Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:NDAQ,FISI,TBNK,DB,PCH,

This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.

Horrible haircuts grow out, and broken hearts eventually heal. But bad money advice leaves a lasting mark on your bottom line.

Here��s how to spot bad financial counsel �� and the folks dishing it �� before any damage can be done.

1. The financial adviser�doesn��t act in your best interests

Until recently, there was no legal requirement for those dispensing advice about investing for retirement to put the customer��s financial interests before their own. Crazy, right? Then, came the fiduciary rule �� a kind of Hippocratic oath for financial professionals. Financial advisers can call themselves fiduciaries only if they avoid conflicts of interests and charge no more than a reasonable fee for their advice.

Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.(NDAQ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Nasdaq Inc (NASDAQ:NDAQ) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the fifteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have given a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $87.54.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  In its last sequential quarter, Nasdaq Inc.�(NASDAQ:NDAQ)�relied on non-trading segments for growth as its market-services segment turned in a near flat performance. In the first quarter of 2018, however, healthy trading volumes resumed, and Nasdaq achieved expansion in each of its four operating segments. Before sifting through important highlights for the quarter, let's briefly review the top-level performance:

• [By Wayne Duggan]

  Nasdaq Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) CEO Adena Friedman told CNBC the company is open to the possibility of adding a cryptocurrency exchange over time. Nasdaq also announced a deal to allow cryptocurrency exchange Gemini access to Nasdaq’s surveillance technology. Friedman told CNBC that cryptocurrency regulations must first be ironed out before the Nasdaq would add a crypto exchange.

Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Financial Institutions Inc.(FISI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Financial Institutions (FISI)

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

Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Territorial Bancorp Inc.(TBNK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Shares of Territorial Bancorp (NASDAQ:TBNK) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $33.50.

Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Deutsche Bank AG(DB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Elizabeth Balboa]

  Creditanstalt was saved when the First Austrian Republic, the National Bank of Austria and the Rothschild family took up the costs. The firm eventually became state-owned following a forced merger with Wiener Bankverein, and the resulting entity was later subsumed by Deutsche Bank AG (USA) (NYSE: DB).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $12.49, but opened at $12.90. Deutsche Bank shares last traded at $13.04, with a volume of 216758 shares changing hands.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Sanmina Corp (NASDAQ: SANM) shares rose 15.2 percent to $31.90 in pre-market trading as the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its second quarter on Monday. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS) rose 12.4 percent to $41.30 in pre-market trading after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and issued a strong Q2 forecast. Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGLE) rose 10.8 percent to $8.75 in pre-market trading. Mitel Networks Corporation (NASDAQ: MITL) rose 8.8 percent to $11.05 in pre-market trading after the company agreed to be acquired by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners for $2.0 billion. Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT) rose 7.3 percent to $3.70 in pre-market trading. Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) shares rose 6.9 percent to $7.00 in pre-market trading after declining 1.50 percent on Monday. Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALL) rose 6.5 percent to $10.68 in pre-market trading. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BOOT) rose 5.2 percent to $20.40 in pre-market trading after gaining 4.53 percent on Monday. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (NYSE: EDU) rose 5 percent to $91.16 in pre-market trading after reporting Q3 results. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) rose 5 percent to $167.98 in pre-market trading after Bloomberg reported that Takeda is nearing a preliminary agreement to acquire Shire after sweetened bid. Outfront Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) shares rose 5 percent to $19.00 in pre-market trading. Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) rose 4.3 percent to $4.18 in pre-market trading after gaining 5.80 percent on Monday. SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) rose 3.7 percent to $109.80 in pre-market trading after the company posted strong quarterly results and raised its outlook for the year. Golden Ocean Group Limited (NASDAQ: GOGL) shares rose 3.7 percent to $8.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.45 percent on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: D

Hot Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Potlatch Corporation(PCH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  PotlatchDeltic (NASDAQ:PCH) was upgraded by equities researchers at Vertical Research to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America bought a new position in PotlatchDeltic (NASDAQ:PCH) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 78,505 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $4,086,000. Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America owned approximately 0.19% of PotlatchDeltic at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Major Banks See Rising Tide of Short Interest

The financial sector was a major part of the Great Recession, and it has been a major part of the recovery and raging bull market since then. Generally speaking, the major financial institutions in the United States are a good barometer of the current state of U.S. markets.

So when short sellers make a play against these major banks, they are effectively betting for a downturn. Conversely, when they back off they might be expecting a surge. Granted, some plays are directly against individual companies, like we saw with Wells Fargo early in 2017.

The May 15 short interest data have been compared with the previous figures, and short interest in most of these selected big bank stocks increased.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) saw its short interest shrink to 113.25 million shares. The previous level was 121.00 million. Shares were last seen trading at $30.02, in a 52-week range of $22.07 to $33.05.

The number of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) shares short rose to 23.40 million from the previous level of 22.84 million. Shares recently traded at $110.74, in a 52-week range of $81.64 to $119.33.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) short interest increased to 23.62 million from the previous level of 18.31 million. Shares were trading at $68.60, in a 52-week range of $59.87 to $80.70.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) short interest grew to 35.55 million shares from the previous reading of 31.18 million. Shares were trading at $54.85, within a 52-week range of $49.27 to $66.31.

Short interest in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) decreased to 5.39 million shares from the previous 5.71 million. The stock recently traded at $235.42, within a 52-week range of $209.62 to $275.31.

Morgan Stanley��s (NYSE: MS) short interest for this settlement date was 14.97 million shares, up from the previous 11.34 million. Shares were changing hands at $53.29, in a 52-week range of $41.07 to $59.38.

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The 6 Most Shorted NYSE Stocks

10 States With the Lowest Average Social Security Retirement Benefit

By the time you retire, there's a very good chance that you'll be reliant on Social Security income in some capacity. According to national pollster Gallup, 89% of non-retirees believe they'll need Social Security income to make ends meet.�

As for official data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), 62% of today's retirees lean on the program to supply at least half of their monthly income, while some 34% of retired workers effectively depend on Social Security for all (90%-100%) of their income. We can safely say that without this guaranteed payout, the elderly poverty rate would be considerably higher than it is now.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's also interesting about Social Security's average retired worker benefit is that, at least on a nominal basis, it's not that big. According to the SSA's monthly snapshot from April 2018, the average retired worker received $1,411.07 a month, or $16,933 a year.� Even though it might not seem like a lot, this is above the federal poverty level of $12,140 in 2018, and it demonstrates the importance the retirement benefit has played in helping lay a financial foundation for our nation's retirees.

These states have the lowest average Social Security retirement benefits

However, if we were to examine the average Social Security retirement benefit on a state-by-state basis, we'd see quite the variance. Earlier this month, we examined those states paying the most to retired workers, and noted that the average New Jersey retiree, who's collecting an average of $1,553.63 a month, nets $1,711 extra per year over the national average.

Today, we're going to take a look at the 10 states with the lowest average Social Security retirement benefit, based on data released by the SSA in April 2018.

Louisiana: $1,311.72 Maine: $1,314.22 Mississippi: $1,319.06 New Mexico: $1,323.16 Montana: $1,331.30 Arkansas: $1,333.93 South Dakota: $1,336.28 Kentucky: $1,340.30 Alaska: $1,343.39 North Dakota: $1,344.48

In total, the average retired worker in 28 out of 50 U.S. states is receiving less than the national average retirement benefit, as of April 2018. In Louisiana, the average retiree is taking home around $2,900 a year less than the average retired worker in New Jersey. Likewise, Louisiana's retired workers are netting Social Security income that's about $100 a month below the national average, or about $1,200 a year.�

Image source: Getty Images.

Why these states are lagging

As was the case with for the states with the highest average benefit, the biggest differentiating factor for the states with the lowest average retirement benefit is earnings. Though there are more than a half-dozen factors that can ultimately impact your Social Security take-home, your wage income is a major component. The SSA takes your 35 highest-earning, inflation-adjusted years into account when determining your retirement benefit at full retirement age. Essentially, the more you make per year, up to the maximum taxable earnings cap, the more you'll be paid by Social Security when you retire.

According to 2015 median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisiana, New Mexico, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi were five of the bottom seven states in median household income. If people are earning less per year than the national average, it would only make sense that their Social Security payouts are lower during retirement.�

Cost of living may also be playing a critical role. If a retired worker has earned less than the national average over their lifetime, it may make sense to seek out a place to retire where cost-of-living standards are low. In other words, San Francisco and New York City probably aren't reasonable retirement destinations.

With the exception of Alaska, the other nine states listed above have a Regional Price Parity Index reading of less than 100, as of 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. With regional price parity equating to 100, it means these states tends to be a few percentage points, to a double-digit percentage, cheaper than the national average. In other words, retirees are able to make their Social Security dollars stretch farther in these states, so this could be why so many lower lifetime-income workers flock to them.�

As for the anomaly that is Alaska, its inclusion might be best explained by the fact that it's the only U.S. state that has no sales or income tax. That might be just enough of a lure to attract lower-income retirees.�

Image source: Getty Images.

Looking at the big picture

However, current and future retirees should understand that this list doesn't define what they're capable of. For instance, if you live in Louisiana, you aren't doomed to receive $100 a month less than the national average when you claim Social Security. Everything is based on your income and work history, your birth year, and your claiming age.

Though you can't do anything about when you're born -- your birth year determines your full retirement age, which is when you're able to receive 100% of your retirement benefit -- you certainly have control over your wage income, the years you work, and when you file for benefits. Adjusting these variables can have a big impact on what the program pays you when you retire. All things being equal -- earnings, work history, and birth year -- a person claiming benefits at age 70 can net up to a 76% higher monthly payout than someone claiming retirement benefits as early as possible at age 62.

Ultimately, averages are just that... averages. It's what you make of your own work and earnings history that matters.

Current policy turmoil part of 'downside risks,' Fed's Bostic says

Geopolitical turmoil and policy certainty are combining to make businesses more cautious about investing, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said Thursday.

With nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea breaking down, the central bank leader said the development was "a surprise" and part of "downside risks" for the economy.

"Uncertainty has its own contribution," Bostic told CNBC's Steve Liesman in a live interview from Dallas, where Fed officials were attending a conference on disruption and technology. "Then we actually have to ... figure out what the policy ends up being. If the policy turns out in certain ways, then business can go forward."

Markets reacted negatively to the morning news, with the Dow industrials down about 200 points and government bond yields down substantially as well.

In a letter to Kim Jung Un, Trump said that recent rhetoric from North Korea made a summit impossible at this point.

Trump also announced possible new tariffs on imported vehicles to the U.S. even as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin earlier this week said a trade war with China had been averted at least for the moment.

"You're at the fork in the road, and there are multiple ways you can go," Bostic said. "What I'm hearing from business is we're going to wait and we're going to see what happens, and I think that will offset some of the impact."

On other matters, Bostic said he thinks the Fed is getting close to the end of its rate-hiking cycle.

The so-called neutral rate, he said, is probably around 2.25 percent to 2.75 percent, which would imply three to five more increases in the Fed's benchmark funds rate. The comments came a day after the Federal Open Market Committee, of which Bostic is a voting member, released minutes from a meeting earlier this month that indicated officials are comfortable with letting inflation run a little hot for a short period as the economy grows.

"For me, I think we get to the neutral and we let the economy work," Bostic said.

Correction: Bostic's Fed affiliation was misstated in an earlier version.

Creative Destruction: An Alternate View

��Universal basic income (UBI) is so silly on its face,�� begins reader Roger A, ��even a middle school kid would at least know to ask, ��What��s the catch?����

Yesterday��s reckoning on universal basic income drew a heavy mail�� and we thank you for your participation.

Ron B said:

There are a lot of jobs that would not be done if UBI is adopted, and there will be serious problems eventually�� UBI is a big, big, big mistake!

Adds Maria R:

When I first heard the term I thought it meant the lowest annual wage salary to survive on. But having read the more about it, I realize that it is just another incentive to keep people on welfare.

These comments were typical.

But not every reader stood in harsh opposition.

Dave S, for example:

Though I don’t believe UBI ‘s time has come it will in the future as automation technologies hit an inflection point�β� The rapid shift in technology will leave many behind with incompatible skills so UBI will really be a social program to keep the barbarians away from the gates.

Meantime, George B �� a UBI booster �� gave us a good hard slating:

Your diatribe on UBI makes many unfounded assumptions, utilizes examples that arrive at false conclusions and is short of actual facts. Under Nixon the United States was a hair��s breath [sic] from UBI. It was derailed by one of his advisors who was an Ayn Rand adherent and presented him with some very poor quality evidence later debunked.

The UBI was supported by 1,200 economists, many of them world renowned�� There is abundant newer research all disproving the ��people will become lazy if given free money�� canard that you promulgate. If you are open minded than [sic] actually read someone who has looked at the research and covers it��

We might remind George that Finland recently had a go at UBI �� and dropped it quick as a wink.

But let us recall the reason universal basic income is receiving any hearing at all:

Automation.

Some estimate artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics will replace half of all jobs in 20 years.

These are not limited to trucking, taxi-driving or manufacturing and construction.

To these we must add white-collar jobs in law, finance, medicine, accounting, etc.

What will become of the attorney-at-law, we wonder �� and the human pilot of the ambulance he chases?

We are unconvinced automation will proceed at the projected gallop.

But let us suspend all assumption for the moment�� and drive on to the inevitable question:

What happens when robots are brainy enough to perform all human labor?

Economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883��1950) put the term ��creative destruction�� into wide circulation.

For Schumpeter, capitalism was the ��perennial gale�� of creative destruction.

Capitalism blows away the old and inefficient. In comes the new and improved.

Because of capitalism��s perennial gale�� today��s plebe lives better than yesteryear��s king.

Innovation and technology have always allowed humans to mine fresh sources of productive employment.

The 19th century farmer became the 20th century factory worker�� became the 21st century computer programmer.

But a fully capable robot would likely mean the end of the line.

A brute of a robot that can strike home a rivet is one thing.

But a genius robot that can do anything a human can do �� only better �� is quite another.

This intelligent robot would tower over the human as the human towers over the ape.

An Aristotle, an Einstein, would be a pygmy next to it.

What human ability would lie beyond this unnatural beast?

Artistic expression perhaps.

An evolved robot might run its circles around the human antique you say.

But it cannot appreciate beauty �� much less express it.

The robot has a brain�� but no soul.

No, the kingdom of the arts belongs to man alone.

Well, please introduce yourself to Avia…

Avia is a computerized musical composer.

Programmers ��introduced�� it to the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and other such colossi of the classical canon.

It proceeded to acquire musical theory based on the inputs�� and taught itself to compose original music.

Its tunes have been featured in cinematic soundtracks, advertisements and computer games.

No human composer has yet proven able to distinguish its music from a carbon-based professional��s.

Will the next Mozart be a computer?

Not even the oldest profession is safe from robotic competition �� if you can believe it.

But let it pass for now.

Return your mind instead to Schumpeter��s creative destruction…

The obvious benefits of capitalism are why most see only the ��creative�� part of the equation.

But we must never forget the equally critical ��destruction�� side of the ledger.

Capitalism thumbs a mocking nose at tradition.

It uproots communities.

Capitalism sends the human being careening around hairpin turns of social and technological change for which he may be unprepared.

Within a generation, the centuries-old farming community is given over to the assembly line and the punch clock.

A generation later that factory goes dark as the gales of creative destruction blow the jobs clear across to China�� or Vietnam�� or wherever the labor is cheapest.

Have you visited the Rust Belt?

It is the ��Rust Belt�� for a reason.

Furthermore, Americans must constantly upend themselves and their families to follow the jobs �� which yanks apart the bonds of community.

And advancing technology makes today��s job obsolete tomorrow.

Not everyone can take up new lines of employment.

Many are simply left behind, broken�� and can never catch up.

Today��s unemployment figure is officially 3.9%.

But that does not include the millions of forgotten and hopeless Americans who have simply thrown up the sponge.

As Jim Rickards noted yesterday, roughly 10 million able-bodied working age adults have abandoned the search for work.

Adjust for those ��missing workers,�� Jim says�� and the real unemployment rate is about 10% �� a depression level figure.

The river of progress carries forward, as it must.

And yes �� it must.

But let us at least recognize��

The advancing river of progress sometimes takes the human note with it.

Within the cold economic data, behind the dense forests of statistics�� exist living human beings with beating hearts.

And many with broken hearts.

To these, our fellow Americans �� our fellow human beings �� we lift a toast of acknowledgment today…

Regards,

Brian Maher
Managing editor, The Daily Reckoning

Top Energy Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:LPSN,ASML,PRGX,

Equities analysts forecast that SunCoke Energy Partners (NYSE:SXCP) will post sales of $208.03 million for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Three analysts have provided estimates for SunCoke Energy Partners’ earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $202.60 million and the highest is $214.70 million. SunCoke Energy Partners posted sales of $200.60 million during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 3.7%. The company is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, July 26th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that SunCoke Energy Partners will report full year sales of $845.58 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $793.80 million to $900.64 million. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the firm will post sales of $830.02 million per share, with estimates ranging from $751.60 million to $890.50 million. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are an average based on a survey of research analysts that that provide coverage for SunCoke Energy Partners.

Top Energy Stocks To Own For 2019: LivePerson Inc.(LPSN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN) updated its FY18 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.11-0.15 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.09. The company issued revenue guidance of $239-243 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $239.45 million.LivePerson also updated its Q2 guidance to $0.00-0.01 EPS.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The technology company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, Bloomberg Earnings reports. LivePerson had a negative return on equity of 2.93% and a negative net margin of 6.95%. The company had revenue of $58.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $57.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.01 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. LivePerson updated its Q2 guidance to $0.00-0.01 EPS and its FY18 guidance to $0.11-0.15 EPS.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Double-digit growth is back at LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN). The provider of high-tech customer support reported fresh financials after Thursday's market close, delivering its best period of year-over-year revenue growth in nearly three years.�

Top Energy Stocks To Own For 2019: ASML Holding N.V.(ASML)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) was down 2.6% to $197.02 on Friday morning. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $126.03 to $216.00 and a consensus analyst target price of $196.81.

Top Energy Stocks To Own For 2019: PRGX Global, Inc.(PRGX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  PRGX Global (NASDAQ:PRGX) had its price objective boosted by B. Riley from $11.00 to $12.00 in a research note published on Wednesday. They currently have a buy rating on the business services provider’s stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for PRGX Global’s Q2 2018 earnings at ($0.07) EPS, Q3 2018 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $0.27 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at ($0.12) EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.17 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.32 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.33 EPS.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:MKSI,PMT,NAV,MMSI,BLUE,

Investment company Spiros Segalas buys Activision Blizzard Inc, Broadcom, Nike Inc, Crown Castle International Corp, Netflix Inc, Allergan PLC, Illumina Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, sells Starbucks Corp, TJX Inc, Halliburton Co, S&P Global Inc, NXP Semiconductors NV during the 3-months ended 2017-04-30, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Harbor Capital Appreciation Fund. As of 2017-04-30, Harbor Capital Appreciation Fund owns 58 stocks with a total value of $26.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: ATVI, CCI, REGN, VRTX, SNAP, Added Positions: AVGO, NKE, AAPL, NFLX, AGN, ILMN, BMY, BMRN, FB, EXPE, Reduced Positions: HAL, AMZN, PANW, QCOM, CELG, GOOG, GOOGL, NVDA, STZ, MA, Sold Out: SBUX, TJX, SPGI, NXPI, SLB,

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

These are the top 5 holdings of Spiros SegalasApple Inc (AAPL) - 11,000,132 shares, 6.06% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 13.54%Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) - 1,414,503 shares, 5.02% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 17.59%Facebook Inc (FB) - 7,640,347 shares, 4.41% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 7.32%Microsoft Corp (MSFT) - 13,919,247 shares, 3.66% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 4.01%Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA) - 7,679,282 shares, 3.4% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 2.92%New Purchase: Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI)

Spiros Segalas initiated holdings in Activision Blizzard Inc. The purchase prices were between $39.19 and $52.25, with an estimated average price of $47.35. The stock is now traded at around $58.09. The impact to the portfolio due to this purchase was 1.21%. The holdings were 6,040,016 shares as of 2017-04-30.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MKS Instruments, Inc.(MKSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Richard S. Chute sold 1,988 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.75, for a total value of $220,171.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,118,907.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Peter Hanley sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.70, for a total transaction of $28,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,241 shares in the company, valued at $368,501.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust(PMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) – Equities researchers at Wedbush lifted their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Pennymac Mortgage Investment in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 10th. Wedbush analyst J. Weaver now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will post earnings per share of $0.36 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.34. Wedbush also issued estimates for Pennymac Mortgage Investment’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.52 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.74 EPS.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Navistar International Corporation(NAV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  NavCoin (CURRENCY:NAV) traded up 3.1% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 12:00 PM ET on May 14th. NavCoin has a market cap of $69.58 million and approximately $924,266.00 worth of NavCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. Over the last week, NavCoin has traded 12.8% lower against the US dollar. One NavCoin coin can now be bought for $1.11 or 0.00012616 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including LiteBit.eu, Upbit, cfinex and Poloniex.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  While the transition period from one chief executive officer to another has barely gotten started at Volkswagen, some big changes may already be afoot. VW’s commercial-vehicles unit, Volkswagen Truck & Bus, is looking at the possibility of buying more shares in U.S. truck maker Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) or even acquiring the whole company outright.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Merit Medical Systems Inc.(MMSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Eagle Boston Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) by 5.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 412,344 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 20,334 shares during the quarter. Merit Medical Systems comprises approximately 1.9% of Eagle Boston Investment Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Eagle Boston Investment Management Inc. owned 0.82% of Merit Medical Systems worth $18,699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Invest In Right Now: bluebird bio, Inc.(BLUE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE)‘s stock had its “underweight” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald in a report issued on Wednesday.

• [By Rafi Farber]

  Here��s some perspective. Within the past decade, University of Pennsylvania has allied with Novartis A.G. (NYSE: NVS), Baylor College of Medicine with Bluebird Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:�CELG), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center with Juno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO) (which Celgene just got clearance to acquire), and the National Cancer Institute with Kite Pharma, which was acquired last year by�Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD).

• [By Brian Orelli]

  �bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) reported�first-quarter earnings last week, but like the biotech typically does, management didn't hold a conference call, which makes the earnings release more of a rehash of the quarter than an actual update.

• [By Todd Campbell, Leo Sun, and Daniel Miller]

  For instance, the company recently acquired Juno Therapeutics to get its hands on a pipeline of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell gene therapies (CAR-Ts). CAR-Ts represent one of the biggest recent advances in treating blood cancer, and depending on trial results, the first CAR-T from this collaboration could be filed for approval next year. Similarly, Celgene is partnering with bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) on bb2121, a CAR-T for multiple myeloma. So far, bb2121 is delivering 90%-plus response rates in heavily pre-treated patients, and if that success continues, it could end up on regulators' desk for approval next year, too.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Blue Protocol (CURRENCY:BLUE) traded down 9.1% against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 11:00 AM Eastern on May 12th. One Blue Protocol token can now be purchased for about $0.18 or 0.00002166 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including CoinExchange, EtherDelta (ForkDelta), IDEX and YoBit. In the last seven days, Blue Protocol has traded down 16.3% against the U.S. dollar. Blue Protocol has a market capitalization of $6.65 million and $31,443.00 worth of Blue Protocol was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) was up 0% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $190.50 and last traded at $189.30. Approximately 892,250 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 14% from the average daily volume of 779,838 shares. The stock had previously closed at $189.30.