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.

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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.

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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.

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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.