Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

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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.

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

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

OpGen Company Profile

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

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.

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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.

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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).

PACIFIC �� HBO and Chill

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 ...

---

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.

---

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.

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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