Why 2U Stock Soared Today

What happened

Shares of 2U (NASDAQ:TWOU) rose as much as 13% early Tuesday then settled to trade up 4.4% as of 3:00 p.m. after the online education platform specialist announced strong fourth-quarter 2018 results.

More specifically, 2U's quarterly revenue grew 32.8% year over year to $115.1 million, translating to adjusted net income of $13.7 million, or $0.23 per share. Both the top and bottom lines arrived well ahead of the midpoints of 2U's guidance provided in November, which called for revenue of $114.4 million to $115.3 million and adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 to $0.21.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

So what

"The strength and resilience of 2U's business is clear from our 2018 fourth-quarter and full-year results, and reflects the continued expansion and increasing diversity of our degree and short course portfolios, both domestically and internationally," added 2U co-founder and CEO Chip Paucek.

To be sure, the company has had a busy several months. 2U announced two new online graduate degree programs with Tufts University School of Medicine in January then followed so far this month by unveiling two new short courses with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, its first-ever graduate program in Latin America (launching this fall) with EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, and plans for at least 10 new short courses at Syracuse University.

Now what

Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2019, 2U expects revenue of $121.5 million to $122.1 million, good for 32% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. That should translate to an adjusted net loss per share of $0.19 to $0.18. 

For the full year of 2019, 2U anticipates revenue of $546.6 million to $550.8 million, up 33.2% from 2018, with an adjusted net loss per share of $0.37 to $0.33. Most investors watching the stock were expecting 2019 revenue and a per-share loss near the lower end of 2U's new guidance ranges.

Put simply -- and even if the market's tempered reaction this afternoon may not seem to indicate as much -- this was another exceptional quarter from 2U.

The 'Father Of Value Investing' Led Me To These 5 Picks…

Value investing is one of the most popular investment strategies used today by individual investors and portfolio managers. 

Value investors seek out stocks that can be purchased at a discount to a company's "real" worth. It's an approach that's been refined over the years, but its foundation goes back roughly 85 years with the publishing of Benjamin Graham and David Dodd's college textbook, "Security Analysis."

Benjamin Graham is properly credited as one of the fathers of value investing. Disciples of his include such notables as Warren Buffett (who is reportedly the only student to receive an "A" in his class), Walter J. Schloss, Seth Klarman, and Bill Ackman.

Graham's approach was to identify stocks that were trading at a discount to their intrinsic value. And although Graham never fully explained how to determine "intrinsic" value for a stock, we do know that he felt a firm's tangible assets were a particularly important component. Other factors included earnings, dividends, financial strength, and stability. 

Graham knew that identifying such neglected, undervalued stocks was a protracted and patience-trying experience. But he also knew the rewards could be great. And so did his most famous student... 

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Buffett snapped up shares of many of the big-name banks, including Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), shortly after the bottom of the financial crisis. Shares were trading for under $10 at the time of his purchase. Today, shares are trading for around $30 -- which means Buffett is sitting on gains of more than 450%.

Margin of Safety: The Forgotten Component 
Graham believed that focusing on the intrinsic value of a business would help investors avoid fly-by-night companies and stocks caught up in market euphoria (think dot-com companies leading up to 2001). 

Surprisingly, Graham's approach wasn't necessarily designed to produce market-beating returns (at least that wasn't his intended goal). Instead, it was aimed at helping investors reduce the risk of misjudging a company, and thus the loss of capital. 

But over time, and as Buffett has repeatedly proven, this approach to the market can produce staggering returns. 

I recently used a "Graham" approach to find potential bargain stocks for my premium newsletter, Top Stock Advisor. More specifically, the screen I shared with my readers is based on Graham's "Enterprising" methodology as defined in his book, "The Intelligent Investor."

This approach seeks stocks that are trading at a discount to future earnings, and, ideally, stocks that are trading for less than their net working capital -- in essence buying companies without paying for their plants and machinery, or any tangible assets. 

Of course, it is necessary for investors to distinguish between undervalued stocks and those that are properly selling at low prices relative to value, sometimes referred to as "value-traps." In order to help avoid these types of situations, Graham suggested looking at companies that have had stable earnings over the last decade, with no years of negative earnings. 

Let's Use Ben Graham's Teachings To Screen For Picks
So that's what I looked for this week, and here's what I found...

Five Stocks That Meet Ben Graham's Value Approach

While all five of these stocks are worthy candidates for further vetting, I would focus my efforts on these three...

Reliance Steel & Aluminum (NYSE: RS) operates as a metals service center in the United States and internationally. It provides steel, aluminum, stainless, and specialty metals, as well as processing services to customers in various industries. 

The company is trading at an earnings multiple of only 10.6 times the stock price, well below the S&P 500's P/E multiple of 19.7. It's also below the company's average five-year historical P/E ratio of 16.1. The company posted double-digit sales growth in 2017 compared with 2016 and is on track to grow sales by double-digits again for 2018. The company will have reported fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 21 -- just before you're probably reading this, so be sure and check out the numbers in the report. The stock also sports a dividend yield of 2.4%.

Next, I'd look at Hooker Furniture (Nasdaq: HOFT). This small-cap stock ($370 million market cap) designs, manufactures, imports, and markets residential household furniture products in the United States. 

As one of only two retail stocks that made it through the screen, that in of itself is rather remarkable. A handful of retail stocks met most of Graham's requirements until it came to positive earnings over the last decade. The financial crisis in 2009 eliminated all but Hooker Furniture and Escalade (Nasdaq: ESCA) from the screening process.

Hooker currently sports a P/E multiple of 10.5, which is again below the broader market's 19.7 P/E. While its dividend yield of 1.9% isn't anything to write home about, the company has grown sales at a compounded average growth rate of 22% over the last five years. The one analyst who covers Hooker Furniture also seems positive on the stock, as he has a price target of $43 per share, a 36% premium to its most recent closing price.

Finally, we have Escalade (Nasdaq: ESCA), another small company (market cap of only $177 million). This is a sporting goods company that manufactures, imports and distributes various sporting goods brands in a variety of sports: basketball, archery, ping-pong, fitness products, and indoor and outdoor recreation games.

The company produced $173 million in sales and $24.3 million in profits in 2018. While the sales figure was down 3% from the previous year, profits rose 14%. The stock also boasts a dividend yield of 3.9%, double the S&P 500's 1.9% yield.

Action To Take
​These "Graham" stocks are a great starting point for further research. I do not -- I repeat, I do not -- recommend buying these stocks merely because they pass the criteria I laid out for this screen. 

That said, it's always worthwhile to apply the wisdom of legends like Ben Graham (or Buffett) in your research. That's what led to many of the biggest winners we've had in Top Stock Advisor over the years -- and it's also what led me to my picks in my latest report: The Top 10 Stocks for 2019.

While most investors are chasing the latest "hot tip" thinking they'll nab triple-digit gains each and every time, my readers know better. This is more like gambling, not investing. Instead, we're playing the smart game, learning from greats, and applying what we know about "what really works" to each and every pick we make. And that's what you'll find in our latest report. To learn more about it, go here.

Kosmos Energy (KOS) Trading Down 5.4%

Kosmos Energy Ltd (NYSE:KOS) fell 5.4% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $5.61 and last traded at $5.62. 4,280,492 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 25% from the average session volume of 3,423,952 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.94.

A number of research firms recently commented on KOS. Barclays set a $9.00 price target on Kosmos Energy and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 10th. TheStreet lowered Kosmos Energy from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a research report on Friday, December 14th. Exane BNP Paribas lowered Kosmos Energy from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, December 10th. ValuEngine lowered Kosmos Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 23rd. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered Kosmos Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $9.77.

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The stock has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of -17.03 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

In other Kosmos Energy news, Director David Benjamin Krieger sold 52,250,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.40, for a total value of $282,150,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 3.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KOS. Raymond James Trust N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Kosmos Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Intrust Bank NA acquired a new position in shares of Kosmos Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kosmos Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in shares of Kosmos Energy by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,955 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 2,911 shares during the period. Finally, CWM Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kosmos Energy by 88.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM Advisors LLC now owns 22,151 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 10,398 shares during the period. 93.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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About Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS)

Kosmos Energy Ltd. explores for and produces oil and gas in Africa and South America. Its asset portfolio includes production and other development projects in offshore Ghana and Equatorial Guinea; and exploration potential in offshore Mauritania and Senegal, as well as exploration licenses in offshore Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Morocco, Sao Tome and Principe, and Suriname.

Featured Story: Net Asset Value

SpartanNash Co (SPTN) Receives $20.60 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of SpartanNash Co (NASDAQ:SPTN) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $20.60.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on SPTN. ValuEngine upgraded SpartanNash from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets cut SpartanNash from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $23.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, November 8th. BidaskClub upgraded SpartanNash from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Zacks Investment Research upgraded SpartanNash from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on SpartanNash in a research note on Thursday, January 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company.

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In related news, Director Douglas A. Hacker sold 2,499 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.75, for a total transaction of $46,856.25. Following the transaction, the director now owns 31,265 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $586,218.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider David M. Staples sold 11,960 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.39, for a total value of $219,944.40. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 182,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,359,963.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in SpartanNash by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 113,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,952,000 after purchasing an additional 564 shares in the last quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan acquired a new stake in SpartanNash during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $179,000. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY grew its stake in SpartanNash by 369.2% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 12,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 10,134 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new stake in SpartanNash during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $262,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in SpartanNash by 203.4% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 63,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 42,722 shares in the last quarter. 85.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NASDAQ SPTN traded up $0.03 on Wednesday, reaching $21.77. The stock had a trading volume of 151,166 shares, compared to its average volume of 166,378. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. SpartanNash has a 12-month low of $16.08 and a 12-month high of $26.99. The stock has a market cap of $782.46 million, a P/E ratio of 10.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.24.

SpartanNash Company Profile

SpartanNash Co engages in the distribution of grocery products to military commissaries in the U.S. It operates through the following segments: Military, Food Distribution, and Retail. The Military segment sells and distributes grocery products primarily to U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. The Food Distribution segment distributes groceries to independent and corporate owned grocery retailers using multi-platform sales approach.

Recommended Story: How to Invest in the Dividend Aristocrat Index

NMI Holdings Inc to Post FY2019 Earnings of $2.15 Per Share, B. Riley Forecasts (NMIH)

NMI Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:NMIH) – Analysts at B. Riley upped their FY2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of NMI in a note issued to investors on Thursday, February 14th. B. Riley analyst R. Binner now anticipates that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $2.15 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $2.05. B. Riley currently has a “Buy” rating and a $26.00 price objective on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for NMI’s FY2020 earnings at $2.65 EPS.

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NMI (NASDAQ:NMIH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. NMI had a net margin of 39.24% and a return on equity of 17.47%. The business had revenue of $76.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.40 million.

NMIH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of NMI from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 15th. Compass Point boosted their price target on shares of NMI from $23.50 to $26.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of NMI from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $25.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Monday, November 5th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of NMI from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 25th. Finally, Barclays set a $28.00 price objective on shares of NMI and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.80.

NMIH stock opened at $23.79 on Friday. NMI has a 52-week low of $13.35 and a 52-week high of $24.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $1.58 billion, a PE ratio of 14.33 and a beta of 1.26.

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Piedmont Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in NMI by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Piedmont Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 15,718 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 635 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association increased its stake in NMI by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 18,111 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 744 shares during the period. Comerica Bank increased its stake in NMI by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 64,493 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,403,000 after buying an additional 778 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in NMI by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 140,750 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,499,000 after acquiring an additional 796 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Neuburgh Advisers LLC grew its position in NMI by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Neuburgh Advisers LLC now owns 7,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 832 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.77% of the company’s stock.

In other NMI news, Director Steven Scheid sold 13,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.45, for a total value of $298,585.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 67,491 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,515,172.95. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 5.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About NMI

NMI Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides private mortgage guaranty insurance services in the United States. The company offers mortgage insurance; reinsurance on loans; and outsourced loan review services to mortgage loan originators. It serves national and regional mortgage banks, money center banks, credit unions, community banks, builder-owned mortgage lenders, Internet-sourced lenders, and other non-bank lenders.

See Also: Earnings Reports

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019

tags:FCFS,LH,ASX,HLIT,TUP, Bargains along the Las Vegas strip are good news for gamblers and bad news for casino investors.

MGM Resorts (MGM) sparked more pain for the gambling sector when it warned Thursday that bookings and room prices in the third quarter were lower than expected.

The guidance sent shares of MGM, which also reported sharply lower second quarter earnings, down about 3% in early trading. Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Penn National Gaming (PENN) were also trading lower on the news.

CEO Jim Murren downplayed the significance of the lag in bookings, saying the summer months are tough for Vegas hotels and that he expects a pickup at the end of the year.

"You guys get so worked up about a couple of weeks," Murren said on a call with analysts Thursday. "Do we think there is anything structurally going on in Vegas? The answer is no. If I shared that concern, I would tell you. We're going to be stronger in the fourth quarter going into next year."

MGM's decline followed a wild day for casino stocks on Wednesday. Caesar's Entertainment (CZR) fell as much as 24% and trading was halted several times after it reported weakness in third quarter as well.

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019: First Cash Financial Services, Inc.(FCFS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  FirstCash (NYSE: FCFS) and CafePress (NASDAQ:PRSS) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk and dividends.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  First Cash Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:FCFS) shares hit a new 52-week high and low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $88.95 and last traded at $88.70, with a volume of 371494 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $87.80.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Cash Financial Services (FCFS)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  First Cash Financial Services (NYSE: FCFS) and Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE:FGP) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and profitability.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. lowered its position in shares of FirstCash Inc (NYSE:FCFS) by 16.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 25,000 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C.’s holdings in FirstCash were worth $2,246,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

  Get Laboratory Corp. of America alerts: Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Laboratory Corp. of America Put Options (LH) (americanbankingnews.com) Credit Suisse Group Lowers Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) to Hold (americanbankingnews.com) Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday (americanbankingnews.com) Can LaunchPad Aid LabCorp's (LH) Covance Arm in Q1 Earnings? (finance.yahoo.com) As Laboratory Corp Of America Holdings (LH) Shares Rose, Shareholder Veritas Investment Management Llp … (djzplanet.com)

  LH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and set a $204.00 price target (up from $180.00) on shares of Laboratory Corp. of America in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Laboratory Corp. of America from $182.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Laboratory Corp. of America from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Mizuho set a $178.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $183.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.19.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Triangle Securities Wealth Management lifted its stake in Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) by 34.5% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,339 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Triangle Securities Wealth Management’s holdings in Laboratory Corp. of America were worth $420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  If you're looking to get your share of a booming, global growth story, look no further than Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings  (NYSE: LH).

  The Burlington, North Carolina-based company operates the largest network of clinical laboratories in the world. Its U.S. network has 36 labs and processes 2.5 million lab tests every week.

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019: Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.(ASX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  LDK Solar (OTCMKTS:LDKYQ) and ASE Technology (NYSE:ASX) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, risk and valuation.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ASE Technology (NYSE:ASX) and Magnachip Semiconductor (NYSE:MX) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and valuation.

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019: Harmonic Inc.(HLIT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) was started as Buy with a $7 target price (versus a $5.32 close) at Needham.

  NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) was last seen down 8.5% at $61.60, based on its guidance after earnings. William Blair downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform. JPMorgan also downgraded NetApp, to Neutral from Overweight.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ:HLIT) Director William F. Reddersen acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $3.99 per share, with a total value of $19,950.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 199,574 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $796,300.26. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ:HLIT) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $5.33.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Vuzix (NASDAQ: HLIT) and Harmonic (NASDAQ:HLIT) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, earnings and dividends.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Digital Ally (NASDAQ: HLIT) and Harmonic (NASDAQ:HLIT) are both small-cap industrial products companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Top 5 Casino Stocks For 2019: Tupperware Brands Corporation(TUP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Tuesday was another good day on Wall Street, thanks largely to diminished concerns about trade disputes between the U.S. and China. Chinese leaders made conciliatory comments that suggested that there could be a measured resolution to tensions between the two countries, and market participants took that as an all-clear sign to bid shares higher. Yet some stocks suffered from negative news. Tupperware Brands (NYSE:TUP), SBA Communications (NASDAQ:SBAC), and American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) were among the worst performers on the day. Here's why they did so poorly.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Shares of Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE:TUP) were getting crushed today after the plasticwear-maker reported disappointing earnings results and cut its full-year forecast. In addition, the company announced several leadership changes. As a result, the stock was down 16.2% at 11:42 a.m. EDT.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Tupperware Brands Corp. (NYSE: TUP) fell by more than 12% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $41.60 after closing at $47.34 on Monday. The 52-week high is $74.36. Volume of about 3.6 million was more than four times the daily average. The company lowered its first-quarter guidance this morning.

Insider Selling: Fortinet Inc (FTNT) CEO Sells 80,000 Shares of Stock

Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ:FTNT) CEO Ken Xie sold 80,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.64, for a total transaction of $6,531,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,613,240 shares in the company, valued at $1,029,744,913.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Shares of NASDAQ:FTNT opened at $83.19 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 73.62, a P/E/G ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.90. Fortinet Inc has a 12-month low of $48.20 and a 12-month high of $94.37.

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Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 6th. The software maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $507.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.33 million. Fortinet had a net margin of 18.44% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business’s revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Fortinet Inc will post 1.15 EPS for the current year.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Delta Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Fortinet during the fourth quarter valued at $563,000. Cooper Financial Group bought a new stake in Fortinet during the fourth quarter valued at $209,000. First Mercantile Trust Co. bought a new stake in Fortinet during the fourth quarter valued at $580,000. Cim LLC bought a new stake in Fortinet during the fourth quarter valued at $487,000. Finally, Navellier & Associates Inc increased its stake in Fortinet by 13.8% during the fourth quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc now owns 74,759 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $5,265,000 after purchasing an additional 9,085 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.30% of the company’s stock.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on FTNT shares. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Fortinet from $97.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Monday, January 7th. ValuEngine cut shares of Fortinet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt boosted their target price on shares of Fortinet from $76.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. Zacks Investment Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $84.00 target price on shares of Fortinet in a research report on Tuesday, November 13th. Finally, Dougherty & Co raised shares of Fortinet from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $80.86.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Insider Selling: Fortinet Inc (FTNT) CEO Sells 80,000 Shares of Stock” was reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this story on another website, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of international trademark and copyright laws. The correct version of this story can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4153077/insider-selling-fortinet-inc-ftnt-ceo-sells-80000-shares-of-stock.html.

About Fortinet

Fortinet, Inc provides broad, automated, and integrated cybersecurity solutions worldwide. It offers FortiGate hardware and software licenses that provide various security and networking functions, including firewall, intrusion prevention, anti-malware, virtual private network, application control, Web filtering, anti-spam, and WAN acceleration; and FortiSandbox technology that delivers proactive detection and mitigation services; and FortiSIEM family of products, which offers a cloud-ready security information and event management solution for enterprises and service providers.

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Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) Trading 9.2% Higher Following Strong Earnings

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA)’s share price traded up 9.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $20.47 and last traded at $20.12. 2,452,372 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 134% from the average session volume of 1,049,783 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.42.

The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.22. Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 7.06% and a return on equity of 5.88%. The firm had revenue of $53.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $51.56 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.04) EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

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Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “reduce” rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday. BidaskClub cut shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday. TheStreet cut shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 7th. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $35.75.

In related news, CFO James Patrick Kelly sold 6,061 shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.37, for a total transaction of $159,828.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 196,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,174,347.77. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Gian Piero Reverberi sold 1,130 shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.59, for a total transaction of $30,046.70. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 136,569 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,631,369.71. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 22,427 shares of company stock valued at $591,496. 7.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advisor Group Inc. increased its stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 66.2% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Inc. now owns 2,916 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 1,161 shares in the last quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 109.3% during the 4th quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,662 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 1,912 shares in the last quarter. Neuburgh Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $132,000. South Dakota Investment Council bought a new stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $167,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $224,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.33% of the company’s stock.

The company has a market cap of $920.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -57.49, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.70.

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Vanda Pharmaceuticals Company Profile (NASDAQ:VNDA)

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. The company's marketed products include HETLIOZ (tasimelteon), a product for the treatment of non-24-hour sleep-wake disorders; and Fanapt (iloperidone), a product for the treatment of schizophrenia.

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5 Must-See Stock Charts for Wednesday: GILD, NFLX, EA

Talks of an improving trade situation and a lower likelihood of a government shutdown has stocks rallying on Tuesday, with many names making notable moves. Let’s look at a few must-see stock charts for Wednesday.

Note: We’re seeing big upside reversals in Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) and Under Armour (NYSE:UAA). While they are big movers on the day, I don’t want to cover them here again, with yesterday’s earnings previews proving that the levels are accurate.

Must-See Stock Charts #1: Gilead Sciences

After Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) reported earnings earlier this month, I said bulls could justify a position above the 50-day moving average or $67. However, should this level fail, a drop down to $63 is possible, I reasoned.

Disappointing data on Tuesday almost knocked the stock down to that level, before shares recovered. Now GILD is sort of in no man’s land down here. While bulls can technically stay with this one, there are better plays out there right now, as you’ll see in a moment. It might be time to find a new trading vehicle for all you non-investors in Gilead.

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Must-See Stock Charts #2: Electronic Arts

Man, if you want casino vibes just check out Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA). This thing is up, down and then up again all in a session or two. Seems like $110 to $112 is a reasonable upside target and if long, I wouldn’t want to see EA below $92.50.

Don’t forget, Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) reports earnings (we outlined that one too with SHOP and UAA) and it will likely have some sort of impact on EA on Wednesday.

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Must-See Stock Charts #3: Netflix

As long as we don’t get a huge pullback in the markets, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) seems to be setting up for a big-time breakout. Over this ~$360 level and NFLX could quickly spark a $20+ rally. However, below the 21-day and this one’s fizzling out.

Short and sweet? Yep, but the best setups are.

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Must-See Stock Charts #4: Phillips 66

Knock, knock, knockin’ on $95’s door is Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX), which is threatening to burst higher once this mark gives way. If it does, I’d love to see $95 become support going forward. On the upside, investors can target $102.50 to $105.

Below uptrend support (blue line) and this one is officially cracking, but below the 50-day and the breakout is officially off the table for the time being.

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Must-See Stock Charts #5: Corning

We could have seen a better close in Corning (NYSE:GLW) on Tuesday, as it threatens to breakout higher. Keep in mind GLW is already up big from last month’s strong earnings result. With that said though, it’s handling a big level at $34 impressively. I want to see some continuation this week to fuel this one higher. Over $35 and this one might see new 52-week highs.

Below uptrend support and $33, and we’ll need to see it reset before going long again.

Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. As of this writing, Bret Kenwell did not hold a position in any of the aforemen

Regal Beloit Corp (RBC) Position Reduced by Algert Global LLC

Algert Global LLC decreased its stake in Regal Beloit Corp (NYSE:RBC) by 56.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,250 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,600 shares during the quarter. Algert Global LLC’s holdings in Regal Beloit were worth $298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in RBC. Dupont Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Regal Beloit during the fourth quarter worth about $232,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Regal Beloit by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 53,584 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,754,000 after buying an additional 1,276 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Regal Beloit by 49.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 111,354 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,800,000 after buying an additional 36,796 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in shares of Regal Beloit by 30.0% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 3,600 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 831 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Regal Beloit by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 686,036 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $48,057,000 after buying an additional 2,121 shares during the period. 92.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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NYSE:RBC opened at $80.71 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 2.70. The company has a market capitalization of $3.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.50. Regal Beloit Corp has a 12-month low of $66.04 and a 12-month high of $86.75.

Regal Beloit (NYSE:RBC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $881.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $864.76 million. Regal Beloit had a return on equity of 11.18% and a net margin of 6.34%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Regal Beloit Corp will post 6.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be paid a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.39%. Regal Beloit’s dividend payout ratio is 18.67%.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on RBC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 price objective (down from $95.00) on shares of Regal Beloit in a research report on Monday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Regal Beloit to $83.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 7th. Wolfe Research cut Regal Beloit from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 8th. Oppenheimer cut Regal Beloit from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 8th. Finally, CIBC reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Regal Beloit in a research report on Tuesday, January 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $88.75.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This article was reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this article on another domain, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of United States and international trademark and copyright law. The correct version of this article can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4142522/regal-beloit-corp-rbc-position-reduced-by-algert-global-llc.html.

About Regal Beloit

Regal Beloit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells electric motors, electrical motion controls, and power generation and power transmission products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial and Industrial Systems, Climate Solutions, and Power Transmission Solutions.

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

AdvanSix Inc (ASIX) Stake Lowered by Algert Global LLC

Algert Global LLC trimmed its position in shares of AdvanSix Inc (NYSE:ASIX) by 58.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,001 shares of the company’s stock after selling 29,859 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC owned about 0.07% of AdvanSix worth $511,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of AdvanSix by 360.3% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,038 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 2,378 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AdvanSix by 81.9% during the fourth quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 4,206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $102,000 after buying an additional 1,894 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AdvanSix during the third quarter valued at about $150,000. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AdvanSix during the third quarter valued at about $219,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AdvanSix by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $176,000 after buying an additional 900 shares during the period. 79.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Cowen cut shares of AdvanSix from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $33.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of AdvanSix from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, January 28th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of AdvanSix from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of AdvanSix in a report on Monday, December 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $38.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TheStreet cut shares of AdvanSix from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, November 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $35.00.

Shares of ASIX opened at $31.28 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $926.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 2.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.17. AdvanSix Inc has a fifty-two week low of $22.57 and a fifty-two week high of $44.43.

In other AdvanSix news, Director Michael Marberry acquired 1,905 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $26.20 per share, for a total transaction of $49,911.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 34,856 shares in the company, valued at $913,227.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: This news story was reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this news story on another domain, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of international copyright and trademark legislation. The legal version of this news story can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4140361/advansix-inc-asix-stake-lowered-by-algert-global-llc.html.

About AdvanSix

AdvanSix Inc manufactures and sells polymer resins in the United States. It offers Nylon 6, a polymer resin, which is a synthetic material used to produce engineered plastics, fibers, filaments, and films. The company also provides caprolactam, ammonium sulfate fertilizers, and acetone, as well as other intermediate chemicals, including phenol, alpha-methylstyrene, cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketoxime, cyclohexanol, acetaldehyde oxime, 2-pentanone oxime, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.

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Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:TISA,BIDU,SOL,ATAI,CDTI,FMCN,

CNBC's Jim Cramer said Friday that many Americans support President Donald Trump's trade war with China, but contended that their voices are being drowned out.

"We simply, as a people, seem to be united that the president's position is wrong. I hear more of that on TV than I hear reality. I think that there are a lot of people [who say], 'Thank you for standing up for us,'" Cramer said on CNBC.

Just after midnight on Friday, the United States and China exchanged $34 billion worth of tariffs. The American duties affect products such as water boilers, X-ray machine components, airplane tires and various other industrial parts. The Chinese targets include soybeans, pork and electric vehicles.

Cramer, the host of "Mad Money," contended the time is right for the president to engage China on trade because the U.S. economy is so strong.

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: Top Image Systems Ltd.(TISA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Top Image Systems (TISA)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Top Image Systems (TISA)

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

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: Baidu Inc.(BIDU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  On this episode of Industry Focus: Tech, host Dylan Lewis is joined by Fool.com contributor Danny Vena to discuss how iQiyi's (NASDAQ:IQ) connection to Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) may give investors an advantage compared to a traditional start-up.

• [By Leo Sun]

  Shares of Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) tumbled 10% on May 18, after the company announced the upcoming departure of COO Qi Lu in July. Prior to joining Baidu in early 2017, Lu served as Microsoft's executive VP of its Applications and Services Group. As one of the industry's leading AI experts, Lu played a key role in Baidu's transition from an online search company to a cloud and AI services provider.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) received a $297.00 price objective from investment analysts at KeyCorp in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the information services provider’s stock. KeyCorp’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 28.87% from the stock’s current price.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market had a mixed day on Wednesday, with gains for the Dow Jones Industrial Average coming largely at the expense of the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, as well as smaller-company stocks. Investors were encouraged by solid economic data showing strength in the housing market, and strength in the financial sector was especially helpful for the Dow. Nervousness about potential regulation of high-flying tech stocks dampened market sentiment to some extent, but a few individual stocks posted sizable gains. GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH), Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), and W&T Offshore (NYSE:WTI) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

  Get ReneSola alerts: ReneSola Sells North Carolina Solar Project To Greenbacker (solarindustrymag.com) ReneSola (SOL) Rating Increased to Neutral at Roth Capital (americanbankingnews.com) ReneSola (SOL) Q1 Earnings in Line, Revenues Top Estimates (zacks.com) ReneSola’s (SOL) CEO Xianshou Li on Q1 2018 Results – Earnings Call Transcript (seekingalpha.com) ReneSola (SOL) Releases Earnings Results (americanbankingnews.com)

  Shares of ReneSola traded up $0.08, hitting $2.76, during trading on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 124,969 shares, compared to its average volume of 108,565. The firm has a market capitalization of $102.11 million, a PE ratio of 21.23 and a beta of 2.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. ReneSola has a 12 month low of $2.12 and a 12 month high of $3.79.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sola Token (CURRENCY:SOL) traded up 26.7% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 22:00 PM E.T. on September 28th. One Sola Token token can currently be bought for $0.0085 or 0.00000131 BTC on popular exchanges including Tidex and OpenLedger DEX. Sola Token has a market capitalization of $0.00 and approximately $3,239.00 worth of Sola Token was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, Sola Token has traded flat against the US dollar.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sola Token (CURRENCY:SOL) traded 17.9% lower against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 16:00 PM E.T. on October 11th. One Sola Token token can now be bought for about $0.0054 or 0.00000087 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including Tidex and OpenLedger DEX. Sola Token has a total market cap of $153,306.00 and $1,856.00 worth of Sola Token was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last seven days, Sola Token has traded down 12.2% against the dollar.

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  ATA Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAI) traded down about 14% Monday to set a new 52-week low of $0.82, based on revalued shares that closed at $0.72 on Friday but traded up about 250% on Monday at $2.53. Volume was more than 200 times the daily average of around 42,000. You’re on your own here to figure this one out.

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: Clean Diesel Technologies Inc.(CDTI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of CDTi Advanced Materials Inc (NASDAQ:CDTI) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $0.33 and last traded at $0.36, with a volume of 500 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $0.36.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s analysis:

  Get Molecular Templates alerts: Trading Center: Watching the Levels for Molecular Templates, Inc. (:MTEM): Move of 0.02 Since the Open (stocknewscaller.com) Molecular Templates (MTEM) Announces Clinical Data at 2018 ASCO Meeting (streetinsider.com) Gallbladder Cancer Treatment Sales Market Size by Players, Regions, Type, Application and Forecast to 2025 (exclusivereportage.com) ATR in spotlight EnSync, Inc. (NYSE:ESNC), CDTi Advanced Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDTI), Molecular Templates, Inc … (stocksnewspoint.com)

  MTEM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. ValuEngine lowered shares of Molecular Templates from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 1st. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Molecular Templates from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.20.

Best China Stocks To Buy For 2019: Focus Media Holding Limited(FMCN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  An issue of Focus Media Holding Limited (NASDAQ:FMCN) bonds fell 0.9% against their face value during trading on Monday. The high-yield debt issue has a 7.25% coupon and will mature on April 1, 2023. The bonds in the issue are now trading at $99.13 and were trading at $98.13 last week. Price moves in a company’s bonds in credit markets sometimes anticipate parallel moves in its share price.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  An issue of Focus Media Holding Limited (NASDAQ:FMCN) debt fell 1.1% against its face value during trading on Tuesday. The debt issue has a 7.5% coupon and is set to mature on April 1, 2025. The debt is now trading at $97.63 and was trading at $98.50 last week. Price changes in a company’s debt in credit markets sometimes anticipate parallel changes in its stock price.

Raytheon Stumbles Despite Strong Demand for Missile Systems

At first glance, Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) appears to be an obvious winner from the Pentagon's push toward high-tech surveillance, missile defense, and refreshing the military's stockpile of advanced weapons. But you'd never know it from the company's fourth-quarter results or from its disappointingly conservative 2019 guidance.

The company reported quarterly revenue of $7.36 billion, up 8% year over year but short of analyst expectations for $7.46 billion in sales. Raytheon earned $2.93 per share in the quarter, ahead of estimates, but the beat was attributable to a substantial benefit from a lower tax rate, which was able to offset below-expectation operating results.

Raytheon also said it expects to generate $11.40 to $11.60 per share in earnings in 2019, below analyst expectations for $11.78 per share, on revenue of between $28.6 billion and $29.1 billion. This is around what analysts expected.

Raytheon is unique among the prime defense contractors in that it lacks large flagship properties like bombers, tanks, or warships; focusing instead on electronics, sensors, precision weapons, missile defense, and cyber, among other areas. The portfolio of best-in-class products gives it exposure to a wide range of platforms made by other contractors, as well as a leading seat at the table as the government contemplates spending hundreds of billions to refresh its missile and missile-defense capabilities.

Artist rendering of a Raytheon SM-3 interceptor launching from a warship. Image source: Raytheon.

Though Raytheon shares reacted negatively after the quarterly numbers were released January 31, a closer read of the results and the projections for the future show that Raytheon holders have little to worry about.

Investing for the future

In the quarter, Raytheon experienced some revenue weakness in its cyber and missile businesses, while classified business helped both its space and integrated defense systems (ISS) produce higher-than-expected revenue.

Profitability was hit by margin pressure in key areas. ISS -- focused on missile defense, radar, electronic warfare, and the command and control systems that manage these programs -- generated margins about 150 basis points below expectations due to investments in radar research and development (R&D) and several mature programs that are in the process of winding down. Its missiles unit, with margins of 11.8% compared to expectations of 14%, was similarly hit by early-stage development work and some production reserves.

Many of those factors figured into the depressed guidance for 2019, but CFO Toby O'Brien, on a call with investors following the results, was quick to note that the margin-draining R&D work being done now should pay off in the future.

Over the long term, it's positive because it does generate those new franchises and margin expansion opportunities when programs move into production. So I think specifically for missiles, we do expect them to improve their margins versus '18 and '19, as I said, to a range of 12.1% to 12.3%. They clearly have been hit with the higher level of development classified programs.

Missile bookings, O'Brien notes, climbed nearly 50%, to $1.5 billion in 2018.

Raytheon also has a large Army training contract winding down in 2019 that will eat into full-year revenue growth, depressing estimates by upwards of 2%.

Outlook is still strong

Raytheon has been a highflier over the past five years with its shares up nearly 75% and easily outpacing the S&P 500's 51.6% gain. But the last year has not been so kind to Raytheon investors: The company's shares are down 20% -- and down 12.5% in December alone -- compared to the S&P's 4.3% decline in the last 12 months.

RTN vs. the S&P 500 data by YCharts.

Despite concerns about political infighting and fears that lawmakers will struggle to agree to a fiscal 2020 budget, the bull case on Raytheon is intact. The headwinds that ate into fourth-quarter results and depressed guidance appear to be more of a speed bump than a cliff, and the government's appetite for Raytheon-made products should continue into the foreseeable future.

Raytheon generated operating cash flow from continuing operations of $3.4 billion in 2018, beating the midpoint of its guidance for the year by $600 million. That appears sustainable and not just quicker-than-expected payments pushing the 2018 number higher at the expense of future quarters, as Raytheon upped its estimates for 2019 by $100 million, even after accounting for expected additional tax payments.

That cash number is important for investors, as Raytheon intends to return 80% of free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and buybacks. Raytheon does have some pension funding requirements to navigate over the next few years. But the cash, along with Raytheon's sector-low leverage, also gives the company significant firepower to do an acquisition if management sees an opportunity to boost its technology portfolio or spark growth.

Raytheon is not cheap: Trading at 19.36 times trailing-12-month earnings, it commands a higher valuation than most of its defense peers. If you're an investor picking defense stocks right now, I still prefer Lockheed Martin for the diversity of its portfolio and General Dynamics for its potential to appreciate in value as a key operating unit gets back on track.

But Raytheon holders with long-term horizons shouldn't lose faith because of the company's latest results. This is an excellent company with its finger on the pulse of Pentagon priorities that should be set up for growth for years to come.

A Defensive Trade With 50% Upside

As the stock market enters earnings season, I'm feeling concerned... and it seems like I'm not the only one. 

My bet is that we can expect volatility in the coming weeks. Our trading strategy over at Profit Amplifier focuses on avoiding risk, and one way we can do that is by adding exposure to utility stocks -- a defensive sector that traders turn to when they are looking for low-risk trades. 

Time To Get Defensive
While looking through my screens, I found a very attractive call option trade in Southern (NYSE: SO), a gas and electric company (and the second-largest utility stock in the United States, in terms of customer base). 

Southern's fundamentals are solid, with cash flow from operations growing steadily. The company is headquartered in Atlanta and serves a part of the country that enjoys relatively stable weather at this time of year, which reduces the risk of a natural disaster disrupting operations. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings around February 21, so picking a call option that expires before then further decreases risk. 

The chart confirms my bullish outlook. After recently breaking above its 200-day moving average (MA) -- the solid blue line in the chart -- the stock has continued moving higher, which is a bullish trend. 

The most important part of the chart is the Profit Amplifier Momentum (PAM) indicator in the bottom panel of the above chart, which gave a "buy" signal a few days ago. This confirms the "buy" signal from the weekly chart (below). 

Based on the chart, the price target for SO is above $50, and we can expect the current trends to push shares up toward that level over the next few weeks.

With no company news or bad weather on the radar, the period between now and mid-February should be smooth sailing, which makes this low-risk utility stock an attractive play in a market of rising volatility. As traders turn to defensive stocks like this one to ride out the rough patches, the call options trade I recently recommended to my Profit Amplifier readers could see a significant gain -- as much as 50%, in fact.

An Invitation To Trade With Me 
Unfortunately, I can't share the exact details of that trade with you today. This is an open, active trade, and it wouldn't be fair to my premium subscribers to give it away for free. That said, if you're familiar with how options work, then feel free to research this trade on your own. 

Remember, this is not an official Profit Amplifier trade -- it's merely a suggestion for those of you who are already familiar with options. If you like what you're getting, then you can consider joining us for more trades at this link.

If you're not an experienced trader, then you can still learn more about how my strategy works... all it takes is a few minutes of your time. In Profit Amplifier, we use a simple options strategy to profit from even the smallest moves in either direction -- making far more than investors who simply buy and sell stocks. In fact, we've closed a number of triple-digit gains in the last two months. To learn more, go here.