Best ETFs For Trading: International

&l;em&g;These 26 funds are the lowest in cost for positions held three months.&a;nbsp;&l;/em&g;

&l;img class=&q; wp-image-7544 size-full&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/baldwin/files/2018/07/Forbes-Best-ETFs.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;788&q; data-width=&q;940&q;&g;

Funds holding foreign securities haven&s;t done terribly well in recent years, but if you want to bet on a reversal of fortune, the exchange-traded funds in this table are the cheap way to do it. You can hold a $10,000 position in any of them for three months at a cost of $10 or less. The best operators get your cost down to $2.

Costs reflect bid/ask spreads, expense ratios charged by the fund vendor and any offsets to those expenses from securities lending revenue.

&l;div class=&q;table-wrapper&q;&g;&l;table width=&q;531&q;&g;&l;tbody&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td width=&q;64&q;&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;331&q;&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td rowspan=&q;3&q; width=&q;72&q;&g;3-month Holding Cost*&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;64&q;&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td rowspan=&q;2&q; width=&q;64&q;&g;Liquidity Score&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;Ticker&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Exchange-traded fund&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;em&g;Diversified&l;/em&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VEA&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;$2.05&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;IEFA&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Core MSCI EAFE&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;2.46&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A+&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VSS&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE All-Wld ex-US SmCp&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;2.51&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;B&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VEU&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE All-Wld ex-US&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;3.40&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SPDW&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;SPDR Portfolio World ex-US&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;3.68&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SCHF&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Schwab International Equity&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;3.96&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VT&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard Total World Stock&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;4.04&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;IXUS&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Core MSCI Total Intl Stk&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;4.60&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VXUS&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard Total International Stock&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;5.40&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SCZ&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;5.85&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;EFAV&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;7.62&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;ACWI&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares MSCI ACWI&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;8.94&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A+&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SCHC&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Schwab International Small-Cap Eq&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;8.95&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;B&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;IDEV&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Core MSCI Intl Dev Mkts&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;8.96&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;B&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;EFA&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares MSCI EAFE&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;9.17&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A+&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;em&g;Regional&l;/em&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VGK&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE Europe&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;2.00&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A+&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VPL&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE Pacific&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;3.89&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;IEUR&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Core MSCI Europe&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;5.16&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;FEZ&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;SPDR EURO Stoxx 50&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;8.48&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;em&g;Emerging&l;/em&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;IEMG&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;1.92&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A+&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VWO&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;4.62&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SCHE&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Schwab Emerging Markets Equity&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;6.76&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;SPEM&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;9.20&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;B&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;em&g;Other&l;/em&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;BNDX&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard Total International Bond&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;4.64&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;VNQI&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;Vanguard Global ex-US Real Est&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;5.95&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td&g;THD&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;iShares MSCI Thailand Capped&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;8.81&l;/td&g; &l;td&g;A&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;/tbody&g;&l;/table&g;&l;/div&g;

*&l;em&g;Cost of a $10,000 position held for three months. Reflects bid/ask spread, expense ratio and cost offset from securities lending.&l;/em&g;

&l;em&g;Data sources: Morningstar, Bloomberg, fund distributors&l;/em&g;

Over longer holding periods, different ETFs rise to the top in cost efficiency. To see rankings for ten-year investments, see &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/baldwin/2018/06/20/best-etfs-for-investors-2018/&q;&g;&l;strong&g;Best ETFs for Investors 2018&l;/strong&g;&l;/a&g;.

For links to the three-month scores in different categories, see &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/baldwin/2018/08/02/best-etfs-for-trading/&q;&g;&l;strong&g;Best ETFs for Trading&l;/strong&g;&l;/a&g;.

ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda. Sells 55,267 Shares of Biogen Inc (BIIB)

ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda. lowered its holdings in Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) by 30.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 125,856 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 55,267 shares during the quarter. Biogen comprises approximately 1.8% of ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. ADAMCAPITAL Gestao de Recursos Ltda.’s holdings in Biogen were worth $36,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Amalgamated Bank increased its position in shares of Biogen by 5.9% in the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 32,613 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $9,466,000 after acquiring an additional 1,828 shares in the last quarter. World Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Biogen by 2.0% in the second quarter. World Asset Management Inc now owns 14,471 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $4,200,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its position in shares of Biogen by 47.9% in the second quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 1,652 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $483,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares in the last quarter. Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor DE Media PNO increased its position in shares of Biogen by 25.0% in the second quarter. Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds Voor DE Media PNO now owns 40,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $11,610,000 after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pendal Group Ltd increased its position in shares of Biogen by 5.1% in the second quarter. Pendal Group Ltd now owns 46,799 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $13,583,000 after acquiring an additional 2,273 shares in the last quarter. 87.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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In related news, Director Alexander J. Denner acquired 48,000 shares of Biogen stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $269.91 per share, for a total transaction of $12,955,680.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 10,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,706,927.39. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

NASDAQ BIIB traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $358.68. 45,163 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,001,924. Biogen Inc has a 12 month low of $249.17 and a 12 month high of $370.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.23 and a quick ratio of 2.95. The company has a market capitalization of $74.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.80.

Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 24th. The biotechnology company reported $6.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $5.93 by $0.12. Biogen had a net margin of 23.54% and a return on equity of 37.64%. The firm had revenue of $3.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.20 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. analysts anticipate that Biogen Inc will post 23.97 EPS for the current year.

BIIB has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays lowered shares of Biogen from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $395.00 to $295.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Canaccord Genuity set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Biogen and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $318.00 price target on shares of Biogen and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 10th. Mizuho set a $433.00 price target on shares of Biogen and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 11th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $384.00 price target on shares of Biogen and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 17th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.79.

Biogen Profile

Biogen Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers therapies for the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. The company offers TECFIDERA, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY, TYSABRI, ZINBRYTA, and FAMPYRA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS); FUMADERM for the treatment of plaque psoriasis; and SPINRAZA to treat spinal muscular atrophy.

See Also: What does RSI mean?

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BIIB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB).

iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) Position Cut by Northstar Investment Advisors LLC

Northstar Investment Advisors LLC trimmed its position in iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (NASDAQ:ISTB) by 20.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 59,671 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,909 shares during the quarter. Northstar Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.14% of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF worth $5,607,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF during the first quarter worth $112,000. Private Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF by 313.7% during the first quarter. Private Capital Group LLC now owns 3,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 2,663 shares during the last quarter. First Allied Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF by 86.4% during the first quarter. First Allied Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 2,146 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF during the first quarter worth $229,000.

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Shares of iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF remained flat at $$49.01 during midday trading on Thursday, according to Marketbeat Ratings. 70,891 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 285,043. iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF has a 12-month low of $48.89 and a 12-month high of $50.47.

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.1011 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 2nd. This represents a $1.21 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%.

Featured Story: What is the Book Value of a Share?

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:CSGS,PRGS,JBL,UMC,AMGN,MAMS,SAIC,EBIX,CSLT,FLOW, Move over Warren Buffett! Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is now the second richest person on Earth.

The latest tally by Bloomberg's Billionaires Index shows Bezos is now worth about $75.6 billion. Another ranking compiled by Forbes has Bezos' value at "just" $75.2 billion.

He added $1.5 billion to his net worth after Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) gained $9 billion in market value during trading hours Wednesday.

The company received a generous stock bump after a Barclay's (AGRPY) analyst declared Amazon will "likely to be one of the first trillion-dollar market cap companies." Its shares hit a record high shortly after.

Amazon's stock has been on fire lately -- it's grown more than 16% over the last year. Investors were pleased with the company's decision, announced yesterday, to buy Souq, an e-commerce giant in the Middle East.

Amazon isn't Bezos's only venture. He also owns space exploration company Blue Origin. Its goal is to eventually take people on "space tourism" trips and to deliver satellites into orbit for corporate climates. So far, the company has only conducted test flights.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: CSG Systems International Inc.(CSGS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CSG International (CSGS)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  CSG International (NASDAQ:CSGS) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: Progress Software Corporation(PRGS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Smith Asset Management Group LP cut its holdings in shares of Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS) by 45.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,653 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 52,380 shares during the period. Smith Asset Management Group LP owned 0.14% of Progress Software worth $2,371,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The software maker reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.07, RTT News reports. Progress Software had a net margin of 13.86% and a return on equity of 25.03%. The firm had revenue of $96.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $95.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.42 earnings per share. Progress Software’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Progress Software updated its Q3 guidance to $0.56-$0.58 EPS and its FY18 guidance to $2.45-$2.50 EPS.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  The secret to becoming a millionaire, of course, is getting out in front of a major investment trend before it becomes mainstream. In 2017, it was Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. But this year, it's a taboo investment that is creating millionaires all across North America. Tap into the "green rush," and prepare to become a "Marijuana millionaire." Learn how to get started right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump is facing criticism after threatening to ramp up taxes on Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG). The iconic motorcycle producer said it will move parts of its production overseas in order to avoid tariffs from the European Union. Trump threatened to increase taxes on the firm. "Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be patient!" Earlier this month,�Microsoft Corp.�(Nasdaq:�MSFT) launched a $7.5 billion takeover of the web-based hosting service GitHub. The acquisition, orchestrated by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, brought out critics who claim that GitHub lacks any real profit potential for�Microsoft stock. Here's why those critics are wrong… and why MSFT is a buy. Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) has reversed its policy on cryptocurrency ads. The social media giant says that it will permit marketing from "pre-approved advisers." According to TechCrunch, the company will still ban ads pushing binary options and initial coin offerings. The report goes on to explain that cryptocurrency scams cost customers more than $500 million in just January and February 2018 alone. Four Stocks to Watch Today: ORCL, FB, GOOGL, BA Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) were largely flat despite a strong earnings report after the bell yesterday. The cloud computing giant reported EPS of $0.99

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: Jabil Circuit Inc.(JBL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Jabil (NYSE:JBL)Q3 2018 Earnings Conference CallJune 14, 2018, 4:30 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Peter Graham]

  Nevertheless, a long term performance chart shows Sanmina Corp previously being an outperformer, but now falling off while�potential large cap peer Flextronics International Ltd (NASDAQ: FLEX) has given a steady performance over the last two years and small cap�Celestica Inc (NYSE: CLS) and mid cap�Jabil Circuit, Inc (NYSE: JBL) have similar unaspiring charts:

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows shares of small cap Sanmina Corp (NASDAQ: SANM), a previous Elite Opportunity Pro (EOP) newsletter suggestion as the next breakout stock, and�mid cap Flextronics International being bigger winners (albeit FLEX has steadily risen for two years while SANM has already peaked) compared with the moderately positive performance of mid cap Jabil Circuit, Inc (NYSE: JBL) and small cap Celestica Inc (NYSE: CLS):

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: United Microelectronics Corporation(UMC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

  Get UMC alerts: UMC �� United Microelectronics Corporation: UMC Shareholders Elect 14th Term of Directors at Annual Shareholders Meeting (twst.com) UPDATE: Bernstein Upgrades United Microelectronics (UMC) to Market Perform (streetinsider.com) UMC��s new burn center fills three-decade need in New Orleans (neworleanscitybusiness.com) Community breakfast at Sparta UMC is open to all (mlive.com) Shopper News blog: Beaver Ridge UMC youth �� ‘we’re there to help’ (knoxnews.com)

  A number of brokerages recently commented on UMC. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of UMC from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $2.10 to $2.60 in a research report on Sunday. ValuEngine cut shares of UMC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. UMC presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $2.60.

• [By Nicholas Rossolillo]

  Speaking of trade wars, the one looming between the world's two largest economies, the U.S. and China, has been under the microscope. To kick off July, a court in China suspended sales of 26 products from semiconductor manufacturer Micron Technology�(NASDAQ:MU). The Idaho-based maker of memory chips has been embroiled in a patent infringement dispute with Taiwan-based United Microelectronics (NYSE: UMC), and this latest turn is a point in favor of the latter.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) saw its short interest fall slightly to 10.61 million shares from the previous level of 10.72 million. Shares were last seen at $184.59, in a 52-week trading range of $163.31 to $201.23.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C. trimmed its position in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 11.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,311 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 303 shares during the period. Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $394,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Private Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 1,703.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,362 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,231 shares during the period. Private Capital Group LLC’s holdings in Amgen were worth $403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: MAM Software Group, Inc.(MAMS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MAM Software Group (MAMS)

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

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION(SAIC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Science Applications International (SAIC)

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

• [By Rich Smith]

  Investors in Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE:SAIC) had a bad week last week: Its stock plunged 8% in a single day after it reported earnings -- and ended the week even lower. SAIC shares are clawing back some losses this week -- but do they deserve to?

• [By Rich Smith]

  Let's start with the story that sparked the rally. Last night, Reuters cited three sources "familiar with the matter" saying that Engility "is exploring a sale" -- perhaps to CACI International (NYSE:CACI) or Science Applications International Corp (NYSE:SAIC), two peer defense contractors that are both three to four times larger than Engility.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  The Marine Corps has selected BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH:BAESY) to manufacture its next-generation amphibious combat vehicle, dealing a major setback to the diversification plans of Science Applications International (NYSE:SAIC).

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Today, Bill offers our readers a few of his favorites as Trump meets with Kim Jong Un.�Here's how to cash in regardless of how this summit turns out in the long run.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday Last night, President Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. This was the first meeting between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader. Following the agreement, analysts noted that the document signed by both parties included no concrete details for achieving denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Trump responded to criticism by saying he is fully confident that the Korean dictatorship will follow through. A U.S. district court will rule on whether to approve an $85 billion merger between AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX). The decision comes after about six weeks of debate in a courtroom. The ruling will likely have a significant impact on the proposed bid by The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) for media giant Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.�(NYSE: FOXA). The Fed Open Market Committee kicks off its June meeting today. The U.S. central bank is expected to raise interest rates for the second time in 2018. On Wednesday, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will likely announce a hike of 0.25% to the benchmark rate to 2%. This would also mark the seventh hike since December 2015. Markets will be looking for clues during Powell's conference to determine how many additional times the Fed plans to raise interest rates during the final six months of the year. Three Stocks to Watch Today: RH, TSLA, GE Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RH) stock popped more than 20% in pre-market hours after the company reported very strong profits for the quarter. The retailer reported earnings per share of $1.33, well above the $1.02 anticipated by analysts. The company also reported a strong second-quarter outlook, news that reduced concerns about it falling short of revenue expectations. Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TS

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: Ebix, Inc.(EBIX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Ebix Inc (NASDAQ:EBIX) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $100.00.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Ebix (NASDAQ:EBIX) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The technology company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.01), MarketWatch Earnings reports. The business had revenue of $108.23 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $106.81 million. Ebix had a return on equity of 20.67% and a net margin of 27.65%. Ebix’s revenue for the quarter was up 36.8% on a year-over-year basis.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ARS Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ebix Inc (NASDAQ:EBIX) by 62.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 92,910 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 35,681 shares during the quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC owned 0.30% of Ebix worth $6,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: Castlight Health, inc.(CSLT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) and Castlight Health (NYSE:CSLT) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Castlight Health (CSLT)

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

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2019: SPX FLOW, Inc.(FLOW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Flow International (FLOW)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd increased its position in shares of SPX Flow Inc (NYSE:FLOW) by 38.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,824 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 2,738 shares during the quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd’s holdings in SPX Flow were worth $483,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Spx Flow (FLOW)

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

Uber's HR chief steps down after discrimination probe

Uber's head of human resources has resigned following an internal investigation into how she handled claims of racial discrimination within the company.

Chief People Officer Liane Hornsey announced her departure in an email she sent to employees on Tuesday. An Uber spokesperson confirmed Hornsey's resignation, first reported by Reuters, and the investigation that prompted it, but would not elaborate on the claims against her.

According to Reuters, an anoymous group of employees, all of them people of color, alleged that Hornsey used "discriminatory language" and made "derogatory comments" about high-level executives at Uber.

"We are confident that the investigation was conducted in an unbiased, thorough and credible manner, and that the conclusions of the investigation were addressed appropriately," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to CNNMoney.

Hornsey, who joined the company in January, 2017, did not address the probe in her email. "By now you'll have seen the news that I've decided to leave Uber. I know this comes a little out of the blue for some of you, but I have been thinking about this for a while," she wrote in the email, obtained by CNNMoney.

Hornsey could not be reached for comment.

Her departure comes as CEO Dara Khosrowshahi scrambles to change a corporate culture many have described as toxic. Uber has grappled with a string of scandals, including widespread allegations of gender and sexual harassment that led to co-founder Travis Kalanick's resignation as CEO in June 2017.

Larry Johnson, an expert on corporate culture, said Hornsey's departure shows Uber is still in "hot water."

"I'm glad to see Uber is trying to turn things around from the way it was last year," said Johnson, who is the author of a book about corporate culture and integrity called "Absolute Honesty." "If she's guilty as charged, then that's a step in the right direction."

Khosrowshahi praised Hornsey in an email he sent to employees, but did not mention the investigation or allegations against her.

"Liane is incredibly talented, creative, and hard-working. She's been a valuable member of my leadership team and I wish her nothing but the best," he wrote in the email, obtained by CNNMoney.

Khosrowshahi hailed several of her accomplishments, including releasing Uber's first diversity report and hiring a chief diversity and inclusion officer. She also played a role in the company's effort to ensure all employees are paid equally based on their location, role, and tenure at Uber. Such efforts are part of Khosrowshahi's ongoing campaign to burnish the company's image, and the allegations against Hornsey show how big a challenge he faces.

"These are huge issues they've been struggling with," said Cindy Schipani, a professor of business administration and law at the University of Michigan. "The culture still has a lot of room for improvement."

CNNMoney's Sara Ashley O'Brien contributed to this report.

Bytecoin (BCN) Market Capitalization Hits $550.44 Million

Bytecoin (CURRENCY:BCN) traded down 6.2% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 13:00 PM Eastern on July 9th. Bytecoin has a total market capitalization of $550.44 million and $7.57 million worth of Bytecoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Bytecoin coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0030 or 0.00000045 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Stocks.Exchange, Binance, Poloniex and cfinex. In the last seven days, Bytecoin has traded 14.3% lower against the US dollar.

Here’s how related cryptocurrencies have performed in the last day:

Get Bytecoin alerts: Monero (XMR) traded 1.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $137.18 or 0.02047640 BTC. DigitalNote (XDN) traded up 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0061 or 0.00000091 BTC. Aeon (AEON) traded 3.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.27 or 0.00019009 BTC. Boolberry (BBR) traded 1.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.91 or 0.00013560 BTC. Interplanetary Broadcast Coin (IPBC) traded up 2.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.18 or 0.00002206 BTC. Sumokoin (SUMO) traded up 32.8% against the dollar and now trades at $0.77 or 0.00011472 BTC. Karbo (KRB) traded down 4.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.35 or 0.00005147 BTC. IntenseCoin (ITNS) traded 3.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0024 or 0.00000036 BTC. Stellite (XTL) traded 14.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0003 or 0.00000005 BTC. LeviarCoin (XLC) traded 13.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0776 or 0.00000823 BTC.

Bytecoin Profile

Bytecoin is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Cryptonight hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was July 4th, 2012. Bytecoin’s total supply is 183,890,481,254 coins. The Reddit community for Bytecoin is /r/BytecoinBCN and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. The official message board for Bytecoin is bytecointalk.org. The official website for Bytecoin is bytecoin.org. Bytecoin’s official Twitter account is @Bytecoin_BCN and its Facebook page is accessible here.

Buying and Selling Bytecoin

Bytecoin can be purchased on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: cfinex, TradeOgre, Vebitcoin, HitBTC, Crex24, Poloniex, Binance and Stocks.Exchange. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Bytecoin directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Bytecoin should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, Changelly or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Bytecoin using one of the exchanges listed above.

new TradingView.widget({ “height”: 400, “width”: 650, “symbol”: “BCNUSD”, “interval”: “D”, “timezone”: “Etc/UTC”, “theme”: “White”, “style”: “1”, “locale”: “en”, “toolbar_bg”: “#f1f3f6”, “enable_publishing”: false, “hideideas”: true, “referral_id”: “2588”});

Permian Basin Royalty Trust (PBT) Earns News Impact Score of 0.17

Media stories about Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research group identifies positive and negative news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Permian Basin Royalty Trust earned a daily sentiment score of 0.17 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the oil and gas producer an impact score of 46.225040116545 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

Separately, TheStreet upgraded Permian Basin Royalty Trust from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 19th.

Get Permian Basin Royalty Trust alerts:

Permian Basin Royalty Trust traded down $0.03, reaching $9.20, during mid-day trading on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. 2,466 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 72,212. The company has a market capitalization of $432.53 million, a PE ratio of 14.50 and a beta of 0.52. Permian Basin Royalty Trust has a 1 year low of $7.80 and a 1 year high of $10.30.

Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 10th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $9.73 million for the quarter. Permian Basin Royalty Trust had a return on equity of 5,529.95% and a net margin of 95.80%.

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 29th will be paid a $0.044 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 28th. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.74%.

Permian Basin Royalty Trust Company Profile

Permian Basin Royalty Trust, an express trust, holds overriding royalty interests in various oil and gas properties in the United States. The company owns a 75% net overriding royalty interest in the Waddell Ranch properties comprising Dune, Judkins, McKnight, Tubb, University-Waddell, and Waddell fields located in Crane County, Texas.

Sothebys (BID) Shares Bought by Millennium Management LLC

Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Sothebys (NYSE:BID) by 44.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 308,524 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 94,406 shares during the quarter. Millennium Management LLC owned about 0.60% of Sothebys worth $15,830,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BID. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Sothebys by 103.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 950,945 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $49,069,000 after buying an additional 484,141 shares during the period. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Sothebys by 21.9% in the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 1,950,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $100,054,000 after buying an additional 350,000 shares during the period. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sothebys in the first quarter valued at $14,182,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sothebys by 6.7% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,185,419 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $214,752,000 after buying an additional 263,550 shares during the period. Finally, Matarin Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sothebys in the first quarter valued at $12,657,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.91% of the company’s stock.

Get Sothebys alerts:

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. ValuEngine upgraded Sothebys from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Sidoti lowered Sothebys from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 12th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Sothebys from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, May 18th. TheStreet upgraded Sothebys from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Monday, March 19th. Finally, Cowen upped their target price on Sothebys from $63.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Sothebys presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.00.

Shares of Sothebys opened at $55.34 on Thursday, according to Marketbeat. Sothebys has a 12 month low of $42.78 and a 12 month high of $60.16. The firm has a market cap of $2.87 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.19.

Sothebys (NYSE:BID) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The specialty retailer reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.21) by $0.30. Sothebys had a return on equity of 24.21% and a net margin of 12.39%. The business had revenue of $195.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $141.00 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.12) earnings per share. Sothebys’s revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. research analysts anticipate that Sothebys will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Sothebys

Sotheby's operates as an auctioneer of authenticated fine art, decorative art, jewelry, wine, and collectibles in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland, France, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Agency and Finance. The Agency segment accepts property on consignment; and matches sellers to buyers through the auction or private sale process.

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

Nike Just Did It - But The Story Is Bigger

Written by Ophir Gottlieb

Preface

Nike (NKE) crushed earnings, broke out to an all-time high, had its single best day for the stock in a decade �� but all of that, all those headlines, fail to capture the bullish narrative that came out of the results.

We added Nike to Top Picks on 2-Jan-16 for $61.36. As of this writing the stock closed at $79.68, up 30%.

In our most recent dossier on the company from 3-30-2018, we noted that not only was the tide turning, but that tide was multi-faceted.

That is to say, it wasn��t one region, one product or one part of technology that was working, it appeared that all of it was starting to work, and what we learned last week was the empirical data that was suggested by that circumstantial evidence in March.

As you read through the story note that Nike is now a full-blown apparel company (over $10 billion in apparel sales), has an explosive women��s focused business line, has incomparable social media success for discretionary products, and a booming personalized technology presence.

Story

Before we get to the actual numbers �� that is revenue and earnings per share, we can start with a broader view of the company. Nike has a plan that they have termed ��triple double,�� which is a doubling of innovation, a doubling of speed, and a doubling of digital.

This is referred to as Consumer Direct Offense.

* To double the cadence and impact of innovation, the Company will lead with more distinct platforms and scale innovation faster, will edit-to-amplify to give consumers better choices and will create new aesthetics spanning both sport and style.

* To double speed to market by reducing the average product creation timeline by over 50 percent through investments in end-to-end digital capabilities to serve consumers faster.

* To double direct connections with consumers and shape the future of retail led by Nike.com and all new owned and partnered NIKE Consumer Experiences.

In this last earnings release and call we learned about growth coming from, essentially, everywhere. The Nike Air platform, like Vapor Max, is growing, Nike Retro is growing, Nike��s new products are growing, its cushioning platform, which has four significant outsole technologies (like Nike react) is growing, and even Jordan brand (which was weak) is, according to the company, at an inflection point.

Barclays bank claims its channel checks show 30% or greater growth in the Jordan brand, year-over-year in select Jordan brands. This is not just footwear but also apparel.

Nike grew revenue 35% in China and 24% in the region that includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Nike��s largest region, North America, broke its streak of shrinking revenue and the company was emphatic that this was the new trend. Sales in the region improved 3.3% year-over-year, beating analyst expectations of a 0.98% rise.

That North American growth was attributed, at least in part to new products and technology �� specifically the smartphone app.

Even further, if you listen to the earnings call, which we will cover below, according to Nike, this is only the beginning of growth, it could get better and persist longer. The company, in fact, raised its annual sales growth forecast to the high single digits, as opposed to a previous estimate for growth in the mid- to high single-digits.

Let��s look at the actual earnings results, then the critical parts of the earnings all.

Earnings Results

* Revenue: $9.79 billion, 12.8% growth, versus analyst expectations of $9.41 billion.

* EPS: $0.69, 15% growth, versus analyst expectations of $0.64.

It's worth noting that Nike has a long history of beating consensus estimates for EPS.

The company also announced a $15 billion share repurchase program.

Earnings Call

Here are the critical elements we wanted to share from the earnings call. Our emphasis is added.

* [W]e��re so excited about potential of the Consumer Direct Offense. [They] are igniting the next phase of growth and profitability for NIKE.

* We��re winning with new innovation.

* New innovation platforms will drive over 50% of our incremental growth over the next five years. In fiscal year ��18, revenue from new innovative platforms actually drove over 80% of our incremental growth.

* We��re leading with platforms, not just products. For example, React and Air Max are scaling through multiple styles and across categories. They��re driving extraordinary growth and brand heat with consumers.

* Sportswear, a $10 billion business for NIKE had another quarter of double-digit growth.

* In Sportswear, the consumer demand for all-day comfort is making Air Max one of the fastest growing platforms in our industry.

* NIKE Digital was up 41% for the quarter.

* Overall, running grew 7% for fiscal year ��18. And with the loaded pipeline in fiscal ��19, [] we see a great runway ahead for our largest performance category.

* The success of our new cushioning platforms is driving momentum in our women��s business as well.

* One of our biggest opportunities for fiscal ��19 is to scale our women��s sneaker business across both NIKE and Jordan. In women��s apparel, lifestyle is also leading the way, highlighted by strong growth in tops and fleece.

* This quarter, we nearly tripled the size of Jordan��s women��s sneaker business.

* Jordan apparel was up double digits in all geos, and the Jordan Brand in China was up nearly 50%. These are the areas where we see exponential growth and we��ll continue to focus.

And, as is required for any successful company today, digital isn��t ��a category,�� it��s the business.

Digital is allowing us to realize our vision for smart retail to remove friction and personalize experiences through the intersection of digital and physical environments.

It��s sharpening our ability to sense the market through data and analytics. It��s unlocking new manufacturing tools that are more precise and drive a new esthetic. And it��s opening up opportunities for new partnerships and how we develop talent in the organization.

* Our investments in the digital experience are also creating a platform for new brand-friendly e-commerce partnerships.

* And we see huge potential emerging storytelling and shopping through our social platforms.

Conclusion

Nike crushed earnings, again, and this time the company did follow through with higher than expected North American sales growth and international growth.

It��s selling shoes and apparel. It��s selling platforms and innovating. It��s selling to women and men, internationally and domestically. It has multiple product lines that are in the top 3, if not all of the top 3, in certain categories at price points above $125.

Its innovation is working. Its digital strategy is working. Its technology has allowed to reduce the average product creation timeline by over 50%.

Its innovation has had a huge impact on direct connections with consumers led by Nike.com and all new owned and partnered NIKE Consumer Experiences.

Nike is at decade high valuations right now, but if we look out 5-10 years, with the impeccable precision on which it is executing in every aspect of its business, we see more to come.

And, yes, the market will drop at some point, and yes there will be a recession too. But Nike has a plan �� it��s working, and we believe it will continue to work, even with rather large bumps in the road.

Thanks for reading, friends.

Disclosure: I am/we are long NKE.

These gadgets could transform the lives of visually impaired people

A wave of new technology could soon improve everyday life for many of the 250 million people with impaired vision.

"Years ago, I couldn't do financial things without help," said Mario Percinic, a blind IT professional and accessibility expert.

"Now I use a screenreader with my online banking," said Percinic, who co-hosts a podcast on technology and accessibility called EBU Access Cast.

Apps, including one that recognizes money, are an essential part of Percinic's everyday life, and he believes smartphones are "one piece of technology that a person with disabilities can't live without."

And smartphones look set to continue to offer new services to people with vision impairment.

Watch: This smartphone eye test expands access to care

London-based not-for-profit Wayfindr, a subsidiary of the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), has developed a benchmark standard for using mobile devices to help people navigate indoor spaces.

Using these guidelines, Wayfindr works with transport providers, shopping malls and visitor attractions to help them introduce "turn by turn indoor navigation" to ensure independent mobility for visually impaired people.

Wayfindr's app provides indoor navigation.

"It's the same principle as using GPS for your car," said Tiernan Kenny, head of communications, public affairs and standards at Wayfindr.

Wave of wearables

Beyond smartphones, new wearable technology could prove life-changing for visually impaired people.

Israeli company OrCam launched the second iteration of its device to aid visually impaired people late last year.

AI companies spot a business opportunity in space

The OrCam MyEye 2.0, which weighs just 22 grams, is a wearable device that clips on to any pair of glasses. Its smart camera captures text information, barcodes and faces and converts the information instantly to words spoken into the user's ear.

The device supports almost 20 languages, retails for about $4,500 and is currently available in more than 20 countries. For some of the "tens of thousands of users," the costs are covered, or partially covered, by insurers or veteran's organizations, explained OrCam's chief executive and co-founder Ziv Aviram.

Watch: This autonomous wheelchair works with an app

Aviram said that the device can also recognize money, bus numbers and colors. "It is all done real-time and offline, therefore our users have full privacy," he said.

OrCam's MyEye 2.0.

OrCam plans to introduce a "speech to text" function later this year.

"Users will be able to ask the device questions, ask it to find specific information in a newspaper for example, or ask it to just read the headlines," Aviram said. "They'll be able to point to a menu and ask the device what type of food is available."

A level playing field

Canadian company eSight launched its vision assistance headset last year.

"It is designed to be used just like a pair of glasses, with the user choosing when to wear the device," explained Jeff Fenton, eSight's director of outreach and communications.

The device is mounted with a digital camera that captures live footage and presents it in front of the user's eyes.

It sells for $9,995, but eSight offers payment options and an affordability program to help more people access the device.

"Everything you need is in the device. There's no need to connect to the internet to use it," Fenton said, adding that the device does not collect user data.

"This sort of technology really levels the playing field for visually impaired people," he said.

Starbucks' Problems At Home And Abroad

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-963624692&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/963624692/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; (Photo by Atilgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Starbucks is losing its coolness. On Wall Street, that is, where its shares have been heading south in recent months, bucking the market trend.

In the last three months, Starbucks&a;rsquo; stock is down 11.38%, while the overall market is up 4.10%.

What&a;rsquo;s haunting Starbucks stock?

A number of problems at home and abroad. At home, Starbucks is facing market saturation, as there&a;rsquo;s a Starbucks store or two in almost every neighborhood. &l;span&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;This means that there are no more opportunities to open new stores.

With market saturation comes store cannibalization, a situation where one company store takes away business from other stores.

Market saturation and store cannibalization can explain the company&a;rsquo;s sluggish same store sales in the U.S., which has forced Starbucks to announce store closings in recent weeks.

Then there&a;rsquo;s Starbucks&a;rsquo; loss of identity. &l;span&g;For years,&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;the company&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;has been known as a &q;third place,&q; an &q;affordable luxury&q; where middle-age baby boomers could share and enjoy a cup of coffee with friends and colleagues, away from work and home.&l;/span&g;

&l;span&g;In recent years, however, Starbucks has been attracting bigger and bigger crowds, from all walks of life, including families with young children.&l;/span&g;

&l;span&g;&l;/span&g;

&l;span&g;This means that Starbucks is turning from a cool &q;third place&q; to another routine &a;ldquo;first place.&q;&l;/span&g;

&l;/p&g;&l;div class=&q;table-wrapper&q;&g;&l;table&g;&l;tbody&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;Company/Index&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;3-month performance&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;5-year performance&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;Starbucks&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;-11.38%&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;55.57%&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;Dunkin Brands&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;16.46&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;49.62&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;tr&g;&l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;S&a;amp;P 500&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;4.10&l;/td&g; &l;td width=&q;208&q;&g;68.24&l;/td&g; &l;/tr&g;&l;/tbody&g;&l;/table&g;&l;/div&g;

Source: Finance.yahoo.com 6/25/2018

Meanwhile, there&a;rsquo;s competition at home and abroad from both established and upstart companies.

For years,&a;nbsp;Starbucks&a;nbsp;had little competition both at home and abroad. For a simple reason: competitors couldn&a;rsquo;t match its business model. Some replicated the company&a;rsquo;s espresso beverage&a;nbsp;menu -- like&a;nbsp;McDonald&s;s with its McCafe product line. Others copied its &q;third place&q;&a;nbsp;concept -- like&a;nbsp;Costa Cafe in London and Caffe Bene in New York City.

But none of these competitors succeeded in developing a business model that beats Starbucks in all four advantages: beverage, store setting, service, and culture.

With little competition, Starbucks sales soared. Back in 2015, for instance, Starbucks&a;rsquo; revenues and earnings grew at the high teens levels, as McDonald&a;rsquo;s revenues and earnings headed south.

That was music in the ears of momentum investors who fell in love with the stock.

But in recent years, things have changed, both at home and abroad. At home, Starbucks is facing growing competition from McDonald&a;rsquo;s McCafes and all-day breakfast, as evidenced by the recent turnaround in McDonald&a;rsquo;s sales. Overseas, Starbucks is facing strong competition from home-grown start-ups that have managed to match and even exceed Starbucks &a;ldquo;third place&a;rdquo; model.

Like Greece-based Mikel Coffee Company, which features a portfolio of 130 beverages &a;mdash; and an elegantly designed &a;ldquo;third place&a;rdquo;&a;nbsp;look,&a;nbsp;staffed by carefully recruited and well-trained and dedicated associates.

That&s;s how Mikel expanded like&a;nbsp;wildfire in Greece, the Middle-East and the U.K., opening up 185 stores in nine years, with plans to open more stores in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany and the U.S.

The bottom line: Starbucks&a;rsquo; long bull run is over, as the company turns from a growth to a value play.

U.S. Auto Parts Network (PRTS) Given Daily News Impact Score of 0.05

Media stories about U.S. Auto Parts Network (NASDAQ:PRTS) have been trending somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm scores the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. U.S. Auto Parts Network earned a news sentiment score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the specialty retailer an impact score of 45.533280416614 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near future.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on PRTS shares. ValuEngine lowered U.S. Auto Parts Network from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, May 7th. Zacks Investment Research raised U.S. Auto Parts Network from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 14th. Finally, Roth Capital lowered U.S. Auto Parts Network from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $3.00 to $1.80 in a research report on Thursday, May 10th.

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U.S. Auto Parts Network traded down $0.02, reaching $1.52, on Friday, according to MarketBeat.com. The company had a trading volume of 2,211,096 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,471. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.86 million, a P/E ratio of 15.20 and a beta of 1.40. U.S. Auto Parts Network has a 52-week low of $1.45 and a 52-week high of $3.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

U.S. Auto Parts Network (NASDAQ:PRTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02. The business had revenue of $78.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.28 million. U.S. Auto Parts Network had a return on equity of 6.57% and a net margin of 8.14%. sell-side analysts predict that U.S. Auto Parts Network will post -0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Auto Parts Network Company Profile

U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an online provider of aftermarket auto parts and accessories primarily in the United States and the Philippines. It offers collision parts, such as parts for the exterior of an automobile; mirror products; engine parts comprising engine and chassis components, as well as other mechanical and electrical parts; and performance parts and accessories to individual consumers through its network of e-commerce Websites and online marketplaces.

Apple (AAPL) Upgraded to Buy at BidaskClub

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was upgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on AAPL. UBS Group set a $210.00 target price on shares of Apple and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 7th. Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $164.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Tuesday, June 5th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of Apple from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Apple from $203.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 5th. Finally, Macquarie reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $197.00 target price on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, June 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $206.89.

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Shares of Apple stock traded down $0.10 during trading on Monday, reaching $188.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 18,458,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,512,844. The stock has a market capitalization of $958.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.49, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.29. Apple has a fifty-two week low of $142.28 and a fifty-two week high of $194.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.37.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The iPhone maker reported $2.73 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.69 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $61.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $60.94 billion. Apple had a net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 39.97%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.10 EPS. analysts anticipate that Apple will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Apple declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, May 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the iPhone maker to repurchase up to 11.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

In other news, insider Luca Maestri sold 4,769 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.54, for a total transaction of $903,916.26. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 68,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,897,059.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Jeffrey E. Williams sold 15,653 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.18, for a total transaction of $2,898,622.54. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 168,181 shares in the company, valued at $31,143,757.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 279,074 shares of company stock worth $49,607,454. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Willow Creek Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Apple by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Willow Creek Wealth Management Inc. now owns 15,358 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,041 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Apple by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 15,070,752 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $2,322,704,000 after purchasing an additional 115,428 shares in the last quarter. Dorsey Wright & Associates acquired a new stake in Apple during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $434,000. CI Investments Inc. increased its position in Apple by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 1,811,476 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $279,185,000 after purchasing an additional 149,975 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in Apple by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,967,915 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $457,378,000 after purchasing an additional 454,150 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.04% of the company’s stock.

About Apple

Apple Inc designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, and personal computers to consumers, and small and mid-sized businesses; and education, enterprise, and government customers worldwide. The company also sells related software, services, accessories, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications.

Blue Chip Sector Leaders Highlight Jefferies Top Growth Stocks to Buy

Increasingly, the Wall Street firms we cover are starting to agree that while the future’s still bright for the U.S. economy, stock market gains may be much lower than the norm has been over the past decade. When that is the case, investing strategies often shift from indexing to a more disciplined stock-picking routine. That��s when investors need solid growth ideas.

Jefferies highlights the firm’s top growth stocks to buy each week, and this week is no exception. While these stocks are better suited for accounts that have a somewhat higher risk tolerance, they all make good sense now and have outstanding upside potential.

Adobe Systems

This high-profile old-school software company has posted outstanding earnings.�Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) operates in three segments. The Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, small and medium businesses, and enterprises to create, publish, promote and monetize their digital content. The other�segments�are Digital Marketing and Print and Publishing.

Top Wall Street analysts see the company benefiting from artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, automation bots, speech recognition and natural language processing and image recognition.�Some on Wall Street see earnings per share increasing a solid 30% or more for 2018.

The Jefferies team feels the company deserves a premium multiple to its peers due to Adobe��s strong competitive position in the creative space and above-average growth prospects. They noted this in the report:

The Company announced the acquisition of Magento, which will help add key e-commerce features to the product and customer experience. We believe the 9x calendar 2018 revenue valuation is a fair price, especially as it should boost Adobes total addressable market by ~$13 billion. Separately, the company also announced an $8 billion buyback program which could potentially increase our fiscal 2012 EPS by 9%.

The Jefferies price target for the shares is $265, and the Wall Street consensus target is $249.08. Shares traded early Thursday at $248.45.

CBS

This large cap broadcaster’s shares are down over 20% from where they were trading this time last year�and could be an incredible value.�CBS Corp.�(NYSE: CBS) may be in the best position of all the broadcast networks with an outstanding prime-time lineup, solid sports franchises like the NFL, March Madness College Basketball, The Masters and other top programming, the venerable network could once again be an outstanding stock for shareholders.

The company is leading in the ratings and is poised to continue the network’s programming dominance in 2016.�The broadcasting giant is now in the midst of a significant stock repurchase process, and many on Wall Street expect the company to shrink its share base by around 25% over the next two years.

The company surged past Wall Street expectations in the first quarter, with the company crediting strength across all units.�Revenue in the quarter ending March 31 increased 13% year over year to $3.76 billion, a company record for the quarter.�Affiliate and subscription fee revenues shot up 16%, with retransmission revenues and fees from CBS Television Network rising 25% in the quarter.

Shareholders receive a 1.41% dividend. Jefferies has a price target of $67, and the consensus figure is $66.04. Shares were last seen trading at $50.05.

IAC/InterActiveCorp

This company is another top Jefferies pick. IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IAC) operates a diverse collection of online media assets, ranging from search to personals, with Ask.com and Match.com driving the bulk of its revenue and profits. IAC generates revenue from a combination of advertising (both search and display), subscriptions and transactions.

The merger between Angie’s List and IAC/ InterActiveCorp Home Adviser was well received. The company was combined with HomeAdvisor, IAC��s home services marketplace. The analysts are positive on the deal and noted this in a report:

Early Angie’s integrations have been a success and mgmt. finds synergies are tracking well to their targets. We note Angie��s represented ~27% of IAC revenue in fiscal 2018 and expect EBITDA margins will expand toward 35% while revenues grow at a 20% 5 year compounded annual growth rate.

The�$175 Jefferies price target is less than the consensus target of $189.35. Shares traded at $155.15 Thursday morning.

ALSO READ: Merrill Lynch Adds Top Gaming Stock to Endeavor Small Cap Portfolio PayPal

This stock has long been a Jefferies and Wall Street favorite.

PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) is a global, technology-driven payment platform with greater than 210 million direct customer relationships in more than 200 countries. PayPal empowers a streamlined digital and mobile payment experience in-browser, on mobile devices and in-app. It is accepted at more than 75% of the largest 100 internet retailers.

PayPal enables businesses of various sizes to accept payments from merchant websites, mobile devices and applications, as well as at offline retail locations through a range of payment solutions across company’s payments platform, including PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo and Braintree products.

The stock was hit when the company announced restructuring of the company��s agreement with eBay, which will become merchant of record after the current deal expires in 2020. However,�eBay�will continue to accept PayPal-branded transactions through 2023. The analysts discussed this new relationship:

The company has emphasized how its changing relationship with EBAY should open doors to new marketplace acceptance deals. The top 75 online marketplaces generated ~$1.35 trillion in purchase volume and even excluding Taoboa, Tmall and Amazon, we estimate PayPal is accepted at ~30% of the marketplaces.

The Jefferies price objective is $98. The consensus target is $86.11, and shares traded at $82.05.

Q1 2019 EPS Estimates for America’s Car-Mart, Inc. (CRMT) Decreased by Analyst

America’s Car-Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRMT) – Research analysts at Jefferies Group cut their Q1 2019 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for America’s Car-Mart in a research note issued on Tuesday, May 22nd. Jefferies Group analyst J. Hecht now expects that the company will post earnings of $1.08 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.21. Jefferies Group also issued estimates for America’s Car-Mart’s Q3 2019 earnings at $0.75 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $4.40 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.96 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $0.95 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $5.10 EPS.

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Several other analysts have also issued reports on CRMT. BidaskClub raised shares of America’s Car-Mart from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of America’s Car-Mart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday. Janney Montgomery Scott boosted their price target on shares of America’s Car-Mart from $53.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, ValuEngine lowered shares of America’s Car-Mart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $57.75.

Shares of CRMT stock opened at $64.65 on Friday. America’s Car-Mart has a 52 week low of $33.05 and a 52 week high of $66.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $448.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.55 and a beta of 0.86.

America’s Car-Mart (NASDAQ:CRMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 21st. The company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $169.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $158.22 million. America’s Car-Mart had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 9.91%.

In related news, Director Robert Cameron Smith sold 22,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.26, for a total transaction of $1,400,850.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 7,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $454,498. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director William H. Henderson sold 11,546 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.50, for a total transaction of $571,527.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 52,500 shares of company stock worth $2,885,177. Insiders own 11.70% of the company’s stock.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CRMT. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in America’s Car-Mart by 46.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 3,105 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in America’s Car-Mart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $156,000. SG Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in America’s Car-Mart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,043,000. WCM Investment Management CA increased its holdings in America’s Car-Mart by 85.5% during the 4th quarter. WCM Investment Management CA now owns 388,282 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,337,000 after acquiring an additional 178,935 shares during the period. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in America’s Car-Mart by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 512,864 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,900,000 after acquiring an additional 10,680 shares during the period. 74.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

America’s Car-Mart Company Profile

America's Car-Mart, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company primarily sells older model used vehicles and provides financing for its customers. As of April 30, 2017, it operated 140 dealerships in 11 states in the South-Central United States.

Carolina Financial (CARO) Lifted to Buy at BidaskClub

Carolina Financial (NASDAQ:CARO) was upgraded by BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Brean Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of Carolina Financial in a report on Monday, May 7th. ValuEngine lowered Carolina Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Carolina Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $42.83.

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Carolina Financial opened at $42.64 on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market cap of $898.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.90 and a beta of 0.62. Carolina Financial has a 1-year low of $26.27 and a 1-year high of $43.34.

Carolina Financial (NASDAQ:CARO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $42.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.05 million. Carolina Financial had a return on equity of 11.38% and a net margin of 18.31%. analysts predict that Carolina Financial will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, VP M. J. Huggins III sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.50, for a total value of $49,375.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 60,389 shares in the company, valued at $2,385,365.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffery L. Deal sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.55, for a total value of $158,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 51,848 shares in the company, valued at $2,050,588.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 7.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. JOYN Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Carolina Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $321,000. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Carolina Financial by 59.2% in the fourth quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 75,588 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,809,000 after purchasing an additional 28,122 shares in the last quarter. Penn Capital Management Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Carolina Financial by 115.7% in the fourth quarter. Penn Capital Management Co. Inc. now owns 76,365 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,837,000 after purchasing an additional 40,954 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of Carolina Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,560,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Carolina Financial by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 29,843 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 6,886 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 46.77% of the company’s stock.

Carolina Financial Company Profile

Carolina Financial Corporation operates as a holding company for CresCom Bank that provides a range of commercial and retail banking financial services in South Carolina and North Carolina. The company operates through three segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Mortgage Banking, and Other. It offers checking accounts, commercial accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, retirement accounts, longer-term certificates of deposit, noninterest-bearing demand accounts, and interest-bearing demand accounts to individuals, businesses, associations, organizations, and governmental authorities.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:NTRA,PINC,JCS,CLWT,BAK,

Clean energy stocks in 2018�are on the cusp of massive growth, as the sector is projected to expand by 500% in the United States alone…

The Energy Information Agency is projecting renewable energy production to grow 500% by 2040.

The World's First "Universal Fuel": Physicists have known about an unlimited source of free fuel for over 100 years. See why tech companies are investing millions in this fuel (and how to join them). Click here…

And that means right now is the time to invest in clean energy stocks before they begin to soar.

To help Money Morning readers profit from the massive industry growth ahead, we're giving our readers one of the best clean energy stocks to buy right now. More on that pick in just a bit, but we want to first show you why the renewable energy sector is set to soar…

How Renewables Will Power Clean Energy Stocks in 2018

There are three major catalysts propelling alternative energy sources to explosive growth potential. And as the sector grows, so will renewable energy stocks…

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Natera, Inc.(NTRA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the medical research company’s stock.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) was downgraded by investment analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Premier, Inc.(PINC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) is projected to post quarterly loss at $1.31 per share on revenue of $1.97 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.59 per share on revenue of $909.36 million. Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $294.79 million. General Cable Corporation (NYSE: BGC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $980.61 million. Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $598.45 million. Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1 per share on revenue of $746.42 million. Fabrinet (NYSE: FN) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $319.71 million. National General Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NGHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $1.08 billion. The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAVG) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.75 per share on revenue of $320.92 million. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.22 per share on revenue of $1.29 billion. Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE: TREX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.19 per share on revenue of $172.22 million. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.09 per share on revenue of $1.35 billion. Envision Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: EVHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $2.02 billion. Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.23 per share on revenue of $869.64 million. Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.67 per share on revenue of $39

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Communications Systems Inc.(JCS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARA) shares surged 42.76 percent to close at $16.56 on Wednesday in reaction to a new licensing agreement with Europe-based Vifor Pharma. As part of the agreement, the biopharmaceutical company that alleviates pain licensed worldwide rights (except U.S., Japan, and South Korea) to Vifor Pharma to commercialize its KORSUVA therapy to Vifor $70 million. Yangtze River Port and Logistics Limited (NASDAQ: YRIV) gained 31.28 percent to close at $7.05 on Wednesday. Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) climbed 23.29 percent to close at $126.05 after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY2018 earnings guidance. EVO Payments, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVOP) gained 18.88 percent to close at $19.02. EVO Payments priced its IPO at $16 per share. Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARV) rose 16.1 percent to close at $6.85. USA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAT) gained 15.68 percent to close at $13.65 after announcing pricing of public offering. eXp World Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPI) shares jumped 15.01 percent to close at $17.70. Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) gained 14.99 percent to close at $4.68. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) rose 14.62 percent to close at $19.36. Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) shares rose 14.34 percent to close at $133.33 after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its fourth quarter. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) jumped 13.26 percent to close at $17.34 on Wednesday. Turtle Beach S-3 showed registration for 1.857 million share common stock offering via selling holders. Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JCS) rose 13.18 percent to close at $3.95. Communications Systems reported establishment of special committee to explore strategic alternatives. Immutep Limited (NASDAQ: IMMP) shares climbed 12.95 percent to close at $2.53. xG Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: XGTI) rose 12.64 percent to close at $0.8561 after the company&rsq

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited(CLWT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Red Violet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDVT) rose 75.31 percent to close at $9.94 after reporting Q1 results. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 40.62 percent to close at $4.50 on Tuesday after reporting 2017 year-end results. MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) gained 34.39 percent to close at $3.40. MEDIGUS Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: MDGS) gained 32.74 percent to close at $1.50 in reaction to its Monday announcement of a distribution agreement. The medical device company said it reached an agreement to distribute its minimally invasive medical devices in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Pfenex Inc. (NYSE: PFNX) surged 31.15 percent to close at $8.00 after the company announced the positive top-line PF708 study results in Osteoporosis patients that showed no imbalances in severity or incidence of adverse events. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) rose 21.07 percent to close at $11.09. Arcadia Biosciences reported that Albert D. Bolles, Ph.D. has joined its board of directors. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) rose 20.23 percent to close at $10.58. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) shares gained 17.62 percent to close at $17.82. Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: APVO) rose 17.1 percent to close at $5.82. Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) shares jumped 16.23 percent to close at $4.87 following Q1 earnings. Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) rose 16.04 percent to close at $3.69. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) climbed 15.99 percent to close at $7.98 following Q1 results. Tyme Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYME) rose 15.93 percent to close at $3.42. LiqTech International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIQT) gained 15.59 percent to close at $0.5532 following Q1 results. Sophiris Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPHS) gained 13.92 percent to close at $3.52 on Tuesday following Q1 results. Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA) jumped 13.4 percent to close at $2.37. Iteris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITI) shares surged 13.05 percent to close
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares rose 14.1 percent to $3.65 in the pre-market trading session after reporting 2017 year-end results. LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) rose 13.3 percent to $2.43 in pre-market trading after reporting a third-quarter earnings beat. MYnd Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYND) rose 10.5 percent to $3.49 in pre-market trading. MYnd Analytics reported a Q2 net loss of $2.7 million on revenue of $459,900. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) shares rose 8.4 percent to $5.68 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: DAVE) shares rose 7.7 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: XENE) rose 7.5 percent to $6.45 in pre-market trading after the company presented XEN901 Phase 1 clinical update and XEN1101 TMS pharmacodynamic Phase 1 data. Mimecast Ltd (NASDAQ: MIME) rose 6.5 percent to $43.50 in pre-market trading following a first-quarter sales beat. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 6 percent to $12.50 in pre-market trading after surging 77.44 percent on Monday. Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTLA) shares rose 6 percent to $26.05 in pre-market trading after climbing 3.58 percent on Monday. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) rose 4.7 percent to $7.20 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Xunlei Limited (NASDAQ: XNET) rose 4.1 percent to $13.88 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.54 percent on Monday. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) shares rose 4.5 percent to $21.73 in pre-market trading. Mizuho upgraded Valeant from Neutral to Buy. Bovie Medical Corporation (NYSE: BVX) rose 4.1 percent to $3.80 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) rose 3.4 percent to $4.00 in pre-market trading after jumping 23.25 percent o
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares shot up 93 percent to $6.16 after reporting 2017 year-end results.

  Shares of SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) got a boost, shooting up 13 percent to $5.90 after reporting upbeat Q1 results.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 155.56 percent to close at $5.75 on Thursday. Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: INSP) shares gained 56.12 percent to close at $24.98. Inspire Medical went public Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company issued 6.75 million shares priced at $16 each. Presbia PLC (NASDAQ: LENS) shares rose 53.02 percent to close at $3.55. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares rose 46.29 percent to close at $32.11. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Technical Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: TCCO) climbed 27.78 percent to close at $5.75. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares gained 26.27 percent to close at $21.15 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares jumped 22.16 percent to close at $4.30 on Thursday after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADC) rose 20.45 percent to close at $2.65 on Thursday. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) surged 18.36 percent to close at $9.99 following upbeat quarterly earnings. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) jumped 17.68 percent to close at $35.74 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) jumped 17.4 percent to close at $5.87. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHRS) shares rose 17.32 percent to close at $14.90. Coherus BioSciences reported resubmission of BLA for CHS-1701. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares gained 17.17 percent to close at $31.05 following upbeat quarterly earnings. The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET) gained 16.02 percent to close at $2.68 following Q1 earnings. Ca
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) surged 73.3 percent to $3.90. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares gained 51 percent to $33.1365. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Monaker Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKGI) shares jumped 34 percent to $3.00. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares rose 28.2 percent to $4.51 after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares jumped 27.8 percent to $21.40 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 20.5 percent to $8.920 after climbing 107.87 percent on Wednesday. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) gained 19.5 percent to $ 5.97. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) rose 18.9 percent to $10.035 following upbeat quarterly earnings. ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) gained 18.3 percent to $3.0177. ENDRA Life Sciences is expected to report Q1 results on May 15. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) rose 18.1 percent to $35.85 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares jumped 16 percent to $30.75 following upbeat quarterly earnings. TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTMI) gained 13.7 percent to $16.53 after reporting Q1 results. Insight Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT) shares surged 12 percent to $40.06 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS) rose 11.8 percent to $40.93 following Q1 results. Engility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EGL) surged 11.2 percent to $27.36. Engility reported upbeat quarterly earnings. Synalloy Corporation (NASDAQ: SYNL) rose 10.7 percent to $19.10 following Q1 results. Logitech International S.A. (NASDAQ: LOGI)

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Braskem S.A.(BAK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Wednesday morning, the materials shares rose 0.83 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI), up 8 percent, and Braskem S.A. (NYSE: BAK) up 6 percent.