This Energy Stock May Be Forced to Pay a 19% Dividend Yield

Investors may need to rethink their definition of "high-yield" stock. For the next nine months or so, anyway.

In mid-July frack sand leader Hi-Crush Partners LP (NYSE:HCLP) announced that it was paying a quarterly distribution of $0.75 per unit. Not only was that a huge hike from the prior quarter's payout, but it worked out to an unbelievable annualized yield of 27.6% using the last closing stock price before the news was dropped.

Historically speaking, the distribution per unit isn't all that unusual, and long-term unitholders have grown accustomed to wild swings in the payout from quarter-to-quarter. But investors that read the fine print would have noticed an intriguing detail: if Hi-Crush Partners wants to change its business structure from a master limited partnership (MLP) to a more traditional C-Corp, then it's legally obligated to distribute at least $0.7125 per unit for four consecutive quarters.�

The most recent announcement started that process, meaning there could be three more quarters with unbelievable distributions -- equating to a 19% dividend yield -- to come. But it's much more complicated than it appears.

Image source: Getty Images.

To C(-Corp), or not to C(-Corp)?

Hi-Crush Partners is openly pondering whether to or not to proceed with conversion from an MLP to a C-Corp. The original allure of structuring a business as an MLP has lost its luster in recent years. First, while MLPs don't pay corporate taxes (thus allowing them to distribute more cash flow to unitholders), the recent lowering of corporate taxes in the United States has watered down that advantage.

Second, while MLPs can raise capital on the cheap to fund growth, there are also restrictions on institutional ownership of units. Restricted investor bases meant many partnerships found themselves stuck issuing more stock to raise capital, which eroded long-term stock gains. Consider that, since its IPO, Hi-Crush Partners stock has delivered an all-time total return of negative 3%, affected in large part by a 224% increase in the number of units outstanding.

Third, MLPs have more complicated ownership structures involving general partners (in charge of day-to-day operations) and limited partners (everyone else, including individual investors). Here's the kicker, though: general partners own something called incentive distribution rights (IDR) that entitle them to increasing percentages of distributable cash flow (DCF). So, while limited partners collect a distribution for every unit they own, a general partner collects a distribution for every unit they own (if any) plus excess cash flow for every unit outstanding.

Consider how the IDR is structured for Hi-Crush Partners:�

Quarterly Distribution Amount Per Unit

Interest in DCF, Unitholders

Interest in DCF, General Partner

$0 to $0.54625	100%	0%
$0.54625 to $0.59375	85%	15%
$0.59375 to $0.7125	75%	25%
$0.7125 and higher	50%	50%

Source: SEC filings.

In other words, for Hi-Crush Partners to increase its distribution from $0.7125 per unit to $0.7225 per unit -- a mere $0.01 per unit increase -- it would actually need $0.02 per unit of DCF. Half would go to pay the increase in the distribution to unitholders, and the other half would go to the general partner, as specified in the IDR.

As such, it would be awfully convenient to get rid of the IDR, and converting to a C-Corp is one way to do that. Plus, with lower corporate income taxes now compared to when the IDR was agreed to years ago, Hi-Crush Partners would come out ahead, able to divert more cash flow to growth even after picking up the burden of paying taxes.

But first, the IDR has to be reset. That process is outlined in the partnership agreement, which says the distribution per unit has to max out for four consecutive quarters. That's where the $0.7125 per unit figure comes from. Of course, it adds up, especially after a 224% increase in the number of units outstanding. In fact, the company will need over $280 million in DCF over the course of a year to reset the IDR. The price for change is steep.�

Image source: Getty Images.

This distribution's future is far from certain

So, um, what happens after the IDR reset provision is met? Great question. Unfortunately, it's too soon to say.

Assuming the conversion to a C-Corp proceeds, units will need to be converted into common shares, and there are additional complex tables involved for determining exactly how that occurs. The general partner has additional rights in that scenario, too, further adding to the complexity. Moreover, the dividend yield on the common shares would be different (perhaps significantly) from the distribution yield on the current units. Oh, and limited partners (current unitholders) may get stuck with all of the tax burden associated with conversion to a C-Corp. That could really eat away at the gains collected from the 19% yield in the next several quarters.

Of course, resetting the IDR as outlined above may not even occur. An unforeseen shift in market conditions could tank cash flow and make distributions of $0.7125 per unit impossible. Or, Hi-Crush Partners could agree to buyout the IDR from its general partner. Or, a third-party could acquire the IDR from the current general partner, and then all bets are off.

Simply put, investors drawn to the 19% distribution yield should understand that it might not be as lucrative as it seems. The bill could come due if and when Hi-Crush Partners converts to a C-Corp -- and it might be paid in uncertainty and misery. Long-term investors may still be drawn to the business' improving fundamentals from a strengthening frack sand industry, but even then the uncertainty surrounding the potential shift in business structure should not be completely dismissed.

U.S. stock benchmarks poised to slump as trade angst rattles global markets

U.S. stock-index futures traded firmly lower on Thursday as Wall Street investors appeared to focus on signs of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China for a second straight session, despite a batch of corporate results that have largely come in ahead of expectations.

What are the benchmarks doing?

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average YMU8, -0.64% were down 155 points, or 0.6%, at 25,134, while those for the S&P 500 index ESU8, -0.57% slipped by 16 points, or 0.6%, to 2,795. Nasdaq-100 futures NQU8, -0.79% slumped 55 points, or 0.8%, to 7,223.

On Wednesday, the Dow DJIA, -0.32% slid 81.37 points, or 0.3%, to 25,333.82. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.10% shed 2.93 points, or 0.1%, to 2,813.36, while the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +0.46% gained 35.50 points, or 0.5%, to 7,707.29.

A loss for the technology-laden index would snap a two-session rebound, which followed a sizable decline led by large-capitalization, internet-and-technology-related names on Monday.

What��s driving markets?

Worries about apparent tensions between Washington and Beijing washed onto Asian shores, buffeting major benchmarks in Asian hours and dampening the buying mood in the U.S.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump��s administration threatened to more than double proposed tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25%, up from an original 10%. The Trump administration didn��t provide specific reasons for such an increase, but the potential for an intensification has helped to unsettle markets during what is typically considered an unfavorable month for stock-market gains.

One of China��s premiere equity benchmarks, the Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, -2.00% fell 2% on the day and has dropped 21% since a recent peak in January.

Thursday��s trading action come a day after the Federal Reserve left its monetary policy unchanged, as expected, and affirmed its upbeat outlook for the domestic economy. That supported expectations that the central bank will raise benchmark interest rates twice more before the end of year, starting as early as next month.

The 10-year Treasury rate rose to a psychologically important level of 3% in Wednesday��s session, amid the Fed��s updated policy statement. That added to pressure on prices of government bonds, pushing yields higher on anticipation of further tightening by the Fed. Higher interest rates can mean higher borrowing costs for U.S. corporations and raise questions about their valuations in such an environment. The 10-year Treasury note TMUBMUSD10Y, -0.78% �recently yielded 2.98%.

Investors also digested the latest moves from the Bank of England, which raised its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, as had been expected. The move underscored how a number of central banks are beginning to normalize their policies in the aftermath of the 2007-09 financial crisis, a trend that could weaken a tailwind that has boosted stocks for years.

What else is on investors�� radar?

A reading of weekly jobless claims ended July 28 is due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, with 220,000 claims expected, while a report on factory orders for June is slated for 10 a.m., with a gain of 0.7% forecast by economists polled by MarketWatch.

The economic readings come ahead of highly anticipated jobs report for July.

What are market participants saying

��The tough talk from President Trump has prompted traders to be fearful about global growth,�� said David Madden market analyst at CMC Markets UK in a Thursday research note.

What stocks are in focus

Investors continued to digest results from the second-quarter earnings season, which have mostly supported markets. According to data from JPMorgan, with more than 60% of the market having reported, 86% of companies in the S&P 500 have topped profit expectations, the highest such ratio in its data, which goes back to 2009. Nearly 75% of companies have beaten revenue expectations.

Tesla Inc. TSLA, +0.91% �jumped 9% in premarket trading a day after the electric-car maker reported quarter revenue that was stronger than expected. The company, shares of which have been extremely volatile throughout 2018, also said it expects to be profitable and cash-flow positive in the second half of the year.

Aetna Inc. AET, -0.85% �reported second-quarter earnings and revenue that were well above expectations.

Yum Brands Inc. YUM, +0.23% �posted adjusted second-quarter earnings that beat expectations, and while revenue fell from the prior year, it was also ahead of forecasts.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. TEVA, -0.29% �tumbled 5% in premarket trading. The company reported second-quarter earnings that beat expectations and revenue that was in line with analyst forecasts.

Blue Apron Holdings Inc. APRN, +2.11% �reported a second-quarter loss that narrowed from the previous year, even as revenue fell 25%. The stock rose 2.1% in premarket trading, though it remains down 40% for 2018.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers RRGB, -3.07% tumbled 25% in premarket trading a day after it gave a disappointing outlook.

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Skyworks Solutions Inc. Boosts Its Dividend by 19%

Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS)�reported its fiscal third-quarter results on Thursday, July 19. Sales slightly declined during the period but a lower tax rate and declining share count still allowed the company to post modest earnings-per-share growth.

Let's dig into the details to get a better sense of where the company stands today and where it is heading.

Image source: Getty Images.

Skyworks Solutions' fiscal Q3: The raw numbers �Metric Q3 2018 Q3 2017 Change

Revenue	$894 million	$901 million	(0.8%)
Non-GAAP operating income	$325 million	$333 million	(2.4%)
Non-GAAP net income	$300 million	$293 million	2.4%
Non-GAAP EPS	$1.64	$1.57	4.5%

Data source: Skyworks Solutions.

What happened with Skyworks this quarter? Revenue of $894 million came in at the high end of management's guidance range.� Gross margin expanded 20 basis points to 50.9%. Non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.64 compared favorably to management's projection. 2.5 million shares were repurchased during the quarter. A total of�$298 million was returned to investors during the period through buybacks and dividends. Skywork's tax rate remained very low and was only 8.9% during the period. The minuscule tax rate was a major reason why the company was able to post year-over-year growth in net income. The quarterly dividend payment was raised 19% to $0.38 per share. Skyworks launched its new Sky5 antenna tuning portfolio during the quarter. Sky5 products have been specifically designed to work with 5G mobile networks. Cash balance at quarter's end was $1.6 billion. The balance sheet remains debt free.� What management had to say

CEO Liam Griffin reaffirmed that the company is in a great position to capitalize on several emerging technology trends:

We are gaining first-mover advantage across�Internet of Things�and rapidly emerging 5G applications with our Sky5 platform. Leveraging our scale and decades of system-level expertise, we are positioned to capitalize on increasing demand for powerful and complex connectivity engines as the global data economy accelerates.

CFO Kris Sennesael also commented that the company remains in great shape to deliver "another record year of top and bottom line results."

Looking forward

Sennesael forecast that the upcoming quarter was going to return the company to year-over-year revenue growth as "design win momentum transitions to volume production."

However, while the CFO's language appears very bullish, his financial guidance suggests that growth in the current quarter is going to remain modest:

Metric Fiscal 2018 Q4 Guidance Fiscal 2017 Q4 Actual Implied Change (at Midpoint for Revenue)

Revenue	$992 million to $1,010 million	$985 million	1.6%
Non-GAAP EPS	$1.91	$1.82	4.9%

Data source: Skyworks Solutions.

In spite of the tepid growth projection for the upcoming quarter,�CEO Griffin affirmed on the�conference call with investors�that Skyworks plans on delivering good financial results for the year despite the challenging macro operating environment:

We will end the fiscal year with mid-single-digit revenue growth, greater than a 10% EPS increase and record cash returns, this despite a choppy market backdrop and a government-imposed trade ban on a sizable Chinese customer.

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:AON,WRB,PFG,PRU,TOP,

White Mountains Insurance�(NYSE:WTM) has a sizable investment in Kudu Investment Management, an advisory and capital business with a unique business model. Here's an overview of Kudu and where it could be heading in the future.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on June 18, 2018.

Michael Douglass: There's one other major business we're going to call out, and then we're going to head to a quick commercial break. Kudu Investment Management. White Mountains recently did a $250 million round investing in Kudu Investment Management with Oaktree, which, for the hardcore investors among you, that's Howard Marks' shop. Howard Marks wrote one of the books that has most influenced me as an investor. It's called "The Most Important Thing." I highly recommend it. I think it's a great read. It really changed how I thought about growth and value investing. What Kudu does is, they're advisory services primarily. Then, they also provide capital to asset management companies in very specific circumstances.

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  AON (NYSE:AON) had its price target hoisted by Citigroup from $160.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  AON (NYSE: AON) and CorVel (NASDAQ:CRVL) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  CorVel (NASDAQ: CRVL) and AON (NYSE:AON) are both business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  W. R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB) and State Auto Financial (NASDAQ:STFC) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on W. R. Berkley (WRB)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine cut shares of W. R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday morning.

  WRB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Bank of America cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $74.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, June 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Boenning Scattergood restated a hold rating on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, April 25th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Monday. They set a sell rating and a $74.00 target price on the stock. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the stock. W. R. Berkley currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.78.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on W. R. Berkley (WRB)

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

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern’s scoring:

  Get Principal Financial Group alerts: Principal Financial Group (PFG) Approves New $300M Buyback (streetinsider.com) Principal Financial Group (PFG) Announces Share Repurchase Plan (americanbankingnews.com) Is Principal Large Cap Growth I Institutional (PLGIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? (finance.yahoo.com) Principal Financial Group is Oversold (nasdaq.com) Principal Names New Chief Human Resources Officer (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several equities analysts have recently commented on PFG shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Principal Financial Group from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $76.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, March 26th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Friday, March 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.18.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ING Groep NV boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 7.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  KBC Group NV lowered its position in shares of Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 41.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 201,808 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 142,313 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $12,292,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shore Capital reissued their hold rating on shares of Provident Financial (LON:PFG) in a report issued on Thursday.

  PFG has been the subject of several other reports. Liberum Capital reissued a sell rating and set a GBX 483 ($6.48) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Peel Hunt reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 870 ($11.67) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Provident Financial from GBX 1,100 ($14.76) to GBX 750 ($10.06) and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 10th. Barclays reissued an underweight rating and set a GBX 584 ($7.84) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Societe Generale lowered Provident Financial to a hold rating and set a GBX 1,050 ($14.09) price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Provident Financial presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,190.14 ($15.97).

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Stilwell Value LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Stilwell+Value+LLC

  These are the top 5 holdings of Stilwell Value LLCOFG Bancorp (OFG) - 1,614,868 shares, 14.1% of the total portfolio. Kingsway Financial Services Inc (KFS) - 3,780,889 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. HopFed Bancorp Inc (HFBC) - 627,128 shares, 7.62% of the total portfolio. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - 1,251,324 shares, 7.27% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 20.66%Sound Financial Bancorp Inc (SFBC) - 228,600 shares, 7.02% of th

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,363 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [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 Ethan Ryder]

  State of Tennessee Treasury Department lessened its position in Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 29.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 312,450 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 132,238 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Treasury Department owned approximately 0.07% of Prudential Financial worth $32,354,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Zacks]

  Well, given the growing demand for securitized mortgage deals, Barclays plans to package and sell these Irish loans over the next two months. The group of investors that has shown interest in buying residential mortgage backed securities includes M&G Investments, the investment management division of British insurer Prudential Plc (NYSE: PRU) and Pacific Investment Management Co. ("PIMCO").

Top Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Topdanmark A/S (TOP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  TopCoin (CURRENCY:TOP) traded down 15.4% against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 7:00 AM E.T. on June 21st. During the last seven days, TopCoin has traded up 4% against the dollar. TopCoin has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $123.00 worth of TopCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One TopCoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0010 or 0.00000015 BTC on popular exchanges.

Facebook's diversity efforts fail black, Hispanic…

SAN FRANCISCO �� Facebook is inching toward increasing the diversity of its workforce but it still has a big problem:�it's hiring very few�black and Hispanic women.

The social media giant��s latest diversity report released Thursday shows strides in boosting the ranks of some groups who��ve been underrepresented at Facebook from the beginning, but a closer look at the raw numbers reveals that these women of color are being largely left out of any progress.

You can almost count on one hand the number of black women ���six ���who work as senior managers or executives at Facebook in the U.S., accounting for less than 1 percent of those 769 jobs. The next layer of managers at Facebook�isn't more diverse: 34 out of a total of 2,816, or 1.2%.

The number of Hispanic women who are senior managers or executives�can be counted on two hands for about 1.3 percent of those jobs, according to the most recent documents Facebook filed with the federal government. Hispanic women hold 46 of the next layer of management positions at Facebook, or 1.6 percent.

Facebook, whose products are used by more than two billion people around the world,�isn��t the only major tech company having trouble reversing decades of hiring patterns and making their corporate cultures more welcoming to women of color.�

Last month Google said it would begin to�focus diversity efforts on African-American and Hispanic women after similar patterns emerged. Out of the nearly 56,000 people Google employed in the U.S. in 2017, 544 were black women. Hispanic women and Latinas numbered 945 in 2017.

CLOSE

The global director of diversity at Facebook, Maxine Williams, says the company needs to invest in local communities in order to become more diverse. And that's necessary to keep the social network relevant. Martin E. Klimek, USA TODAY

Overall Facebook employs 278 black women, 1.4% of the U.S. workforce of�just under 20,000. That's nearly triple the number of black women Facebook employed in 2016, but only a slight increase percentage wise. Hispanic women number 463, more than doubling since 2016, but making up about 2.3 percent of the workforce at Facebook, up from 1.8%.

"We are definitely concerned," Maxine Williams, Facebook's chief diversity officer, told USA TODAY in an interview.�

The sharpest deficits in Silicon Valley are African-American and Hispanic women, who make up 1 percent or fewer of workers, while across other industries they are represented at much higher rates consistent with their proportion of the overall U.S. population.

Dr. Allison Scott, chief of research at the Kapor Center, says the diversity conversation in Silicon Valley mostly focuses on race and ethnicity or gender, not both. And efforts made by tech companies to close the gender gap have�boosted the fortunes of white women, while�hobbling�progress for women of color.

White women who are far better represented at the executive level than men and women of color, research from the nonprofit�Ascend Foundation research shows. Representation of white women in leadership roles improved by 17%�between 2007 and 2015.�For all other minority groups, including African American, Hispanic and Asian men and women,�the percentage declined.

At Facebook, the percentage of women in its�global workforce increased year over year to 36% from 35%, according to the company. Women in technical roles rose�to 22% from 19% and women in senior leadership to 30% from 28%.

"Women of color, who simultaneously experience two marginalized identities within the tech ecosystem, face unique barriers and obstacles that are not well understood or acknowledged," Scott said. "Without a specific focus on strategies to recruit, hire, and retain women of color, progress will remain stalled."

Increasing the ranks of women of color is a critical challenge for the tech industry, whose customers are half women, about 13% black, and nearly 18% Hispanic, according to 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Research is piling up that companies with a diverse workforce fetch a higher market value and greater returns. And technology companies are looking to recruit�workers from a range of backgrounds to brainstorm and build products for a global marketplace.�

At the same time, women and men of color are being excluded�from technical and non-technical positions in one of the nation��s wealthiest, fastest-growing and highest-paying sectors.

At Facebook, the number of African-American employees overall increased to 4% from 3%, while Hispanic employees remained the same at 5%. Facebook says it also saw an increase in African-American and Hispanic employees in business and sales roles.

But Facebook�continued to struggle in the areas where the company's diversity has always been�in shortest supply: in technical and leadership roles. The tiny percentage of African-American and Hispanic staffers in those positions remained largely unchanged, with the exception of Hispanics in leadership roles, which fell a percentage point year over year.

The problem, says Joelle Emerson, founder and CEO of Paradigm, a strategy firm that consults with technology companies on diversity and inclusion, is that Facebook, like many tech companies, puts a lot of emphasis on programs aimed at increasing the pipeline of talent.�

"While these programs have value, they often get more attention and investment than programs aimed at making internal changes. Changes to how companies evaluate talent. How they invest in, train, and coach the people they have. How they evaluate performance and make promotion decisions," Emerson said. "Those types of internal changes are often harder. They require a lot of critical self-reflection."

More: Silicon Valley's race gap is getting worse, not better, new research shows

More: Tech industry's diversity efforts haven't lived up to promises. A new report explains why.

More: Russia exploited race divisions on Facebook. More black staffers, diversity could have have helped.

More: Facebook takes heat for diversity 'pipeline' remarks

More: Google says it will focus diversity efforts on black, Hispanic women

�

�

Navios Maritime Acquisition (NNA) Trading Up 9.1%

Navios Maritime Acquisition Co. (NYSE:NNA)’s share price traded up 9.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $0.62 and last traded at $0.60. 733,073 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the average session volume of 627,412 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.55.

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 28th. ValuEngine raised shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Navios Maritime Acquisition currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1.63.

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The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.35 million, a P/E ratio of -5.00 and a beta of 0.89.

Navios Maritime Acquisition (NYSE:NNA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 10th. The shipping company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.12) by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $40.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.68 million. Navios Maritime Acquisition had a negative net margin of 52.11% and a negative return on equity of 9.11%. equities research analysts anticipate that Navios Maritime Acquisition Co. will post -0.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 21st were given a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 20th. Navios Maritime Acquisition’s payout ratio is -66.67%.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in Navios Maritime Acquisition during the fourth quarter worth $171,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition by 137.3% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 186,773 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 108,077 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 369,556 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $410,000 after purchasing an additional 82,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Navios Maritime Acquisition by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,985,852 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $4,424,000 after purchasing an additional 90,608 shares during the last quarter. 18.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Navios Maritime Acquisition

Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation provides marine transportation services worldwide. The company owns a fleet of crude oil, refined petroleum product, and chemical tankers. It charters its vessels to oil companies, refiners, and large vessel operators under long, medium, and short term charters.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019

tags:GGP,VIRT,STE,XLNX,JCOM,MEIP,IMKTA,YRCW,LRCX,RRSSF,

Fitbit Inc. (NYSE:FIT) has been in a clear downward trajectory since it hit its all-time high of about $50 per share shortly after its IPO in 2015. In the latter half of 2016, the stock took a huge hit, and as we begin 2017, is trading just off of all-time lows. I believe this latest selloff was unwarranted and was substantially a function of tax loss harvesting. Moreover, FIT has been gaining market sharing in a growing wearables market and has been prudently entering into a number of partnerships which will likely propel revenue growth. As such, I believe that FIT is undervalued and is poised for substantial gains early in 2017.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: General Growth Properties, Inc.(GGP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Shares of mall-focused REIT GGP (NYSE:GGP) have plunged in 2018. Initially, the stock price fell due to ongoing worries about the so-called "retail apocalypse" and its effect on mall occupancy and lease rates.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  These are some of the news articles that may have effected Accern’s scoring:

  Get GGP alerts: Read This Before Trade: Facebook, Inc. (FB), GGP Inc. (GGP) (nmsunews.com) Ggp Inc (GGP)’s Weekly Performance of -0.90% Is Nothing to Write Home About (parkcitycaller.com) Is GGP Inc (NYSE:GGP) A Good Dividend Stock? (finance.yahoo.com) GGP (GGP) Downgraded by Zacks Investment Research to “Hold” (americanbankingnews.com) Dazzling Stocks: GGP Inc. (NYSE:GGP), Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN), AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE … (thestreetpoint.com)

  GGP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 target price on shares of GGP in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Boenning Scattergood reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of GGP in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. Mizuho raised GGP from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded GGP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $23.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 11th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on GGP from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. GGP currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $24.92.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  In recent years, investors have become increasingly fearful about the so-called "death of the mall." As a result, shares of top-tier mall REITs like Taubman Centers (NYSE:TCO), Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG), GGP (NYSE:GGP), and Macerich (NYSE:MAC) have tended to trade at a discount to their net asset values (NAV), the underlying value of their assets.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Virtu Financial, Inc.(VIRT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Virtu Financial Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) was started as Buy and�assigned a $37 price target (versus a $29.10 close) at Jefferies. It has a consensus analyst target of almost $36 and a 52-week trading range of $13.10 to $37.85.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Virtu Financial (NASDAQ: VIRT) and Nomura (NYSE:NMR) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: STERIS Corporation(STE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in Steris PLC (NYSE:STE) by 3.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,289 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 714 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Steris were worth $1,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Rewalk Robotics (NASDAQ: RWLK) and Steris (NYSE:STE) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends and profitability.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Steris (NYSE: STE) and Consort Medical (OTCMKTS:CSRMY) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and valuation.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Xilinx, Inc.(XLNX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Until it's lifted, the ban stands to impact everyone from optical component/module suppliers such as Acacia Communications (ACIA)  and Oclaro to telecom/networking chip suppliers such as Cavium (CAVM)  and Xilinx (XLNX) to mobile chip suppliers such as Qualcomm (QCOM)  and Skyworks (SWKS) . Some of the damage will, of course, be offset by share losses ZTE is likely to see on account of the ban. This could particularly hold for mobile suppliers, given that the ban could prevent ZTE from shipping phones running Alphabet/Google's (GOOGL) version of Android.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Nomura upgraded shares of Xilinx (NASDAQ:XLNX) from a reduce rating to a neutral rating in a research note published on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $70.00 price target on the programmable devices maker’s stock, up from their prior price target of $60.00.

• [By Harsh Chauhan]

  Xilinx (NASDAQ:XLNX) is well aware of this massive opportunity, which is why AI-focused development was a common theme at its recent analyst day. The company has already taken its first steps in the AI space with the help of its field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), but it's now looking to raise its game by going all in on product development.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Headlines about Xilinx (NASDAQ:XLNX) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern. The research group identifies negative and positive media coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Xilinx earned a coverage optimism score of 0.18 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the programmable devices maker an impact score of 47.7615347434404 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: j2 Global, Inc.(JCOM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  J2 Global (NASDAQ:JCOM) Director W Brian Kretzmer sold 5,942 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.25, for a total value of $518,439.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $590,159. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: MEI Pharma, Inc.(MEIP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Headlines about MEI Pharma (NASDAQ:MEIP) have been trending somewhat negative on Friday, according to Accern. Accern ranks the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. MEI Pharma earned a coverage optimism score of -0.06 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the company an impact score of 45.5534769772513 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT) rose 75.31 percent to close at $9.94 after reporting Q1 results. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 40.62 percent to close at $4.50 on Tuesday after reporting 2017 year-end results. MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) gained 34.39 percent to close at $3.40. MEDIGUS Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: MDGS) gained 32.74 percent to close at $1.50 in reaction to its Monday announcement of a distribution agreement. The medical device company said it reached an agreement to distribute its minimally invasive medical devices in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Pfenex Inc. (NYSE: PFNX) surged 31.15 percent to close at $8.00 after the company announced the positive top-line PF708 study results in Osteoporosis patients that showed no imbalances in severity or incidence of adverse events. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) rose 21.07 percent to close at $11.09. Arcadia Biosciences reported that Albert D. Bolles, Ph.D. has joined its board of directors. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) rose 20.23 percent to close at $10.58. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) shares gained 17.62 percent to close at $17.82. Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: APVO) rose 17.1 percent to close at $5.82. Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) shares jumped 16.23 percent to close at $4.87 following Q1 earnings. Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) rose 16.04 percent to close at $3.69. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) climbed 15.99 percent to close at $7.98 following Q1 results. Tyme Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYME) rose 15.93 percent to close at $3.42. LiqTech International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIQT) gained 15.59 percent to close at $0.5532 following Q1 results. Sophiris Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPHS) gained 13.92 percent to close at $3.52 on Tuesday following Q1 results. Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA) jumped 13.4 percent to close at $2.37. Iteris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITI) shares surged 13.05 percent to close
• [By Money Morning News Team]

  Seadrill's rally demonstrates how profitable penny stocks can be for savvy investors. With Seadrill's gains already on the books, we'll look at a stock that's on track to generate tremendous returns – a small cap that just completed a groundbreaking acquisition with huge profit potential…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Law Week's Gain Seadrill Ltd. (NYSE: SDRL) $0.58 98.74% Vivis Inc. (Nasdaq: VVUS) $0.83 59.97% MEI Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: MEIP) $3.45 43.40% Transenterix Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) $3.15 35.72% Akers Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq: AKER) $0.65 34.38% Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: GALT) $4.54 32.58% Phoenix New Media Ltd. (NYSE ADR: FENG) $5.65 32.22% Heat Biologics Inc. (Nasdaq: HTBX) $1.73 31.37% Bright Scholar Education Ltd. (NYSE ADR: BEDU) $18.51 29.03% 21 Vianet Group Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) $7.36 28.72%

  These gains are incredibly exciting. However, not all penny stocks are equally strong investments.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares climbed 70.3 percent to $5.45 after reporting 2017 year-end results. MEDIGUS Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: MDGS) surged 39.8 percent to $1.58 in reaction to its Monday announcement of a distribution agreement. The medical device company said it reached an agreement to distribute its minimally invasive medical devices in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) gained 25.6 percent to $11.50. Arcadia Biosciences reported that Albert D. Bolles, Ph.D. has joined its board of directors. Aytu Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ: AYTU) shares jumped 21.8 percent to $0.4798 after the company late Monday reported lighter-than-expected Q1 loss. Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: HOLI) shares gained 21.1 percent to $26.77 following Q3 results. Pfenex Inc. (NYSE: PFNX) rose 16.8 percent to $7.1271 after the company announced the positive top-line PF708 study results in Osteoporosis patients that showed no imbalances in severity or incidence of adverse events. MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) rose 13.8 percent to $2.88. Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT) jumped 13.1 percent to $6.41 after reporting Q1 results. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) shares gained 12 percent to $5.87 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Bovie Medical Corporation (NYSE: BVX) gained 8.4 percent to $3.96 after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. Rosehill Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: ROSE) surged 8.4 percent to $7.90 after announcing Q1 results. LiqTech International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIQT) rose 8.1 percent to $0.5171 following Q1 results. ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) rose 7.7 percent to $5.6103 following Q1 results. Nine Energy Service, Inc. (NYSE: NINE) shares climbed 7.4 percent to $35.90. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: XENE) rose 6.7 percent to $6.40 after the company presented XEN901 Phase 1 clinical update and XEN1101 TMS pharmacodynamic Phase 1 data. MYnd

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Ingles Markets Incorporated(IMKTA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of Ingles Markets (NASDAQ:IMKTA) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  News articles about Ingles Markets (NASDAQ:IMKTA) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Ingles Markets earned a news impact score of 0.20 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the company an impact score of 46.3498595843486 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  But over the past five years, the industry has been turned upside down by changes in business models, a focus on delivery, and mass consolidation. While the dust is far from settled, here are 10 of the largest publicly traded grocers you can buy stock in.

  Company Market Cap Stores Regions Chains Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) $780 billion 500 USA Whole Foods Walmart (NYSE:WMT) $250 billion 11,700 Worldwide Walmart Costco (NASDAQ:COST) $86 billion 750 USA Costco Kroger (NYSE:KR) $21 billion 2,800 USA Kroger, Roundy's, Ralph's, Food 4 Less Sprouts (NASDAQ: SFM) $3 billion 300 Western and Southern U.S. Sprouts Farmer's Market Weis Market (NYSE: WMK) $1.3 billion 200 Mid-Atlantic U.S. Weis Market SUPERVALU�(NYSE: SVU) $630 million 100 Midwestern U.S. Cub Foods, Shopper's Food, Hornbacher Ingles Market�(NASDAQ: IMKTA) $580 million 200 Southeastern U.S. Ingles Market, Sav-Mor Smart & Final�(NYSE: SFS) $360 million 350 Western U.S. Smart & Final, Cash & Carry Natural Grocers (NYSE: NGVC) $230 million 150 Western U.S. Natural Grocers

  Data source: Yahoo! Finance, company websites.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Press coverage about YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) has trended somewhat positive on Thursday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. YRC Worldwide earned a daily sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the transportation company an impact score of 46.7261330682883 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near term.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 155.56 percent to close at $5.75 on Thursday. Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: INSP) shares gained 56.12 percent to close at $24.98. Inspire Medical went public Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company issued 6.75 million shares priced at $16 each. Presbia PLC (NASDAQ: LENS) shares rose 53.02 percent to close at $3.55. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares rose 46.29 percent to close at $32.11. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Technical Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: TCCO) climbed 27.78 percent to close at $5.75. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares gained 26.27 percent to close at $21.15 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares jumped 22.16 percent to close at $4.30 on Thursday after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADC) rose 20.45 percent to close at $2.65 on Thursday. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) surged 18.36 percent to close at $9.99 following upbeat quarterly earnings. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) jumped 17.68 percent to close at $35.74 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) jumped 17.4 percent to close at $5.87. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHRS) shares rose 17.32 percent to close at $14.90. Coherus BioSciences reported resubmission of BLA for CHS-1701. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares gained 17.17 percent to close at $31.05 following upbeat quarterly earnings. The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET) gained 16.02 percent to close at $2.68 following Q1 earnings. Ca
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Landstar System (NASDAQ: LSTR) and YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) are both transportation companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and risk.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Lam Research Corporation(LRCX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) had its price objective raised by research analysts at Deutsche Bank to $260.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the semiconductor company’s stock. Deutsche Bank’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 36.56% from the company’s current price.

• [By Zacks]

  In the video that accompanies this article, I show charts of the NDX and the Philly Semiconductor Index (SOX) to point out their bullish structure with higher highs and higher lows. Even trade war fears couldn't put a lasting dent in semis like NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX) in March.

• [By ]

  The third caller had Boeing (BA) , Helmerich & Payne (HP) , Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) , LAM Research (LRCX) and Steel Dynamics (STLD)  as her top five stocks.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS. The $220 price target implies 30% upside if you consider the dividend. The shares have a 52-week range of $139.24 to $234.88 and a consensus target price of $266.00.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX) and IHI Corp/ADR (OTCMKTS:IHICY) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, earnings, risk and institutional ownership.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Neometals Ltd (RRSSF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By SEEKINGALPHA.COM]

  Neometals [ASX:NMT] [GR:9R9](OTC:RRSSF)
  

  Neometals is primarily a lithium mining company in Western Australia. They own a 13.8% share of the Mt Marion lithium spodumene producing mine. The company has plans to develop a Kalgoorlie lithium hydroxide facility. You can read more on that here. The company also has the world's second highest titanium resource, and some vanadium.

• [By ]

  Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium [SHE:002460], Mineral Resources [ASX:MIN] (OTCPK:MALRY), Neometals (OTC:RRSSF) (Nasdaq:RDRUY) [ASX:NMT], International Lithium Corp. [TSXV:ILC] (OTCPK:ILHMF)

Dow shakes off trade-war angst to end 180 points higher after Fed minutes, ahead of jobs report

U.S. stocks finished Thursday's trade solidly higher--a day after the Fourth of July break--as investors appeared to dismiss worries about an impending deadline on trade between the U.S. and China, and the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve that acknowledged the potential for tariff disputes to harm domestic economic expansion. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.75% closed up about 180 points, or 0.8%, at 24,356(on a preliminary basis), the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.86% rose by 0.9% at 2,737, powered by gains in technology XLK, +1.41% health-care XLV, +1.04% and consumer-staples XLP, +1.38% shares of at least 1%. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +1.12% finished up about 1.1% at 7,586. An account of the June meeting from the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee's two-day convention ended June 13 pointed to unease over trade clashes that could hold back economic growth but not sufficiently to prevent the Fed from hiking benchmark interest rates. The central bank raised rates by a quarter of a percentage point last month to a range between 1.75% and 2% and indicated that a further two rate increases were in the cards for 2018. Meanwhile, the U.S. is scheduled to impose tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports Friday, and China is expected to counter with corresponding tariffs on U.S. imports in less than 24 hours, marking a mounting tit-for-tat conflict between the world's largest economies that has threatened to rattle global markets. Equity and commodity exchanges in the U.S. were closed in observance of Independence Day on Wednesday. Looking ahead, investors will await a key report on jobs on Friday that could influence investor sentiment. The day's action began on a high note on reports that suggested the U.S. was softening its stance against the European Union, with an offer of a "zero solution" to car tariffs. In corporate news, shares of Qorvo Inc. QRVO, +5.66% were the best performer S&P 500, up about 5.7%, while CF Industries Holdings Inc. CF, -2.73% posted the steepest decline, off 2.7%.

Quote References DJIA +181.92 +0.75% SPX +23.39 +0.86% XLK +0.98 +1.41% XLV +0.87 +1.04% XLP +0.71 +1.38% COMP +83.75 +1.12% QRVO +4.38 +5.66% CF -1.21 -2.73% Show all references MarketWatch Partner Center Most Popular Brace for a lost decade for U.S. stocks, warn Morningstar strategists Harvard University is fighting to keep its secretive admissions process under wraps Tech rally leads stocks higher; trade and Fed minutes also in focus The 21st Century has not been the American Century Mortgage rates fall to 3-month low as flight to safety rolls on $(function() { if (window.MutationObserver) { // arrive breaks if MutationObserver not supported by browser $("#dianomiRightRail").arrive(".dianom

Cubic (CUB) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Cubic (NYSE:CUB) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Tuesday.

According to Zacks, “Cubic Corporation is the parent company of two major business segments: defense and transportation. The Cubic Defense Applications group is a world leader in realistic combat training systems, mission support services and defense electronics. Cubic Transportation Systems designs and manufactures automatic fare collection systems for public transit authorities. Cubic Transportation Systems designs, manufactures and integrates automatic fare collection systems for public transit projects throughout the world. This includes rail, bus and parking lot systems. The company supplies contactless smart cards; magnetic stripe cards; device software; and transit hardware including gates, ticket machines and card readers. Cubic Defense Applications provides realistic live combat training systems for military forces as well as virtual training systems, constructive simulation support, force modernization, battle command training and education and engineering & technical support. “

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A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Cubic from $66.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, June 15th. Canaccord Genuity boosted their price target on Cubic from $72.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 14th. Needham & Company LLC downgraded Cubic from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, May 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. William Blair assumed coverage on Cubic in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. They set an outperform rating for the company. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded Cubic from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $68.33.

Cubic opened at $66.80 on Tuesday, according to Marketbeat Ratings. Cubic has a one year low of $39.58 and a one year high of $72.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.85.

Cubic (NYSE:CUB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.10. The company had revenue of $278.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $255.25 million. Cubic had a negative return on equity of 1.83% and a negative net margin of 1.44%. Cubic’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.02 EPS. equities analysts anticipate that Cubic will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

In other news, SVP Mark Harrison sold 3,000 shares of Cubic stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.19, for a total transaction of $213,570.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David F. Melcher acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $64.45 per share, for a total transaction of $64,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $64,450. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in shares of Cubic by 69.9% during the 1st quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 2,064 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 849 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cubic by 981.1% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Inc. now owns 2,292 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $135,000 after buying an additional 2,080 shares in the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Cubic by 4,493.2% during the 1st quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 210,045 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $210,000 after buying an additional 205,472 shares in the last quarter. Miles Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cubic during the 1st quarter valued at about $211,000. Finally, Amalgamated Bank purchased a new position in shares of Cubic during the 4th quarter valued at about $214,000. 94.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Cubic

Cubic Corporation provides various integrated solutions worldwide. Its solutions enhance the situational understanding for transportation, defense, and training customers, as well as for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) customers. The company operates through four segments: Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), Cubic Global Defense Systems (CGD Systems), Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS), and Cubic Global Defense Services (CGD Services).

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LEG Immobilien AG (LEG) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of LEG Immobilien AG (FRA:LEG) have been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is €101.62 ($118.16).

LEG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Kepler Capital Markets set a €105.00 ($122.09) price target on LEG Immobilien and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 8th. Warburg Research set a €107.00 ($124.42) price target on LEG Immobilien and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 7th. Commerzbank set a €109.00 ($126.74) price target on LEG Immobilien and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a €104.00 ($120.93) price target on LEG Immobilien and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. Finally, Nord/LB set a €94.00 ($109.30) price target on LEG Immobilien and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 12th.

Shares of FRA:LEG traded up €1.04 ($1.21) during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching €93.08 ($108.23). The company’s stock had a trading volume of 168,761 shares. LEG Immobilien has a 1 year low of €75.17 ($87.41) and a 1 year high of €98.50 ($114.53).

LEG Immobilien Company Profile

LEG Immobilien AG, an integrated property company, owns, develops, and manages residential properties in Germany. The company rents and sells apartments. It also invests in the field of real estate development and commercial real estate; and purchases and sells property portfolios. In addition, the company offers property management and location development services; and housing industry services, as well as IT and management services for third-party properties.

Comparing Teradyne (TER) & Cohu (COHU)

Teradyne (NYSE: TER) and Cohu (NASDAQ:COHU) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

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This table compares Teradyne and Cohu’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Teradyne	11.97%	23.45%	15.38%
Cohu	9.33%	14.10%	9.67%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

96.2% of Teradyne shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 87.4% of Cohu shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Teradyne shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 3.9% of Cohu shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Teradyne and Cohu’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Teradyne	$2.14 billion	3.43	$257.69 million	$2.34	16.01
Cohu	$352.70 million	1.97	$32.84 million	$1.34	17.99

Teradyne has higher revenue and earnings than Cohu. Teradyne is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cohu, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Teradyne and Cohu, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Teradyne	0	6	8	0	2.57
Cohu	0	1	3	0	2.75

Teradyne currently has a consensus price target of $46.67, indicating a potential upside of 24.54%. Cohu has a consensus price target of $24.25, indicating a potential upside of 0.58%. Given Teradyne’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Teradyne is more favorable than Cohu.

Dividends

Teradyne pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Cohu pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Teradyne pays out 15.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Cohu pays out 17.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Teradyne has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years.

Volatility and Risk

Teradyne has a beta of 1.2, meaning that its share price is 20% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cohu has a beta of 0.95, meaning that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Teradyne beats Cohu on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Teradyne

Teradyne, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and supports automatic test equipment worldwide. Its Semiconductor Test segment offers semiconductor test products and services for wafer level and device package testing in automotive, industrial, communications, consumer, computer and electronic game, and other applications. This segment offers FLEX test platform systems; J750 test system to address the highest volume semiconductor devices; Magnum platform that tests memory devices, such as flash memory and DRAM; and ETS platform for use by semiconductor manufacturers, and assembly and test subcontractors in the analog/mixed signal markets. This segment serves integrated device manufacturers that integrate the fabrication of silicon wafers into their business; fabless companies that outsource the manufacturing of silicon wafers; foundries; and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers. The company's System Test segment offers defense/aerospace test instrumentation and systems; storage test systems; and circuit-board test and inspection systems. Its Industrial Automation segment provides collaborative robots for manufacturing and light industrial customers. The company's Wireless Test segment provides test solutions for use in the development and manufacture of wireless devices, smart phones, tablets, notebooks, laptops, peripherals, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices under the LitePoint brand name. This segment offers IQxel products for Wi-Fi and other standards; IQxstream solution for testing GSM, EDGE, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE-FDD, TD_LTE, and LTE-A technologies; modular wireless test instruments for design verification test and production testing of wireless components; lab-in-a-box zSeries solution for design verification of RF power amplifier and smart device RF front end modules; and test software for wireless chipsets. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in North Reading, Massachusetts.

About Cohu

Cohu, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and servicing of semiconductor test and inspection handlers, micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) test modules, test contactors, and thermal sub-systems for semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors worldwide. It offers pick-and-place handlers; thermal handler for microprocessors, graphics processors, and other integrated circuits; pick-and-place platform for fabless and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test customers, as well as for integrated device manufacturers; a platform for assembly automation; gravity-feed and test-in-strip handlers; and turret handler for testing and inspection of integrated circuits, LEDs, and discrete devices. The company also provides MEMS test modules that generate physical stimuli for testing of sensor integrated circuits; thermal sub-systems that offer temperature control of the integrated circuit during the testing process; contactor solutions; spares; and a range of device dedication kits that enable handlers to process various semiconductor packages. Cohu, Inc. markets its products through direct sales force and independent sales representatives. The company was formerly known as Cohu Electronics, Inc. and changed its name to Cohu, Inc. in 1972. Cohu, Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Poway, California.