IMPINJ Inc (PI) Position Cut by Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC

Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in IMPINJ Inc (NASDAQ:PI) by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 148,245 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,514 shares during the quarter. IMPINJ accounts for about 2.4% of Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC’s holdings in IMPINJ were worth $3,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rainier Group Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of IMPINJ in the first quarter valued at approximately $104,000. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of IMPINJ in the fourth quarter worth $193,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of IMPINJ by 81.0% in the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 10,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,000 after purchasing an additional 4,790 shares in the last quarter. Shufro Rose & Co. LLC bought a new stake in shares of IMPINJ in the second quarter worth $320,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of IMPINJ by 72.6% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 21,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 9,214 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.95% of the company’s stock.

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Shares of PI stock traded down $0.38 during trading on Thursday, reaching $21.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 9,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,400. The company has a quick ratio of 4.67, a current ratio of 8.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $455.73 million, a PE ratio of -74.24 and a beta of 1.72. IMPINJ Inc has a one year low of $9.95 and a one year high of $50.73.

IMPINJ (NASDAQ:PI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.38) EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.37) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $25.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.95 million. IMPINJ had a negative return on equity of 11.89% and a negative net margin of 24.95%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.01 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 20.8% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts predict that IMPINJ Inc will post -1.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on PI. BidaskClub raised shares of IMPINJ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 4th. Piper Jaffray Companies reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of IMPINJ in a research report on Tuesday, June 19th. Canaccord Genuity raised shares of IMPINJ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. ValuEngine raised shares of IMPINJ from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 2nd. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of IMPINJ from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. IMPINJ currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $27.00.

IMPINJ Profile

Impinj, Inc operates a platform that enables wireless connectivity to everyday items by delivering each item's unique identity, location, and authenticity to business and consumer applications. The company's platform includes endpoint integrated circuits (ICs) product, a miniature radios-on-a-chip, which attach-to and identify their host items; and connectivity layer that comprises readers, gateways, and reader ICs to wirelessly identify, locate, authenticate, and engage endpoints via RAIN, as well as provide power to and communicate bidirectionally with endpoint ICs.

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

Wells Fargo & Company MN Purchases 939 Shares of Franco Nevada Corp (FNV)

Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its position in shares of Franco Nevada Corp (NYSE:FNV) (TSE:FNV) by 6.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,654 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 939 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN’s holdings in Franco Nevada were worth $1,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Franco Nevada by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 115,792 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $9,258,000 after acquiring an additional 3,723 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in shares of Franco Nevada in the 4th quarter valued at about $551,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in shares of Franco Nevada by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 61,114 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,886,000 after acquiring an additional 3,169 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in shares of Franco Nevada by 133.0% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 78,416 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,283,000 after acquiring an additional 44,761 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in shares of Franco Nevada by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 66,460 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,314,000 after acquiring an additional 2,838 shares during the last quarter. 61.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Shares of Franco Nevada opened at $74.56 on Friday, according to Marketbeat Ratings. Franco Nevada Corp has a 52-week low of $66.19 and a 52-week high of $86.06. The company has a market capitalization of $13.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 15.28 and a beta of -0.02.

Franco Nevada (NYSE:FNV) (TSE:FNV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.06. Franco Nevada had a return on equity of 4.67% and a net margin of 31.64%. The business had revenue of $173.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $169.26 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. Franco Nevada’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. research analysts anticipate that Franco Nevada Corp will post 1.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 14th were given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 13th. This is a positive change from Franco Nevada’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. Franco Nevada’s payout ratio is currently 88.89%.

A number of analysts have recently commented on FNV shares. Clarkson Capital reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Franco Nevada in a research note on Monday, April 2nd. Desjardins raised Franco Nevada from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Macquarie cut Franco Nevada from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $93.71.

Franco Nevada Profile

Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and stream company in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia, and Africa. The company also holds interests in silver, platinum group metals, oil and gas, and other resource assets. As of December 31, 2017, it had a portfolio of 341 assets.

Further Reading: Understanding Relative Strength Index

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FNV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Franco Nevada Corp (NYSE:FNV) (TSE:FNV).

Don��t Let Debt Scare You From the AT&T Dividend Yield

Colloquially known as the dividend king, AT&T (NYSE:T) has more than earned that title thanks to 34 years of annual dividend raises. Even more remarkable than the hard numbers is the context. Through multiple boom-bust cycles, an unprecedented global banking crisis, and several military conflicts, the AT&T dividend yield has stayed true.

But as the old saying goes, past performance is no guarantee of future results. With the telecom giant’s much-covered acquisition of Time Warner, several investors have questioned the viability of the AT&T dividend yield. Primarily, the reason is debt. Well before a federal judge approved the buyout, experts criticized the approximate $175 billion liability the combined entity will carry.

And the situation is not quite over. Recently, the Justice Department filed an appeal against the AT&T-Time Warner verdict. The government claimed that Judge Richard Leon, who presided over the merger case, ignored “basic economics.”

The DOJ continues to stress that the combined entity has an unfair competitive advantage. In theory, AT&T could withhold valuable Time Warner content on a rival network. If the impact is severe enough, the telecom firm can later pick up dissatisfied customers.

AT&T has vowed to fight the appeal, but the damage has been done. On a year-to-date basis, T stock has dropped more than 15%.

Of course, the awkward dynamic is that many folks are rooting for the government. Without the merger’s debt overhang, the AT&T dividend yield is a much more reasonable undertaking. But with the enormous debt, the math at the very least is extremely challenging.

Also, as our own Will Ashworth pointed out last year, interest rates are rising. Over the trailing-year period, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield has jumped roughly 27%. That makes debt financing much more expensive.

Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss the AT&T Dividend yield

The nosebleed liabilities that the telecom firm must incur is reason enough for many to avoid the AT&T dividend yield. I completely understand the reasoning. The company faces an uncertain future and a lagging broader market. In these circumstances, it’s better to have a clean balance sheet.

But that’s not to say that the lofty AT&T dividend yield is a pipe dream. For one thing, the company features consistently colossal free cash flow. Currently, its trailing 12-month FCF is $18.3 billion, up nearly 81% from the end of 2014.

Furthermore, management has stated its intention to not only maintain but to improve the AT&T dividend yield. While the deal will balloon the telecom’s debt levels, it will also enhance the asset base. Synergies between the two giants should significantly boost revenues and earnings.

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The counterargument is that the debt explosion is a guaranteed result of a completed merger. Increased earnings, on the other hand, is a variable concept. It could happen, and some might argue it’s a probability. However, all probabilities have associated uncertainty risks. The market deals with reality; hence, the drop in T stock.

Adding to doubts is that cord-cutting has accelerated in recent years, as InvestorPlace contributor Bret Kenwell notes. AT&T’s other big deal, DirecTV, hasn’t panned out so well.

But despite these serious pressures, I’m giving the edge to the AT&T dividend yield being sustainable. That’s because we have to consider the grandest context of them all: AT&T is one of the few elite companies that can make the 5G-network rollout work.

5G isn’t just about faster internet speeds. To actualize the benefits requires extensive networks and resources, which AT&T has in abundance. Plus, with Time Warner’s assets, it can better compete with would-be disruptors like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) or Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Look for T Stock to Make a Bounce Back

So is the 6% AT&T dividend yield worth it? I believe it is. Admittedly, the gargantuan debt load is a serious concern, as is the rising benchmark interest rates. However, I trust that management isn’t dumb. It knows the motivations behind most T shareholders, and it isn’t to get rich quick.

Assuming that the yield is reasonably safe, prospective T stock buyers may also look forward to capital gains. In prior sessions, AT&T shares have tested the $31 support level, only to bounce back up. I doubt that the bears will be successful at this juncture. Moreover, the options market implies significant upside over the next several months.

In summary, T stock is backed by a stalwart that has the keys to a paradigm-altering technology. Also, the company has a rich history of dividend payouts to which management is strongly committed. Combined, buyers have the chance to gain both passively and actively. You’re not going to find too many deals like this, especially in this market phase.

As of this writing, Josh Enomoto did not hold a position in any of the aforemen

Lawsuit: Black farmers were sold 'fake' seeds

Black farmers, whose numbers already have dwindled precipitously over the past century, face new hardships�after suffering�poor yields�last year, because they were�sold "fake" soybean seeds marketed at a Memphis trade show, members of a group representing African-American growers said Tuesday.

Leaders of�the Memphis-based Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association have�filed a class-action lawsuit against Stine Seed Co., the nation's largest independent seed-producer, accusing the Adel, Iowa, firm of targeting African-Americans for sales of defective seeds.

The suit alleges that black farmers who attended the 67th Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in March of last year bought more than $100,000 worth of�Stine�seeds. But the "certified" seeds the growers had paid for were switched with inferior ones at a warehouse near Sledge, Miss., according to the suit.

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Stine, in a statement issued Tuesday night, strongly denied the allegations and said it would mount a vigorous defense against the "meritless" lawsuit.

The lawsuit is the latest action by the BFAA, which also has represented some of the African-American�farmers claiming widespread discriminatory practices against�by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Following an initial class-action lawsuit against USDA,�nearly 16,000 growers had collected settlements totaling $1.06 billion by 2011. Congress has appropriated $1.2 billion to pay for a second wave of settlements.

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Winter wheat is harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kan. Kansas farmers are harvesting a smaller winter wheat crop amid an ongoing drought.  CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan. The government forecast U.S. winter wheat production at nearly 1.2 billion bushels, down 6 percent from last year.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat is harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan. Kansas is the nation's leading wheat producer with a forecast of 270 million bushels, down 19 percent compared to a year ago. Kansas is expected to harvest 7.3 million acres of wheat.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat is harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat is harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat is harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.  CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.  CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.  CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat stands ready to by harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.  CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreen Winter wheat is harvested in a field near McCracken, Kan.   CHARLIE RIEDEL, APFullscreenInterested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:Replay1 of 112 of 113 of 114 of 115 of 116 of 117 of 118 of 119 of 1110 of 1111 of 11AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide

BFAA president Thomas Burrell said at a news conference Tuesday that the number of black farmers has dropped from nearly 1 million in 1920 to about 5,000 today largely as a result of "systemic racism." The�low yields resulting from the�"fake" seeds could�drive more minority growers out of business, he said.��

"The few remaining black farmers, who have survived drought, who have survived tariffs, who have survived all kinds of natural disasters... are now finding themselves having to deal with the government of systemic racism by not only the Department of Agriculture, but now seed-manufacturers, seed-breeders, chemical manufacturers who now are weaponizing and have weaponized their seeds," Burrell said.

Farmers using the seeds reported yields that were only half�those from other varieties, according to the suit. At the news conference, BFAA officials distributed laboratory results from Mississippi State University showing that none of the farmers' seeds that had been submitted for testing germinated.

"Upon learning of these claims, the company took swift action to conduct an internal investigation, which has not revealed any evidence that would support these allegations," Stine president Myron Stine said in a statement.�"Our focus is on continuing to serve all our customers with the highest degree of integrity and respect that are the bedrock of our company��s values.��

He said the company has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

CLOSE

The U.S. hiked tariffs on Chinese imports Friday. Beijing has said it would be forced to counterattack. China could put higher tariffs on a number of U.S. goods including soybeans, whiskey and pork. That has pork farmers worried. (July 6) AP

�

Investigating Cisco's (CSCO) Quest to Bring India Online

The fastest-growing economy in the world, India is projected to see a GDP increase of 7.8% in 2018. The nation is rapidly industrializing, yet still only a third of its population currently resides in an urban environment. There is plenty of opportunity in this region, and Cisco is in an interesting position to capitalize.

The Big Picture

IP-based networking giant Cisco (CSCO ) is based in the US and operates under five main segments: infrastructure platform, applications, security, services, and other. It is the largest player in the networking space and has inked partnerships with a large list of global enterprises including Apple (AAPL ) , IBM (IBM ) and Alibaba (BABA ) .

Cisco India began operations in 1984, and has since filed over a thousand patents and issued 600 for what it calls “innovations across all technologies.” It works with over 2,500 partners in the country and operates 176 networking academies with an overall enrollment of 24,138 active students.

Cisco India works with key domestic firms including Tata Group, Bharti Artel, and multiple provincial government offices. The company’s second largest Global Development Center is based in Bangalore, and houses its research and development, IT, services, and customer support teams, where it develops new business models and technologies for emerging markets, including India.

One key reason why Cisco’s infrastructure platforms are so important to India is because it is still in its infancy. The country boasts a population of 1.32 billion, yet according to data from Statista, only 369 million are connected to the internet. The Indian government is trying to change this through an initiative known as Digital India, a program started in 2015 that seeks to transition the country into a knowledge economy comprised of a digitally literate workforce.

Cisco is one of multiple firms working towards making that a reality. It is leveraging a partnership with telecom giant to power the world’s largest all-IP network.  It includes over 250,000 Cisco routers and will allow Jio to cover 99% of India’s population, laying the basic groundwork to bring the nation online. Cisco began its manufacturing operations in Pune in 2016, and unveiled its first Made-in-India product the following year, predecessor to current routers.

By the Numbers

While this is a worthy cause, what does it mean for the company’s bottom line? In its most recent earnings report, Cisco posted revenues of $12.5 billion on $0.66 in earnings per share, both of which narrowly beat our Zacks Consensus Estimates. While this represents a year-over-year revenue decrease of 4%, EPS still surged 10%.

Cisco noted that its product revenue in India grew by 11% overall in 2017. While Cisco saw declines in other segments, initiatives in India are bearing fruit. The company is aggressively expanding its small business client portfolio, aiming to triple its customer base to 75,000 by 2020. A growing Indian economy includes an increasing number of small businesses, and Cisco has laid the groundwork to capture this opportunity.

Cisco expects the number of internet users in India to reach 829 million by as early as 2021, with the company set to play a major role in the process. The nation still has a long road ahead of it in terms of economic development, but according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report titled “The World in 2050,” it could surpass the US in GDP by 2050.

Outlook

In recent news, the firm announced plans to acquire July Systems, a private cloud-based mobile application platform. The month before the announcement, it completed the buyout of an AI-based relationship intelligence platform provider, Accompany.

These moves are part of its shift from hardware to software-based products. It is a solid futureproofing method that could increase margins and give the firm a flexible market position. Cisco’s solid net-cash balance of $37.63 billion gives it the ability to pursue various growth initiatives alongside its stock repurchases and dividend hike. The company has raised its buyback program from $25 billion to $31 billion and returned $9.22 billion to shareholders through dividends in fiscal year 2017.

Cisco is a company with a compelling short and long-term investment outlook India. On top of India, it is also collaborating with Open Transit Internet (OTI) firm Orange to expand its network to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.  Although the acquisition of multiple new firms carries integration risks, and deep macro exposure could make Cisco vulnerable, it is still operating in an overall position of strength, which is reflected in recent earnings estimate revisions.   

In the last 60 days, Cisco has seen six upward and no downward earnings estimate revisions for the current quarter, and nine upward estimates for the current fiscal year compared to one downward estimate. Four analysts have revised estimates downward for the following fiscal year, but twice analysts as many have moved them upward.

Overall, this mixed estimate activity currently leaves Cisco at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, investors should keep in mind that the Zacks Rank performs strongest over a 3-6 month timeframe. Initiatives in India may take years to continue developing, but hold a lot of potential. As such, investors should put the sleeping giant on their radar if they haven’t already.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>

Here's Why You Should Buy Twitter (TWTR) Stock Right Now

Shares of Twitter (TWTR ) sunk on Monday following a Friday report from The Washington Post that the social media company had suspended millions of accounts. Yet, Twitter quickly assured people that most of the removed accounts aren’t included in its metrics. Plus J.P. Morgan (JPM ) thinks yesterday’s slip represents a solid buying opportunity. And that’s just the start of why Twitter stock looks like a strong buy right now.

The Report

The Post reported last Friday that Twitter’s recent efforts to suspend and remove accounts hoped to “lessen the flow of disinformation on the platform.” Data obtained by The Post reportedly showed that Twitter has been suspending more than 1 million accounts per day in recent months.

The worry here was that the removal or suspension of roughly 70 million accounts would negatively impact Twitter’s monthly active user totals, which reached 336 million last quarter. Twitter’s CFO Ned Segal took to his company’s platform on Monday to respond to concerns, stating that “most accounts we remove are not included in our reported metrics as they have not been active on the platform for 30 days or more, or we catch them at sign up and they are never counted.”

“If we removed 70M accounts from our reported metrics, you would hear directly from us,” Segal continued. "This article reflects us getting better at improving the health of the service. Look forward to talking more on our earnings call July 27!”

J.P. Morgan

Shares of Twitter closed down 5.4% on Monday despite its CFO’s reassurance that it won’t end the quarter with 70 million fewer MAUs, which would have an extremely negative impact on Twitter’s business and stock price. Based on this, J.P. Morgan analysts see Monday’s drop off as a great time to buy shares of red-hot Twitter.

J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth reiterated his “overweight” rating and reaffirmed his $50 price target for Twitter, which represented a 13% upside from Monday’s close. “We’d be taking advantage of the weakness and recommend buying Twitter shares,” Anmuth wrote in a note to clients Monday.

He also noted that the removal of “spammy and suspicious” accounts should be seen as a positive for the company going forward. “Importantly, improving quality on the platform is critical for the health of the service and attracting more users and driving stronger engagement over time,” he wrote.

Twitter, like Facebook (FB ) and other social media platforms have to navigate the somewhat murky waters of troll accounts and the spreading of “fake news.” Luckily for investors, it seems that Twitter has been relatively proactive about cleaning up this problem.

Live Video

Twitter grew its daily active user base by 10% in Q1, while its MAUs climbed by 3% to 336 million. The company also noted that it streamed more than 1,300 live broadcasts last quarter and announced that it signed more than 30 new partnerships, including deals with the likes of Fox Sports (FOXA ) , NBCUniversal (CMCSA ) , Viacom (VIAB ) , and Disney (DIS ) —featuring a ton of ESPN programming and a FIFA World Cup partnership.

Twitter’s push into streaming sports, which is one of the last things people need to watch live, is also expected to pay off. The company now has partnerships with MLS and MLB for live games, and more.

The key here is that live video attracts more advertisers, and like Facebook, Twitter makes most of its money from advertising. The company’s advertising sales—which accounted for roughly 86% of Twitter’s $665 million total Q1 revenues—climbed 21% from $474 million in the year-ago period to $575 million. Meanwhile, the social media company’s international ad revenue surged 52%.

Outlook

Shares of Twitter have skyrocketed 135% over the last year, which crushes the S&P 500’s 15.3% climb and also tops Amazon’s (AMZN ) 76%. This climb includes a nearly 50% surge over the last three months on the back of its impressive first quarter.

Looking ahead to the second quarter—which the company is set to report on July 27—Twitter is expected to see its adjusted Q2 earnings skyrocket 112.5% to touch $0.17 per share, based on our current Zacks Consensus Estimates. The company’s fiscal 2018 earnings are also projected to soar by 72.7% to reach $0.76 per share.

The company is projected to see its Q2 revenues pop by nearly 22% to hit $700.02 million. Meanwhile, for the current fiscal year, Twitter revenues are projected to reach $2.94 billion, which would mark a roughly 20% surge.

Bottom Line

Twitter is currently a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and sports “A” grades for Growth and Momentum in our Style Scores system. The company is expected to expand its EPS figure at an annualized rate of 23.1% over the next three to five years.

Twitter is also set to become an even bigger player in the streaming video revolution, and Monday’s selloff presents a solid buying opportunity. 

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>
 

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:UNT,SASR,NGL,ENV,PRU,

Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner regularly offers listeners to the Rule Breakers podcast sets of five stocks that he thinks will beat the market, usually over a specified period of years (because though we recommend buying stocks for the very long term, you can't wait forever to see if you're getting the result you want). And because investing honestly and successfully demands that you keep score, he checks back in annually to see how those picks are performing.

Thus far, he has had a remarkable streak: Every one of his 14 sets of stocks has beaten the market at every annual review. But no more. The group he picked last year at this time under the theme of "stocks riding the bull market" has stuck a fork in #RBIStreak. But painful though it may be, he reviews how�iRobot�(NASDAQ:IRBT), Pegasystems�(NASDAQ:PEGA), Impinj�(NASDAQ:PI), Wayfair�(NYSE:W), and Zillow�(NASDAQ:ZG) (NASDAQ:Z) performed over the past year.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on June 20, 2018.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: Unit Corporation(UNT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Media stories about Unit (NYSE:UNT) have been trending somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern scores the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Unit earned a coverage optimism score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the oil and gas company an impact score of 46.1985485817341 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc.(SASR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  News articles about Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDAQ:SASR) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Sandy Spring Bancorp earned a daily sentiment score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news headlines about the bank an impact score of 44.8977197847726 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) Director Joseph S. Bracewell sold 32,173 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.36, for a total transaction of $1,395,021.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) Director Mark C. Michael sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total value of $41,300.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 81,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,369,667. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

• [By Max Byerly]

  MetLife Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) by 38.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,587 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 4,054 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Sandy Spring Bancorp were worth $565,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDAQ: SASR) and First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and earnings.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  LSV Asset Management cut its stake in shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) by 3.4% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 92,100 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 3,200 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Sandy Spring Bancorp were worth $3,569,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: NGL ENERGY PARTNERS LP(NGL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

  Get Tidewater alerts: Current Trend: Tidewater (NYSE: TDW) (tradingnewsnow.com) Girls soccer | First Colonial’s Idelys Vazquez is the 2018 All-Tidewater Player of the Year (msn.com) Interesting Launch for Interesting Tugs (marinelink.com) Investor’s Alert (price to sales ratio) NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE:NGL), LiveXLive Media, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIVX … (stocksnewspoint.com) Tidewater Mortgage Services opens Colonial Heights branch (progress-index.com)

  Several brokerages recently weighed in on TDW. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Tidewater from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 1st. ValuEngine raised shares of Tidewater from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) rose 65.5 percent to $179.50 in pre-market trading. Madrigal Pharma disclosed that MGL-3196 achieved liver biopsy endpoints in patients with NASH at 36 weeks in Phase 2 trial. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) rose 34.8 percent to $6.70 in pre-market trading after falling 4.42 percent on Wednesday. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) shares rose 31.5 percent to $2.19 in pre-market trading after the company reported a licensing deal with Newsoara Biopharma to rights for vTv's PDE4 Inhibitor in China and other Pacific Rim territories. Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) shares rose 27.2 percent to $2.90 in pre-market trading after the company reported FDA Fast Track designation for CUDC-907 development in patients with relapse, refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Kitov Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: KTOV) rose 16.7 percent to $2.51 in pre-market trading. Tilly's, Inc. (NYSE: TLYS) rose 14.7 percent to $14.00 in pre-market trading as the company reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and issued a strong Q2 outlook. Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR) rose 14.3 percent to $10.49 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter. NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE: NGL) rose 12.8 percent to $12.10 in pre-market trading after reporting Q4 earnings beat. J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE: JILL) rose 11.3 percent to $6.90 in pre-market trading after the company posted upbeat quarterly earnings. TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) shares rose 10 percent to $5.60 in pre-market trading after climbing 24.15 percent on Wednesday. Frontline Ltd. (NYSE: FRO) rose 9.8 percent to $5.74 in pre-market trading after Q1 results beat estimates. Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ: TECD) rose 8.8 percent to $89.65 in pre-market trading following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) shares rose 7.1 percent to $3.65 in pre-market tra
• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NGL Energy Partners (NGL)

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

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) jumped 124.8 percent to $243.725 in reaction to an encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial update. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said its liver-directed, thyroid hormone receptor called MGL-3196 showed a statistical significance in the primary endpoint of lowering liver fat at 12 weeks and also 36 weeks. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) gained 63.4 percent to $8.12 after falling 4.42 percent on Wednesday. Takung Art Co., Ltd. (NYSE: TKAT) rose 43.3 percent to $2.9094 vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) shares climbed 29.7 percent to $2.16 after the company reported a licensing deal with Newsoara Biopharma to rights for vTv's PDE4 Inhibitor in China and other Pacific Rim territories. Akers Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKER) gained 26.2 percent to $0.4109. The developer of rapid health information technologies said Wednesday afternoon it was granted a 180-day extension from the Nasdaq Stock Market to meet the requirement of a minimum $1.00 per share closing bid price for 10 straight days. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) rose 22.2 percent to $11.6254. Genprex reported engagement of WIRB-Copernicus Group to provide clinical trial services to support Oncoprex clinical trial program. J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE: JILL) gained 21 percent to $7.506 after the company posted upbeat quarterly earnings. Urban One, Inc. (NASDAQ: UONE) gained 19.7 percent to $3.95 after rising 78.38 percent on Wednesday. TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) shares gained 18.5 percent to $6.03 after climbing 24.15 percent on Wednesday. Kirkland's, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIRK) rose 17.3 percent to $12.95 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY) shares gained 15.1 percent to $13.210. The Brink's Company (NYSE: BCO) climbed 14.2 percent to $77.875 as the company announced plans to acquire Dunbar Armored for $520 million in cash. Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEY
• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of energy products supplier NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE:NGL) jumped 15% today after the company announced fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 results. The business continues to improve, as demonstrated by adjusted EBITDA of $155.9 million in the final three months of the fiscal year. That was a 28.6% increase from the year-ago period.�

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE:NGL) Director James M. Collingsworth bought 25,870 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.65 per share, with a total value of $301,385.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: Envestnet, Inc(ENV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Envestnet Inc (NYSE:ENV) insider Shelly O’brien sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.23, for a total value of $216,920.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Financial services companies rely on the health of the markets to bring them business from the large institutions that are their best customers. With a bull market that's almost a decade long at this point, Wall Street has never been stronger, and that's given a big boost to financial information technology specialist Envestnet (NYSE:ENV). Yet as volatility returns to the stock market in early 2018, some investors feared that Envestnet's time in the sun might soon end and give way to more difficult conditions looking ahead.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Zillow (NASDAQ: ZG) and Envestnet (NYSE:ENV) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and valuation.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Prudential Financial (PRU)

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

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) takes such pride in its rock-solid financial condition that it uses an actual rock -- the Rock of Gibraltar�-- as its corporate symbol. Prudential Financial backs up that claim with a balance sheet that has more cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments�than total debt on it. It also claims a debt-to-equity ratio around 0.6 and a current ratio around 1.0�, which are further signs of a solid financial condition.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

  Get Prudential Financial alerts: Prudential (PUK) Presents At 2018 Deutsche Bank Annual Global Financial Services Conference – Slideshow (seekingalpha.com) Leston Welsh joins Prudential Group Insurance as head of Disability and Absence Management (finance.yahoo.com) Contrasting Prudential Financial (PRU) & Old Mutual (ODMTY) (americanbankingnews.com) Prudential again accused with unauthorised money deduction (vir.com.vn) An Application for the Trademark ��MULLINTBG�� Has Been Filed by Prudential Insurance Company (insurancenewsnet.com)

  Prudential Financial traded down $5.05, hitting $94.97, during midday trading on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 2,919,216 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,144,103. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $42.01 billion, a PE ratio of 8.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.52. Prudential Financial has a one year low of $94.51 and a one year high of $127.14.

Traders Buy Shares of NextEra Energy (NEE) on Weakness

Investors purchased shares of NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) on weakness during trading hours on Thursday. $151.75 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $72.49 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $79.26 million into the stock. Of all companies tracked, NextEra Energy had the 3rd highest net in-flow for the day. NextEra Energy traded down ($0.02) for the day and closed at $168.54

A number of research firms recently commented on NEE. ValuEngine downgraded NextEra Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on NextEra Energy from $168.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on NextEra Energy from $167.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on NextEra Energy from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 18th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded NextEra Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $170.64.

Get NextEra Energy alerts:

The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $79.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.02, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.29.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 24th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.16. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 10.91% and a net margin of 48.13%. The firm had revenue of $3.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.75 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. equities research analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy Inc will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 5th were paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 4th. NextEra Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.27%.

In other news, CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. sold 8,336 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.15, for a total value of $1,310,002.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 77,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,122,393.85. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James L. Robo sold 81,489 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.81, for a total value of $12,778,290.09. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 118,939 shares of company stock valued at $18,698,946 in the last ninety days. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NEE. Gables Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in NextEra Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Centersquare Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in NextEra Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $150,000. Stelac Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in NextEra Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $151,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in NextEra Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $152,000. Finally, Bray Capital Advisors bought a new stake in NextEra Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $184,000. 75.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

NextEra Energy Company Profile

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear, and natural gas-fired facilities. It also provides risk management services related to power and gas consumption.

European companies are worried about China's tech ambitions, too

It's not just the United States �� European companies are worried about China's high-tech ambitions, too.

In a report published Wednesday, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China reported "significant concerns" among its members about "Made in China 2025," Beijing's plan to boost industries like robotics, electric cars and computer chips with the aim of becoming a global leader in those areas.

European firms operating in China fear such industrial policies "are tilting the playing field in favor of Chinese players," the report said.

"Made in China 2025" is one of the central justifications given by the US government for escalating a trade fight between the two countries. President Donald Trump has said the plan and other similar policies "harm companies in the United States and around the world."

In its annual report, which surveyed 532 companies in February and March, the European chamber gave a more nuanced view. It said that 43% of firms reported they had seen "increased discrimination" under the 2025 plan, which is viewed as promoting Chinese businesses.

But some larger European companies said they are benefiting from the strategy because they are gaining increased access to Chinese government subsidies, particularly in the auto and machinery industries, according to the report. And some machinery firms say the plan is lifting demand for their parts and tools.

"The onus is now on China to further expand" opportunities under the plan for foreign companies "to clearly demonstrate that it is not just aimed at achieving domestic dominance," the report said.

This is what a trade war looks like

Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected the American criticism of the country's trade practices and industrial policies. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday said the US government is "making groundless accusations against China in order to get away with its unilateral and protectionist behavior."

The European chamber echoed US government concerns about foreign companies being forced to hand over intellectual property in order to do business in China. The report said it was "concerning" that 19% of respondents to the survey "have felt compelled to transfer technology in exchange for market access."

Chinese companies are edging ahead

But it also said that European companies' view of their Chinese rivals is shifting.

For the first time, a majority of respondents to the survey (61%) said "they perceive Chinese companies to be equally or more innovative than European firms," according to the report.

Over all, European companies found China to be a harder place to do business than the year before because of problems like regulatory barriers and limits on market access, the report said.

"We are still far from an environment that fosters fair competition," Mats Harborn, the chamber's president, said in a statement accompanying the report.

Fed official: Trade fears are hurting business optimism

Escalating trade tensions have all but wiped out the optimism that businesses felt because of tax cuts, a Federal Reserve official says.

Raphael Bostic, president of the Atlanta Fed, said Monday that trade fears have dimmed his forecast for economic growth.

In prepared remarks for a speech in Savannah, Georgia, Bostic said he began the year picking up optimism from businesses about the corporate tax cut.

"However, that optimism has almost completely faded among my contacts, replaced by concerns about trade policy and tariffs," he said.

He said businesses are pushing ahead with projects that are already under way. But "I get the sense" that the bar for investing in new projects is "quite high," he said.

"'Risk off' behavior appears to be the dominant sentiment among my contacts," Bostic said.

Fed officials have been hearing concerns from business leaders about changing US trade policy.

The Trump administration recently imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union, all US allies. On Friday, the United States announced a 25% tariff on $50 billion of imports from China. China quickly announced plans to retaliate.

Last week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell played down the impact that trade frictions were having on businesses' behavior.

"Right now, we don't see that in the numbers at all," said Powell at a press conference. "The economy is very strong. The labor market is strong. Growth is strong. We really don't see it in the numbers. It's just not there. I would put it down as more of a risk."

World Cup Fever Is Coming as Traders Seek Market Mayhem Rescue

There may be hope in sight for traders reeling from the recent market swoons and it comes from an unlikely source - Russia.

An adage among the soccer faithful has it that the summer lull in markets kicks off early whenever the World Cup takes place. A look at historical volatility data suggests they may -- just -- have a point.

As humanity’s most popular sport, the quadrennial World Cup is one of the biggest events in the global calendar -- an occasion that in theory is global enough to compete for the attention of traders, with muted price swings the result.

“There’s nothing like a World Cup to keep people completely distracted,” said Greg Saichin, a bond investor at Allianz Global Investors in London. “Hopefully volatility will come down and we’ll be able to clip the coupon for five weeks.”

Out of Play

Stock volatility declined during four out of the last five World Cups

Source: Bloomberg

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Indeed, in four out of the last five World Cups, market volatility did show declines in June, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The drops were bigger when the tournament was held in Europe, when matches were more likely to take place in busier trading hours, and volatility rose in 2002, when the competition took place in Asia.

This year’s event will take place in Russia from June 15 until July 15 and will include teams from 32 countries.

The volatility declines are slight, suggesting investors might not be able to lavish the championship with their full attention. Party poopers will tell you that trading volumes don’t show similar falls, failing to back up the hoped-for trend.

Still, the good news is that most of the participating squads hail from Europe and emerging markets, suggesting traders from sources of the recent market gyrations may be distracted.

The bad news is that the U.S., China and North Korea aren’t taking part.

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Disney shares dip after franchise-low debut for 'Star Wars' prequel

Shares of Disney fell Tuesday after its latest "Star Wars" movie failed to bring the crowds and revenue analysts had expected for Memorial Day weekend.

The stock fell more about 1 percent and are now down 6 percent for 2018.

The Disney-produced "Solo: A Star Wars Story" delivered a franchise-low $83.3 million in North American ticket sales over the three-day weekend. Over four days, the movie brought in $101 million. This was about $40 million light of revenue expectations, according to FBR Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett.

"All else equal, this suggests the Star Wars movie is pacing close to breakeven, a 2% headwind for our Disney estimates," Crockett said in a note to clients Tuesday.

Last week, revenue forecasts had been as high as $150 million for the four-day debut of "Solo."

The movie marked the lowest opening for a Disney-produced film in the Star Wars franchise. Until then, "Rogue One" had been Disney's lowest-grossing Star Wars film, bringing in $155 million in its 2016 debut. "The Last Jedi" brought in $220 million, while "The Force Awakens" brought in $248 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

The company paid $4 billion in 2012 to buy the franchise from Star Wars creator LucasFilm.

The recent box office weakness could be mitigated by an advertising lift from the upcoming seven-game NBA conference finals and strength in Disney's Marvel movies franchise, FBR's Crockett said.

Oxford Immunotec Global (OXFD) Earns Daily Media Impact Rating of 0.16

Media stories about Oxford Immunotec Global (NASDAQ:OXFD) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group identifies negative and positive news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Oxford Immunotec Global earned a coverage optimism score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the company an impact score of 46.0770924946309 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

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

Get Oxford Immunotec Global alerts: Oxford Immunotec��s T-SPOT庐.TB Test Included in the World Health Organization��s First-Ever Essential Diagnostics List (nasdaq.com) Oxford Immunotec Announces Launch of the Accutix�� Brand (finance.yahoo.com) Oxford Immunotec Announces Launch of the Accutix(TM) Brand (finance.yahoo.com) Zacks: Analysts Expect Oxford Immunotec Global PLC (OXFD) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $28.55 Million (americanbankingnews.com) Oxford Immunotec’s T-SPOT庐.TB Test Included in the World Health Organization’s First-Ever Essential Diagnostics List (finance.yahoo.com)

Shares of Oxford Immunotec Global opened at $14.23 on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.29 million, a PE ratio of -10.46 and a beta of -0.33. The company has a quick ratio of 5.04, a current ratio of 5.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Oxford Immunotec Global has a 52-week low of $10.00 and a 52-week high of $19.51.

Oxford Immunotec Global (NASDAQ:OXFD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 1st. The company reported ($0.40) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.45) by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.96 million. Oxford Immunotec Global had a negative return on equity of 43.51% and a negative net margin of 34.13%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.36) EPS. equities research analysts expect that Oxford Immunotec Global will post -0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

OXFD has been the subject of a number of research reports. BidaskClub raised Oxford Immunotec Global from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 5th. Zacks Investment Research raised Oxford Immunotec Global from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $14.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, March 9th. BTIG Research set a $19.00 price objective on Oxford Immunotec Global and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. Finally, ValuEngine raised Oxford Immunotec Global from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.40.

In other news, Director Richard A. Sandberg sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.77, for a total value of $38,310.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 18,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $229,860. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 6.61% of the company’s stock.

Oxford Immunotec Global Company Profile

Oxford Immunotec Global PLC, a diagnostics company, focuses on developing and commercializing proprietary tests for underserved immune-regulated conditions. Its development activities principally focus on the areas of infectious diseases, transplantation, autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and immune-oncology.

Somewhat Favorable Press Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Impact TriCo Bancshares (TCBK) Stock Price

News articles about TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group scores the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. TriCo Bancshares earned a media sentiment score of 0.19 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the financial services provider an impact score of 46.135433392334 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near term.

Shares of TriCo Bancshares opened at $39.24 on Friday, MarketBeat reports. TriCo Bancshares has a 12-month low of $33.36 and a 12-month high of $43.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $901.34 million, a PE ratio of 18.87, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

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TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.03. TriCo Bancshares had a net margin of 17.99% and a return on equity of 10.06%. The firm had revenue of $57.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.89 million. analysts anticipate that TriCo Bancshares will post 2.72 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 29th. Investors of record on Friday, June 15th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 14th. TriCo Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.69%.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on TCBK. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of TriCo Bancshares from $44.00 to $43.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 8th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of TriCo Bancshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 25th. Sandler O’Neill reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a report on Friday, March 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, BidaskClub raised shares of TriCo Bancshares from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. TriCo Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.60.

About TriCo Bancshares

TriCo Bancshares operates as a bank holding company for Tri Counties Bank that provides commercial banking services to retail customers and small to medium-sized businesses. It accepts demand, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits; and provides residential and commercial real estate mortgage, consumer, commercial, agricultural, and real estate construction loans.

Ask a Fool: Can I Contribute to Both a Roth IRA and a 401(k)?

Q: I have a 401(k) plan at work. Am I still able to contribute to a Roth IRA?

Roth eligibility has nothing to do with whether you have access to an employer's retirement plan or not. This only matters if you want to use a traditional IRA.

In order to contribute to a Roth IRA, your income must be under a certain threshold. If you are married and file a joint tax return, your adjusted gross income (AGI) must be $189,000 or less to make the maximum Roth IRA contribution, which for 2018 is $5,500 if you're under 50 or $6,500 if you're 50 or older. If your AGI is greater than $189,000 but less than $199,000, you may be able to make a partial Roth contribution. And if your AGI is $199,000 or higher, you can't contribute to a Roth IRA at all.

If your tax filing status is single, head of household, or married filing separately and you didn't live with your spouse, the thresholds are $120,000 for a full contribution and $135,000 for the complete phase-out. If you are married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any point during the year, the thresholds drop to $0 and $10,000.

If you earn too much to contribute directly, there's a work-around known as the "backdoor method." Basically, there's a loophole that says that anyone, regardless of income, can convert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. So you could potentially contribute to a traditional IRA and immediately convert the account into a Roth IRA if that's what you want to do.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Own For 2018

tags:ARQL,BIIB,ALNY,AMGN,

Support for medical marijuana is at an all-time high in the U.S. The first marijuana plant-based prescription drug is on the verge of winning FDA approval for treating two rare forms of epilepsy. But could cannabis-based drugs target more common indications that affect millions of Americans? Maybe so.

A recent survey uncovered some intriguing news about how some individuals are using marijuana. These results could hint at the potential for biotechs to develop cannabinoids that can treat a problem that affects nearly 40 million Americans.� � �

Image source: Getty Images.

Older adults and marijuana

It's not just younger adults who support legalization of medical marijuana. In April, the AARP reported findings from a survey that found 80% of Americans between the ages of 50 and 80 either strongly or somewhat support the use of marijuana with a physician's consent. Only 6% of these older individuals actually used marijuana themselves, though.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Own For 2018: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of development-stage biopharma ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) rose nearly 17% today after the company announced two appointments to its management team in two newly created positions. Dr. Marc Schegerin will serve as senior vice president, corporate strategy, communication, and finance. Dr. Shirish Hirani will serve as senior vice president, program management and product planning.�

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Own For 2018: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is expected to report its first-quarter results early on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $5.92 in earnings per share (EPS) and revenue of $3.15 billion. Shares of Biogen ended last week at $263.02. The consensus analyst price target is all the way up at $371.97. The 52-week trading range is $244.28 to $370.57.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) ended the day down 10.6% after an earnings report�from partner Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) started the day on a sour note. Then shares dropped even further midday after data was released�for IONIS-HTTRx, a treatment for Huntington's disease. Biogen managed to end the day in the green, up 1.1%.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) increased to 3.86 million shares from the previous 3.45 million. The stock recently traded at $287.00, within a 52-week range of $244.28 to $370.57.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IONS) shares made a handy gain on Friday after the firm announced an expanded strategic collaboration with Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB). Through this partnership, these companies are planning to tackle and develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases.

• [By ]

  What should investors do with shares of Celgene (CELG) , Biogen Idec (BIIB) , Gilead Science (GILD) and Regeneron (REGN) ? Cramer once proclaimed these high-fliers his "four horsemen of biotech," but lately they've lost all of their traction, with Celgene down 21%, Biogen off 14%, Gilead down 9% and Regeneron off 23% so far this year.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Own For 2018: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Orelli]

  The delay in an FDA decision for Tegsedi puts it behind competitor Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY), which expects to hear from the FDA by Aug. 11 for its hATTR drug patisiran. But Sarah Boyce, the president at Akcea Therapeutics, doesn't think a few months will really matter: "We don't really feel that's going to have any impact and the drugs will be close enough together from a launch perspective. So not really [going] to make any adjustments, and we're very well prepared to be ready to launch following approval."

• [By Max Byerly]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.41) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.06. The business had revenue of $21.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.23 million. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 36.81% and a negative net margin of 565.20%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($1.25) earnings per share. equities analysts anticipate that Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) released first-quarter results last week, but all eyes were looking forward as the company waits for a potential approval of its hereditary TTR amyloidosis (ATTR) drug, patisiran.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Own For 2018: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) saw its short interest fall to 9.79 million shares from the previous level of 10.46 million. Shares were last seen at $170.00, in a 52-week trading range of $152.16 to $201.23.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C. trimmed its position in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 11.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,311 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 303 shares during the period. Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $394,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  There's a lot for investors to like about�Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and�Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB). Both of these biotech stocks have produced tremendous returns over the past couple of decades, and the businesses they represent still generate enormous profits.�

• [By Todd Campbell]

  When a brand new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2015, it was heralded as the biggest advance in battling heart disease since the invention of statins. The launch of PCSK9 inhibitors was accompanied by billion-dollar-plus predictions for sales. However, revenue has fallen far shy of blockbuster status, leaving drugmakers Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN), and Sanofi SA (NYSE:SNY) in the lurch.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) is waiting for the FDA to review its Biologics License Application (BLA) for Aimovig (erenumab) for the prevention of migraine in patients experiencing four or more migraine days per month. The FDA has set a PDUFA date for May 17.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018

tags:h,HD,ZGNX,ACLS,CBAN,ZAIS,

Much has been made of the stock market��s record-setting performance since President Donald Trump won the race for the White House back in November.

Read: Yellen may have the clearest explanation for the stock market��s record run

But Dow Jones��s data team offers more insight into how Trump stacks up compared with other presidents in their first 30 days in office, a milepost Trump hits on Feb. 19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.02% has returned 4.02% as of Friday��s close, which would make the Dow��s performance in the Trump era��s first month the sixth best in percentage terms behind Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, after his fourth victorious campaign for the presidency, when blue chips climbed by 4.1%.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: Boot(h)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay. 3, 2018 11:30 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Hydro One (TSE:H) – Analysts at National Bank Financial decreased their FY2019 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Hydro One in a research report issued on Tuesday, May 15th. National Bank Financial analyst P. Kenny now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.37 for the year, down from their prior estimate of $1.40. National Bank Financial currently has a “Sector Perform” rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Hyatt (NYSE:H) have received a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have given a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $80.42.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: Home Depot, Inc. (HD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  At some point there will be a pullback in the cyclical home improvement market, and that slump will likely stall Home Depot's (NYSE:HD) multiyear expansion. But there's no reason to think that downturn is imminent -- or even close.

• [By Jeremy Bowman, Leo Sun, and Steve Symington]

  To take advantage of that potential boom, we asked three of our retail writers for their top picks for May. See why they recommend Dollar General (NYSE:DG), Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (NYSE:SKT), and Home Depot (NYSE:HD).

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter, while sales missed estimates.

  Home Depot posted Q1 earnings of $2.08 per share on sales of $24.947 billion. Analysts expected earnings of $2.06 per share on sales of $25.22 billion. Sales at stores open at least a year increased 4.2 percent.

• [By ]

  TD Ameritrade is part of a beta program for Apple's business chat feature, which also includes companies like Home Depot (HD) and Marriott International (MAR) .

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, Home Depot (NYSE:HD) slipped on a sales miss and AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) finally closed the books on a tough year.

  Image source: Getty Images.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: Zogenix, Inc.(ZGNX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  The other concern is that while it may be the first to market in treating Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, another experimental therapy is nipping at its heels. In September, Zogenix (NASDAQ:ZGNX) announced surprisingly strong phase 3 data for ZX008, a low-dose fenfluramine that absolutely blew away the placebo in Dravet syndrome patient testing. Zogenix's lead compound led to a 72.4% reduction in convulsive seizure frequency over a 14-week period, compared to the 17.4% reduction for placebo patients.

• [By Sean Williams]

  But what's interesting about Epidiolex is that its first-to-market advantage may not hold up for too long. You see, Zogenix (NASDAQ:ZGNX)�also is developing a treatment for Dravet syndrome, known as ZX008, that it plans to test on LGS patients soon. In phase 3 Dravet syndrome trials, Zogenix's lead drug wound up demonstrating a 72.4% reduction in convulsive seizure frequency over the 14-week treatment period relative to baseline. This more than quadrupled the 17.4% reduction in convulsive seizure frequency seen in placebo patients.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Sean Williams]

  Back in September, drug developer Zogenix (NASDAQ:ZGNX) announced data from ZX008 in late-stage trials that absolutely wowed Wall Street. ZX008, which is a low-dose fenfluramine, led to a 72.4% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline over a 14-week testing period. This compared very favorably with a 17.4% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline observed with the placebo.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in Zogenix (NASDAQ:ZGNX) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 14,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $575,000.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: Axcelis Technologies Inc.(ACLS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  3. Axcelis Technologies (Nasdaq: ACLS)
  It is the technical price pattern that first caught my eye with this $800 million market cap small cap. �Shares dropped to a $22.00 low in mid-February but have since been slowly and steadily moving higher toward resistance at both the 50- and 200-day SMAs. In and of itself, this is not enough impetus to get long. However, when combined with the fundamental picture, a compelling long thesis emerges.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: Colony Bankcorp Inc.(CBAN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Media stories about Colony Bankcorp (NASDAQ:CBAN) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern. The research group identifies positive and negative media coverage by monitoring more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Colony Bankcorp earned a daily sentiment score of 0.02 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the financial services provider an impact score of 48.3992787299045 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

Hot Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2018: ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc.(ZAIS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Gp Zgp (NASDAQ:ZAIS) major shareholder Z Acquisition Llc bought 6,500,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $4.10 per share, with a total value of $26,650,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 6,500,000 shares in the company, valued at $26,650,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.