gas exploration and production stocks, is up nearly 22 percent over the last year and almost 16 percent year to date.

At current prices, Hamm said Continental could generate $1 billion in free cash flow, which the company will use to reduce its debt load following a prolonged period of low crude prices. Producers like Continental rely on expensive drilling methods like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to squeeze oil and natural gas from shale rock formations.

Continental ended the first quarter of 2018 with $6.17 billion in debt. Hamm said the company's goal is to get that down to $5 billion.

That dovetails with the dominant trend in the relatively young shale fracking industry: exercising financial discipline in order to start returning more cash to shareholders.

Shale drilling has boosted U.S. crude production to record highs, but surging output in West Texas has led to bottlenecks because the region doesn't have enough pipelines to handle the new supply. That's an issue North Dakota has largely overcome, said Hamm.

"We had that up here, as you'll recall, and certainly before we got adequate pipelines and gathering," said Hamm. "But now that we have it, our cost structure is much lower, and they still have headwinds in that area."

"We saw a differential change of three-and-a-half dollars when [the Dakota Access Pipeline] came on. That was huge and made it easier getting that to market," he said.

The Dakota Access Pipeline began carrying crude from North Dakota to Illinois last year after President Donald Trump cleared a path for the pipeline, which spurred protests by Native American tribes and environmentalists that drew national attention.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals: Elucidating The Fundamentals Powering A Big Winner

Entrepreneurs are great at dealing with uncertainty and also very good at minimizing risk. That's the classic great entrepreneur. - Value Investor (Mohnish Pabrai)

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EIGR) is experiencing a robust bull run for the day. This company is harnessing the innovative power of its team to brew an interesting drug portfolio that can deliver hopes for patients suffering from rare genetic diseases. As alluded, the stock was catapulted $4.77 higher at $16.62 for over 40% profits. The substantial profits were due to the latest partnership development with Merck (NYSE:MRK) that we��ll discuss later. In this research, we��ll elucidate pertinent corporate fundamentals and the latest partnership catalyst for the lead molecule (Lonafarnib).

Figure 1: Eiger stock chart. (Source: StockCharts).

Fundamentals Analysis

Based in Palo Alto, CA, Eiger is focusing on the innovation and commercialization of medicines to treat rare and highly difficult-to-manage conditions. Lead by a management team having the extensive clinical and commercial expertise, the company is powering an enriched portfolio of novel advanced-stage molecules as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Therapeutic pipeline (Source: Eiger).

Known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (��HGPS��), Progeria is a rare and fatal genetic disease that manifests itself with the signs and symptoms of accelerated aging. The underlying defect is the mutation of the lamin A gene, thus creating an overproduction of a rogue protein (progerin). Without the normal enzyme made from the expression of the lamin A gene, the cell��s nucleus becomes unstable.

Consequently, this leads to a plethora of symptoms of premature aging. As follows, patients afflicted by progeria usually died from heart disease (atherosclerosis) at the median age of 14.5 years. This is interesting because other patients dying from atherosclerosis are well into their old age. That aside, other manifestations include failure-to-thrive, thickened skin, abnormal fat distribution, hair loss, joint contractures, skeletal dysplasia, and strokes. The current treatments are geared toward symptomatic relief. Due to its lethality, the demand for better treatment is quite strong. And, Lonafarnib is likely that candidate.

Lonafarnib is an interesting molecule that works by inhibiting the enzyme (farnesyltransferase) involved in the chemical process coined farnesylation: this is imperative for the tight binding of the nuclear envelope that, in and of itself, is responsible for the nuclear instability. In-licensed from Merck, Eiger interestingly does not have to pay any binding royalties. Of note, the said drug is already designated as the orphan molecule by the FDA. And, it��s been dosed in over 80 children with Progeria in various Phase 1/2 and Phase 2 studies.

On May 16, 2018, Eiger announced the expanded-licensing agreement with Merck known as MSD for Lonafarnib. The said deal enabled Eiger to expand its development and commercialization rights outside of the US and Canada for Progeria. In addition, the company disclosed the completed collaborative agreement with the Progeria Research Foundation (��PRF��).

In this relationship, Eiger will continue to provide PRF with the free supply of Lonafarnib for ongoing clinical trials and expanded access, needed for any new drug application (��NDA��) filing based on PRF data. Moreover, the company intends to meet with the FDA for the guidance re the potential filing for approval. Commenting on the key development, the Medical Director and Co-Founder of PRF (Dr. Leslie Gordon) enthused:

Our mission at PRF is to discover treatments and the cure for Progeria, and its aging-related disorders, including heart disease. In a relatively short time, we have achieved extraordinary progress towards our mission including the Progeria gene discovery in 2003, the first clinical trial in Progeria initiated in 2007, and clinical evidence of a survival benefit for children administered Lonafarnib. We are indebted to Merck for supplying Lonafarnib free of charge to PRF-supported clinical trials, and for facilitating our new partnership with Eiger. We look forward to collaborating with Eiger as we pursue pathways for regulatory approval of Lonafarnib in Progeria.

For Q1 2018 (ended on March 31), Eiger reported the $8.8M ($0.84 per share) net losses compared to $11.2 ($1.34 per share) declines for the same period a year prior. The research and development expenses decreased to $5.5M from $7.5M. Investors should be cognizant that it is the norm for a relatively young bioscience like Eiger to incur significant losses for many years prior to banking a net profit (due to the lengthy and low success rate of the innovation process). Nonetheless, it only takes one blockbuster to make your investment worthwhile.

Pertaining to the balance sheet, there were $33.2M, thereby representing a 20% decrease from the $41.8M for the similar period. Based on these metrics, the company would need to execute a financing within the next three quarters. Given the recent share price appreciation, it would be prudent for the company to raise capital via an offering soon.

Final Remarks

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals is brewing a promising portfolio of therapeutics that can deliver strong outcomes like that for the progeria franchise that we discussed. Despite its small market potential, Lonafarnib can significantly augment the value for this small-cap bioscience. That aside, other franchises can deliver more additive value. Last but not least, it��s best to add a small pilot position while waiting for a pullback to build more shares: a stock can give up significant gains subsequent to a gargantuan bull run.

Author��s Notes: We��re honored that you took the time to read our market intelligence. Founded by Dr. Hung Tran, MD, MS, CNPR, (in collaborations with Analyst Vu, and other PhDs), Integrated BioSci Investing (��IBI��) is delivering stellar returns. To name a few, Nektar, Spectrum, Atara, and Kite procured over 335%, 151%, 260%, and 83% profits, respectively. Our secret sauce is extreme due diligence with expert data analysis. The service features a once-weekly exclusive Alpha-Intelligence article, daily analysis/consulting, and model portfolios. Of note, there is an IBI version of this article that is a higher-level intelligence with extensive details, in which we published in advanced and exclusively for our subscribers. And, we invite you to subscribe to our marketplace now to lock in the current price and save money for the future.

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GE's rail unit merges with Wabtec in $11B deal

General Electric will merge its train engine division with railroad manufacturing firm Wabtec in an $11 billion deal, a major move in GE CEO John Flannery's mission to streamline the Boston-based conglomerate.

Wabtec�Corp., based near Pittsburgh in Wilmerding, Pa., will pay GE a $2.9 billion upfront payment and Wabtec shareholders will own about 49.9% of the combined company, when the deal closes in early 2019, the companies said Monday.�GE shareholders will own about 40.2% and GE will own 9.9% of the merged company.

Originally known as Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp., Wabtec is valued at $9.1 billion. The rail equipment company has�18,000 employees and generated about $3.9 billion in revenue in 2017. GE Transportation, which includes locomotives and rail services, has about�9,000 employees and�generated about $4.2�billion in revenue in 2017.

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��By bringing together our highly complementary strengths we are confident that this transformational combination will create value for both Wabtec and GE shareholders, innovative solutions for our customers, and new outlets for long-term career growth for our employees," said�Wabtec CEO Raymond Betler, who will serve as president and CEO of the combined company.�

"Our two companies have more than 250 years of rail industry heritage, and our shared focus on safety, reliability, quality, and customer relationships will enable a smooth integration.��

Executives did not address what effect the merger might have on jobs, but did say the merged company is expected to�generate about $250 million in annual synergies by 2022, and gain a tax benefit of about $1.1 billion.

Speculation about the deal emerged last month. Flannery, who in June succeeded former CEO Jeff Immelt, has been overseeing a comprehensive review at GE. Last year, he said the company would reduce its assets by $20 billion.

GE's transportation unit, which included locomotives, mining technology and marine engines, did not fit within the company's planned refocus, which Flannery has said� would have three core segments: power, including renewable energy, aviation and health care.

GE shares (GE) were up 2.6% to $15.36 in early trading Monday, while Wabtec (WAB) shares rose 1.7% to $96.81.

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

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OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) Shares Bought by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE) by 24.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,097 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 10,617 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in OGE Energy were worth $1,773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in OGE. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 92.2% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 4,070,942 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $133,975,000 after buying an additional 1,952,995 shares during the period. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of OGE Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $47,463,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 140.5% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,189,800 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $72,066,000 after buying an additional 1,279,200 shares during the period. Zimmer Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 257.1% in the fourth quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 625,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $20,569,000 after buying an additional 450,000 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 159.9% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 573,416 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $18,868,000 after buying an additional 352,807 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.76% of the company’s stock.

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A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on OGE. Zacks Investment Research lowered OGE Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of OGE Energy in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. ValuEngine lowered OGE Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Bank of America raised OGE Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, UBS began coverage on OGE Energy in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $33.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. OGE Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $36.00.

In other OGE Energy news, Director Peter D. Clarke purchased 1,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $32.40 per share, with a total value of $59,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $59,940. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Shares of OGE Energy opened at $33.35 on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm has a market cap of $6.65 billion, a PE ratio of 16.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. OGE Energy Corp. has a 12-month low of $29.59 and a 12-month high of $37.32.

OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $492.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $470.69 million. OGE Energy had a return on equity of 10.87% and a net margin of 27.77%. OGE Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.18 earnings per share. equities research analysts predict that OGE Energy Corp. will post 2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.3325 per share. This represents a $1.33 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.99%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 9th. OGE Energy’s payout ratio is 69.27%.

OGE Energy Company Profile

OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity and natural gas primarily in the south central United States. The company operates in two segments, Electric Utility and Natural Gas Midstream Operations.

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