3 "Internet of Things" Stocks to Buy Right Now

The “Internet of Things” essentially connects household products, industrial devices, vehicles, and much more to allow for advanced monitoring. Everyday products and machines can now be embedded with sensor technology to process data or interact with other electronic devices.

For example, consumer-level IoT products include things like Amazon’s (AMZN ) Echo “smart speaker,” wearable motion and activity tracking products from the likes of Fitbit (FIT ) and Apple (AAPL ) , and advanced in-car technology. On the commercial side of the IoT market, industrial manufacturers have begun implementing sensors into machines to track performance and efficiency.

One of the more obvious plays here for investors is semiconductor stocks, as chipmakers should be able to benefit from the growth of connected devices. But some chip stocks, including powers like Nvidia (NVDA ) , have been sluggish recently. With that said, IoT is set to become nearly ubiquitous, which means investors can try to profit from its growth in countless industries and firms.   

So today we’ve found three stocks which have been flagged by the Zacks Rank that could be poised for further IoT growth soon.

1. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO )

This historic networking and tech giant expanded its IoT business in recent years, offering clients the chance to connect everything from transportation fleets to assembly lines in order to run their operations more efficiently. Cisco sells IoT-related hardware and software, among other connectivity solutions, and saw its revenues climb 7% in its recently-reported quarter to top Wall Street estimates. CSCO also beat earnings estimates despite having to raise some of its prices for switches and routers in order to combat trade war-focused tariffs on Chinese produced goods.

Cisco stock has surged 16% this year and hit a new 52-week high Friday on the back of its continued post-earnings momentum. Looking ahead, our Zacks Consensus calls for Cisco’s current quarter earnings to surge 17% on the back of 3.4% revenue growth. CSCO has also experienced a ton of positive earnings estimate revision activity to help it earn its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Plus, Cisco is a dividend payer that is trading in line with its industry’s average P/E at 17.4X forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimates, which also marks a discount compared to its year-long high of 18.5X.

2. Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL )

Dell Technologies returned to the public markets at the end of December, roughly five years after the company’s founder took the company private. Shares of the PC and data-storage giant have climbed nearly 15% in 2019 and the company is set to release its fourth-quarter and fiscal 2019 financial results on Thursday, February 28. Dell bolstered its IoT business in the run-up to its return to the stock market and now offers smart video monitoring solutions, IoT connected bundles, data center-level compute, storage, and networking that bolsters bandwidth, and more.  

Dell is projected to see its fourth-quarter revenues jump 7% to reach $23.46 billion, while its adjusted full-year earnings are expected to climb 7.3%. The company is also trading at 7.9X forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimates. This marks a huge discount compared to the IT Services Market’s 17.6X average and the S&P 500’s 16.9X. Dell sports “A” grades for both Value and Growth in our Style Scores system and is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at the moment.

3. Cree, Inc. (CREE )

Cree is a manufacturer of LEDs and semiconductors that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products. The company’s “SmartCast” platform enables Power over Ethernet technology and is geared toward IoT products and Smart Building platforms. CREE sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has experienced gains of 24% in the past three months to crush its broader industry’s 14% average climb.

Peeking ahead, analysts expect Cree’s current-quarter earnings to skyrocket 300% and its current fiscal year earnings—which ends in June—to soar over 310%. That growth is expected to continue to the tune of another 63% in the following year. Current estimates also see Cree’s revenue growth in these years reaching 10% and 11%, respectively, which means the company might not see the pullback some on Wall Street expect other semiconductors to witness in the near future.

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Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:CRWN,SO,REXX,

The preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for September jumped 4.8% to a reading of 100.8 after posting a final reading of 96.2 in August. The preliminary reading is 6% higher than the preliminary index reading of 95.1 in September of 2017.

The September index and subindex readings came in higher in every case when compared to August of last year. The preliminary August reading represents the second-highest reading since March of 2004. U.S. consumers have been buoyed lately by abundant jobs and rising wages.

Economists polled by Bloomberg were expecting a preliminary September reading of 97.

The month-over-month consumer expectations subindex rose 4.6% to 91.1, and the current conditions subindex rose from 110.3 to 116.1. (up 5.3%).

Year over year, the current conditions subindex is up 3.9% and the consumer expectations subindex is up 7.9%.

The survey's chief economist, Richard Curtin, said:

Consumer sentiment posted a robust rise in early September, reaching 100.8, the second highest level since 2004-only behind the March 2018 reading of 101.4. Importantly, the gains were widespread across all major socioeconomic subgroups. The Expectations Index reached its highest level since July 2004, largely due to more favorable prospects for jobs and incomes. Despite a lessening of expected gains in nominal incomes in September, inflation expectations also declined, acting to offset concerns about declining living standards. Consumers anticipated continued growth in the economy that would produce more jobs and an even lower unemployment rate during the year ahead. While consumers were somewhat more likely to anticipate that the economic expansion would continue uninterrupted over the next five years, nearly as many expected another downturn sometime in the next five years. The largest problem cited on the economic horizon involved the anticipated negative impact from tariffs. Concerns about the negative impact of tariffs on the domestic economy were spontaneously mentioned by nearly one-third of all consumers in the past three months, up from one-in-five in the prior four months.

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2019: Crown Media Holdings, Inc.(CRWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Acumen Capital reissued their buy rating on shares of Crown Capital Partners (TSE:CRWN) in a research report report published on Tuesday. Acumen Capital currently has a C$11.80 target price on the stock.

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2019: Southern Company (SO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Southern Co. (NYSE: SO) took a beating on Wednesday, and the gap down of 2% more to $46.09 on Thursday’s opening bell had seen shares recover to a loss of just 0.4% at $46.72 shortly before noon. Barclays downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight and cut its target price to $48 from $51. Guggenheim lowered its rating to Neutral from Buy and lowered its price target from $50 to $47. Credit Suisse downgraded it to Underperform from Neutral with a $43 price target. Other target cuts were seen as follows:

• [By ]

  And while it's imperative that you don't risk money you're going to count on in the next several years in investments that can quickly lose a lot of value and be very slow to -- if ever -- recover, high-quality dividend stocks can still serve an important part in providing the best mix of income for today and long-term capital appreciation for down the road. To help you find the best dividend stocks for your retirement, three Motley Fool investors did some research and came back with Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), Southern Co. (NYSE:SO), and Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE:KMI).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC increased its position in Southern Co (NYSE:SO) by 82.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,923 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,309 shares during the quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC’s holdings in Southern were worth $644,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2019: Rex Energy Corporation(REXX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  News stories about Rex Energy (NASDAQ:REXX) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research firm identifies negative and positive press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Rex Energy earned a news impact score of 0.07 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the oil and gas exploration company an impact score of 45.4610840717308 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.

WVS Financial (WVFC) Reaches New 52-Week High at $18.44

Shares of WVS Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:WVFC) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $18.44 and last traded at $17.06, with a volume of 9040 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.65.

Separately, ValuEngine upgraded WVS Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 12th.

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The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.09, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.66.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 21st. Investors of record on Monday, February 11th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 8th. This is an increase from WVS Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.35%.

COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “WVS Financial (WVFC) Reaches New 52-Week High at $18.44” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this story on another domain, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of United States & international copyright & trademark legislation. The original version of this story can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4169417/wvs-financial-wvfc-reaches-new-52-week-high-at-18-44.html.

WVS Financial Company Profile (NASDAQ:WVFC)

WVS Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for West View Savings Bank that provides various banking products and services to residents and businesses. The company offers deposit products, including regular savings accounts, demand accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as individual retirement account certificates.

Read More: What is the Coverage Ratio?

The 3 Best Energy Stocks to Buy Before Oil Prices Soar in 2019

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Several factors are fueling a rise in crude oil prices right now. And we're just getting started on an extended crude price rally that will take us through the third quarter of 2019.

The price of WTI crude oil is sitting just below a 2019 high, near $56 per barrel. The same goes for Brent crude, which pushed to the brink of $67 per barrel.

Don't just take our word on it. Three major trends are driving oil prices higher. And that's excellent news for three major oil stocks that have just hit our "Buy Zone."

Buying these three energy stocks now, before the price of oil surges again, could be the key to double- or even triple-digit profits in 2019.

Here are those three trends – and the three oil stocks poised for major breakouts in 2019…

Supply Cuts and Sanctions Will Drive Oil Prices Higher in 2019

Three major trends are converging to push oil prices higher right now.

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First, OPEC and non-affiliated producers like Russia will cut daily production output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd). Those supply cuts will complement a reduction in exports by Saudi Arabia – OPEC's largest member – to Asia.

Second, North American producers continue to face bottlenecks in key producing regions around the continent.

Bottlenecks have curbed the flow of oil to refiners.

Railcar use has picked up once against due to the lack of pipeline capacity. An average of 718,000 barrels of oil are going by rail a day in the United States, a figure that is a year-over-year jump of 88%.

Although U.S. production is sitting at record highs, a glut is inevitable, but it's not coming until the end of the year, according to BNP Paribas.

Finally, the United States' sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela continue to weigh on the global supply and demand balance.

Just last week, consultants at FTI Consulting noted that even though Canada could pump more oil, the lack of transport will not reduce the market gap that has expanded.

Even though the United States pumps 11.9 million barrels per day, the U.S. imported 500,000 barrels from Venezuela per day (part of a broader import average of 7.9 million bpd). Meanwhile, Iran (which exported about 1.25 million barrels per day in January), is expected to see that figure drop under 1 million over time as sanctions weigh on the nation's economy.

BNP Paribas projects that U.S. oil prices will rise to an average of $66 by the end of the third quarter. The firm projects that Brent crude will hit an average of $73 in the months ahead.

Those double-digit percentage gains for oil will be felt in the pocketbooks of every American.

However, smart investors can get out of those oil price gains right now and make money on three stocks poised to break out in the coming months. And to find these stocks, we tapped into the single most powerful tool on Wall Street to identify wealth-building buys.

The Money Morning Stock VQScore…

The Best Energy Stocks to Buy Now, No. 3:

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Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:CCMP,ROSE,WLH,RYI,EPIX,

Lee Danner & Bass Inc. lowered its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB) by 8.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,370 shares of the company’s stock after selling 570 shares during the quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc.’s holdings in iShares Russell 1000 ETF were worth $997,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HC Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 4th quarter worth $494,000. RMB Capital Management LLC boosted its position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 21.9% during the 1st quarter. RMB Capital Management LLC now owns 10,980 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 1,975 shares during the period. Jump Trading LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 1st quarter worth $1,100,000. Davis R M Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $260,000. Finally, Blue Chip Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 1st quarter worth $265,000.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation(CCMP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Cabot Microelectronics (NASDAQ: CCMP) and Analog Devices (NASDAQ:ADI) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings and dividends.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cabot Microelectronics (CCMP)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News coverage about Cabot Microelectronics (NASDAQ:CCMP) has been trending somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies positive and negative press coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Cabot Microelectronics earned a daily sentiment score of 0.03 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the semiconductor company an impact score of 46.640513544039 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near term.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Rosetta Resources Inc.(ROSE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Rosehill Resources (ROSE)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Rosehill Resources Inc (NASDAQ:ROSE) have earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $11.00.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Rosehill Resources Inc Class A (ROSE)

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

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Lyon William Homes(WLH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) had its price objective cut by Citigroup from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. They currently have a neutral rating on the construction company’s stock.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  News articles about William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) have trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group ranks the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. William Lyon Homes earned a news impact score of 0.19 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the construction company an impact score of 48.3603279087369 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  William Lyon Homes  (NYSE:WLH)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 14, 2019, 12:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Ryerson Holding Corporation(RYI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Ryerson Holding (NYSE:RYI) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $11.69.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This top small-cap play could make sense for more aggressive accounts. Ryerson Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RYI) offers a line of stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel and alloy steels, as well as nickel and red metals in various shapes and forms, including coils, sheets, rounds, hexagons, square and flat bars, plates, structurals and tubings.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Ryerson
  This is a top small-cap play that could make sense for more aggressive accounts. Ryerson Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RYI) offers a line of stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel and alloy steels, as well as nickel and red metals in various shapes and forms, including coils, sheets, square and flat bars, plates and tubing.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: ESSA Pharma Inc.(EPIX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares tumbled 48.59 percent to close at $1.275 on Thursday after the company priced its $18,000,000 public offering. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NVIV) fell 38.77 percent to close at $8.26 on Thursday. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares tumbled 27.43 percent to close at $8.81. Achaogen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAO) dropped 24.76 percent to close at $11.06 in reaction to a disappointing update from an FDA AdCom panel. The FDA panel voted favorably for the company's Plazcomicin for treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections, but also voted against the therapy to be used as a treatment for bloodstream infections. Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK) shares declined 24.68 percent to close at $34.80 after the company posted downbeat quarterly results. LSC Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LKSD) shares fell 24.22 percent to close at $12.64 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) fell 21.42 percent to close at $50.80 following downbeat quarterly profit. Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) dropped 20.42 percent to close at $6.00 following downbeat quarterly earnings. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) slipped 20.11 percent to close at $2.90 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) fell 19.28 percent to close at $36.93. Esperion Therapeutics stock lost roughly a third of its value Wednesday after the company reported mixed Phase III results for its leading drug candidate, bempedoic acid. JP Morgan downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from Neutral to Underweight. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) declined 17.77 percent to close at $8.98 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings. The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: HABT) dipped 16.1 percent to close at $8.60 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (N
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ESSA Pharma (EPIX)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ESSA Pharma (EPIX)

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

Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s (RBS) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Jefferies Financia

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (LON:RBS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued on Friday. They currently have a GBX 341 ($4.46) target price on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 35.32% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group in a research report on Monday, October 29th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 14th. Deutsche Bank decreased their target price on Royal Bank of Scotland Group from GBX 318 ($4.16) to GBX 300 ($3.92) and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 29th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 350 ($4.57) target price on Royal Bank of Scotland Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Royal Bank of Scotland Group presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of GBX 304.38 ($3.98).

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LON:RBS traded up GBX 4.50 ($0.06) during trading hours on Friday, reaching GBX 252 ($3.29). The company had a trading volume of 17,143,069 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,430,000. Royal Bank of Scotland Group has a one year low of GBX 221.80 ($2.90) and a one year high of GBX 304.20 ($3.97).

Royal Bank of Scotland Group Company Profile

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services to personal, commercial, corporate, and institutional customers worldwide. It operates through Personal & Business Banking, Commercial & Private Banking, RBS International, and NatWest Markets segments.

Recommended Story: Balance Sheet

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (XIN) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.  (NYSE:XIN)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 15, 2019, 8:00 a.m. ET

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

Operator

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the Xinyuan Real Estate Company Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call. Please note that today's call is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Mr. Bill Zima, ICR. Please go ahead.

William Zima -- Investor Relations

Thank you, operator. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Xinyuan's Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call. The Company's fourth quarter earnings results were released earlier today and are available on the Company's IR website as well as on newswire services.

Before we continue, please note that the discussion today will contain forward-looking statements made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. As such, our results can be materially different from the views expressed today.

Further information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in our registration statement and our Form 20-F and other documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Xinyuan does not assume any obligations to update any forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable law.

Today you will hear from Mr. Lizhou Zhang, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, who will comment on our operating results; he will be followed by Mr. Xuefeng Li, the Company's Interim Chief Financial Officer, who will provide some additional color on Xinyuan's performance, review the Company's financial results, and discuss the financial outlook. Following management's prepared remarks, we will open up the call to questions.

With that said, I would now like to turn the call over to Xinyuan's CEO, Mr. Zhang. Please go ahead.

Lizhou Zhang -- Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Thank you, Bill. Good morning. And thank you all for joining our fourth quarter 2018 earnings conference call. We are pleased that Xinyuan has maintained strong growth despite the downward pressure on sales across the industry. For the 2018 full year results, the total amount of contracts signed in the year 2018 was $3.2 billion, which is 42.4% higher than in 2017. Correspondingly our full year total revenue increased by double digits.

Due to the successful selection and execution of our projects, gross profit margin for the year increased to 27.5% resulting in bottom line growth of more than 20% (ph), well above our forecast of 20% to 20% (ph). In the fourth quarter of 2018, our revenue increased substantial reaching 49.1% growth over the fourth quarter of 2017.

We also made notable improvements to our margins. Gross profits increased 72% year-over-year and the gross margin reached 28.7%. Demand for our active projects in China remains steady and positive, and we advanced on multiple projects while driving positive results for our shareholders.

During the fourth quarter, we commenced pre-sales of 10 new projects, five in Zhengzhou, two in Suzhou, and others in Qingdao, Jinan, and Dalian (ph). Domestic projects made significant contributions to our total GFA sales and total contract sales.

In term of offshore development. In the first quarter of 2018, our projects in the US and the Malaysia continued to proceed as planned and our UK project made even further progress in both construction and sales. During the past year, we maintained our commitment to controlling our financial leverage. We successfully reduced our short-term debt ratio (ph) by repurchasing the outstanding bonds and optimizing the debt structure. With increased profit and controlling leverage, we expect to further enhance our financial health.

In addition, we are also pleased to continue our dividend payments in this quarter and our ability to deliver value to our shareholders. Going forward, we remain optimistic about our ability to achieve positive operating performance by focusing on our core business, maintaining our competitive advantages, and strengthening our market-leading position.

Now please allow me to turn the call over to our Interim CFO, Mr. Li Xuefeng. Xuefeng, please go ahead.

Xuefeng Li -- Interim Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Mr. Zhang. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Xinyuan's fourth quarter 2018 earnings conference call. Allow me to take you through the financial results for this quarter, further discuss our latest operations and the initiatives, and conclude by updating you on our financial outlook for the remainder of the year.

To comply with the SEC's and the Financial Accounting Standards Board's requirements, we have adopted ASC 606: Revenue from Contracts with Customers on January 1st, 2018. We adopted ASC 606 on an over-time basis via the cost input method and applied the standard only to contracts not completed as of the date of adoption. That means part of our profits will be recognized later than previously estimated under the percentage of completion method.

Our first quarter results reflect the adoption of ASC 606, especially with regards to revenues and net income and may not be directly comparable to the same period last year. All references below are in US dollar terms, unless otherwise specified (ph). Contract sales was $724 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to $823.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 and $571.3 million in the third quarter of 2018.

Total GFA sales in China were about 355,600 square meters in the fourth quarter compared to 443,600 square meters in the same quarter last year and 277,500 square meter in the last quarter. Total revenue increased 49.1% to $1,081.8 million from $725.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, and increased 81.7% from $595.5 million in the third quarter of 2018. Increase was mainly due to centralized delivery of projects and pre-sale of 10 projects in fourth quarter.

The average selling price per square meter sold in China was around RMB13,500 in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to about RMB13,400 in last quarter and about RMB12,100 in the fourth quarter of 2017. SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 9.9% from 10.8% in the fourth quarter of 2017 and increased from 8% in the third quarter of 2018.

Interest expense this quarter was about $20.6 million compared to about $21.8 million last quarter and $25.2 million in same quarter last year. The year-over-year decrease was caused by a lower debt balance at the end of fourth quarter of 2018. Due to foreign exchange fluctuations, the exchange loss in this quarter was about $55,000 (ph) compared to about $13.5 million (ph) of exchange loss last quarter.Net income for the fourth quarter increased to $104.2 million compared to $35.4 million net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017.

Diluted net earnings per ADS attributable to shareholders were $1.15 compared to $0.50 net earnings per ADS in the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company repurchased the $2.2 billion ADS in fourth quarter of 2018. The total ADS repurchased in 2018 is $4.5 million.

Our full year contract sales over 2018 decreased because it only includes contracts that qualify for revenue recognition. Excluded contracts will be qualified in the coming quarters and the contract sales will be recovered.

Balance sheet; as of December 31st, 2018, the Company's cash and the cash equivalents was $1.2 billion compared to $1.4 billion as of September 30th, 2018. Total debt outstanding was $3.5 billion, decreasing from $4.1 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2018. The balance of the Company's real estate properties under development at the end of fourth quarter of 2018 was about $3.8 billion compared to $4.5 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2018. Shareholders' equity at the end of fourth quarter of 2018 was about $758 million (ph) compared to about $658 million (ph) as of the end of third quarter of 2018.

Project updates; as of December 31st, 2018, our total unsold land bank was 12.7 million square meters (ph). US project updates; as of December 31st, 2018, our Oosten project in Brooklyn, New York, has recognized a total revenue of about $259.3 million from the sales of 176 units out of 216 total units, representing approximately 81.5% of the total units sold.

Our Hudson Garden project in Manhattan, New York, completed construction up to sixth floor. Due to design drawings optimization, the total number of units increased from 82 to 92. A total of about 29,000 square foot out of the 38,000 square foot of retail or commercial space has been leased to the US department store retailer Target with a 20-year lease. A soft launch began in the fourth quarter of 2018.

We continue to execute on planning, governmental approvals, and pre-development of our ground-up development project in Flushing, New York. After the Landmark Protection Committee's approval on our landmark protection plan, we were awarded with a Certificate of Appropriateness. Transfer of work has to be completed by the end of February 2019.

UK projects update; in the fourth quarter of 2018, we added another 8 floors to the structural core of the building with only 11 floors left to finish for a 53-story building for our completion target of 2020. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2018, all of the 104 Affordable Housing apartments of the 423-unit Madison project have been presold. Of the remaining 319 apartments, 133 apartments have been sold, representing 41.7% of the total number of units.

Dividend; we announced a cash dividend for the fourth quarter of 2018 of $0.10 per ADS which will be paid before March 12, 2019, to shareholders of record as of February 25, 2019. And finally, on to our full year 2018 financial forecast. For 2019, we expect an increase in contract sales of about 10% and an increase in consolidated net income of 15% to 20% over 2018.

This concludes my prepared remarks for today's call. Operator, we are now ready to take some questions.

Questions and Answers:

Operator

Thank you. (Operator Instructions) We will take our next question from Michael Prouting with 10K Capital.

Michael Frederick Prouting -- 10K Capital LLC -- Analyst

Yeah. Good morning. Thanks for hosting the call and taking my question. I didn't see any update in the press release on your blockchain initiatives, so I was wondering if you could just update us on that and any plans that you may have to try to have the value of that initiative reflected in stock price. Thank you.

Unidentified Speaker --

(Foreign Language) Well, as for the business of blockchain for Xinyuan, we used to release that in our previous quarterly report. And the application for blockchain technology in Xinyuan is now in the very early phase of exploration, especially for the application with our traditional real estate (ph) industry, especially for example like the EVS (ph) project now is in the very early phase. In future days we will have more comprehensive trying and exploration in this area.

Operator

(Operator Instructions) And there are no questions at this time, so I'd like to turn the call back over to management for any additional or closing remarks.

Xuefeng Li -- Interim Chief Financial Officer

Okay. We thank you for joining us on today's call, and we appreciate your ongoing support. We look forward to updating you on our progress in the weeks and month ahead. Thank you again.

Operator

And that concludes today's presentation. We thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.

Duration: 17 minutes

Call participants:

William Zima -- Investor Relations

Lizhou Zhang -- Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Xuefeng Li -- Interim Chief Financial Officer

Michael Frederick Prouting -- 10K Capital LLC -- Analyst

Unidentified Speaker --

More XIN analysis

Transcript powered by AlphaStreet

This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:SDRL,AE,NOV,ENB,

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Ring Energy Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:REI) by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,422,953 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 72,507 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 5.65% of Ring Energy worth $33,922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ring Energy during the third quarter valued at about $108,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Ring Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $161,000. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Ring Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $165,000. LPL Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Ring Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $172,000. Finally, PEAK6 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Ring Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $381,000.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Seadrill Limited(SDRL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Wednesday morning, the energy shares climbed 1.29 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included SeaDrill Limited (NYSE: SDRL), up 19 percent, and Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGC), up 10 percent.

• [By Jason Hall]

  Shares of offshore drilling contractor Seadrill Ltd (NYSE:SDRL) are down 41.6% at 2:14 p.m. EDT on July 2, following the company's pre-market announcement that it had emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The plan, which has been in place for many months now, included converting a substantial amount of the company's existing debt into equity, altering the terms of the debt it continues to carry, and providing it with over $2 billion in cash on hand funded partly by new secured debt. 

• [By Lisa Levin]

  On Wednesday, the energy shares climbed 1.48 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included SeaDrill Limited (NYSE: SDRL), up 15 percent, and EP Energy Corporation (NYSE: EPE), up 15 percent.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

  Get Neonode alerts: 50 days simple moving average (SMA50) Evaluation: Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S), Neonode Inc. (NASDAQ:NEON … (stocksnewspoint.com) Bright Stocks in Review: Seadrill Limited (NYSE:SDRL), Neonode Inc. (NASDAQ:NEON), The LS Starrett Company … (journalfinance.net) Zacks: Brokerages Expect Neonode Inc (NEON) to Announce -$0.01 Earnings Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) Pulling the Curtain Back on Neonode Inc (NEON) (parkcitycaller.com) Hair-Raising Facts to know about 200 Days simple moving average (SMA200): Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMRT … (stocksnewspoint.com)

  A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NEON. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1.00 target price on shares of Neonode in a research note on Friday, March 9th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Neonode from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Adams Resources & Energy, Inc.(AE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Aeternity (AE) uses the hashing algorithm. Its launch date was September 2nd, 2017. Aeternity’s total supply is 273,685,830 tokens and its circulating supply is 233,020,472 tokens. Aeternity’s official website is www.aeternity.com. Aeternity’s official Twitter account is @aetrnty and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for Aeternity is /r/Aeternity and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Aeternity (CURRENCY:AE) traded 0.3% lower against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 23:00 PM Eastern on June 16th. Aeternity has a market cap of $610.90 million and approximately $5.83 million worth of Aeternity was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, Aeternity has traded 21.4% lower against the US dollar. One Aeternity token can now be purchased for approximately $2.62 or 0.00040024 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Lykke Exchange, Binance, Koinex and Gate.io.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Aeternity (CURRENCY:AE) traded down 15.9% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on June 10th. One Aeternity token can currently be purchased for approximately $2.94 or 0.00043736 BTC on popular exchanges including LATOKEN, Lykke Exchange, CoinBene and IDAX. Aeternity has a market cap of $684.89 million and approximately $14.30 million worth of Aeternity was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, Aeternity has traded down 16.7% against the US dollar.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Adams Resources & Energy Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:AE) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 6,366 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $277,000.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Aeternity (CURRENCY:AE) traded down 15.9% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on June 10th. One Aeternity token can currently be purchased for approximately $2.94 or 0.00043736 BTC on popular exchanges including LATOKEN, Lykke Exchange, CoinBene and IDAX. Aeternity has a market cap of $684.89 million and approximately $14.30 million worth of Aeternity was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, Aeternity has traded down 16.7% against the US dollar.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: National Oilwell Varco, Inc.(NOV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on National Oilwell Varco (NOV)

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

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Oil prices crashed 40% from their peak early in the fourth quarter, which caused some oil producers to abruptly change their plans. While that impacted National Oilwell Varco's (NYSE:NOV) financial results, it wasn't as bad as analysts feared as the company managed to beat revenue expectations while remaining profitable.

• [By Max Byerly]

  National-Oilwell Varco (NYSE:NOV) was upgraded by analysts at Johnson Rice from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

• [By Zacks]

  On the news front, U.S. supermajor Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) gave its go-ahead to the $5.1 billion second stage of its massive Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia, while oilfield service providers McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) and National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE: NOV) provided first-quarter operational updates.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Enbridge Inc(ENB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  In addition to the Trans Mountain system, two other pipeline projects currently are proposed to move crude oil from Alberta either to the Great Lakes or the Gulf Coast. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) is proposing to replace its 50-year old Line 3 system to transport 760,000 barrels a day to Superior, Wisconsin. TransCanada Corp. (NYSE: TRP) has received approval from the Trump administration and would transport 830,000 barrels a day to Nebraska where existing pipelines will take over, sending the crude to U.S. refineries and Gulf Coast terminals.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Enbridge Inc (NYSE:ENB) (TSE:ENB) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 31,032,917 shares, a growth of 11.9% from the May 31st total of 27,744,326 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,638,832 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.5 days.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  In making this offer, Dominion joins pipeline giants Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) and Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) in buying out their MLP due to the FERC ruling. Williams agreed to a deal to acquire its MLP in May, offering a slight 6.4% premium to seal the deal, which closed early August. While the FERC ruling played a role, Williams also saw the deal as simplifying its corporate structure, improving its credit profile, and increasing the amount of cash it retains to fund expansion projects.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Enbridge Inc (TSE:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$54.27.

Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:DUK,PACW,E,PAI,

Mackay Shields LLC reduced its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (NYSE:HPE) by 28.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 427,586 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 166,877 shares during the period. Mackay Shields LLC’s holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise were worth $6,247,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Boston Partners boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 67.2% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,969,750 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $204,098,000 after purchasing an additional 5,615,283 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 10,904,432 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $191,263,000 after purchasing an additional 242,200 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 196.3% during the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 8,753,931 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $153,544,000 after purchasing an additional 5,799,831 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 17.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 8,603,281 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $125,694,000 after purchasing an additional 1,250,834 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,314,644 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $110,759,000 after purchasing an additional 96,426 shares during the last quarter. 81.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Duke Energy Corporation(DUK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Watch for Duke Energy Corp.’s (NYSE: DUK) first-quarter report on Thursday. The consensus forecast is $1.14 in EPS on $5.81 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $79.89. The consensus price target is $82.20, and shares have traded between $72.93 and $91.80 in the past 52 weeks.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Investing when you are young is generally focused on growing your nest egg. And as you near retirement, that starts to change to a goal of living off your savings. Doing that can be a lot easier if you focus on dividend-paying companies backed by stable businesses. Here are three high-yield stocks that fit that bill: Magellan Midstream Partners LP (NYSE:MMP), Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG).

• [By Max Byerly]

  Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. reduced its position in Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK) by 0.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 138,215 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 885 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $10,930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PacWest Bancorp(PACW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Eagle Boston Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:PACW) by 4.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 216,438 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 8,918 shares during the period. Eagle Boston Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in PacWest Bancorp were worth $10,696,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:PACW) – Stock analysts at Wedbush reduced their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of PacWest Bancorp in a research report issued on Wednesday, September 12th. Wedbush analyst D. Chiaverini now forecasts that the financial services provider will earn $0.89 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.90. Wedbush currently has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Wedbush also issued estimates for PacWest Bancorp’s Q1 2020 earnings at $0.98 EPS and Q2 2020 earnings at $1.02 EPS.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on PacWest Bancorp (PACW)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  PacWest Banc (NASDAQ: PACW) and Arrow Financial (NASDAQ:AROW) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and profitability.

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:PACW) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning.

Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ENI S.p.A.(E)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ENI (NYSE:E) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a sell rating. According to Zacks, “With recovering oil prices, Eni’s operating profits from its Refining & Marketing business has gone down in the first half of 2018 against the comparable period of 2017. Also, operating profit from its Chemical business fell 79% during this period due to rising costs of oil-based feedstock. Moreover, Eni has sold 50% of its stake in the Zohr field, a high yielding project, which can impact its revenues. Fall in demand for products like gasoil and gasoline, in Italy, is also a concern for the company. If this consumption trend persists, the company’s profit levels will get affected. Given these headwinds, Eni seems like a risky bet that ordinary investors should exit.”

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Eni SpA (NYSE:E) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $34.24.

• [By Zacks]

  Following the reform, Mexico drew multi-billion dollars' investment. It could lead up to an output of 3 MMBbl/d by the end of the planned period, as predicted by the supporters of the reform. The reform could also bring down electricity rates in the country. So far, Mexico has awarded around 90 contracts, both onshore and offshore. The country raised about $100 billion from the auctions by the end of January. With nine oil and gas blocks, Shell has emerged as the leading player in the auctions held so far. Other winners in the bidding processes include Eni S.p.A. (NYSE: E)of Italy, Inpex of Japan, France's TOTAL S.A. (NYSE: TOT), Chevron and more.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Enterprise Group Inc (TSE:E) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.37 and last traded at C$0.37, with a volume of 24200 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$0.40.

Best Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Pacific American Income Shares, Inc.(PAI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  PCHAIN (CURRENCY:PAI) traded up 0.3% against the dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on June 23rd. One PCHAIN token can now be bought for about $0.0807 or 0.00001322 BTC on exchanges including Bibox, IDEX and Hotbit. PCHAIN has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $2.46 million worth of PCHAIN was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, PCHAIN has traded 18.4% lower against the dollar.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Project Pai (CURRENCY:PAI) traded down 6.5% against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 22:00 PM ET on July 11th. In the last week, Project Pai has traded flat against the US dollar. One Project Pai coin can currently be purchased for approximately $1.05 or 0.00016577 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including LBank, Bitfinex and Huobi. Project Pai has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $86.99 million worth of Project Pai was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  PCHAIN (CURRENCY:PAI) traded down 1.2% against the dollar during the 1 day period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on August 19th. PCHAIN has a market cap of $12.30 million and approximately $1.53 million worth of PCHAIN was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, PCHAIN has traded 9.6% lower against the dollar. One PCHAIN token can now be bought for about $0.0281 or 0.00000432 BTC on major exchanges including Bilaxy, Hotbit, DDEX and DEx.top.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:TOWR,SFLY,W,NPK,MPLX,AHT, &l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-34613873&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/34613873/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;1307&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; A salesman enters the showroom of a CarMax dealership in Miami, Florida, Wednesday, December 20, 2006. CarMax Inc., the largest used-car dealer in the U.S., said third-quarter profit almost doubled and raised its full-year forecast for the second time in three months as customers bought more luxury cars and light trucks. Photographer: Carlo Allegri/Bloomberg News.

&l;span&g;Carmax Inc. is&a;nbsp;scheduled to report earnings before Wednesday&s;s open. The stock recently hit a record high of $81.67/share and is trading near $78.50/share. The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. Conversely, if the numbers disappoint, the stock can easily gap down. To help you prepare, here is what the Street is expecting:&l;/span&g;

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Tower International, Inc.(TOWR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Tower International (TOWR)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Delphi Management Inc. MA reduced its position in shares of Tower International Inc (NYSE:TOWR) by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,753 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 2,005 shares during the quarter. Delphi Management Inc. MA owned about 0.10% of Tower International worth $670,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Tower International (NYSE:TOWR) was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Tower International Inc (NYSE:TOWR) has received a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the eight brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.33.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

  Get Tower International alerts: Bridging North America will build Gordie Howe International Bridge (windsorstar.com) Woods Bagot Unveils Design of Firm’s First Grade a Office Tower in Manila (dexigner.com) Gordie Howe International Bridge will be longest cable-stayed bridge in North America (clickondetroit.com) China Tower Is Said to Start Gauging Demand for Hong Kong IPO (bloomberg.com) Brokerages Expect Tower International Inc (TOWR) Will Announce Earnings of $1.08 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com)

  TOWR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Tower International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Saturday, May 5th. ValuEngine downgraded Tower International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, Roth Capital initiated coverage on Tower International in a research report on Thursday, May 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $41.00 target price on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $35.50.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Shutterfly Inc.(SFLY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shutterfly (NASDAQ:SFLY) SVP Satish Menon sold 3,980 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.76, for a total transaction of $377,144.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,980 shares in the company, valued at $2,746,144.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Shutterfly (NASDAQ:SFLY) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and three have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $80.57.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY) SVP Ishantha Lokuge sold 2,514 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.73, for a total transaction of $182,843.22. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $182,843.22. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Shutterfly Inc  (NASDAQ:SFLY)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 05, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY) by 208.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 324,834 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 219,679 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.98% of Shutterfly worth $29,245,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Wayfair Inc.(W)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Wayfair (NYSE:W) had its price objective lifted by Credit Suisse Group from $76.00 to $82.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning. They currently have a hold rating on the stock.

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  You know you've had a good first quarter as a retailer when sales growth doesn't decelerate from the seasonally strong holiday period. Home furnishings specialist Wayfair (NYSE:W) just achieved that impressive result.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Online furniture and home goods leader Wayfair (NYSE:W) estimates that its total addressable market is nearly $600 billion, split between North America and Europe. Capturing market share depends on skillful customer acquisition initiatives.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: National Presto Industries, Inc.(NPK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  OppenheimerFunds Inc. cut its stake in shares of National Presto Industries Inc. (NYSE:NPK) by 62.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,899 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after selling 3,188 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc.’s holdings in National Presto Industries were worth $235,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: MPLX LP(MPLX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  When oil refiner Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) formed master limited partnership (MLP) MPLX (NYSE:MPLX) in 2012, the main objective was to cash in on its midstream assets by steadily dropping them down to its MLP. That strategy would provide Marathon with cash to buy back its stock and fund expansion projects while giving income-focused investors another high-yielding option.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  That's why those who like dividends will undoubtedly love what Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP), and MPLX (NYSE:MPLX) have to offer. Not only does this trio of energy midstream master limited partnerships (MLPs) pay well-above-average dividends that currently have yields of between 5.6% and 7.2%, but they have consistently increased their payment rate each quarter. With those payouts on rock-solid ground and more growth in the forecast, this trio of MLPs is perfect for dividend fans.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  For investors looking for income investments, few have been as rewarding as MPLX LP (NYSE:MPLX) over the past few years. The stock has had an incredibly high yield and has almost doubled its payout over the past five years. It looks like this incredible growth rate is about to be put on hold, though, as management has decided to prioritize spending on growth over the next couple of years. 

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Targa Resources also signed a letter of intent with MPLX (NYSE:MPLX), NextEra Energy, and a privately held midstream company to develop the Whistler Pipeline. While the partners hope that this project will enter service by the end of 2020, they've only secured shippers for three-quarters of the pipeline's capacity. Because of that, they might have trouble hitting that projected in-service date since the project seems to have fallen behind Kinder Morgan's second gas pipeline, the Permian Highway Pipeline, which recently secured enough shippers to move forward. However, with Permian gas output on pace to double in the next decade, Targa should eventually fill this pipeline's capacity.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  [T]his morning we announced our 2018 capital investment plans for both MPC and MPLX (NYSE:MPLX). This plan remains focus on strengthening the sustained earnings power of the business through growth and margin enhancing projects as well as expanding our more stable cash flow businesses especially Speedway and MPLX. Our capital plan for MPC for 2018 excluding MPLX is $1.6 billion. This plan spending includes $950 million for Refining & Marketing, $530 million for Speedway and $100 million to support corporate activities and other investments.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc(AHT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Deutsche Bank reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Ashtead Group (LON:AHT) in a report published on Friday.

  Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Liberum Capital increased their price objective on Ashtead Group from GBX 2,360 ($30.17) to GBX 2,650 ($33.87) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 11th. Peel Hunt increased their price objective on Ashtead Group from GBX 2,300 ($29.40) to GBX 2,500 ($31.96) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Ashtead Group from GBX 2,200 ($28.12) to GBX 2,750 ($35.15) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an overweight rating and issued a GBX 2,500 ($31.96) price objective on shares of Ashtead Group in a report on Wednesday, June 20th. Finally, Numis Securities increased their price objective on Ashtead Group from GBX 2,500 ($31.96) to GBX 2,800 ($35.79) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Ashtead Group has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 2,378.57 ($30.40).

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ashtead Group plc (LON:AHT) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the fourteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 2,363 ($31.46).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Bowhead (AHT) is a proof-of-work (PoW) token that uses the Ethash hashing algorithm. It launched on July 8th, 2017. Bowhead’s total supply is 100,000,000 tokens and its circulating supply is 8,000,000 tokens. Bowhead’s official Twitter account is @Ahooleeman and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for Bowhead is bowheadhealth.com.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc (NYSE:AHT) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $8.00.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ashtead Group (LON:AHT) insider Wayne Edmunds bought 14,260 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 2,059 ($28.72) per share, for a total transaction of £293,613.40 ($409,502.65).

Here's Why Cara Therapeutics Stock Rose 17.3% in January

What happened

Shares of Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CARA) rose over 17% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company announced that it had completed enrollment for its phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its lead drug candidate, Korsuva, as a potential treatment for chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) in patients on dialysis. That means top-line results from the study will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2019. 

So what

Shareholders are oh so close to the long-awaited clinical results for Korsuva in CKD-aP. If successful across all indications and formulations (both oral and injectable), then Wall Street thinks it could generate peak sales of up to $500 million per year once fully ramped up. While that would take years to occur, the company has a market cap of just $650 million today. It could also hit the ground running if the drug candidate receives marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Image source: Getty Images.

That's because Cara Therapeutics has de-risked both development and commercialization by partnering with Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP), a joint venture between Vifor Pharma Group and Fresenius Medical Care. The latter is the largest dialysis provider in the U.S., which would provide instant demand for the drug. The small-cap pharma company could receive up to $470 million in milestone payments and royalties on sales as part of the collaboration.

Now what

While a successful outcome for Korsuva could deliver significant upside for Cara Therapeutics, the drug candidate is also the only asset being developed by the company. That helps to explain why it sports a low market cap relative to the drug candidate's potential. After all, if the first pivotal trial fails to meet its primary outcome, then the company could see shares collapse. Investors that understand the risk and still want to have a little fun could stake a small position in the company ahead of its mid-2019 data readout. Just know this could go either way.

Goldman Sachs CEO prepares for 'edgy' talk from politicians ahead of 2020 election

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he expects political discussions will target banks in the coming U.S. presidential election.

"I think the tone in Washington as we come into an election will be edgy with respect to our industry," Solomon said during a financial industry conference Tuesday.

"There's obviously a lot of political divide with respect to the role financial institutions play," said Solomon, who took over at New York-based Goldman Sachs in October. "There's a lot of social issues that will get a lot of debate. In some way, shape or form, I think financial institutions will take some noise and some focus in that discussion."

A decade after playing a central role in the 2008 financial crisis, banks are still a popular topic of criticism from elected officials, whether the subject is wealth inequality, share repurchases or too-big-to-fail institutions. For instance, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is running for president, questioned whether a recent $66 billion bank merger will end up hurting consumers. She has also repeatedly called for Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan to step down over his handling of that bank's fake accounts scandal.

At Goldman, Solomon and his management team are grappling with the fallout from the 1MDB scandal, in which one of his bankers admitted to taking part in the looting of a $6.5 billion sovereign investment fund.

It's too early to tell whether the rhetoric from Washington will lead to changes in legislation, Solomon said.

"It's something we in the industry will live with as we watch the political process unfold," he said.

Separately, Solomon said that trading and investment banking activities were "subdued" so far in the first quarter compared with a year ago, when the recent corporate tax cut energized investors.

"Capital markets activity is a little more subdued, both from the shutdown affecting IPOs, and the fact that with such volatility in December that people didn't hop into the new year ready to go," he said.

Toyota's Profit Growth Stalls as Rising Costs Offset Gains

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) said that its operating profit in the quarter that ended on Dec. 31 was roughly flat versus the year-ago period, at 676.1 billion yen ($6.13 billion), as higher costs offset gains from strong Lexus sales and favorable exchange-rate movements. But net income fell sharply on an accounting charge for unrealized investment losses.

Toyota cut its guidance for net income in the full fiscal year that will end on March 31, because of declines in value of some equity holdings. But it reiterated its prior guidance for revenue and operating income.

Strong sales of the Toyota Levin, as the sporty version of the compact Corolla is called in China, helped Toyota to a good quarter despite a weak overall market in China. Image source: Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota earnings: The raw numbers

Like many Japanese companies, Toyota uses a fiscal year that begins on April 1. The quarter that ended on Dec. 31, 2018, was the third quarter of Toyota's 2019 fiscal year.

All financial results are shown in yen. Vehicle sales are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Metric Q3 FY 2019 Q3 FY 2018 Change (YOY)

Revenue	7.80 trillion yen	7.61 trillion yen	2.6%
Vehicle sales	2,282,000	2,289,000	(0.3%)
Operating income	676.1 billion yen	673.6 billion yen	0.4%
Operating margin	8.7%	8.9%	(0.2 ppts)
Net income	180.9 billion yen	941.8 billion yen	(81%)
Yen per U.S. dollar, average during period	113 yen	113 yen	No change
Yen per euro, average during period	129 yen	133 yen	(4 yen)

Data source: Toyota Motor Corporation. Vehicle sales include the vehicles sold by Toyota's joint ventures in China. YOY = year over year; "ppts" = percentage points.

Why Toyota's net income fell 81%

Toyota said that two factors unrelated to its core business accounted for most of the steep year-over-year decline in net income:

An accounting loss of 395.4 billion yen related to unrealized losses on equity securities: Toyota didn't give details, but the company owns 16.5% of Subaru Corporation, and Subaru's share price fell by almost 31% in the quarter. In the year-ago period, Toyota had a gain of 291.9 billion yen related to the U.S. tax-law overhaul. That wasn't repeated in the most recent quarter. How Toyota's business units performed

Toyota reports separate operating results for each of its regional business units as well as its captive financing arm. Here's how each performed in the quarter that ended on Dec. 31, 2018:

In Japan, Toyota's operating income rose 4.5% to 492.5 billion yen, as sales rose 2.4% to about 565,000 vehicles. The company's ongoing cost-reduction effort helped boost its operating margin in its home market to 11.6% from 11.3% in the year-ago period. In North America, Toyota's operating income fell 2.2% to 26.4 billion yen. Sales fell 7.5% from a year ago, to about 680,000 vehicles, on weak demand for the company's bread-and-butter sedans. Toyota's operating margin in North America was a very thin 1%, unchanged from a year ago. In Europe, Toyota's operating income rose 7.2% to 25.1 billion yen despite a 2.1% drop in sales, as the euro fell in value versus the yen. Toyota's margin in Europe rose to 3.2% from 3% a year ago. In Asia, excluding Japan but including China, Toyota's operating income fell 2.7% to 118.7 billion yen. Sales in the region rose sharply, up 14.9% to about 464,000, as demand for Toyota's inexpensive sedans in China stayed strong despite a decline in the overall market. Toyota's margin in Asia fell to 7.9% from 9.1% a year ago. Toyota's "rest of the world" region includes Latin America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. Here, Toyota's operating income fell 40% to 20.4 billion yen, with a margin of 3.5% (down 2 percentage points), as sales fell 5.5% from a year ago to about 341,000 vehicles. Toyota's financial services unit earned 89.7 billion yen in operating income, up 17% from a year ago, on growth in its lending business and higher auction values for vehicles returned as leases ended. Looking ahead: Changes to Toyota's full-year guidance

As noted above, Toyota cut its full-year net-income forecast, but maintained its prior guidance for revenue and operating income and slightly boosted its expectation for overall sales. For the fiscal year that will end on March 31, 2019, Toyota now expects:

Sales (excluding China joint ventures) of about 8,950,000 vehicles up from 8,900,000 vehicles in its prior forecast (fiscal 2018 result: 8,964,000) Revenue of about 29.5 trillion yen, unchanged from its prior forecast (fiscal 2018 result: 29.38 trillion yen) Operating income of 2.4 trillion yen, unchanged from the prior forecast (fiscal 2018 result: 2.4 trillion yen) Operating margin of 8.1%, unchanged from the prior forecast (fiscal 2018 result: 8.2%) Net income of 1.87 trillion yen, down from 2.3 trillion yen in the prior forecast (fiscal 2018 result: 2.49 trillion yen)

Toyota also now expects average exchange rates of 110 yen to the U.S. dollar (unchanged from prior guidance) and 128 yen to the euro (prior guidance: 130 yen).

TCS gains 1% on order win from Solidarity Bahrain

Share price of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) gained 1.2 percent intraday Wednesday as company gets order from Solidarity Bahrain.

Solidarity Bahrain B.S.C., a leading insurance provider in Bahrain, has selected TCS BaNCS as its core platform for digitally transforming its property and casualty and takaful group life insurance businesses.

As part of this digital transformation, Solidarity Bahrain will replace its existing core policy administration system with a comprehensive solution that can not only support existing operations but also power its future growth.

"TCS BaNCS' comprehensive and integrated capabilities will help Solidarity Bahrain differentiate itself in a Business 4.0 world and achieve its growth and transformation objectives," said Venkateshwaran Srinivasan, Vice President and Head, TCS Financial Solutions.

At 12:31 hrs Tata Consultancy Services was quoting at Rs 2,066, up Rs 21.65, or 1.06 percent on the BSE.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 2,273.00 and 52-week low Rs 1,391.15 on 01 October, 2018 and 26 March, 2018, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 9.08 percent below its 52-week high and 48.56 percent above its 52-week low. First Published on Feb 6, 2019 12:37 pm

What Tonight’s State of the Union Means for the Dow Jones Today

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The Dow Jones today is rising again ahead of the market's open as investors look ahead to U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address tonight.

We'll break down what we're watching for in the speech below, but we're certainly paying attention to what the president has to say about the economy and trade war. Plus, one of the hottest IPOs of 2019 just got the green light…

Here are the numbers from Monday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:

Index	Previous Close	Point Change	Percentage Change
Dow Jones	25,239.37	+175.48	+0.70%
S&P 500	2,724.87	+18.34	+0.68%
Nasdaq	7,347.54	+83.67	+1.15%

Now, here's a closer look at today's Money Morning insight, the most important market events, and stocks to watch.

The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday This morning, shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) fell 2.3% after the company reported earnings. The downturn came despite news that the firm topped earnings and revenue expectations. Fourth quarter income came in at $12.77 per share, well above the $4.35 reported during the same period in the prior year. The company's advertising business showed little concerns about rising competition from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Its advertising arm reported total revenue of $32.6 billion, up 20% from the previous year. The firm now has more than $100 billion in cash, a figure that is prompting suspicion that the tech giant will soon begin paying a dividend.

President Trump will deliver the State of the Union Address before both Chambers of Congress tonight. Trump is expected to talk about the government shutdown and U.S. border security at length this evening. In addition, investors will be looking for statements on the health of the American economy and the stock market. According to various reports, Trump and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Monday night for an informal dinner. President Trump has been critical of the Federal Reserve's recent efforts to raise interest rates. Finally, one of the biggest IPOs of the year is now on track. The $7 billion enterprise messaging firm Slack has filed to go public with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It joins other Silicon Valley giants like Uber, Zoom, and Lyft that are planning to go public in 2019. Slack has raised $1.2 billion to date. Money Morning Insight of the Day

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Stocks to Watch Today: DIS, TMUS, BP, S Shares of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) will lead a busy day of earnings reports. Wall Street is expecting a small decline in revenue for the first quarter. Disney is still in the process of absorbing most of Fox's assets from a deal last June. In addition, Disney will be launching its streaming service, Disney+, and investors will be looking for updates on the project. In deal news, T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) is looking to sweeten an offer to regulators to ensure a merger with rival Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S). The telecom giant told the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that it would freeze the prices of many plans if it receives approval for a deal. T-Mobile has offered $26 billion to buy Sprint. Shares of BP Plc. (NYSE: BP) rallied more than 3.7% after the global energy giant topped 2018 earnings expectations. The firm's big bets on shale developments have paid off. Profitability more than doubled over the previous year, while production topped out at 3.7 million barrels per day. Look for earnings reports from Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM), Becton, Dickenson & Co. (NYSE: BDX), BP Plc. (NYSE: BP), Chubb Ltd. (NYSE: CB), Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR), Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR), Estee Lauder Co. Inc. (NYSE: EL), Lazard Ltd. (NYSE: LAZ), Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), Plains All American Pipeline LP (NYSE: PAA), Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL), Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP), and Tableau Software Inc. (NASDAQ: DATA).

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Time to Buy Caterpillar Stock?

So the fourth-quarter earnings report from Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) has come and gone, and the fears of a slowdown in sales to China were confirmed in its guidance for flat sales in 2019. That said, based on management's overall outlook and the midpoint of the EPS guidance range for 2019, the rest of the company's operations have pretty solid prospects, and the stock now trades at about 10 times forward earnings. Is it time for value investors to start taking a position in Caterpillar?

Caterpillar's earnings

As ever with a cyclical company like Caterpillar, it's important to focus on the change in earnings at a segment level as much as the absolute profit level. While most of the media attention will focus on the highly visible Construction Industries segment, it's worth noting that the Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation segments were the real drivers of higher profits in the most recent quarter -- it was the same story in Caterpillar's third quarter as well. 

Fourth Quarter

Segment Profit

Year-Over-Year Increase

Construction Industries	$845 million	$8 million
Resource Industries	$400 million	$190 million
Energy & Transportation	$1.079 billion	$205 million

Data source: Caterpillar presentations.

Construction Industries

The construction segment's margin came in at a disappointing 14.8% -- below the 15%-to-17% target range management gave at its last investor day. CFO Andrew Bonfield acknowledged that the usual decline in fourth-quarter margin "was greater than we expected and resulted from unplanned allowance increases and writedowns in financial products, higher manufacturing costs including higher material and freight costs, as well as inventory changes."

Management's expectation for 2019 is that price increases of 1% to 4% will more than offset cost increases, while the outlook for construction in the U.S. is described as "favorable in 2019" by CEO Jim Umpleby. Elsewhere, Europe is seen as steady but containing political and economic uncertainty, and China as flat.

There are two questions on this outlook that events will answer in 2019. On a negative note, the management of construction toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE:SWK) recently talked of a slowing in interest-rate-sensitive sectors in the U.S., and even though Caterpillar doesn't have significant direct exposure to housing, construction activity tends to follow the housing market. On a more positive note, if the U.S.-China trade dispute takes a favorable turn, it's possible that Caterpillar's outlook will prove too conservative.

Resource Industries

As you can see in the table above, Resource Industries is currently the smallest segment, but its cyclical recovery is crucial to Caterpillar meeting its guidance. The problem here is that metals and minerals prices have been declining in the last six months, and this calls into question the idea that miners are in the early innings of a long cycle of investment. Throw in talk of near-term weakness from companies like Cummins (NYSE:CMI) -- and Caterpillar for that matter -- and the outlook is uncertain.

WTI Crude Oil Spot Price data by YCharts.

Discussing the matter on the earnings call, Bonfield stuck to Caterpillar's general position that "the decline in resource-industries backlog was the result of several factors, including the lumpiness of mining orders and an increase in dealer inventory. Based on activities we are seeing in the market, we expect the slowdown in orders to be temporary and are expecting high mining capex in 2019 to drive high new-equipment sales for the segment."

Energy & Transportation

It's a similar story with the Energy & Transportation segment, where Umpleby believes the "recent volatility" in the price of oil will hurt demand for well servicing in the first half. Meanwhile, transportation is expected to improve in 2019, and good momentum in the U.S. economy is expected to support demand for power-generation equipment and industrial engines.

Image source: Getty Images.

Is Caterpillar stock a buy?

Management expects "modest" sales growth in 2019, and the guidance range of adjusted profit per share of $11.75 to $12.75 puts the company at an attractive valuation. Frankly, it's undemanding guidance, and there is upside potential if China's growth improves. That said, the assumption for capital spending in energy and mining may prove overly optimistic if commodity prices continue to weaken.

Caterpillar is not a stock for those nervous about the global economy or commodity prices. But if you are agnostic on the issue and/or have a neutral view on energy prices, then Caterpillar's modest expectations and forward valuation make it a good choice for value investors.

 

This Small-Cap Stock to Buy Could Pop 400% in 2019

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The time to shop, as smart retail shoppers are aware, is after the holidays. In 2019, that advice holds true for the major stock market averages as well.

Today, we have a small-cap stock to buy that could skyrocket as much as 400% in a year.

Our top small-cap stock was hurt by the drop in the overall market in late 2018 and early 2019. The share price of this retailer has also fallen because of the "Amazon effect." Many shoppers are increasingly turning to Amazon for all their shopping needs, which is impacting sales for other retailers. But the retail stock we have for you today is actually insulated from Amazon.

Sometimes, a declining stock can be good news for investors. In the case of today's stock, the fair value is now far above the trading price. So it's poised for a big move upward. Multiple valuation metrics show that the stock could soar up to 400%.

Plus, it just earned an upgrade to the top score on the Money Morning Stock VQScore system.

As Money Morning readers know, there's a Retail Ice Age hitting brick-and-mortar stores and other retailers throughout the United States. Many venerable companies have gone into bankruptcy or have closed stores to survive.

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But not every brick and mortar retailer is in trouble. The market can unjustly punish all retail stocks. Our top small-cap stock is a case in point.

It's also significant that this retailer has taken multiple steps to improve the bottom line results recently. As a result, FactSet forecasts a 10.5% climb in the company's earnings next year, which is a solid increase for the retail sector.

It's also a company that has the elements needed to survive Amazon.com Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AMZN) footprint. This company is one of the few that have the ingredients to survive the Amazon effect.

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It's in a shopping niche where customers see shopping as a fun activity – plus, it enjoys a highly loyal customer base. They return to buy the products over and over again, regardless of market conditions.

Yes, given the market and retail climates, investors can be skittish. But eventually, strong sales and value win out.

When they win out with our top small-cap stock, shares can skyrocket…

This Is Our Top Small-Cap Stock to Buy Now

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