Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:FCEL,ACHN,PQ,CNR, &l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-41932157&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/41932157/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Bloomberg

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is higher than it was 52-weeks ago -- even though it&s;s declined a bit in price from its January, 2018 highs. The Standard and Poor&s;s 500 is higher than it was a year ago. The Russell 2000 index of small caps is higher than it was 52 weeks ago. The Dow Jones Transportation Average is higher than it was a year ago.

As a matter of fact, most stocks remain above the levels of one year ago.

So, I was surprised to discover, when I was checking the list of &q;new lows&q; over the weekend, that a few significant and highly recognizable brand names aren&s;t exactly keeping up. Here are 6 stocks which are lower now than 52-weeks back:

&l;strong&g;Bed, Bath and Beyond&l;/strong&g; -- Earnings per share have been positive if you look at the past five years but last year was definitely in the red. Debt exceeds shareholder equity.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: FuelCell Energy Inc.(FCEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted an increase of 17.8% in short interest during the period. Some 6.9 million shares were short as of May 15. The stock closed at $1.88 on Thursday, down about 1.1% for the day, in a 52-week range of $0.93 to $2.49. Shares traded up about 1.4% in the short interest period, and days to cover rose from eight to 14.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) is one of 25 public companies in the “Miscellaneous electrical machinery, equipment, & supplies” industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare FuelCell Energy to related companies based on the strength of its risk, dividends, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) and Integer (NYSE:ITGR) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) – Research analysts at B. Riley reduced their FY2018 EPS estimates for shares of Achillion Pharmaceuticals in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 2nd. B. Riley analyst M. Kumar now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will earn ($0.58) per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of ($0.55). B. Riley has a “Neutral” rating and a $3.50 price objective on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for Achillion Pharmaceuticals’ FY2019 earnings at ($0.64) EPS, FY2020 earnings at ($0.71) EPS, FY2021 earnings at ($0.70) EPS and FY2022 earnings at ($0.84) EPS.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  News articles about Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. The research firm ranks the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Achillion Pharmaceuticals earned a media sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the biopharmaceutical company an impact score of 46.941587509483 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near term.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

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

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  News headlines about Petroquest Energy (NYSE:PQ) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Petroquest Energy earned a coverage optimism score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the energy company an impact score of 47.638327846877 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Compass Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 2,535 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $207,000.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wall Street analysts expect that Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) will announce $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Seven analysts have provided estimates for Canadian National Railway’s earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $1.06 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.97. Canadian National Railway reported earnings per share of $1.00 in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 2%. The company is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 24th.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the eleven research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$109.36.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) – Cormark raised their Q3 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Canadian National Railway in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, April 10th. Cormark analyst D. Tyerman now expects that the transportation company will post earnings per share of $1.15 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.14.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Brokerages expect Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) to announce earnings of $1.03 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Eight analysts have issued estimates for Canadian National Railway’s earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $1.10 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.97. Canadian National Railway reported earnings of $1.00 per share in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year over year growth rate of 3%. The business is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings report on Tuesday, July 24th.

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019

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

The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG) was upgraded by stock analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

THG has been the subject of a number of other reports. ValuEngine upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 19th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, April 14th.

Get The Hanover Insurance Group alerts:

Shares of NYSE THG opened at $115.50 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group has a twelve month low of $79.23 and a twelve month high of $121.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $4,908.29, a PE ratio of 20.09 and a beta of 0.97.

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

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

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

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

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

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

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Zacks]

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NN Investment Partners Holdings N.V. increased its holdings in Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 0.1% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,197,076 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,780 shares during the period. Prudential Financial accounts for approximately 1.5% of NN Investment Partners Holdings N.V.’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. NN Investment Partners Holdings N.V.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $205,450,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Symphony Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 18.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,149 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,765 shares during the period. Symphony Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $1,672,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Topdanmark A/S (TOP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Insurance company American International Group Inc. (AIG) stock fell 5.3% as harsh winter weather weighed on profits. But the company's long-term care exposure is relatively minimal.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sentry Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in American International Group (NYSE:AIG) by 8.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,968 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,147 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Suntrust Banks Inc. boosted its position in shares of American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG) by 12.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,736 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,048 shares during the period. Suntrust Banks Inc.’s holdings in American International Group were worth $1,998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

  Get American International Group alerts: AIG’s loss for European business worsens in 2017 (businessinsurance.com) $1.26 EPS Expected for American International Group (AIG) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com) UBS: Buy AIG After Earnings Estimates ‘Bottom Out’ (finance.yahoo.com) American International Group (AIG) Stock Rating Upgraded by UBS (americanbankingnews.com) American International Group (AIG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com)

  American International Group traded up $0.36, hitting $55.15, during mid-day trading on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 9,821,608 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,828,715. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. American International Group has a 1-year low of $49.57 and a 1-year high of $67.30. The firm has a market cap of $49.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.98, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.24.

Top 10 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  State of Wisconsin Investment Board decreased its holdings in shares of Aon (NYSE:AON) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 384,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 38,942 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in AON were worth $53,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Aon (NYSE:AON) by 3.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 40,448 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,178 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE’s holdings in AON were worth $5,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

Microsoft (MSFT) Slips 0.78% Ahead of Earnings: What To Watch

Microsoft (MSFT ) saw its stock price dip 0.78% to hit $105.12 per share Wednesday, just one day before the tech power is set to report its Q4 fiscal 2018 financial results. So let’s take a look at what investors should expect from Microsoft after the closing bell Thursday.

Microsoft has jumped into new areas in order to adapt and grow, with a big push into artificial intelligence and IoT. The firm also competes against Amazon (AMZN ) , Oracle (ORCL ) , and Google (GOOGL ) in the cloud computing industry. Microsoft’s continued success in some of its more traditional businesses, coupled with its new-age ventures has helped its stock price climb roughly 98% over the last two years and 42% during the last 12 months.

Looking to MSFT’s Q4, our latest Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for Microsoft’s revenues to climb by 18.24% to reach $29.21 billion. Meanwhile, the firm’s adjusted Q4 ESP figure is expected to hit $1.07 per share, which would mark over a 9% climb.

Investors should also note that Microsoft’s quarterly earnings revisions activity has been mixed recently. The company has received one downward earnings estimate revisions for Q4 within the last 30 days, along with one full-year upward change within the last seven days, which has helped contribute to its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

With all that said, we still need to gauge how likely the firm is to outperform estimates Thursday, and we can turn to our exclusive Earnings ESP figure to do so.

Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter. The Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change.

This is done because, generally speaking, when an analyst posts an estimate right before an earnings release, it means that they have fresh information which could potentially be more accurate than what analysts thought about a company two or three months ago.

A positive Earnings ESP paired with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better ranking helps us feel confident about the potential for an earnings beat. In fact, our 10-year backtest has revealed that this methodology has accurately produced a positive surprise 70% of the time.

Microsoft’s Most Accurate Estimate—the representation of the most recent analyst sentiment—is calling for earnings of $1.08 per share, which is one cent better than our current consensus estimate. Furthermore, Microsoft currently sports an Earnings ESP of 0.37% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which means investors can reasonably expect that MSFT has a good chance to beat earnings estimates after the bell Thursday.

It is also worth noting that Microsoft has topped our bottom line estimates in 14 out of the last 15 quarters, including the trailing eight periods.

Make sure to check back here for our full analysis after Microsoft reports!

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Why Glu Mobile Inc. Stock Gained 13.7% in June

What happened

Shares of Glu Moble�(NASDAQ:GLUU)�climbed 13.7% in June, according to data from�S&P Global Market Intelligence�.�The mobile-gaming company's share price has climbed roughly 80% year to date on indications that its turnaround effort is proceeding successfully.�

GLUU data by YCharts

Glu is aiming to improve player engagement and spending on its legacy titles such as�Kim Kardashian Hollywood, Covet Fashion, and Design Home while also launching new franchises -- and it's seen encouraging early results for recent release�MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018. The stock also gained ground following favorable ratings coverage from Piper Jaffray.

Image source: Getty Images.

So what

Glu posted better-than-expected earnings results at the beginning of May, helping to push its share price roughly 29% higher in the month. The successful debut of MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018 also added to its stock gains, and some of the momentum from those catalysts carried on through June.

On June 15, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson initiated ratings coverage on the stock, issuing an "overweight" rating and setting a $7.50 price target -- representing roughly 20% upside at the time of the note's publication and the stock's price as of this writing.�Glu is a relatively small company with a market cap of roughly $850 million, so it's not unusual to see its valuation post significant gains following positive coverage from a highly regarded ratings firm.

Now what

Glu's valuation has seen some big swings since the company went public in 2007.

GLUU data by YCharts

Much of the volatility has been tied to shifts in the company's section of the gaming industry -- with the rise and fall of Facebook-based browser games and celebrity-focused titles being among the most notable changes to impact performance.

Glu has recently had success with its pivot away from celebrity-focused games, with 69% of its bookings in the March-ended quarter coming from original intellectual properties. However, there are still reasons to be cautious about the company's long-term prospects. The mobile-games space is highly competitive, and Glu will have to contend with more resource-rich competitors such as�Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive, as well as a wide range of smaller independent studios.

Despite favorable trends shaping the broader gaming industry, there's limited visibility on how the company's efforts to introduce new properties will fare -- so those considering buying Glu Mobile should proceed with the understanding that it's not a low-risk investment.

2 Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy in July

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) (NYSE:BRK-B) has one of the most closely followed stock portfolios in the world, and for good reason. Many of the stocks in it were hand-selected by billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that all of these "Buffett stocks" are great buys, there are some that really stand out right now. Here are two in particular -- an investment bank that's quietly getting into the consumer side of the business, and an automaker that's more of a disruptor than the market gives it credit for -- that look extremely attractive as we head in to July.

Image Source: The Motley Fool.

Company (Symbol)

Recent Stock Price

Dividend Yield

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)	$223.26	1.4%
General Motors (NYSE:GM)	$39.50	3.9%

Data Source: CNBC. Prices and dividend yields as of July 3, 2018.

Don't let mediocre stress test results fool you

Unlike most big U.S. banks, Goldman Sachs' shareholders will not be getting a dividend increase in 2018, nor will the bank increase its buyback. The Federal Reserve's annual "stress test" found that Goldman's capital levels would barely remain over the minimally acceptable level during a severe global recession, and as a condition of their capital plans being conditionally approved, the bank's capital return over the next 12 months will not increase.

Understandably, investors were disappointed by this, and Goldman was certainly one of the biggest disappointments of this year's stress tests.

However, it's important not to let this temporary headwind steal the spotlight. For starters, the reason for the poor stress test result in the first place is tax reform -- which will ultimately be a positive catalyst for the bank. Thanks to the deemed repatriation of foreign earnings, Goldman took a big (but one-time) tax hit, which reduced its capital levels.

In addition, Goldman has a lot of good things going for it. The IPO market is the most active it's been in years, M&A activity is strong, and thanks to market volatility, Goldman's trading revenue has been picking up. Plus, Goldman's commercial banking ambitions are starting to produce a significant and rapidly growing revenue stream that has tremendous potential.

The best way to invest in the auto industry

Despite Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) grabbing most auto industry-related headlines in the financial news lately, I'd caution investors not to overlook General Motors as a long-term investment.

First off, not only does GM trade at a down-to-earth valuation, but the stock is downright cheap right now at just over six times forward earnings.

While there are certain headwinds facing GM, such as the highly cyclical nature of the auto industry and generally weaker U.S. auto sales in 2018, there are some good reasons to believe in the company for the long haul.

First, the company is investing heavily in product development, such as the recent announcement of a major investment in a Cadillac factor intended to help revitalize the brand. The company is emphasizing its highest-margin products, which include trucks, SUVs, and luxury sedans.

GM is also investing more than rivals in advances such as autonomous vehicle technology, electric vehicles, and ridesharing projects. In fact, SoftBank recently valued GM Cruise Holdings, the company's self-driving unit, at $11.5 billion. To put it mildly, GM Cruise has the potential to be a real game changer for the company from a long-term perspective and could start having a serious impact sooner than you might think.

The bottom line: Don't write off General Motors as an "old-school" car company that's in the process of getting disrupted. The company is putting its resources to work in all of the right ways and is not only keeping up with the newer players like Tesla, it's well on its way to becoming a disruptor itself. And unlike Tesla, General Motors is already highly profitable and pays shareholders a handsome dividend.

Facebook Admitted to More Shady Dealings – Here's How to Profit

Shah Gilani

Facebook Inc.'s (Nasdaq: FB) stock tumbled 21% in March when revelations surfaced that political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, which helped guide President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, paid for data on 87 million Facebook users without their consent.

But after a strong showing by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in front of Congress to address selling of users' data in breach of a 2012 consent decree, Facebook's stock ran right back up to make new all-time highs at $203.55.

Now, in a 747-page document released to Congress last Friday, Facebook admitted giving dozens of companies special access to user data after telling Congress it restricted personal information to outsiders in 2015.

Here's what Facebook's reveal could mean for the stock… and one trade that'll let you rake in mega-gains as a result…

Facebook's Lying Hasn't Hurt Its Stock, Yet

After Zuckerberg's April testimony before Congress, Facebook followed up in June with 450 pages of answers to outstanding questions asked by Senate and House committees.

The latest, more-expansive set of answers delivered to the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, in response to questions from April, was received shortly before midnight Friday, according to the committee's website�– hours after the close of business Friday, the official deadline for submission.

The new document disclosures follow a Wall Street Journal article in June that reported Facebook struck customized data-sharing deals that gave select companies, such as Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., access to user records for their apps well after the point in 2015 when it said it walled off that information. Nissan is listed in Friday's document.

Almost all the data deals revealed in Friday submission contrast Zuckerberg's and Facebook's former statements that the company restricted personal information to outsiders in 2015.

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According to WSJ, the "special deals were required to give app developers time to become compliant with changes in its policies, and to enable device and software makers to create versions of the social network for their products."

Facebook was sharing information about users' friends�– including name, gender, birth date, hometown, photos, and page likes – with 61 app developers six months after it said it stopped access to such data.

In the hearings, lawmakers asked Zuckerberg if Facebook was ever in violation of a settlement made in 2012 with the Federal Trade Commission, which required the company to give users "clear and prominent notice" and obtain their "express consent" before sharing their information beyond their privacy settings.

Facebook says it hasn't violated the FTC pact.

However, Mark Zuckerberg admitted Facebook hasn't been able to reconstruct what happened to users' data. The company said, "It is possible we have not been able to identify some extensions."

Profit from Facebook's Fall (Without Shorting)

Join the conversation. Click here to jump to comments…

Shah Gilani

About the Author

Browse Shah's articles | View Shah's research services

Shah Gilani is the Event Trading Specialist for Money Map Press. In Zenith Trading Circle Shah reveals the worst companies in the markets - right from his coveted Bankruptcy Almanac - and how readers can trade them over and over again for huge gains.Shah is also the proud founding editor of The Money Zone, where after eight years of development and 11 years of backtesting he has found the edge over stocks, giving his members the opportunity to rake in potential double, triple, or even quadruple-digit profits weekly with just a few quick steps. He also writes our most talked-about publication, Wall Street Insights & Indictments, where he reveals how Wall Street's high-stakes game is really played.

… Read full bio

Karyopharm: Can Its Big Rally Continue?

Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance.�� �� Rodney A. Winters

The stock of a one time 'Busted IPO' and 'Tier 4' biotech concern continued its impressive rally last week and is up again Monday in early trade.

The stock is up more than 80% over the past six months as can be seen from the chart above. Given this, it is time to revisit this name and outline a potential Buy-Write option strategy in the paragraphs below.

Company Overview:

Karyopharm Therapeutics (KPTI) is Massachusetts-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company just outside Boston. The firm is focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel first-in-class drugs directed against nuclear transport and related targets for the treatment of cancer and other major diseases. Karyopharm Therapeutics has a market capitalization of just north of $1.1 billion and trades just over $19.00 a share.

Pipeline:

Source: Company Website

Karyopharm's main drug candidate is selinexor which has received Fast Track status for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy.

Selinexor works to transiently bind to XPO1 transporter proteins, so that tumor suppressor proteins can remain in the nucleus of a cell. Malignant cells over-produce XPO1 which results in tumor suppressor proteins, as well as other beneficial proteins, being transported out of the nucleus. It��s essential that tumor suppressor proteins stay in the nucleus because their function is highly dependent upon their location within the cell. Tumor suppressor proteins are an integral part of the body��s natural defense mechanism in identifying and preventing cancer.

As can be seen by clicking here, the compound has numerous trial readouts scheduled over the next two years.

Recent Events Bolstering Shares:

In late May, the company reached an agreement with China based Antegene for the exclusive development and commercialization of four Karyopharm candidates including selinexor that only applies to various regions of Asia, including China obviously. As part of the deal Karyopharm received a $12 million upfront payout. It also can receive up to $150 million in milestones, tiered double-digit royalties for selinexor and eltanexor and tiered single-to-double-digit royalties for the other two candidates in its pipeline.

Late this week the company presented encouraging trial results from its Phase 1/2 trial 'STOMP' at the big EHA conference in Stockholm. This study is for lead drug selinexor + dexamethasone, combined with Velcade, Pomalyst or Darzalex, in previously treated patients with multiple myeloma.

Analyst Commentary & Balance Sheet:

The current median analyst price target on KPTI is just north of $24.00 a share currently. After STOMP results were presented, H.C. Wainwright reiterated their Buy rating and Street high price target of $30 on Karyopharm with the following color on Friday

We believe this data bodes well for the ongoing Phase 3 BOSTON trial, for which top-line data is expected in 2019. We note that standard Vd regimens (control arm of BOSTON) have an ORR of 60-65% and PFS of 7-9 months according to previous studies. More positive data in the selinexor in the STOMP SDd arm. In the combination selinexor, Darzalex, and low dose dex (SDd) arm evaluating MM patients who received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a PI and an immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), or patients with MM refractory to both a PI and an IMiD, the ORR was 74% (n=19) with an ORR of 82% in Darzalex na茂ve patients (n=17) in evaluable patients as of June 5, 2018. This is relatively in line with prior data, as of for eight Darzalex na茂ve patients, with an ORR of 88%.��

The company ended the first quarter of 2018 with just over $140 million in cash on the books. Karyopharm then did a secondary offering in early May that was well-received and that raised a tad over $150 million in proceeds. The company has stated this will fund all operations through the third quarter of 2019. Karyopharma anticipates filing for accelerated approval of selinexor in multiple myeloma during 2018 with the FDA as well as marketing authorization in Europe for the same indication by the end of this year.

Verdict:

Obviously we liked the risk/reward on Karyopharm better at ~$11 in September when it was added to the model portfolio of the Busted IPO Forum. However, the company has definable potential catalysts on the horizon. Near term funding issues have also been resolved and the shares enjoy solid analyst support. On a longer term basis, slow accumulation to acquire a small stake in Karyopharm within a well-diversified biotech portfolio still seems warranted.

Option Strategy:

An alternative way to accumulate an initial stake or to increase exposure to KPTI is via a Buy-Write order. Using the November $20 call strikes, fashion a Buy-Write order with a net debit of between $16 to $16.30 a share range (net stock price - option premium). This mitigates some downside risk and sets up a more than solid potential return for its five month 'hold' period.

The employed are punished by having to do what they do not love. The self-employed are punished by the opposite.�� �� Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Author's note: If you would like to get these types of articles as soon as they are published, just become a real-time follower of the Busted IPO Forum by clicking here, hitting the big orange "Follow" button, and selecting the "real-time alerts" option.

Disclosure: I am/we are long kpti.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

New York Becomes the First State to Pass a Workaround to SALT Tax Limits Imposed by Tax Reform

On Dec. 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law and fundamentally reformed the federal tax system in the United States. Among the many changes, tax reform modified a long-standing federal deduction for state and local taxes.

The SALT deduction, as it's often called, previously allowed taxpayers to deduct the full amount of their state and local taxes from federal taxable income. Now, taxpayers are limited to deducting just $10,000 total, including property and income taxes.

Capping the SALT deduction was a change�New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said would "destroy" New York.�With Cuomo so concerned about the impact, it came as no surprise when New York became the first state to try circumventing� new federal rules to protect SALT deductions for residents.

Other states have since followed suit, but the legality of their efforts is questionable.

Here's what New York is trying to do to avoid caps on SALT deductions

A recent agreement among state lawmakers on the New York state budget�included two different approaches to avoiding federal limits on SALT deductions.

The first involves creating a charitable contribution fund, which is a state-operated charity. The idea is for taxpayers to make these donations in lieu of paying state income tax. Taxpayers who donate to this fund are, theoretically, eligible to deduct the full amount of their donations from their federal taxes since donations for charitable giving aren't subject to the same limits as SALT deductions.

Local government bodies were also authorized to create charitable organizations taxpayers will be permitted to donate to in exchange for property tax credits. This would make local taxes, including real estate or property taxes, fully deductible.

The second workaround would allow employers to opt into an Employer Compensation Expense Program to voluntarily pay a new payroll tax of 5% on employee compensation exceeding $40,000.�Employers would bear the burden of paying employees' state taxes and deduct the cost. Because�employees would see lower gross pay, there are provisions in the law to try to keep their net pay the same as before tax reform.

Will these proposed changes help shield New York residents from SALT limitations?

New Jersey and Connecticut have followed New York's lead in creating new programs allowing taxpayers to forego state tax payments and instead make charitable contributions to special state-created charitable funds.

Connecticut also proposed a new income tax on most pass-through businesses while creating new tax credits at the individual or corporate level to offset this tax increase.

However, the IRS has taken notice and the Treasury is currently at work on regulations to curtail state efforts to shield residents from the impact of tax reform.�

The IRS is likely to render the charitable giving workaround impossible, as it�released a statement�addressing federal tax treatment of funds transferred to charitable organizations controlled by state and local governments. The IRS will consider�the substance of these transfers, rather than just the form. Charitable donations are typically deductible only if there's a charitable intent and the donator doesn't receive a substantial benefit. Avoiding state taxes would be a substantial benefit, so the charitable donation deduction would be disallowed.

It's not yet clear if the IRS will address other proposals, such as New York's attempt to create a new payroll tax or Connecticut's new proposed tax on pass-through entities. However, these programs are a lot more complicated and may be met with resistance by workers who will see their gross salary decline and businesses disinterested in incurring new tax obligations.

What happens next?

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other states hit hard by capped SALT deductions are unlikely to abandon efforts to shield residents from a big federal tax increase. Many states whose residents are likely to see the biggest tax increases are blue states whose residents reward politicians for defying the Trump administration.

However, the IRS has a lot of power to interpret tax laws and issue new regulations, and taxpayers may not want to take the risk of being audited -- and potentially owing back taxes and penalties -- if the IRS doesn't believe state schemes to preserve SALT deductions pass muster.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:RNG,GD,AMCN,IBA,ATU,

Operators who have a large store concentration in B & C type shopping malls are getting crushed, and The Gap (NYSE:GPS) is exposed to these exact locations. In aggregate, monthly mall traffic declines are still averaging mid-single-digit territory so apparel retailers have two options: sustain their store footprint or downsize.

The question is, which is the better long term alternative? Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and other online pure-plays remain a threat to retailers given their lower cost structure and customer convenience factors. Given customer conversion rates can be high for certain brands, it can usually pays off to shutter underperforming locations (see American Eagle's latest conference call transcript). Although this is still up for debate, sustaining a massive store footprint is likely a directional disadvantage, especially in this environment.

A Store Problem

GPS has approximately 3,650 stores worldwide. This footprint is about 3-4x the size of other large competitors with the exception of a few names. Gap currently does not plan on reducing its store footprint, which is problem since keeping physical stores and building out an online presence has caused SG&A to inflate quickly. And these costs are not going away.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ringcentral, Inc.(RNG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of RingCentral (NYSE:RNG) were up 2.9% during trading on Friday after SunTrust Banks raised their price target on the stock to $80.00. SunTrust Banks currently has a buy rating on the stock. RingCentral traded as high as $81.20 and last traded at $74.55. Approximately 19,219 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 96% from the average daily volume of 485,528 shares. The stock had previously closed at $76.80.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  RingCentral (NYSE: RNG) and Inovalon (NASDAQ:INOV) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: S&P GSCI(GD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on General Dynamics (GD)

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

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This company, like other major defense prime contractors, had a very solid year and is also on the Merrill Lynch US 1 list.�General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) is engaged in business aviation, land and expeditionary combat vehicles and systems, armaments, munitions, shipbuilding and marine systems, and information systems and technologies.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Riverhead Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) by 223.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,055 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,328 shares during the period. Riverhead Capital Management LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $2,663,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  The deal, in effect, makes General Dynamics-owned (NYSE:GD) Gulfstream both a customer of and subcontractor to Triumph on G650 wing box and wing completion work. Wing production work currently being performed at Triumph facilities in Nashville, Tennessee, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, will move to Gulfstream's Georgia facility.

• [By ]

  Finally, General Dynamics Corp. (GD) , along with Lockheed and BAE Systems, could possibly profit from heightened demand ships and other vehicles. 

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

  Get General Dynamics alerts: U.S. Air Force Awards General Dynamics Cloud Services Contract (finance.yahoo.com) General Dynamics (GD) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com) America Desperately Needs More Submarines. And That Is Good News for General Dynamics. (yahoo.com) GD completes Hawker Pacific acquisition (janes.com) General Dynamics Unit Secures Work for Aircraft Computer System Repairs, Replacement (govconwire.com)

  Shares of NYSE:GD traded up $3.17 on Tuesday, reaching $199.62. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,149,954 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,720,029. General Dynamics has a 52-week low of $190.30 and a 52-week high of $230.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.84.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: AirMedia Group Inc(AMCN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  AirMedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AMCN) posted a 52-week low of $1.04 after closing down 23% on Wednesday at $1.35. The 52-week high is $3.30. Volume was about 4 million, nearly 20 times the daily average of around 230,000 million shares. The Chinese outdoor advertising company said yesterday that it is terminating a potential go-private transaction.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Industrias Bachoco, S.A. de C.V.(IBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Bachoco (NYSE:IBA) declared a semiannual dividend on Thursday, April 26th, NASDAQ reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 11th will be given a dividend of 0.432 per share on Monday, May 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 10th. This is a boost from Bachoco’s previous semiannual dividend of $0.42.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Actuant Corporation(ATU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Eaton (NYSE: ETN) and Actuant (NYSE:ATU) are both industrial products companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability.

Reliance Trust Co. of Delaware Sells 2,073 Shares of Chevron Co. (CVX)

Reliance Trust Co. of Delaware trimmed its holdings in Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 49,967 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 2,073 shares during the period. Chevron makes up approximately 0.9% of Reliance Trust Co. of Delaware’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Reliance Trust Co. of Delaware’s holdings in Chevron were worth $6,255,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fusion Family Wealth LLC grew its position in Chevron by 192.6% in the 4th quarter. Fusion Family Wealth LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $159,000 after buying an additional 838 shares during the last quarter. Lenox Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in Chevron by 15,555.6% in the 4th quarter. Lenox Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,409 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $176,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co purchased a new position in Chevron in the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. WCM Investment Management CA purchased a new position in Chevron in the 4th quarter valued at $202,000. Finally, Independence Trust CO purchased a new position in Chevron in the 4th quarter valued at $204,000. 64.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Chevron alerts:

In related news, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 130,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.00, for a total value of $16,640,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 130,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,640,000. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP R. Hewitt Pate sold 25,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.97, for a total transaction of $3,110,235.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 25,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,110,235. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 386,500 shares of company stock valued at $49,748,880 in the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of Chevron opened at $122.19 on Monday, Marketbeat reports. Chevron Co. has a twelve month low of $102.55 and a twelve month high of $133.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $233.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.02, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 27th. The oil and gas company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.45. Chevron had a net margin of 6.95% and a return on equity of 5.83%. The firm had revenue of $37.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. analysts expect that Chevron Co. will post 7.6 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 11th. Investors of record on Friday, May 18th will be paid a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 17th. Chevron’s payout ratio is 121.08%.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CVX. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Chevron from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of Chevron from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 30th. Vetr lowered shares of Chevron from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $122.05 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, February 26th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 7th. Finally, Societe Generale upgraded shares of Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $133.52.

Chevron Company Profile

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy, chemicals, and petroleum operations worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as operates a gas-to-liquids plant.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX).

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018

tags:UNLVF,USCR,JJSF,SYPR,ISNS,GSBC,PANW,TDS,MSG,SIGI,

Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Square, Inc. (NYSE:SQ) by 2.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 259,454 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 5,500 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers owned 0.07% of Square worth $12,765,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Square by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 400,433 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $13,883,000 after buying an additional 8,626 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank increased its position in Square by 154.3% during the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 929,100 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,212,000 after buying an additional 563,700 shares during the period. TCW Group Inc. acquired a new position in Square during the fourth quarter worth approximately $9,614,000. IFM Investors Pty Ltd acquired a new position in Square during the fourth quarter worth approximately $278,000. Finally, Old Mutual Global Investors UK Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Square in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $637,000. 53.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Unilever N.V. (UNLVF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  In recent weeks, Procter & Gamble (PG) has received a couple of downgrades following its Q3 FY2018 results announcement. In contrast, its peer in the consumer products space, Unilever (UL)(UN)(OTCPK:UNLNF)(OTCPK:UNLYF)(OTCPK:UNLVF), was upgraded by UBS in late March. Investors also cheered the announcement of a fresh ��6 billion ($7.4 billion) stock buyback program and the raising of its quarterly dividend by 8% to ��0.3872/share from ��0.3585. In 2017, Unilever has already completed a ��5 billion share buyback programme.

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: U S Concrete, Inc.(USCR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey, Nicholas Rossolillo, and Maxx Chatsko]

  We posed that question to a team of Motley Fool investors to identify three stocks our kids will brag about having owned for years, and they picked U.S. Concrete (NASDAQ:USCR), Teladoc (NYSE:TDOC), and Rollins (NYSE:ROL). Read on to find out why these companies deserve that distinction.

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Goldman Sachs (GS) , Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) , Ecolab (ECL) , PTC (PTC) , Arista Networks (ANET) , U.S. Concrete (USCR) and Masco (MAS) .

• [By ]

  Sterling Construction Co. Inc (STRL) : "I'm going to stick with U.S. Concrete (USCR) ."

  B&G Foods (BGS) : "No, we're going to stay away. This group is a snake pit."

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: J & J Snack Foods Corp.(JJSF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on J & J Snack Foods (JJSF)

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

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Sypris Solutions Inc.(SYPR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Sypris Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: SYPR) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.07 per share on revenue of $20.35 million.

  Fusion Connect, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSNN) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.11 per share on revenue of $36.71 million.

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Image Sensing Systems, Inc.(ISNS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Netshoes (Cayman) Limited (NASDAQ: NETS) shares dipped 43.73 percent to close at $2.87 on Tuesday as the company posted downbeat Q1 results. Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KOOL) shares dropped 29.01 percent to close at $0.80 after reporting Q1 results. SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares fell 22.2 percent to close at $0.340 after reporting Q1 miss. Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS) fell 19.95 percent to close at $12.08 after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISNS) fell 19.68 percent to close at $3.775 after reporting earnings were down year over year. First quarter earnings came in flat, down from 4 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $3.01 million. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) dropped 18.47 percent to close at $9.62 on Tuesday after surging 77.44 percent on Monday. ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) declined 16.21 percent to close at $2.43. ENDRA Life Sciences is expected to release quarterly earnings today. ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALJJ) shares fell 16.13 percent to close at $1.79. Switch Inc (NYSE: SWCH) shares dropped 14.93 percent to close at $13.16 following a first-quarter earnings miss. Restoration Robotics Inc (NASDAQ: HAIR) fell 14.42 percent to close at $3.68 after reporting a first-quarter earnings miss. iCAD, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICAD) declined 13.01 percent to close at $3.41 following Q1 results. Intersections Inc. (NASDAQ: INTX) fell 12.44 percent to close at $1.97. Histogenics Corporation (NASDAQ: HSGX) declined 12.24 percent to close at $2.15. AZZ Inc. (NYSE: AZZ) fell 12.1 percent to close at $39.60 following Q3 earnings. Hallador Energy Company (NASDAQ: HNRG) fell 11.1 percent to close at $6.49. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) dropped 10.66 percent to close at $16.93 on Tuesday. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) slipp
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISNS) shares dropped 26 percent to $3.5001 after reporting earnings were down year over year. First quarter earnings came in flat, down from 4 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $3.01 million.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISNS) shares dropped 26 percent to $3.5001 after reporting earnings were down year over year. First quarter earnings came in flat, down from 4 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $3.01 million.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Restoration Robotics Inc (NASDAQ: HAIR) fell 19.8 percent to $3.45 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter earnings miss. Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISNS) fell 19.2 percent to $3.80 in pre-market trading after reporting earnings were down year over year. First quarter earnings came in flat, down from 4 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $3.01 million. Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS) fell 15.9 percent to $12.70 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Aptose Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APTO) shares fell 11 percent to $2.98 in pre-market trading after climbing 2.45 percent on Monday. Sibanye Gold Limited (NYSE: SBGL) shares fell 8 percent to $2.91 in pre-market trading after surging 6.40 percent on Monday. Switch Inc (NYSE: SWCH) shares fell 7.2 percent to $14.36 in pre-market trading following a first-quarter earnings miss. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) fell 7.1 percent to $64.31 in pre-market trading following mixed Q2 results. Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNDM) fell 5.8 percent to $10.50 in pre-market trading after rising 25.22 percent on Monday. Carbon Black, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBLK) shares fell 5.1 percent to $22.46 in pre-market trading. Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) fell 2.4 percent to $186.65 in pre-market trading. Home Depot reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter, while sales missed estimates

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Great Southern Bancorp, Inc.(GSBC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Great Southern Bancorp (GSBC)

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

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.(PANW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nicholas Rossolillo]

  During the first quarter of 2018, Check Point's revenue only rose 4% year over year. Meanwhile, younger competitor Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW) has been growing sales by double digits with aggressive marketing and newer technology.

• [By ]

  European and U.S. online food delivery companies Takeaway.com and Grubhub (GRUB) were hot picks, particularly with M&A expected in the sector. And technology was a central focus for many top investors: Light Street Capital's Glen Kacher suggested that Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is a winner, given that we may see a cyber warfare driven financial crisis in the years to come.

• [By Nicholas Rossolillo]

  The cybersecurity industry is growing, but FireEye's product is viewed as more of an add-on to a company's existing threat-detection system rather than a comprehensive plan. As a result, some of its larger peers like Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW), Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR), and tech giant Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) have fared much better the last few years. In response to its slowdown, FireEye has begun offering�additional services and features to create a more well-rounded menu for its customers.

• [By ]

  From the outside looking in, it seems as if a lack of focus could be hurting Symantec. The company's security product line is enormous, covering everything from gateways to e-mail encryption to malware analysis to forensics to risk analytics. This puts Symantec in competition with many security pure-plays that have been growing rapidly (think Palo Alto Networks (PANW) or Proofpoint (PFPT) ), as well as IT giants who have made growing security sales a major priority (think IBM  (IBM) or Cisco Systems (CSCO) ).

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) shares short was 4.45 million. The previous level was 4.80 million. Shares traded recently at $209.15, within a 52-week trading range of $115.01 to $210.40.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) shares short was 4.45 million. The previous level was 4.35 million. Shares closed most recently at $191.27, within a 52-week trading range of $107.37 to $197.20.

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.(TDS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  TokenDesk (CURRENCY:TDS) traded 10.5% lower against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 22:00 PM Eastern on May 23rd. One TokenDesk token can currently be bought for about $0.0987 or 0.00001299 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges. During the last seven days, TokenDesk has traded down 43.2% against the US dollar. TokenDesk has a total market cap of $0.00 and $23,424.00 worth of TokenDesk was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Madison Square Garden Inc.(MSG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Silver+Lake+Group%2C+L.L.C.

  These are the top 5 holdings of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.GoDaddy Inc (GDDY) - 15,868,908 shares, 21.3% of the total portfolio. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA) - 3,587,218 shares, 16.52% of the total portfolio. Sabre Corp (SABR) - 30,019,094 shares, 16.43% of the total portfolio. Broadcom Ltd (AVGO) - 1,618,567 shares, 11.1% of the total portfolio. BlackLine Inc (BL) - 12,543,873 shares, 10.99% of the total portfolio. Share
• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Silver+Lake+Group%2C+L.L.C.

  These are the top 5 holdings of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.GoDaddy Inc (GDDY) - 15,868,908 shares, 21.3% of the total portfolio. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA) - 3,587,218 shares, 16.52% of the total portfolio. Sabre Corp (SABR) - 30,019,094 shares, 16.43% of the total portfolio. Broadcom Ltd (AVGO) - 1,618,567 shares, 11.1% of the total portfolio. BlackLine Inc (BL) - 12,543,873 shares, 10.99% of the total portfolio. Share
• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Silver+Lake+Group%2C+L.L.C.

  These are the top 5 holdings of Silver Lake Group, L.L.C.GoDaddy Inc (GDDY) - 11,868,908 shares, 22.42% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 25.21%Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA) - 3,587,218 shares, 20.25% of the total portfolio. SMART Global Holdings Inc (SGH) - 11,256,755 shares, 17.26% of the total portfolio. Sabre Corp (SABR) - 22,470,993 shares, 14.83% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 25.14%The Madison Square Garden Co (MSG) - 1,233,895 shares, 9.33% of the total portf
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Cedar Fair Entertainment (NYSE: FUN) and The Madison Square Garden (NYSE:MSG) are both mid-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and valuation.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on The Madison Square Garden (MSG)

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

Top 10 Bank Stocks For 2018: Selective Insurance Group, Inc.(SIGI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Selective Insurance (NASDAQ:SIGI) – Boenning Scattergood decreased their Q2 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Selective Insurance in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 3rd. Boenning Scattergood analyst R. Farnam now expects that the insurance provider will earn $0.83 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.96. Boenning Scattergood has a “Hold” rating on the stock. Boenning Scattergood also issued estimates for Selective Insurance’s Q4 2018 earnings at $1.04 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.88 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.98 EPS and Q4 2019 earnings at $1.05 EPS.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BidaskClub downgraded shares of Selective Insurance (NASDAQ:SIGI) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Monday.

  A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on SIGI. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Selective Insurance from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods set a $62.00 price target on shares of Selective Insurance and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Selective Insurance from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 14th. Sandler O’Neill reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Selective Insurance in a report on Friday, April 6th. Finally, Boenning Scattergood reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Selective Insurance in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $62.50.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:AIM,POT,MRK,

West Africa may not seem likely the location for the�next big gold mining rush for investors in small cap gold stocks, but a couple of small caps in the West Africa mining space have been reporting progress this month.

Just today, small cap Avesoro Resources (OTCMKTS: ARSMF; TSE: ASO) announced production results for the quarter ended March 31,�2017 from its New Liberty Gold Mine in Liberia. The quarter saw continued improvement in both mining and processing operations as management continues the turnaround in operations at New Liberty. Total gold production for the Quarter was 14,906 ounces (as previously guided) while�full year production guidance of 90,000 �� 100,000 ounces�was maintained as is previously advised cash cost guidance of US$750 �� US$800 per ounce and all in sustaining costs (��AISC��) guidance of US$925 �� US$975 per ounce of gold produced. The CEO commented:

Best Small Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Aerosonic Corporation(AIM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Aimia (TSE:AIM) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$2.67.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.(POT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  PotCoin (CURRENCY:POT) traded 0.6% higher against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 23:00 PM E.T. on May 12th. PotCoin has a total market capitalization of $23.95 million and approximately $62,522.00 worth of PotCoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, PotCoin has traded 17.8% lower against the US dollar. One PotCoin coin can now be purchased for approximately $0.11 or 0.00001293 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Cryptopia, CoinExchange, Trade By Trade and Tux Exchange.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Headlines about Potash Co. of Saskatchewan (NYSE:POT) (TSE:POT) have trended positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Potash Co. of Saskatchewan earned a news impact score of 0.43 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the fertilizer maker an impact score of 45.4285202328488 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Merck & Company, Inc.(MRK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) shares short decreased to 22.95 million from 23.67 million in the previous period. Its shares were trading at $60.09, in a 52-week range of $52.83 to $66.41.

• [By Keith Speights]

  First, BMS won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new dosing schedule for Opdivo on March 6. This change allows physicians to administer Opdivo to patients every four weeks instead of every two weeks for most of the approved indications for the drug. In addition, Opdivo was approved for a shorter 30-minute infusion for all approved indications. Opdivo now enjoys an advantage related to patient convenience that Merck's (NYSE:MRK) Keytruda doesn't.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  WARNING: “Brokerages Set Merck & Co. (MRK) Target Price at $66.13” was first reported by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this piece of content on another publication, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of United States & international trademark and copyright laws. The legal version of this piece of content can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3356646/brokerages-set-merck-co-mrk-target-price-at-66-13.html.

• [By Keith Speights]

  All three of these apply to Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), but they also all apply to Merck (NYSE:MRK). Both pharmaceutical companies have successful�products with sizzling sales, but both have experienced headwinds that have weighed on their�overall revenue and earnings growth.�

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Merck & Co Inc. (NYSE: MRK) traded up 2.60% at $58.65. The stock’s 52-week range is $52.83 to $66.41. Volume was about 45% above the daily average of around 13.3 million. The company’s lung cancer drug is distancing itself from contenders.

Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Mixed; Deere Misses Q2 Estimates

Following the market opening Friday, the Dow traded up 0.19 percent to 24,761.35 while the NASDAQ declined 0.18 percent to 7,369.13. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.08 percent to 2,717.89.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Friday morning, the industrial shares rose 0.42 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Deere & Company (NYSE: DE), up 5 percent, and American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD) up 3 percent.

In trading on Friday, consumer staples shares fell 0.93 percent.

Top Headline

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) reported weaker-than-expected results for its second quarter.

Deere said it earned $3.14 per share in the first quarter on net sales from equipment operations of $9.747 billion versus Wall Street's estimate of $3.29 per share on revenue of $9.83 billion.

Deere projects Q3 equipment sales to rise 35 percent and FY18 equipment sales to increase 30 percent.

Equities Trading UP

Mannatech, Incorporated (NASDAQ: MTEX) shares shot up 24 percent to $19.70 after the company reported commencement of modified Dutch auction cash tender for up to $16 million of common stock.

Shares of Quotient Limited (NASDAQ: QTNT) got a boost, shooting up 19 percent to $5.56 following commencement of EU blood grouping field trial.

Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE) shares were also up, gaining 14 percent to $2.2999. The stock spiked more than 14 percent Thursday near the close as traders circulate word the Delaware lottery is planning to introduce full sports betting in June.

Equities Trading DOWN

Agile Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGRX) shares dropped 76 percent to $0.6007 after the FDA announced significant concerns regarding the adhesion of Twirla.

Shares of Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) were down 11 percent to $34.85. Campbell Soup reported upbeat Q3 earnings, but sales missed estimates. The company also lowered its FY18 outlook.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) was down, falling around 10 percent to $48.57. Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter, but issued weak sales outlook for the third quarter.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded up 0.11 percent to $71.57 while gold traded down 0.19 percent to $1,287.00.

Silver traded down 0.25 percent Friday to $16.44, while copper fell 0.74 to $3.066.

Eurozone

European shares were mostly lower today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 declined 0.14 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index fell 0.66 percent, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index dropped 1.32 percent. Meanwhile the German DAX fell 0.12 percent, and the French CAC 40 rose 0.01 percent while U.K. shares fell 0.27 percent.

Economics

The Baker Hughes North American rig count report for the latest week will be released at 1:00 p.m. ET.