Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:TBI,ISRG,JWN,BWLD,MED,

Motilal Oswal's research report on Ashok Leyland

AL's revenue grew 23.7% YoY (+22.8% QoQ) to INR87.7b (est. of INR86.5b), driven by volume growth of 23.4% YoY (+26.1% QoQ) and realization growth of 0.2% YoY (-2.5% QoQ) to INR1.49m (est. of INR1.47m). AL took a price increase of 1-2% in Jan'18. It indicated further price hike of ~2% in April to compensate for RM inflation.

Outlook

We maintain FY19/20E EPS, but lower our EBITDA margin by ~60bp to 11%/11.3% for FY19/20E to factor in higher other expense. We value AL at ~INR181 (10x Mar-20 EV/EBITDA + INR13/share for stake in HLF post 20% HoldCo Discount]. Maintain Buy.

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.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Media stories about Trueblue (NYSE:TBI) have trended somewhat positive on Monday, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Trueblue earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the business services provider an impact score of 45.3296498009881 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) by 24.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 95,307 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,680 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Trueblue worth $2,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) by 21.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 137,178 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 23,951 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Trueblue were worth $3,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and three have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $27.50.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Earnings season is now in full swing, with today's key reports from�International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), and Intuitive Surgical Inc.�(Nasdaq: ISRG). Thanks to tax cuts, expectations are high. Analysts expect profit growth to top 18%, which would be the biggest jump in seven years. But there are a few bearish trends that are still lurking in the market. And if you're serious about making money, you need to know how to harness them and target individual stocks for life-changing gains.�Money Morning�Quantitative Specialist Chris Johnson explains.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The VISE acronym stands for:

  Visa (NYSE:V) Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA)

  Each of these four companies brings clear-cut competitive advantages to the table that should allow it to handily outperform the broader market (and the FANG stocks).

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  That's the basic business model behind the two companies in today's match-up: surgical robot maker�Intuitive Surgical�(NASDAQ:ISRG) and medical device maker�Medtronic�(NYSE:MDT). If you're interested in investing in this field, the question becomes: Which is the better stock to buy at today's prices?

• [By ]

  As of the time of this article, home cleaning robot maker iRobot's (IRBT) shares are down over 6% on the news. And though it makes surgical robots rather than anything meant for homes, Intuitive Surgical  (ISRG) is down close to 2%. As usual, Wall Street immediately trembles on any sign that Amazon plans to further expand its reach.

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  As earnings season begins to kick into gear, next week features stocks of all shapes and sizes. But two stocks I'll be watching are growth stocks Netflix�(NASDAQ:NFLX) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG). Both companies are benefiting from double-digit growth in revenue and earnings per share. When these companies report their second-quarter results next week, investors will be watching to see if they can keep executing well on the growth opportunities before them.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Some reasons for my bearishness on retail stocks:

  Higher Energy Prices. Oil prices have rallied dramatically and back to 2014 levels, rising from about $35 a barrel in early 2016 to around $67 Thursday. That's bad news for U.S. retailers, as rising oil prices historically squeeze consumer disposable incomes. That's one reason why I've been consistently raising my short exposure to retail and plan to continue doing so. Shaky Same-Store Sales Growth. Recent improvements to same-store sales at Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) , Urban Outfitters (URBN) , Dillard's (DDS) , Gap Inc. (GPS) and Macy's (M) come against downgraded expectations, and might not be sustainable anyway. No Deal for Nordstrom (JWN) . The Nordstrom family has apparently abandoned plans to take its namesake company private. I had expressed concerns that this would happen. Higher Interest Rates. A rise in the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) has recently accelerated. That's bad news for retailers, as many variable-rate consumer debts (particularly mortgages) key off of the LIBOR. This will likely put a damper on mortgage refinancings -- something that many see as an important ingredient for personal-consumption expenditures.

• [By ]

  Cramer and the AAP team are sharing a positive research note on Norstrom (JWN) , and their analysis. Find out what they're telling their investment club members and get in on the conversation with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS. 

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Crude oil prices continue to remain in focus after Brent crude hit $80.00 per barrel. The benchmark crude touched $80.00, as markets are concerned about the impact renewed Iranian sanctions will have on global supply. French oil giant Total announced Wednesday that it was abandoning a gas project in Iran after failing to obtain a waiver from the Trump administration to do business in Iran. The sanctions are expected to decline global output at a time that OPEC is already working diligently to push oil prices higher by containing excessive global production. Four Stocks to Watch Today: JCP, BABA, F, KR Shares of JCPenney (NYSE: JCP) are ticking higher after its earnings report before the bell. Yesterday, retail companies were stunned by the 11% jump for its rival Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) stock thanks to a strong first-quarter report. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.�(NYSE: BABA) is generating a lot of buzz as investors monitor trade relations between the United States and China. BABA stock had slumped by 18% thanks to trade restrictions on Chinese companies. Ford Motor Co.�(NYSE: F) announced it will restart production of its popular F-150 pickup truck at its Dearborn, Mich., facility. The company recently suspended operations after a fire damaged supplies needed for manufacturing. The F-150 is the most popular consumer vehicle in the United States. In an effort to beat back the growth of Wal-Mart and Amazon, grocery giant Kroger Co.�(NYSE: KR) announced a deal to purchase a 5% stake in British online supermarket Ocado. The deal will allow Kroger to utilize the UK firm's warehouse automation technology in the United States and improve its supply chain costs. Look for additional earnings reports from Applied Materials Inc.�(Nasdaq: AMAT), Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN), The Children's Place Inc.�(Nasdaq: PLCE), Teekay Corp.�(NYSE: TK), and Quantum Corp.�(NYSE: QTM).

  Follow�Money Morning��on��Facebook,�Twitter, and�LinkedIn.

• [By ]

  Cramer and the AAP team say today's weakness is the opportunity they have been patiently waiting for. Their target? Nordstrom (JWN) . Find out what they're telling their investment club members and get in on the conversation with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  It’s all retail all the time this week, with Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE: KSS), Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT), Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), and Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF) among the big names scheduled to report. Last week saw mixed signals from retailers, with Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) both delivering impressive results while J.C. Penney Company Inc. (NYSE: JCP) and Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) received poor reviews from the Street. TGT is arguably the biggest one to watch in the days ahead (see more detail below).

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows Dave & Busters Entertainment�tripling in value�before falling back while�small cap upscale gentlemen's clubs and restaurant owner�RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: RICK) began taking off in 2016 and small cap�Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) is being acquired by Arby��s Restaurant Group:

• [By Steve Symington]

  That's not to say it was a quiet day for every stock on the market. With earnings season ramping up, brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) and restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD) served as an exercise in contrast as investors reacted to their respective quarterly reports.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 3.9% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 20:00 PM E.T. on June 13th. One MediBloc token can now be purchased for $0.0083 or 0.00000131 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinrail, Gate.io and Bibox. During the last seven days, MediBloc has traded 36.5% lower against the U.S. dollar. MediBloc has a total market cap of $24.58 million and $216,935.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Max Byerly]

  McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) and Medifast (NYSE:MED) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares were also up, gaining 22 percent to $121.06 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance.

Express Scripts stock plunges on report that Carl Icahn wants to block Cigna merger

Carl Icahn rattled the health care industry on Wednesday.

Icahn, an activist investor, built a sizable stake in health insurer Cigna, the Wall Street Journal reported. Cigna is in the process of buying pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts for $67 billion. Shareholders of both companies are scheduled to vote on approving the deal next month.

Icahn reportedly believes Cigna is paying too much for Express Scripts and will urge shareholders to oppose the deal. Icahn is also wary of the new company competing with Amazon (AMZN), which is increasingly interested in the pharmacy business, the Journal reported. He is also worried about a federal proposal to limit pharmacy benefits managers' rebates.

Icahn and Cigna did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Amazon announced in June that it is buying PillPack, an online pharmacy that delivers medications to customers in pre-sorted doses. The move gives Amazon access to pharmacy licenses in all 50 states and came just a week after CVS announced it will start delivering prescriptions and certain over-the-counter medications to people's homes.

Icahn is also apparently concerned about the Trump administration's efforts to rein in drug costs. Officials are considering scaling back the ability for drug manufacturers to give rebates to pharmacy benefits managers, which is key to their operations. The administration and others blame this system for helping to drive up drug prices.

Express Scripts (ESRX) fell 6% on the report, while Cigna (CI) moved up 2%. Rite Aid (RAD), which Albertsons supermarket chain agreed to buy in February for an undisclosed amount, plunged 6%. Walgreens bought a larger chunk of Rite Aid in September after a long holdup with federal regulators.

Separately, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones released a report Wednesday urging the Justice Department to block CVS' (CVS) proposed tie up with Aetna (AET). CVS agreed to buy Aetna for $69 billion in December.

"The proposed merger of CVS and Aetna will significantly reduce competition," Jones said in a statement. "A merger of this size and type...will likely lead to increased prices and decreased quality."

The commissioner said CVS is a dominant player in both the retail pharmacy business and the pharmacy benefits manager industry, which negotiates with drug companies on behalf of insurers. Consolidating CVS with a health insurer could make it harder for other insurers to use its services, Jones argues. And it will eliminate Aetna as a possible entrant into the pharmacy benefits manager market, which is already very concentrated.

Also, the merger could harm senior citizens since both companies offer Medicare Part D prescription drug plans -- Aetna has a 9% market share and CVS a 24% share, Jones said. If they combined, it could lead to reduced competition and higher premiums.

CVS and Aetna both dropped 1%.

CVS in a statement said it strongly disagrees with the insurance commissioner's assessment.

"Our vision is to create a new health care model that will help consumers improve their health by focusing on prevention and primary care, simplifying their health care experience and reducing costs. We believe that competition within each of the business segments in which we operate -- pharmacy benefit management, pharmacies and insurers -- is fierce and will remain so," it said.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:EGY,GGB,AJRD,HR,IPI,

IBM Retirement Fund trimmed its position in shares of Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) by 9.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 32,446 shares of the medical technology company’s stock after selling 3,523 shares during the quarter. IBM Retirement Fund’s holdings in Medtronic were worth $2,603,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. We Are One Seven LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medtronic in the fourth quarter worth $104,000. BB&T Investment Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 147.6% in the fourth quarter. BB&T Investment Services Inc. now owns 1,518 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Barrett Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 856.0% in the fourth quarter. Barrett Asset Management LLC now owns 1,826 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,635 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 51.2% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,201 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $178,000 after acquiring an additional 745 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Medtronic in the first quarter worth $193,000. Institutional investors own 80.37% of the company’s stock.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vaalco Energy Inc(EGY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARA) rose 18.2 percent to $13.71 in pre-market trading. Cara Therapeutics and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma entered into ex-U.S. licensing agreement to commercialize KORSUVA™ injection in dialysis patients with pruritus. Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares rose 10.6 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after surging 12.43 percent on Tuesday. VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY) rose 10.5 percent to $2.37 in pre-market trading after dropping 10.04 percent on Tuesday. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 8.3 percent to $7.15 in pre-market trading after falling 16.03 percent on Tuesday. Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) rose 7.8 percent to $110.25 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY2018 earnings guidance. Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares rose 7.1 percent to $2.13 in pre-market trading. after climbing 12.43 percent on Tuesday. Clementia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CMTA) rose 5.9 percent to $20.01 in pre-market trading after reporting positive Phase 2 Part B data showing treatment with palovarotene significantly reduces new bone growth in patients with FOP. Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA) rose 3.5 percent to $18.44 in pre-market trading. Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE: ANW) shares rose 3.5 percent to $2.95 in pre-market trading. MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) rose 3.2 percent to $50.00 in pre-market trading after reporting a $1.5 billion buyback plan. Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) rose 3.2 percent to $88.51 in pre-market trading. Lowe's reported downbeat results for its first quarter on Wednesday.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares surged 296.07 percent to close at $1.25 on Monday after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed to register the company's ContraPest for sale and use in California. AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: UAVS) shares gained 19.59 percent to close at $2.93. TransGlobe Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: TGA) rose 18.39 percent to close at $2.64 on Monday. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOS) shares gained 15.91 percent to close at $2.55. VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY) shares jumped 14.9 percent to close at $2.39. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) climbed 13.96 percent to close at $4.49. Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) shares rose 13.55 percent to close at $4.61 on Monday. Lilis Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LLEX) surged 13.09 percent to close at $5.01. MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) gained 12.9 percent to close at $49.28. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) agreed to acquire MB Financial for $54.70 per share in cash and stock. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) shares rose 12.83 percent to close at $3.43. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) jumped 12.52 percent to close at $57.86 on Reports that it has reached a deal with Fox for Its 'Smackdown Live' program. Eastman Kodak Company (NASDAQ: KODK) rose 12.38 percent to close at $5.90. NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) climbed 11.94 percent to close at $26.44. NuCana appointed Dr. Cyrille Leperlier to its Board as an independent non-executive Director. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) rose 11.83 percent to close at $3.97 on Monday. Huami Corporation (NYSE: HMI) shares jumped 11.27 percent to close at $10.17 following Q1 results. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) gained 9.55 percent to close at $7.34. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 8.56 percent to close at $7.86 after the company announced an exclusive partnership with Multi Touch Interactives to strengthen the de
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares jumped 113.5 percent to $0.6737 after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed to register the company's ContraPest for sale and use in California. AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: UAVS) shares rose 35.34 percent to close at $3.32. Art's-Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: ARTW) shares gained 30.36 percent to $3.65. Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: XTNT) shares jumped 25.6 percent to $7.4701 after the company disclosed that it has received the FDA clearance for InTice™-C Porous Titanium Cervical Interbody System. VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY) shares surged 20 percent to $2.495. TransGlobe Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: TGA) surged 17.04 percent to $2.61. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) gained 15 percent to $8.32 after the company announced an exclusive partnership with Multi Touch Interactives to strengthen the development of next generation interactive educational activities. Arcimoto, Inc. (NASDAQ: FUV) gained 15 percent to $3.39. MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) rose 13.7 percent to $49.64. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) agreed to acquire MB Financial for $54.70 per share in cash and stock. FRONTEO, Inc. (NASDAQ: FTEO) shares rose 11.8 percent to $20.956. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) shares jumped 11.1 percent to $3.38. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) rose 10.6 percent to $7.41. NII Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NIHD) shares gained 9 percent to $2.32. Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) rose 7.6 percent to $24.19. Northcoast Research upgraded Kelly Services from Neutral to Buy. LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) shares climbed 5.6 percent to $33.70. Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) will buy LaSalle Hotel Properties in a $4.8 billion deal, Bloomberg reported. Alteryx, Inc. (NYSE: AYX) gained 5.5 percent to $32.56. KeyBanc upgraded Alteryx from Sector Weight to Overweight. Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Gerdau S.A.(GGB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Shares of Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) tumbled more than 10% by 2:45 p.m. EDT Thursday in what was a tumultuous day for stocks in Brazil. The Brazil-based steel company sold off along with that country's stock market amid fears that the recent trucker strike could have a deep impact on the economy.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) fell 7.6% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $3.99 and last traded at $4.00. 20,132,700 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 80% from the average session volume of 11,155,967 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.33.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  AMG Funds LLC lessened its stake in Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) by 12.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 256,979 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 35,501 shares during the quarter. AMG Funds LLC’s holdings in Gerdau were worth $1,198,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $4.00.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (AJRD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD)

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

• [By Rich Smith]

  In fact, Boeing and Lockheed Martin look to be two-time winners, as the second largest bump in funding is going to help pay for deep space missions, and to NASA's Orion crew vehicle and Space Launch System (SLS), which are designed to carry them. Orbital ATK (soon to be absorbed into Northrop Grumman) and Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE:AJRD) are other key players on the SLS project. Congress wants to pour an additional $294 million into this program, funding it with $5.1 billion next year.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE:AJRD) stock lost 12% of its value in the two days after the company reported earnings �for the first quarter of 2018 -- a miss, and its third such miss in a row, according to data from Yahoo! Finance�. Since that report and subsequent drop, however, Aerojet Rocketdyne has come roaring back, recovering all of its losses, and even adding a bit more.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD)

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

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated(HR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Healthcare Realty Trust (HR)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) by 6.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,785,099 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 107,342 shares during the quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Healthcare Realty Trust were worth $49,466,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Intrepid Potash, Inc(IPI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Stocks rebounded on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing back from triple-digit losses early in the session to finish with a modest gain. Market participants were initially nervous because of the continued upward pressure on interest rates and their potential negative impact on the U.S. economy. But later in the day, confidence returned, and the steadfast market reversed course. Several individual stocks had much larger advances. Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC), Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:SIX), and Intrepid Potash (NYSE:IPI) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Wednesday morning, the materials shares rose 0.83 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI), up 8 percent, and Braskem S.A. (NYSE: BAK) up 6 percent.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Shares of Intrepid Potash (NYSE:IPI) stock are soaring, up 20.7% as of 1:20 p.m. EDT after the company reported earnings Tuesday -- but probably not because of earnings per se.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Intrepid Potash (IPI)

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

Genuine Parts (GPC) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $99.40.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Genuine Parts from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 20th. Wedbush boosted their target price on shares of Genuine Parts from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Genuine Parts to $99.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Genuine Parts from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $96.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, April 13th.

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Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wagner Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts during the 4th quarter valued at about $117,000. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts during the 4th quarter valued at about $109,000. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts during the 1st quarter valued at about $116,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 87.8% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,613 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $148,000 after buying an additional 754 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 50.3% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 1,828 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $168,000 after buying an additional 612 shares during the period. 73.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Shares of GPC stock traded up $0.76 on Friday, reaching $98.06. 1,192,662 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 824,345. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Genuine Parts has a 1 year low of $79.86 and a 1 year high of $107.75.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.69 billion. Genuine Parts had a net margin of 3.78% and a return on equity of 21.62%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.29 earnings per share. analysts expect that Genuine Parts will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 8th were paid a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 7th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.94%. Genuine Parts’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.07%.

About Genuine Parts

Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement and industrial parts, electrical and electronic materials, and business products in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australasia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland. The company distributes automotive replacement parts for imported vehicles, trucks, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, farm vehicles, small engines, farm equipment, and heavy duty equipment through 57 NAPA automotive parts distribution centers and 1,100 NAPA AUTO PARTS stores.

Featured Story: What kind of dividend yield to CEF’s pay?

CorMedix (CRMD) Trading -7.1% Higher

CorMedix Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:CRMD)’s share price traded up 7.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $0.28 and last traded at $0.26. 242,954 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 1,569,087 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.28.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of CorMedix from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 2nd. HC Wainwright set a $2.00 price target on shares of CorMedix and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 23rd.

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CorMedix (NYSEAMERICAN:CRMD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 15th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $0.02 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.12 million. CorMedix had a negative net margin of 16,300.49% and a negative return on equity of 318.95%.

An institutional investor recently raised its position in CorMedix stock. Virtu Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of CorMedix Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:CRMD) by 126.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 226,748 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after buying an additional 126,610 shares during the quarter. Virtu Financial LLC owned about 0.34% of CorMedix worth $114,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

CorMedix Company Profile

CorMedix, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases in the United States and internationally. Its primary focus is on the development of its lead product candidate, Neutrolin, an anti-infective solution for the reduction and prevention of catheter-related infections and thrombosis in patients requiring central venous catheters in clinical settings, such as dialysis, critical/intensive care, and oncology.

Featured Story: What does relative strength index mean?

Will Finisar Finally Hit a Higher Gear?

Finisar (NASDAQ:FNSR) has been finding it difficult to stage a comeback ever since it lost Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) lucrative 3D sensing business to rival Lumentum last year. The company reportedly failed to get its technology ready on time, forcing the iPhone maker to look elsewhere to satisfy its hunger for these chips, and the fallout continues.

Finisar management, however, is hoping for a turnaround as the year progresses. But will it be able to deliver this time, or will the company continue its trend of promising the moon to investors and then failing to deliver?

Image Source: Getty Images.

Apple could give Finisar a boost this year

Finisar failed to score the Apple win last year, but Cupertino was hard-pressed to stitch together a reliable�supply chain for the 3D-sensing-equipped iPhone X. So Apple decided last December to write a $390 million check to Finisar to help the latter boost its production of 3D sensing chips, ensuring that it doesn't run into any production constraints�like last time.

Finisar investors now expect the company to find its way into Apple's next-generation smartphones, and management didn't disappoint on the latest earnings conference call. CEO Michael Hurlston said that he expects to see�"an increase in demand for our VCSEL laser arrays for 3D sensing applications in the second fiscal quarter in connection with the expected timing of the new product introductions by our customers." Finisar watchers interpret that to mean the iPhone.

Finisar's fiscal second quarter runs from August through October, which coincides with the ramp-up of Apple's iPhone production. This should give Finisar's top line a solid boost as Apple is expected to manufacture around 80 million to 90 million new-generation iPhones in the second half of the year.

Assuming that half of these iPhones are equipped with 3D sensing capabilities -- and Finisar splits this business evenly with Lumentum -- that means Finisar's chips could find their way into 20 million iPhones. This could boost the company's revenue by $100 million in the second half of the year, as each 3D sensing chip reportedly costs $5.

By comparison, Finisar pulled in a combined $664 million in revenue�in�the fiscal second and third quarters last year, so that would be a 15% boost. This sounds great, but there's no guarantee of a comeback given the other factors at play.

But will it be enough?

A closer look suggests that Apple won't be a big driver for Finisar. The company pulled�in $1.3 billion in revenue during the latest fiscal year. This means that sales to Cupertino would possibly be less than 10% of Finisar's total revenue, and probably be just enough to offset the weakness in the telecom side of its business.

Finisar gets�20% of its revenue by supplying telecom products, mainly to carriers in China, but this business has been under stress for quite some time. This side of Finisar's business fell a massive�32%�year over year during�the latest quarter, on the back of lower pricing and weak demand, with revenue dropping to $62 million.

Moreover, the continuous price erosion�of telecom products in the Chinese market (thanks to a mix of weak demand and stiff competition) has been taking a toll on Finisar's margin profile.

Period

Q3 2017

Q4 2017

Q1 2018

Q2 2018

Q3 2018

Q4 2018

Telecom revenue (in millions)	$111	$91	$84	$76	$66	$62
Finisar gross margin�	35.9%	36.2%	33.7%	29%	28.6%	24.7%

Data source: Finisar quarterly reports. These are fiscal years.

This business could run into further trouble as China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently directed�Chinese telecom companies to buy optical components from local vendors. This is bad news for U.S.-based Finisar given its exposure to the Chinese market. In fact, market research firm Cignal AI estimates that Western vendors like Finisar could witness a 30% drop in their addressable market if Chinese firms favor local suppliers.

No turnaround here

In all, Finisar's Apple-related gains won't move the needle much for the company given the other challenges it faces. The company expects its top line to drop around�8% in the current quarter, while adjusted earnings per share are expected to drop from $0.40 in the prior-year period to $0.13.

The only way Finisar can make a comeback is by finding a broader customer base for its 3D sensing chips beyond Apple. But it will run into stiff competition from Himax and Qualcomm. So Finisar is devoid of any real catalysts right now, and it looks as if it isn't going to get out of its slump anytime soon.

Jefferies Financial Group Analysts Cut Earnings Estimates for T-Mobile Us Inc (TMUS)

T-Mobile Us Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) – Investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group cut their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for T-Mobile Us in a research note issued on Wednesday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst S. Goldman now anticipates that the Wireless communications provider will earn $0.83 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.91. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for T-Mobile Us’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.77 EPS and FY2018 earnings at $3.20 EPS.

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T-Mobile Us (NASDAQ:TMUS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 1st. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $10.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.35 billion. T-Mobile Us had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 10.41%. T-Mobile Us’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.80 earnings per share.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on TMUS. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of T-Mobile Us in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $74.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “buy” rating and issued a price target on shares of T-Mobile Us in a research note on Monday, April 30th. Macquarie reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $74.00 price target on shares of T-Mobile Us in a research note on Wednesday, June 6th. BidaskClub raised shares of T-Mobile Us from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of T-Mobile Us and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. T-Mobile Us has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.67.

Shares of T-Mobile Us opened at $60.18 on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The company has a market cap of $51.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.28, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.40. T-Mobile Us has a 12 month low of $54.60 and a 12 month high of $66.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TMUS. Green Square Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of T-Mobile Us in the 1st quarter worth approximately $221,000. First Allied Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of T-Mobile Us in the 1st quarter worth approximately $222,000. Jump Trading LLC bought a new stake in shares of T-Mobile Us in the 4th quarter worth approximately $227,000. Koch Industries Inc. bought a new stake in shares of T-Mobile Us in the 1st quarter worth approximately $229,000. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of T-Mobile Us in the 1st quarter worth approximately $234,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 33.63% of the company’s stock.

In other news, COO G Michael Sievert sold 3,056 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.64, for a total value of $173,091.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 467,225 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,463,624. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David A. Miller sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $300,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,994 shares of company stock valued at $1,580,951. Company insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

T-Mobile Us Company Profile

T-Mobile US, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile communications services in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. The company offers voice, messaging, and data services to 72.6 million customers in the postpaid, prepaid, and wholesale markets. It also provides wireless devices, including smartphones, tablets, and other mobile communication devices, as well as accessories that are manufactured by various suppliers.

IncaKoin One Day Trading Volume Reaches $85.00 (NKA)

IncaKoin (CURRENCY:NKA) traded up 1.1% against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 17:00 PM Eastern on July 9th. Over the last seven days, IncaKoin has traded 8.1% higher against the US dollar. IncaKoin has a total market capitalization of $976,847.00 and $85.00 worth of IncaKoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One IncaKoin coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0001 or 0.00000001 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Cryptopia and Trade Satoshi.

Here is how similar cryptocurrencies have performed over the last day:

Get IncaKoin alerts: Dash (DASH) traded 4.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $235.71 or 0.03513650 BTC. Decred (DCR) traded 1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $63.46 or 0.00945924 BTC. Aeternity (AE) traded down 4.4% against the dollar and now trades at $2.04 or 0.00030385 BTC. Bitcoin Diamond (BCD) traded down 32.3% against the dollar and now trades at $2.46 or 0.00036639 BTC. Hshare (HSR) traded down 0.3% against the dollar and now trades at $6.16 or 0.00091811 BTC. Stratis (STRAT) traded down 4.6% against the dollar and now trades at $2.52 or 0.00037602 BTC. ReddCoin (RDD) traded 2.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0048 or 0.00000071 BTC. Emercoin (EMC) traded 1.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $2.97 or 0.00044253 BTC. PIVX (PIVX) traded 3.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.95 or 0.00029003 BTC. Enigma (ENG) traded 6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.37 or 0.00020393 BTC.

IncaKoin Profile

IncaKoin (NKA) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
SHA-256 hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was August 28th, 2013. IncaKoin’s total supply is 15,740,127,418 coins and its circulating supply is 15,738,127,418 coins. IncaKoin’s official website is incakoin.info. IncaKoin’s official Twitter account is @incakoin1 and its Facebook page is accessible here.

Buying and Selling IncaKoin

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

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Celgene and Acceleron Pharma Win Again in Late-Stage Trial

Acceleron Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: XLRN) and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) each saw a handy gain early Tuesday morning after results from their late-stage study in adults with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia were announced.

The Phase 3 results from the BELIEVE study of luspatercept achieved a highly statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of erythroid response, which was defined as at least a 33% reduction from baseline in red blood cell (RBC) transfusion burden compared to the placebo.

Additionally, luspatercept met all key secondary endpoints of demonstrating statistically significant improvements in RBC transfusion burden from baseline of at least a 33% reduction during the period from week 37 to week 48, at least a 50% reduction during the period from week 13 to week 24, at least a 50% reduction during the period from week 37 to week 48, and a mean change in transfusion burden from week 13 to week 24.

Recently, these companies also announced that luspatercept met the primary and key secondary endpoints in the MEDALIST study, a separate Phase 3 trial in patients with Revised International Prognostic Scoring System very low, low or intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes with chronic anemia.

Habib Dable, president and CEO of Acceleron, commented:

The BELIEVE study marks the second positive phase 3 study for luspatercept and underscores the potential of this erythroid maturation agent to impact a range of diseases associated with chronic anemia. We continue to explore luspatercept across our broader development programs, including non-transfusion dependent beta-thalassemia in the ongoing BEYOND study.

Shares of Celgene traded at $85.10 just after the opening bell, up about 1.5%. The consensus analyst price target is $112.69, and a 52-week trading range is $74.13 to $147.17.

Acceleron shares were last seen trading up more than 3% to $49.12, with a consensus price target of $56.42 and a 52-week range of $29.57 to $50.00.

24/7 Wall St.
2018 Dow Laggards Could Offer Material Upside Into 2019

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:WPZ,MMP,HAL,RRC,ECA,RIG,APA,MRO,WLL,COP, LISTEN TO ARTICLE 4:30 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s victory on Sunday gives Mexico a new face on the global stage. But for Mexicans, the 64-year-old presidential front-runner has been the most present and talked about politician of the past twenty years.

The leftist firebrand with a mop of silver hair has spent years raging against what he calls a corrupt power mafia represented by the nation’s two conservative parties -- the only ones to hold the presidency since the 1930s. While he gained a reputation for pragmatism as mayor of Mexico City from 2000 to 2005, his stances against the nation’s oil-industry opening and new airport for the capital have struck fear in business elites.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Natural gas pipeline giant Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) announced today that it agreed to acquire the rest of its master limited partnership (MLP) Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) that it didn't already own in a $10.5 billion deal. Not to be outdone, Canadian energy infrastructure giant Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) made an offer to acquire its namesake MLP Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE:EEP), along with the rest of its publicly traded entities, including Spectra Energy Partners (NYSE:SEP). These transactions have big implications not only for investors in these entities but for those who own other pipeline companies, too.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) from Buy to Hold..

  Williams Partners shares fell 0.63 percent to close at $41.23 on Friday.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) and Targa Resources (NYSE:TRGP) are both large-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  There's an interesting dichotomy here, however. Crestwood was looking to stay financially disciplined, but it also needed to invest to grow. Doing both at the same time is difficult, which is why it partnered up with Con Ed in the Marcellus region, Shell Midstream Partners LP (NYSE:SHLX) and First Reserve in the Delaware Basin, and Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) in the Powder River basin. These agreements allow Crestwood to keep expanding its business without having to foot the entire bill for the investments.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Magellan Midstream Partners L.P.(MMP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP) by 35.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,614 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,235 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners were worth $1,378,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Several high-yielding dividend stocks have taken it on the chin this year due to a sell-off in the stock market and rising interest rates. That one-two punch has hit pipeline stocks the hardest, with several top-notch companies tumbling by a double-digit percentage since the start of the year. Three that stand out as excellent options to consider buying now that they're on sale are Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP), Antero Midstream Partners (NYSE:AM), and Enbridge (NYSE:ENB).

• [By Tyler Crowe, Reuben Gregg Brewer, and Travis Hoium]

  With these interesting trends emerging, there's no doubt that investors are looking at this industry. To help investors start their search for great energy investments, we asked three of our investing contributors to each highlight a stock they see as a great buy now. Here's why they picked Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP), Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP), and SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR).

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  The only potential problem for investors has been Enterprise's funding choices. Partnerships are designed to pass cash on to unitholders, leaving little money for capital investments. That means that capital spending is often funded by issuing debt, potentially increasing leverage, or new units, which dilutes current unitholders. The latter is the key issue right now. Over the past five years the partnership's unit count has increased by nearly 20%. For comparison, Magellan Midstream Partners, LP�(NYSE:MMP) has effectively issued no new units over the same span while still managing to expand its business with sizable capital projects.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Halliburton Company(HAL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Aristotle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) by 4.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,886,928 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 230,408 shares during the quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC owned 0.56% of Halliburton worth $229,392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Halliburton (NYSE:HAL)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $42.90, but opened at $44.92. Halliburton shares last traded at $46.22, with a volume of 15095300 shares traded.

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  IEZ is also a top-heavy fund. Just two stocks — Schlumberger NV (NYSE: SLB) and Halliburton Inc. (NYSE: HAL) — combine for almost 26 percent of the fund's weight. Underscoring the correlation to oil prices, IEZ has a three-year standard deviation of 30 percent, indicating this ETF is far more volatile than standard diversified energy funds.

• [By ]

  Selected examples: (AAL) , (CL) , (DRI) , (HAL) , (LUV) , (MCD) , (MMM) , (SBUX) . Darden and 3M are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS.

  What Trade War?

  Notes Goldman: "Firms expressed optimism that trade conflict would be resolved. Commentary emphasized the support for a free trade environment. Company management did not expect the disputes would escalate and affect global economic growth."

• [By ]

  For top oilfield services picks, Seaport says to keep it simple: Halliburton Co. (HAL) and Hi-Crush Partners LP (HCLP) are the best bets, the firm contends. 

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media headlines about Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Range Resources earned a daily sentiment score of 0.07 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the oil and gas exploration company an impact score of 46.3371462950661 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Seaport Global Securities raised their Q4 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Range Resources in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 23rd. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Kelly now anticipates that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings per share of $0.12 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.11. Seaport Global Securities has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Seaport Global Securities also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q1 2019 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.98 EPS.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) fell about 4.4% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $14.43 after closing at $15.09 on Monday. The 52-week high is $34.93. Volume of about 15 million was nearly double the daily average of around 7.7 million shares traded. The company had no specific news.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Encana Corporation(ECA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s scoring:

  Get Encana alerts: Should You Listen to This Stock? Encana Corporation (ECA) moves 51.44% away from One Year Low (nasdaqchronicle.com) Hot Mover of the Day �� Encana Corporation (NYSE:ECA) (thestockgem.com) Enrapturing Stocks: Encana Corporation, (NYSE: ECA), AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., (NASDAQ: AFSI) (globalexportlines.com) Analysts, Options Traders Love This Lesser-Known Energy Stock (schaeffersresearch.com) Encana Corp (ECA) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $1.12 Billion (americanbankingnews.com)

  ECA traded up $0.27 on Thursday, hitting $12.47. 9,071,326 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,380,907. Encana has a 12 month low of $8.01 and a 12 month high of $14.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 2.00.

• [By ]

  Already, shale companies such as Encana (ECA) , Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) , among others, are reporting higher cash flows and earnings on higher oil prices. As a result, they are paying down debt, increasing dividends and engaging in buybacks. This is a dramatic improvement in shareholder yield for the group.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

  Get Encana alerts: Encana Corp (ECA) Rising Higher 7.95% Over the Past Four Weeks (fisherbusinessnews.com) Encana Corporation (ECA) Most Active Stock Price trades 19.10% off from 200- SMA (nasdaqchronicle.com) Mid-Day Movers ��: Encana Corporation (NYSE:ECA), CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX), MGIC Investment Corporation … (journalfinance.net) Featured Stock: Encana Corporation (ECA) (stockquote.review) Active Stock Evaluation �� Encana Corporation (NYSE: ECA) (financerater.com)

  ECA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Encana from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $15.00 to $18.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Encana from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $10.84 to $16.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 7th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Encana from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Scotiabank raised shares of Encana from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $13.00 to $14.00 in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Goldman Sachs cut their price target on shares of Encana from $17.25 to $14.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.28.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Electra (CURRENCY:ECA) traded 8% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 22:00 PM ET on June 20th. In the last week, Electra has traded 12.6% higher against the U.S. dollar. Electra has a market capitalization of $34.87 million and $128,874.00 worth of Electra was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Electra coin can now be purchased for $0.0014 or 0.00000020 BTC on exchanges including Fatbtc, Novaexchange, CoinFalcon and CryptoBridge.

• [By Keith Noonan, Travis Hoium, and Matthew DiLallo]

  We asked three Motley Fool investors to profile some of the best under-the-radar growth stocks on the market today. Read on to see why they selected Encana�(NYSE:ECA), Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), and Baozun (NASDAQ:BZUN) as top growth stocks for in-the-know investors.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Transocean Inc.(RIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The Ticker Tape]

  TD Ameritrade clients appeared to take some profits in multiple names during the period. Oil companies were popular sells with ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), BP  PLC (ADR) (NYSE: BP), National-Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV), and Transocean LTD (NYSE: RIG) all net sold. Oil prices traded near three-year highs on higher global demand and possible OPEC-led production cuts. COP and BP both traded at multi-year highs, while NOV and RIG reached 52-week highs, enticing clients to take profits in all four names. Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA) traded at levels not seen since before the financial crisis following proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, and was net sold. For the third month in a row, Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was net sold after CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress regarding the misuse of user data and a beat on earnings.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Aceto Corporation (NASDAQ: ACET) fell 41.9 percent to $4.30 in pre-market trading. ACETO board disclosed that it is taking proactive steps to address business and financial challenges. Canaccord Genuity downgraded Aceto from Buy to Sell. Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ: HMNY) fell 25.3 percent to $2.86 in pre-market trading after reporting an ATM offering of $150 million. Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (NYSE: PIR) fell 17.4 percent to $2.86 in pre-market trading after reporting a fourth quarter sales miss. Comps were down 7.5 percent in the quarter. Sleep Number Corporation (NASDAQ: SNBR) fell 12.4 percent to $32.00 in pre-market trading following a first quarter earnings miss. Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRTK) fell 10.2 percent to $11.90 in pre-market trading on news of $125 million convertible debt offering. Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACK) shares fell 8 percent to $8.02 in pre-market trading after dropping 2.02 percent on Wednesday. Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPO) shares fell 5.6 percent to $80 in pre-market trading. Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) shares fell 4.8 percent to $60.00 in pre-market trading after rising 1.78 percent on Wednesday. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) fell 4.6 percent to $2.10 in pre-market trading after surging 84.87 percent on Wednesday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM) shares fell 4.5 percent to $40.07 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results. Align Technology, Inc.. (NASDAQ: ALGN) fell 3.5 percent to $267.40 in pre-market trading after rising 1.61 percent on Wednesday. Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) shares fell 3.5 percent to $12 in pre-market trading after the company issued quarterly fleet status report. GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) fell 3.2 percent to $4.90 in pre-market trading. Unilever PLC (NYSE: UL) fell 2.6 percent to $54.73 in pre-market
• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

• [By Jason Hall]

  So what's an investor to do? Owning the companies best-positioned to profit is a great place to start. Consider two of Big Oil's finest in�Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR)�(NYSE:RDS-A)(NYSE:RDS-B)�and�Total SA (ADR)�(NYSE:TOT), offshore driller�Transocean LTD�(NYSE:RIG) and natural gas for transportation specialist�Clean Energy Fuels Corp�(NASDAQ:CLNE).

• [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  While we aren't prognosticators on crude oil prices, there does appear to be a lot�of value in the energy sector at this price level. So we asked three Motley Fool investors to highlight a stock in the sector they like this month. Here's why they picked Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), Enbridge (NYSE:ENB), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG).�

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG)’s share price shot up 1.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $13.60 and last traded at $13.39. 771,349 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 94% from the average session volume of 13,165,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.19.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) fourth-quarter results are scheduled for Thursday. The consensus forecast is for $0.22 in EPS on $1.55 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $38.11. The consensus price target is $50.43. The 52-week range is $35.70 to $56.51.

• [By John Bromels]

  It seems like a great time to buy in, but you still shouldn't just buy any oil and gas stock. Luckily, it doesn't take a genius to identify great choices in the oil and gas industry like�Apache Corporation�(NYSE:APA),�Devon Energy�(NYSE:DVN), and�Royal Dutch Shell�(NYSE:RDS-A)(NYSE:RDS-B). Here's why they're such no-brainer investments.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) which rose over 5% to $41.75. The stock��s 52-week range is $33.60 to $51.21. Volume was 4.8 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.4 million.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  While pipeline capacity constraints have hurt producers focused on the Permian, it has been a boon for midstream companies in the region, which have been able to quickly sign up shippers for proposed expansion projects. Private equity-backed EPIC Midstream was able to get major Permian producers Apache (NYSE:APA) and Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) to sign up for a combined 175,000 barrels per day (BPD) on the company's proposed EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline. EPIC currently plans to build a 440,000 BPD pipeline to ship crude out of the Permian. However, it could expand the line up to 675,00 BPD if there's enough shipper demand. One of the reasons Noble was quick to sign on is that this line "provides long-term flow assurance for our rapidly growing Delaware Basin oil volumes," according to the company. Apache, meanwhile, stated that this line "enhances our long-term operational flexibility and market optionality." EPIC hopes to start construction on the pipeline later this year, which would put it in service by the second half of 2019. It's one of the first projects by the private equity-backed start-up but likely won't be its last given the infrastructure needs in the region.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Oil prices have continued rebounding this year, with the U.S. benchmark price WTI up another 7% to around $65 per barrel. That improving oil price has helped drive up most oil stocks. I say most because Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Apache (NYSE:APA), and Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX) are flat to down so far this year because investors seem to have overlooked them entirely. Because of that, they trade for a dirt-cheap valuation versus their peers, making them intriguing options to consider.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Teacher Retirement System of Texas decreased its stake in Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) by 17.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 84,391 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 17,824 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Apache were worth $3,247,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  That ability to organically discover new shale plays has saved it a ton of money. The company was able to quietly gobble up 50,000 acres in Oklahoma over a four-year period for just $750 an acre. Contrast that with rivals�Devon Energy�(NYSE:DVN) and�Marathon Oil�(NYSE:MRO). Devon spent $1.9 billion to buy Felix Energy in late 2015 for the company's 80,000 acres in Oklahoma, paying a whopping $23,750 an acre. Meanwhile, Marathon paid $888 million for PayRock Energy and its 61,000 acres in the state, which amounted to roughly $14,500 an acre. EOG's�deep�knowledge of shale helps it know where to look so it can lock up land for next to nothing before rivals even know what's there.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $22.09, but opened at $21.63. Marathon Oil shares last traded at $21.47, with a volume of 12430818 shares traded.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) is another oil producer built for $50 oil. At that level, Marathon can generate enough cash to grow its U.S. oil production 25% to 30% this year, while at $60 oil, the company can produce $500 million in free cash -- and even more at current prices. Marathon Oil has a range of options for that money, including buying back shares, boosting the dividend, paying off debt, or acquiring more drillable land.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Back in 2011, Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) elected to spin off Marathon Petroleum. At the time, much of the reasoning for the split was that both entities would garner higher valuations than as an integrated company. Also, by separating them, both could best allocate capital to grow shareholder value.�

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Whiting Petroleum Co. (NYSE:WLL) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies lifted their Q2 2018 earnings estimates for Whiting Petroleum in a research note issued on Sunday, May 20th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst K. Harrison now forecasts that the oil and gas exploration company will earn $0.85 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.33. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Hold” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Whiting Petroleum’s Q3 2018 earnings at $0.97 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $1.16 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $3.90 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $1.70 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $1.48 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $1.47 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $1.59 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $6.24 EPS.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) bounded upward more than 55% for the quarter, fueled by rising crude prices and its strong first-quarter results. After struggling to scrape by on lower oil prices, Whiting's cash flow has surged this year, providing it enough money to fund its drilling program with more than $100 million to spare during the first quarter.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $56 from $45 (versus a $50.78 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Foundry Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 108,476 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,671,000. Foundry Partners LLC owned about 0.12% of Whiting Petroleum at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2019: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Last fall, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) outlined its three-year operating plan, anticipating that it could increase production at a 5% compound annual growth rate assuming oil averaged $50 a barrel. While the return to a growth trajectory was nice to see, its forecast paled in comparison to rivals like EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG) and Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC), which both project double-digit oil production growth rates over the next few years.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Eight Seconds… $1,260 Richer: Words can't describe what you'll see in this shocking footage – because you'll witness, live on camera, one man become $4,238 richer with just three clicks of a mouse. And if you follow the simple instructions in this video, you'll learn how to set yourself up for an instant $2,918 payday opportunity. You need to see this to believe it…

  Three Stocks to Watch Today: COP, HD, HSBC ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has seized assets from the Venezuelan-owned firm PDVSA in the Caribbean. The company won a court case that will allow it to take over assets owned by the Venezuelan government. The court enabled the seizures as part of a broader plan to allow the firm to recoup roughly $2 billion following the 2007 nationalization of its assets in Venezuela by the huge Castro-led government. Monday will be a quiet day on the earnings front. Investors are looking to Tuesday's calendar, when The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) reports earnings. Tomorrow, Wall Street analysts expect that Home Depot will report earnings per share of $2.07 on top of $25.2 billion in revenue. Investors will be hoping that the company reports strong profits thanks to an improving U.S. economy and the recent tax reform law. Expect a lot of chatter today about blockchain technology. That's because ING Bank and HSBC Holdings Plc.�(NYSE: HSBC) announced over the weekend that they engaged in their first trade ever using blockchain technology. The two engaged in a trade on behalf of Cargill to finance a shipment of soybeans from Argentina to Malaysia. Today, look for earnings reports from Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A), Itron Inc.�(Nasdaq: ITRI), Vipshop Holdings Ltd.�(Nasdaq: VIPS), Amyris Biotechnologies Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRS), Sky Solar Holdings Ltd.�(Nasdaq: SKYS), Mazor Robotics Ltd.�(Nasdaq: MZOR), China Lodging Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: HTHT), and Mimecast Ltd.�(Nasdaq: MIME).

  Follow�Money Morning��on��Facebook,�Twitter, and�LinkedIn.

• [By Rich Smith]

  And yet, a funny thing has been happening in the market for oil stocks over this past week. All of a sudden, Wall Street analysts are talking up free cash flow as a reason to buy oil stocks. In fact, they can't seem to shut up about it. Over just the past few days, I've seen free cash flow mentioned prominently in the analyses of Wall Street bankers on no fewer than three separate oil stocks: ExxonMobil, Chevron (NYSE:CVX), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP).

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) shares short rose to 24.44 million from the previous level of 23.91 million. Shares were trading at $64.80, within a 52-week range of $42.27 to $67.30.

German E-commerce Giant Steps Into Blockchain With Self-Governed Marketplace

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image shutterstock size-large wp-image-1119024926&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1119024926/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;676&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Shutterstock

&l;span&g;The old trope of independent and small businesses needing to adapt in order to compete is true. &l;/span&g;

&l;span&g;However, when these businesses seek out new opportunities online and trade in online marketplaces, they face&a;nbsp;natural limits regarding their independence. While most of them do&a;nbsp;provide a gateway these companies need in order to find new business, there are limits involved. In a &l;/span&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/sep/14/ebay-etsy-policy-unfair-sellers&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;span&g;Guardian article&l;/span&g;&l;/a&g;&l;span&g; published last year by an online-shop owner, she described her peers as &a;ldquo;powerless against its often arbitrary decisions,&a;rdquo; as she stated.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;Online shopping is sometimes perceived as one of the most &l;a href=&q;https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/19/how-to-structure-a-marketplace/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;centralized&l;/a&g; spaces that currently exists, as the online marketplaces are considered consolidated, with limited autonomy given to the merchant. Additionally, with any centralized format, risks are involved. With online shopping, these risks include susceptibility to fraudulent activity and risks for hidden charges. Furthermore, centralized marketplaces and e-commerce platforms have been slow to adopt cryptocurrencies as payment, as few are equipped to deal with crypto transactions.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

&l;a href=&q;https://gamb.io/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;GAMB&l;/span&g;&l;/a&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;, which stands for Global Alliance of Merchants on the Blockchain, is being built by the German software giant Gambio.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;GAMB is trying to give power to the merchants, allowing sellers located on the marketplace platform to contribute to the rules that govern them and their businesses - unlike a more centralized marketplace.&l;/span&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;According to them, the advantage of blockchain technology for the online marketplace is the transparency. The decision regarding features and services, as well as cost and fee structures, will not be written in stone. Instead, merchants will be able to decide amongst themselves in a decentral autonomous organization. They hope&a;nbsp;merchants will become members of this alliance, thus granting them access to participate in the decision-making process.&l;/span&g;

&l;!--nextpage--&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;&a;ldquo;By using blockchain technology, we can provide a platform which not only provides secure transaction, but an opportunity to create an ecosystem of vendors and merchants which is self governing,&a;rdquo; says Dr. Felix Hotzinger, senior advisor. &l;/span&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;So in application, GAMB&a;rsquo;s de-centrally organized marketplace hopes to enable businesses to manage their online shops locally, while ensuring access to traffic, SEO and consumer demand. The marketplace will share gathered data in order to improve the competitive positioning of merchants.&l;/span&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;From a realistic standpoint, taking on tech-giants could seem suicidal, but Gambio has pointed out some major flaws in some of these e-commerce centralized marketplace systems. With over 96% of the American population currently shopping online, and with over 2.1 billion people expected to shop online by 2021 according to &l;/span&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.bigcommerce.com/press/releases/bigcommerce-survey-shows-americans-consider-online-shopping-essential/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;BigCommerce&l;/span&g;&l;/a&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;, it is overwhelmingly likely that cryptocurrency and distributed ledger technology&a;nbsp;are part of the process of improving.&l;/span&g;

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;However, &a;ldquo;unionizing&a;rdquo; merchants in a marketplace could present issues on their own, including the fact that what is sometimes good for the majority of sellers won&a;rsquo;t necessarily be good for all. Only time will tell if Gambio has the resources and the ability to bring about a decentralized marketplace, and give power &a;nbsp;back to the merchants. &l;/span&g;

&a;nbsp;&l;/p&g;

How OPEC Is Holding Its Oil Output Curbs in Place

LISTEN TO ARTICLE 4:17 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

How intent is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to stick to output curbs put in place 18 months ago? Intent enough to raise oil production to keep the agreement in place. The global petroleum-cuts pact reached in late 2016 by OPEC’s 14 members and 10 non-members including Russia, succeeded in ending a three-year slump in the price of oil. Now OPEC and its partners have reached a follow-up deal allowing Saudi Arabia and Russia to achieve their goal of raising oil production -- which may partially soothe consumer concerns after benchmark Brent touched $80 a barrel in May.

1. What exactly is OPEC doing?

It agreed to boost oil production from July 1, an 11th-hour compromise after Iran initially threatened to veto any supply hike. The 14-nation cartel, with its allies, will bring production cuts back to the target of 1.8 million barrels a day, set in 2016. While in theory that could mean extra output of 1 million barrels a day, in practice the figure could be lower -- 600,000 to 800,000 barrels a day -- as some producers are unable to pump more. This will be accomplished by some nations such as Saudi Arabia effectively rolling back deeper-than-intended cuts.

2. Is this a change of course?

Not exactly. The output curbs of late 2016 -- forged among OPEC and 10 oil producers outside the cartel -- remain in place. In an acknowledgment of how successful that pact has been in raising prices, the cartel recommitted itself to aim for 100 percent compliance with the deal. That’s a group target, which will give scope to nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia to increase output. It also implies a transfer in market share from Venezuela and Iran.

3. Was OPEC swayed by political pressure?

Perhaps. OPEC has been buffeted by competing geopolitical agendas. Some of the world’s biggest consumers -- the U.S., China and India -- have pushed the group to open the taps, while Venezuela and Iran want higher prices to compensate for the impact of American sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized OPEC on Twitter for inflating the cost of fuel. His administration quietly asked Saudi Arabia and some other OPEC producers to increase oil production by about 1 million barrels a day. The kingdom has been quick to acknowledge the needs of consumers in recent weeks, even as it sought to preserve the hard-won unity of OPEC and its partners.

4. What explains Iran’s dissent?

On Thursday evening, a deal looked to be slipping away after Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh walked out of a meeting with fellow ministers, predicting nobody could persuade him to back an increase. Iran has bridled at Trump’s intervention into the cartel’s policy. Zanganeh has said the U.S. president is to blame for high prices because of his unilateral withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement and the imposition of fresh sanctions that could significantly curb Iran’s crude exports.

5. What does this say about OPEC’s continuing influence?

OPEC’s obituary has been written many times, but since its creation more than a half-century ago, the cartel has been jolting the world. It’s latest alliance has already defied many doubters as the world’s two largest oil exporters -- Saudi Arabia and Russia -- increasingly dominate policy discussions. Those two heavyweights are even considering inviting all 24 countries to join a permanent body with its own constitution and secretariat. That would mark a seismic shift in oil’s world order.

6. What does this mean for oil prices going forward?

Oil prices reacted favorably to OPEC’s compromise deal, with futures in the U.S. gaining as much as 4.9 percent as ministers left their meeting in Vienna. OPEC stressed that it targets market stability rather than prices, but the longer-term outlook for both looks uncertain. Saudi Arabia might agree with Iran’s analysis that $70 is a very good price for oil, while Russia is prepared for a slightly lower level. Much will depend on how much extra crude comes back on to the market, the robustness of American shale drillers, the fate of Venezuela’s crisis-hit oil industry and the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran.

The Reference ShelfThis Bloomberg graphic shows which countries are reaching their targets for oil production cuts.OPEC enshrined its main objectives in a 1961 statute.QuickTake explainers on shale’s threat to OPEC

4 Financial Tips for Empty-Nester Dads

The dispensing of advice is a paternal tradition: Dads pretty universally like to stick their two cents in. So, in honor of Father's Day, Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp are dedicating an episode of�Motley Fool Answers to giving some back, with money tips for men at three different stages of their parenting careers.

In this segment, it's advice for fathers whose offspring have, relatively recently, become adults themselves. For these proud parents, the hard work of launching the children may be done, but they may have been letting a few other things slip during the final stretch of that marathon. And the areas where you may want to make changes may only indirectly be about your finances.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on June 12, 2018.

Alison Southwick: What's your advice for the golden dad? Is this the empty nester?

Robert Brokamp: This is the empty nester. It could be anyone from their mid-50s all the way up into their 80s or 90s. But, basically the dad that is still a dad, but no longer has the kids at home. They may be retired or close to it, certainly within the home stretch there. For these folks, at least according to the Federal Reserve, the median income of people in the age range of 55-64 is $57,876. So, it is down from the previous age group. The median net worth is $187,000. These are folks who are getting close to retirement and, for many of, they really haven't saved enough.

So, what should you do? Let's start with retirement, of course. It's time to get that professional retirement checkup, again. But part of it, too, is also deciding what you want to do with the rest of your life. Do you want to retire? Do you want to try a second job? The fastest-growing segment of the population that's starting their own businesses is people over 50. Do you want to go back to school? That has to be all part of the retirement plan, not just whether you've saved enough.

Southwick: And that requires soul-searching, not just a sit-down with a financial advisor.

Brokamp: Exactly. A good discussion with your spouse, maybe a career coach, something like that.

N0. 2, get professional tax help to understand how your tax bill is affected by the new tax law, and how it will or has been affected by retirement. Tax rates are down, the new tax law has made a few changes in terms of what you can deduct. It's really good advice for anybody to sit down with, maybe, a good tax pro -- especially at this time of year, they're not so busy, they have some time -- just to understand that.

But it's particularly important for people who are getting close to retirement, because the whole tax scheme changes. When you're working, you get your paycheck. That's by far the No. 1 source of your income, and you pay ordinary income taxes on that. You can't get around that. You can take some deductions here and there, but that's it. When you're retired, everything changes. You have Social Security, which could either be free of taxes or only partially taxed. You have different accounts, taxable account, traditional Roth. You determine where you're going to take your money from, and each one has a different tax consequence. You're selling investments, that has tax consequences. You could buy bonds like municipals, treasuries, and corporates. Each one of those are taxed differently. It gets more complicated. Plus, when you're working, you're used to your employer taking money out of your paycheck and doing the withholding thing. When you're retired, you can do that or not. You can have some taxes withheld from Social Security, or you can do quarterly taxes, which is actually probably better for most people, but they've never done it before.

So, I definitely think, for those who are retired or getting close to retirement, they should see a tax pro to understand how all that changes. Taxes are just like every other expense. You want to lower them, and you have more opportunity and flexibility in retirement, so understanding that beforehand is a good idea.

No. 3, consider downsizing and what the Swedish call dostadning. I don't have a good Swedish accent.

Southwick: Oh, Engdahl is the one who's going to bring the Swedish.

Engdahl: [...]

Brokamp: [laughs] Well, it means death cleaning.

Southwick: Oh, really!

Brokamp: Yes. It's the process of radically decluttering your home so your children don't have to deal with it when you pass away.

Southwick: Actually, we're going to do an upcoming episode on death cleaning.

Brokamp: We are?!

Southwick: Yeah.

Brokamp: Based on the book that came out in January?

Southwick: No, based Lacey coming on the show, and her experience. I just talked her into it today.

Brokamp: Oh, excellent! Well, so, a book came out earlier this year, "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning." Basically, let's face it, you've had this house, probably a bigger house. You've raised the kids, they've moved out. You've accumulated all kinds of junk over 20, 30, 40 years. It's a good idea to start going through that. No. 1, you can donate a lot, you can do something with that, do some good for the world. One thing you'll often hear is that you want to be able to give things to your friends and relatives with a warm hand rather than a cold hand.

Southwick: [laughs] Oh, wow! OK.

Brokamp: Meaning, if you're going to be passing along heirlooms --

Southwick: Oh, no, I got what it means! I got what it means!

Brokamp: [laughs] Why not do it now? You could sell stuff on Craigslist, eBay, whatever else, raise money that way. But, it really is, you don't want to be doing that when you're 90, you don't want to be doing that if your spouse has passed away and you're all alone doing it, and you don't want to leave that to your kids. So, now is a good time of life to be thinking about that. And if you have that big four-bedroom house, maybe it is time to downsize to a two-bedroom house. You'll probably pocket some money, as well as lower property taxes, lower utilities. It's something to consider.

Then, finally, No. 4, and this is probably more for older folks than people in their 50s, but, begin sharing your financial management, whether it's with a financial planner or a trusted relative. More and more research is coming out about, basically, how we age, how our brains age, and how that affects our ability to manage our finances as we get older. There's a research article by Michael Finke, John Howe, and Sandra Huston called "Old Age and the Decline in Financial Literacy." They basically gave a financial literacy test to people of various ages over a course of years, and they found, essentially, that financial literacy goes down about 1% per year after age 60. David [...] of Harvard has found that it affects about half the people by the time they're age 80.

Here's the thing, though. While financial literacy does go down, and cognitive decline starts to impair our ability to manage money, our financial confidence remains the same. People are very reluctant to acknowledge the fact that maybe they're unable to handle their money the way they used to.

So, while I don't think that this will happen to everybody, I think everyone should incorporate it into their retirement plan that this is a possibility, and you start building in safeguards into it now. That is, you start hiring a financial planner, start working with someone. Often, it's financial planners or relatives who notice some sort of change in financial management. All of the sudden, this 95 year old person calls in and says, "I want to cash out my IRA because I have this great idea to invest my money."

Southwick: "There's this guy in Nigeria, he's very trustworthy, and I'm very excited."

Brokamp: Exactly. Or, a trusted relative, and you give them power of attorney over the accounts, or something like that, just to build that in. Also, the other aspect of this, too, is -- and, it's often the husband, in this case, the father, who manages the broader financial planning things. What happens if something happens to you and your wife survives? Who's she going to turn to for financial help? It's better to build that relationship now rather than after you're gone and she's on her own and she has to figure that out. Of course, the flip side is also true. It could be that the wife is the one who does most of the financial planning and financial management, and she should do the same thing for her husband, because she could predecease him.