Apple is keeping partners in the dark on video service packaging, pricing

Apple is going to announce its new video streaming service plans at an event in Cupertino, Calif., on Monday, March 25.

Over the past few months, CNBC has reported many details on Apple's plans. But the big open question is the pricing, and whether there will be any discounted bundles that encompass multiple services. A steep discount on available streaming video services could give consumers an immediate reason to sign up for Apple's new service.

Here's what people familiar with the company's plans have told us:

Apple is housing a new video streaming service in its TV app. Within that app, Apple is going to allow device users to subscribe to currently available streaming services, similar to Amazon Channels. This will likely include over-the-top (OTT) services such as Starz, Showtime, CBS All Access, Viacom's Noggin, HBO, and other existing channels, many of which can already be found on Amazon Channels. It will not include Hulu or Netflix. Users will be able to watch video in one dedicated application without having to flip between a variety of other company's streaming apps.Apple is investing in original content, at least some of which will be available for free to Apple device users within the TV application. Macworld put together a list of Apple's shows here.Apple has pushed for a 30 percent cut on every customer that subscribes to an over-the-top video service through its streaming service, people have told CNBC. Currently, Apple takes a 15 percent cut on revenue from customers that sign up to HBO Now, Netflix, and other streaming apps through the App Store.

While Apple may bundle some of these services together at a discounted price, we don't yet have details of how the bundles and pricing will work.

And here's the kicker -- its partners don't seem to know either.

Apple has been so secretive about its bundling plans that many of the main participants in its "channels" product don't know how it plans to package the services and what it plans to charge, according to people familiar. This sentiment was echoed by JPMorgan media analyst Alexia Quadrani:

"While we met with several companies participating in Apple's upcoming video service, none seemed to have a clear sense of what will exactly be announced on Monday," Quadrani wrote in a note to clients. "There is some consensus however that the product will include free original content plus a number of channels that consumers can purchase or view in one app using a single sign-on."

Bundling at a discount could differentiate Apple from Amazon Channels, which has thus far only sold its OTT services a la carte.

But the fact that the streaming services don't know details about any discounts suggests that any subsidized pricing will come out of Apple's pockets, as opposed to its partners' bottom lines.

Apple is also spending about $1 billion on its own original content. While several people have told CNBC that at least some of the content will be free to Apple device users, it's still uncertain how the video will be available (if at all) to non-Apple device users.

WATCH: This trader expects Apple streaming platform to make streaming easier

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Traders Sell UnitedHealth Group (UNH) on Strength Following Insider Selling

Traders sold shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) on strength during trading hours on Thursday following insider selling activity. $207.87 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $290.47 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $82.60 million out of the stock. Of all equities tracked, UnitedHealth Group had the 14th highest net out-flow for the day. UnitedHealth Group traded up $1.02 for the day and closed at $253.27Specifically, Director Richard T. Burke sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.01, for a total value of $1,225,050.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 182,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,682,963.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard T. Burke sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.55, for a total value of $3,908,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 193,872 shares in the company, valued at $50,513,349.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,000 shares of company stock worth $6,466,350. 0.87% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Several analysts recently commented on UNH shares. Zacks Investment Research cut UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “buy” rating and issued a $310.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 21st. BMO Capital Markets set a $310.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 27th. Piper Jaffray Companies raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $297.80.

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The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market cap of $235.93 billion, a PE ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.79.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 15th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $3.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $58.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.01 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 24.38% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.59 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Inc will post 14.62 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 27.95%.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Pearl River Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $40,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 70.0% during the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 85.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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About UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. It operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older, addressing their needs for preventive and acute health care services, as well as services dealing with chronic disease and other specialized issues for older individuals; and Medicaid plans, Children's Health Insurance Program, and health care programs; and health and dental benefits.

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Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) Shares Up 5.8%

Shares of Adverum Biotechnologies Inc (NASDAQ:ADVM) shot up 5.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $5.45 and last traded at $5.33. 597,383 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 79% from the average session volume of 333,482 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.04.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ADVM. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Adverum Biotechnologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $4.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 15th. BidaskClub raised shares of Adverum Biotechnologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $6.55.

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The firm has a market capitalization of $305.89 million, a PE ratio of -4.52 and a beta of 3.13.

Adverum Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:ADVM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 6th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.25) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.29) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $0.07 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.39 million. Adverum Biotechnologies had a negative net margin of 4,505.40% and a negative return on equity of 30.18%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Adverum Biotechnologies Inc will post -1.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Adverum Biotechnologies during the fourth quarter worth $66,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Adverum Biotechnologies during the third quarter worth $155,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in Adverum Biotechnologies by 169.5% during the third quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 34,142 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $206,000 after acquiring an additional 21,474 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Adverum Biotechnologies by 185.8% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,501 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 26,330 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Adverum Biotechnologies by 55.2% during the third quarter. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC now owns 43,973 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $266,000 after acquiring an additional 15,632 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.38% of the company’s stock.

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Adverum Biotechnologies Company Profile (NASDAQ:ADVM)

Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc, a clinical-stage gene therapy company, engages in developing gene therapy product candidates that target serious rare and ocular diseases. It leverages its adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based directed evolution platform to develop products. The company's pipeline of product candidates include ADVM-043 to treat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which is in Phase I/II clinical trial; and ADVM-053 for hereditary angioedema disease, which is in preclinical stage; as well as ADVM-022 and ADVM-032 for wet age-related macular degeneration disease, which are in preclinical stage.

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As U.S. Market Heats Up, These Marijuana Stocks are Cashing In

When it comes to legal weed, Canada certainly has the first-mover advantage … but I’m seeing more opportunity here in the United States for marijuana stocks. Having passed full legalization last fall, Canada is projected to be a $5.9 billion market for legal cannabis by 2022. That’s about where the U.S. market was in 2015. And that was when only four states, plus D.C., had full legalization.

Now we’re up to 11 states when you include Alaska. (And many more allow medicinal use.) By 2017, the U.S. legal marijuana market had exploded 57.4% to reach $8.5 billion.

To put that figure in its proper perspective, the $8.5 billion spent buying legal pot was more money than Americans spent on ice cream!

By 2018, we were at $10.4 billion. And according to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, we’ll easily keep up that pace through 2022 — when U.S. spending will reach $22.2 billion.

That’ll be nearly four times the size of Canada’s marijuana market.

Marijuana Legalization Is on the Move

There’s a huge potential catalyst on the horizon for marijuana stocks, in the form of the STATES Act.

STATES is short for Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States. The Act is a bipartisan bill put together by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The legislation was introduced last June. If passed, it would amend the Controlled Substances Act.

This is big because the federal prohibition would be eliminated in states that legalize marijuana. As long as residents follow their state’s laws on marijuana, the federal government would not be able to intervene.

The odds of the bill getting passed this year are very high. It would make it even easier for more states to legalize marijuana. More importantly, it would be the first major step to federal legalization … and that’s when the opportunity opens up all the way.

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‘Merger Fever’ Starting to Spread

Harvest Health & Recreation (OTCMKTS:HRVSF) has picked up on the trend of already increasing sales and the potential for explosive growth. The Arizona-based cannabis grower and retailer went public on the Canadian Securities Exchange last November — and is also trading on the OTC Markets in the United States under the symbol HRVSF.

From its home base in Phoenix, Harvest Health has already spread to eight other states (within just six years). And on Monday, it announced a merger with Verano Holdings, in which the combined company will own licenses for up to 200 facilities across 16 states.

The buyout comes with a steep price tag: $850 million (U.S. dollars). That’s the biggest marijuana merger since the $835 million deal between iAnthus Capital (OTCMKTS:ITHUF) and MPX Bioceuticals in October.

Taken together, that’s $1.5 billion in just two corporate mergers. You think they don’t see opportunity?

Harvest may have inked the bigger deal, but I actually prefer iAnthus as an investment.

Ianthus owns and operates cannabis cultivators, processors, and dispensaries in the United States. Now that it has merged with MPX, it has operations in 11 states, more than 60 retail locations, and over 500,000 square feet of cultivation and processing space.

I saw huge upside potential in iAnthus going back to last year. It’s up nearly 30% just in 2019 alone, and management said this will be a “transformative year” for the company. I couldn’t agree more. As the integration of iAnthus and MPX progresses, it will lead to impressive financials as the U.S. opportunity continues to grow.

Based on 2020 revenue expectations of $336 million, iAnthus trades with an Enterprise Value/Revenue ratio of 1.15. This is the lowest of all the major U.S. marijuana stocks. Even more impressive is that iAnthus is expected to be one of the first companies in the industry to turn a meaningful profit.

Based on 2020 earnings estimates, ITHUF stock trades with a price-earnings (P/E) ratio of 17.9. With the kind of growth prospects I’ve outlined here, that makes iAnthus a phenomenal bargain.

Matthew McCall is the founder and president of Penn Financial Group, an investment advisory firm, as well as the editor of Investment Opportunities and Early Stage Investor. He has dedicated his career to getting investors into the world’s biggest, most revolutionary trends BEFORE anyone else. The power of being “first” gave Matt’s readers the chance to bank +2,438% in Stamps.com (STMP), +1,523% in Ulta Beauty (ULTA), +1,044% in Tesla (TSLA), +611% in Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (LNGLY), +324% in Bitcoin Services (BTSC), just to name a few. If you’re interested in making triple-digit gains from the world’s biggest investment trends BEFORE anyone else, click here to learn more about Matt McCall and his investments s

SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYW) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.86.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on SKYW. BidaskClub upgraded SkyWest from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 22nd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded SkyWest from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $56.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 21st. Imperial Capital restated an “outperform” rating and set a $69.00 price target (up previously from $63.00) on shares of SkyWest in a research note on Monday, February 4th. ValuEngine upgraded SkyWest from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 4th. Finally, Cowen restated an “outperform” rating and set a $61.00 price target (down previously from $66.00) on shares of SkyWest in a research note on Thursday, January 10th.

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In other SkyWest news, Director Jerry C. Atkin sold 19,500 shares of SkyWest stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.00, for a total value of $1,092,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 696,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,988,992. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jerry C. Atkin sold 20,000 shares of SkyWest stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.04, for a total value of $1,120,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 697,957 shares in the company, valued at $39,113,510.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 47,775 shares of company stock worth $2,680,834 in the last 90 days. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in shares of SkyWest by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 17,354 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $771,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of SkyWest by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 36,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,624,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its stake in shares of SkyWest by 23.4% in the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,553 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Piedmont Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of SkyWest by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Piedmont Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 12,373 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $550,000 after purchasing an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of SkyWest by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,153 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.87% of the company’s stock.

Shares of SKYW traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $50.01. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 323,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 257,024. SkyWest has a 12-month low of $42.38 and a 12-month high of $65.80. The company has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.44 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.10.

SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 31st. The transportation company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.20. SkyWest had a return on equity of 14.87% and a net margin of 8.70%. The business had revenue of $803.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $789.62 million. As a group, analysts predict that SkyWest will post 5.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, March 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This is an increase from SkyWest’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. SkyWest’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.55%.

About SkyWest

SkyWest, Inc is the holding company for two scheduled passenger airline operations and an aircraft leasing company. SkyWest’s airline companies provide commercial air service in cities throughout North America with nearly 3,000 daily flights carrying more than 53 million passengers annually. SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

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Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Has $252,000 Holdings in Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC grew its position in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHG) by 16.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,660 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 505 shares during the quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF were worth $252,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SCHG. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $50,000. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF by 49.2% in the 4th quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC now owns 977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF by 78.5% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Doyle Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $104,000.

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Shares of SCHG traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $76.29. The company had a trading volume of 337,420 shares, compared to its average volume of 642,235. Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF has a 12-month low of $64.30 and a 12-month high of $82.71.

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About Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (the Fund) goal is to track the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index (the Index). The Fund's index includes the large-cap growth portion of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index available to investors in the marketplace. The Dow Jones U.S.

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NVE Corp (NVEC) Position Trimmed by Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc.

Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. decreased its position in shares of NVE Corp (NASDAQ:NVEC) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,332 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 170 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc.’s holdings in NVE were worth $2,218,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in NVE by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 350,595 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $37,120,000 after acquiring an additional 4,261 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its stake in NVE by 26.6% during the 3rd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 10,617 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 2,228 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC boosted its stake in NVE by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC now owns 9,844 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,042,000 after acquiring an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC boosted its stake in NVE by 11.7% during the 4th quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 12,121 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,061,000 after acquiring an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cowen Prime Services LLC boosted its stake in NVE by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Cowen Prime Services LLC now owns 9,231 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $808,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. 75.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Shares of NVEC opened at $101.50 on Friday. NVE Corp has a twelve month low of $72.61 and a twelve month high of $135.00. The company has a market capitalization of $492.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.13 and a beta of 1.25.

NVE (NASDAQ:NVEC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 23rd. The semiconductor company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter. NVE had a net margin of 53.96% and a return on equity of 18.22%. The firm had revenue of $6.27 million for the quarter.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 4th were issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 1st. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.94%.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BidaskClub raised shares of NVE from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 21st. ValuEngine raised shares of NVE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 4th.

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NVE Company Profile

NVE Corporation develops and sells devices that use spintronics, a nanotechnology that utilizes electron spin to acquire, store, and transmit information. The company manufactures spintronic products, including sensors and couplers for use in acquiring and transmitting data. Its products comprise standard sensors to detect the presence of a magnetic or metallic material to determine position or speed primarily for the factory automation market; and custom and medical sensors for medical devices to replace electromechanical magnetic switches.

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L&T gains 3% as construction arm bags contracts in Telangana, Jharkhand

Share price of Larsen and Toubro (L&T) gained 3 percent intraday Thursday after company's construction arm has secured orders from prestigious clients across varied states in India.

Company's buildings and factories business has secured a prestigious order for the construction of campus development of IIT Hyderabad Package 3A at Kandi, Telangana.

The project has to be completed in 22.5 months.

The metallurgical and material handling business has secured an order from BHEL for Ash Handling Plant (AHP) to be installed at NTPC, Patratu Thermal Power Plant (3x660 MW) located in Jharkhand.

related news Ajmera Realty jumps 5% as promoter increases stake in company D-Street Buzz: Nifty FMCG in green led by Jubilant Food, Power Grid up 2%, RIL gains HFCL rises 3% on order wins worth Rs 117 crore

Its geoStructure business has secured an order from CMRL for the Central Square underground space development. The scope includes construction of diaphragm walls and three basements.

The above orders are in the range of Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 crore.

Recently, in the month of March the company's construction arm bagged contract for metro rail project Phase - 2 from Bangalore Metro Rail

Corporation. Also, its water & effluent treatment business has secured orders from prestigious clients across varied states in India.

At 10:47 hrs Larsen & Toubro was quoting at Rs 1,354, up Rs 39.05, or 2.97 percent on the BSE.

For more market news, click here First Published on Mar 7, 2019 11:00 am

L&T gains on order wins from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation

Shares of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) gained 1.5 percent in the early trade on Wednesday after company bagged order from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation.

The heavy civil infrastructure business of L&T Construction has secured orders from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation for the design and construction of the Phase-2 works.

The scope for Package No. 2 includes under-ground structures (tunnels & stations) 2.76 Km (approx.) long from Vellara Junction station to Shivajinagar station and three UG Metro Stations at Vellara Junction, M. G. Road and Shivajinagar on the Reach-6 line.

Package no. 3 involves design & construction of under-ground structures (tunnels & stations) 2.884 Km (approx.) long from Shivajinagar Station to Tannery Road Station and two UG Metro Stations at Cantonment and Pottery Town on the same metro rail line.

The project is to be completed in 42 months.

At 09:29 hrs Larsen & Toubro was quoting at Rs 1,320, up Rs 13.35, or 1.02 percent on the BSE.

For more market news, click here First Published on Mar 6, 2019 09:35 am

Relx’s (REL) “Buy” Rating Reaffirmed at Berenberg Bank

Relx (LON:REL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by research analysts at Berenberg Bank in a research note issued on Monday. They currently have a GBX 1,850 ($24.17) target price on the stock. Berenberg Bank’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 12.46% from the stock’s previous close.

REL has been the subject of several other research reports. Societe Generale reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 1,840 ($24.04) price objective on shares of Relx in a research report on Friday, January 25th. Deutsche Bank lowered their target price on Relx from GBX 1,820 ($23.78) to GBX 1,785 ($23.32) and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 4th. Liberum Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Relx in a report on Friday. Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Relx from GBX 2,006 ($26.21) to GBX 2,167 ($28.32) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 14th. Finally, HSBC raised Relx to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from GBX 1,830 ($23.91) to GBX 1,870 ($24.43) in a report on Monday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of GBX 1,788.08 ($23.36).

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LON:REL traded up GBX 34.50 ($0.45) during trading hours on Monday, hitting GBX 1,645 ($21.49). The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,818,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,990,000. Relx has a 52-week low of GBX 1,399 ($18.28) and a 52-week high of GBX 1,784 ($23.31).

In other Relx news, insider Erik Engstrom sold 36,334 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,770 ($23.13), for a total value of £643,111.80 ($840,339.47).

Relx Company Profile

RELX PLC provides information and analytics for professional and business customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Scientific, Technical & Medical; Risk & Business Analytics; Legal; and Exhibitions. The Scientific, Technical & Medical segment provides information and analytics to institutions and professionals.

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Can a Fast-Casual Pizza Chain Dethrone Domino's?

Domino's (NYSE:DPZ) remains the world's biggest pizza chain, with global annual sales exceeding $13.5 billion in 2018, edging out second place Yum! Brands' Pizza Hut. You have to go all the way down to 14th place on Pizza Today's list of the top 100 pizza chains to find fast-casual Blaze Pizza. But that doesn't mean it's not looking to one day topple the industry leader.

With annual sales of $341 million, it still has a way to go before it can be considered a contender. But with sales growing at 23% per year according to Bloomberg, that could happen very quickly, and an IPO could be in its future.

Image source: Getty Images.

Buying into the fast-casual fad

Because of the seemingly effortless growth Chipotle Mexican Grill experienced, every niche player in the restaurant industry sought to become "the next Chipotle" of a particular meal category. From sandwiches and Asian food to burgers and Mediterranean cuisine, chains popped up exploiting the popularity of meals made from fresh, wholesome ingredients in assembly-line fashion.

Pizza was no different, and new pizzerias materialized seemingly overnight to either go public or attract big investor dollars -- so much so that even Chipotle got into the act by partnering with the small, fast-casual Pizzeria Locale chain.

While Chipotle's internal woes led it to eventually close almost all of the pizzeria's locations, other fast-casual concepts succumbed to the broader problems of a weakened dining environment. They now operate as smaller versions of their former high-flying selves or have closed completely, including Cosi, Zoe's Kitchen, Noodles & Co, Potbelly, and another closed Chipotle venture, ShopHouse Asian Kitchen. In the pizza space, Pie Five, Pieology, PizzaRev, and Papa Murphy's were all similarly hit.

Bucking the trend

But not every fast-casual pizzeria ran into trouble. In fact, a few continue to thrive, including MOD Pizza and Blaze, which may be the niche's most successful chain, with 316 locations in 42 states and five countries. Its founder is Rick Wetzel, who launched the mall-based Wetzel's Pretzels in 1994, and it has attracted the likes of basketball star LeBron James as an investor.

Despite the success, and although Wetzel says an IPO may be in Blaze's future, the fast-casual pizza shop is focusing on building its operations to effectively take on Domino's.

Blaze Pizza recently began adding more variety to its menu beyond its signature 11-inch personal pizza, such as 14-inch pies and online specials like a large pepperoni pizza for $8.95 and two large single-topping pies for $20 that are meant to be competitive with Domino's and Pizza Hut. Blaze is also investing in digital technology to improve its carryout business and now offers delivery.

Delivering the goods

Domino's is the king of pizza delivery, and few companies have parlayed investments in digital technology into profit-generating success as well as the industry leader has. It credits its investments with helping online orders and mobile apps to represent more than half of its global retail sales last year, while they account for 65% of all U.S. sales.

It also has a massive footprint with over 15,900 stores in 85 markets. It has developed innovative ordering platforms through Google Home, Facebook Messenger, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Twitter, and text messaging using a pizza emoji. It's testing self-driving pizza delivery with Ford and last year launched Domino's Hotspots, which enable it to deliver pizza to 200,000 nontraditional locations like parks and beaches.

The market wasn't impressed with its latest earnings reports because of fears that its growth is slowing. But Domino's was still able to record 10% retail sales growth for 2018 with a better than 6% increase in same-store sales, which is impressive for a pizzeria generating over $1 billion in annual sales.

The key investment takeaway

Having an aspirational goal of taking on Domino's may serve as a motivational tool for Blaze Pizza and its employees, and the fast-casual pizza joint is cobbling together an impressive growth story in a weakened industry. But Domino's investors needn't worry that the industry leader will be toppled by its nearest rival, Pizza Hut, anytime soon, let alone by an upstart.

3D Systems Caps Off 2018 With Solid 3D Printer Sales Growth

3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 results after the market closed on Thursday.

Shares of the 3D printing company were up 5.9% in after-hours trading on Thursday. We can probably attribute the market's initial reaction to adjusted earnings per share (EPS) coming in higher than most investors were expecting and investor satisfaction with the company's high-level 2019 outlook provided on the earnings call. The stock has gained 48.6% for the one-year period through Thursday's regular trading session, versus the S&P 500's 4.7% return.

3D Systems was the first of the two big 3D printing companies to report, as Stratasys is scheduled to release its earnings on Thursday, March 7.

Here's how the quarter worked out for 3D Systems and its investors.

3D Systems' key numbers  Metric Q4 2018 Q4 2017 Year-Over-Year Change

Revenue	$180.7 million	$177.3 million	1.9%
Operating income	($7.0 million)	($5.7 million)	N/A
Net income	($4.1 million)	($10.1 million)	N/A
Adjusted net income	$11.4 million	$5.3 million	115%
GAAP earnings per share (EPS)	($0.04)	($0.08)	N/A
Adjusted EPS	$0.10	$0.05	100%

Data source: 3D Systems. GAAP = generally accepted accounting principles.

Both the GAAP loss and adjusted EPS gain include a $4.9 million tax benefit "related to the release of reserves resulting from the expiration of open tax periods," according to the earnings release.

GAAP gross margin in the quarter was 45.75%, down from 48.2% in the year-ago period. During the quarter, the company generated $7.7 million of cash from operations and ended 2018 with $110.0 million of cash on hand. In 2017, it generated $8.2 million of cash from operations and ended the year with $136.3 million of cash on hand.

For context (though long-term investors shouldn't place too much weight on Wall Street's near-term estimates), analysts had been looking for adjusted EPS of $0.07 on revenue of $180.8 million, so earnings surpassed expectations while revenue came in on target.

For full-year 2018, 3D Systems' revenue increased 6.4% to $687.7 million, its GAAP loss per share narrowed to $0.41 from $0.59 in 2017, and it posted adjusted EPS of $0.15, versus a loss per share of $0.02 in 2017.

Image source: Getty Images.

Segment results  Segment Q4 2018 Revenue Q4 2017 Revenue Year-Over-Year Change

Product	$113.1 million	$102.3 million	10.6%
Service	$67.7 million	$74.9 million	(9.6%)
Total	$180.7 million	$177.3 million	1.9%

Data source: 3D Systems. 

On the earnings call, management reviewed how key categories performed:

3D printers (within product): Revenue increased 17% year over year to $40.7 million, while the number of units sold soared 113%.  Healthcare solutions: Revenue grew 16% to $58.4 million. (This category spans both segments and overlaps other categories.)  Software (within product): Revenue edged up 3% to $26.7 million. On-demand part manufacturing (within service): Revenue rose 5% to $27.7 million. Materials (within product): Revenue declined 2% to $42.0 million.  

For full-year 2018, 3D printer revenue jumped 25% year over year on a 76% increase in printer unit sales, healthcare solutions revenue grew 19%, software revenue increased 5%, on-demand manufacturing went up 2%, and materials got a 1% boost.

What management had to say

Here's what CEO Vyomesh Joshi had to say in the earnings release:

We are pleased with our continued strong growth in printer revenue and units across platforms, in both plastics and metals, as well as continued growth in healthcare and software solutions. We are also pleased with the significant portfolio enhancements we made throughout 2018, our improved execution and the cost structure opportunities available to us as we enter 2019.

Looking ahead

In the quarter and year, 3D Systems made some solid progress on its turnaround. Neither the results for the quarter nor year, however, could be characterized as anything approaching "strong." 

3D Systems didn't provide exact 2019 guidance, but on the earnings call, CFO John McMullen provided a self-described "high-level 2019 outlook": 

We continue to expect growth to be driven by printer revenue growth, including the expected ramp of sales of new products launched throughout 2018, materials growth with higher growth beginning in the second half of 2019, continuing healthcare revenue growth, and software growth continuing and improving over time. We are pleased with the overall progress we have made. But we continue to focus on additional operational efficiencies and cost reduction opportunities. We... expect continued revenue growth, improved profitability, and cash generation.

McMullen also commented on the company's 2019 priorities: 

With multiple 2018 product launches now behind us, we are shifting our investment focus to materials innovations and software growth opportunities. We are very focused on reducing our cost structure and driving cash generation during 2019.

Starboard Value says it will oppose $74 billion Bristol-Myers-Celgene deal

Activist investor Starboard Value said Thursday it intends to use its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb to oppose the drugmaker's $74 billion acquisition of Celgene.

"Bristol-Myers is deeply undervalued and the recent announcement of the Company's proposed acquisition of Celgene Corporation is poorly conceived and ill-advised," Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote in a letter to Bristol-Myers shareholders. "There is a better path forward for Bristol-Myers, either as a more profitable standalone company with a more focused, lower-risk strategy, or in a potential sale of the whole Company."

The activist fund has also nominated a slate of director candidates that it hopes to elect at Bristol's 2019 annual shareholder meeting.

Smith argued that Starboard was "surprised" to hear of the proposed acquisition on the heels of what he characterized as poor financial and stock price performances over the last few years. Bristol-Myers announced in January the deal to buy Celgene valued for a record $74 billion.

"The actions we are taking — specifically, our intent to solicit shareholders to block the proposed acquisition of Celgene — are not taken lightly," Smith added. "This view has been solidified by the numerous other large, long-term shareholders who appear to likewise believe this deal is not in the best interest of shareholders."

Bristol-Myers said in response to Starboard's letter that it "welcomes the opinions of all of its stockholders and will review Starboard's letter and respond in due course. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Board and management team are confident that our combination with Celgene will create a premier biopharma company and deliver substantial benefits to our stockholders."

Investment firm Wellington Management on Wednesday also announced its opposition. Wellington said it "does not believe that the Celgene transaction is an attractive path towards" business that "secures differentiated science and broadens the future revenue base."

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Jeffrey Smith, chief executive officer and chief investment officer at Starboard Value LP.

Bristol-Myers stock was up 0.6 percent and Celgene sank 7.6 percent following the release of Starboard's letter. Brisol-Myers told CNBC on Wednesday that "since announcing the Celgene transaction on January 3, our Board and management team have had numerous conversations and meetings with our stockholders across our ownership base, including Wellington."

"We believe that we are acquiring Celgene at an attractive price, and that this transaction presents an important and unique opportunity to create sustainable value," the company said.

— CNBC's Lauren Hirsch contributed reporting.

Semgroup Corp (SEMG) Files 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended on December 31, 2018

Semgroup Corp (NYSE:SEMG) files its latest 10-K with SEC for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2018. Semgroup Corp provides gathering, transportation, storage, distribution, marketing and other midstream services to independent producers, refiners of petroleum products and other market participants in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Semgroup Corp has a market cap of $1.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $15.74 with and P/S ratio of 0.49. The dividend yield of Semgroup Corp stocks is 12.01%. Semgroup Corp had annual average EBITDA growth of 8.50% over the past five years.

For the last quarter Semgroup Corp reported a revenue of $634.0 million, compared with the revenue of $545.9 million during the same period a year ago. For the latest fiscal year the company reported a revenue of $2.5 billion, an increase of 20.2% from last year. For the last five years Semgroup Corp had an average revenue growth rate of 7.9% a year.

The reported loss per diluted share was 65 cents for the year. The Semgroup Corp had an operating margin of 3.78%, compared with the operating margin of 2.09% a year before. The 10-year historical median operating margin of Semgroup Corp is 2.09%. The profitability rank of the company is 4 (out of 10).

At the current stock price of $15.74, Semgroup Corp is traded at 50.6% discount to its historical median P/S valuation band of $31.85. The P/S ratio of the stock is 0.49, while the historical median P/S ratio is 1.00. The stock lost 20.59% during the past 12 months.

For the complete 20-year historical financial data of SEMG, click here.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:GSS,NGD,ORE,CME,NXG,

General Electric (GE ) , the American multinational conglomerate, and the last original company from the 1986 Dow, is no longer on the 30-stock index. After 110 years, GE was booted off the Dow yesterday and will be replaced by pharmacy giant Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA ) .

General Electric was once the American golden child. The company, which was founded by Thomas Edison, was popular for making consumer products and industrial machinery.  GE was the first to invent or commercialize products such as the famous lightbulb and the electric fan. In August 2017, former CEO Jeff Immelt stepped down from his position. Since then, what once was a legendary company has been in a downward spiral. According to Forbes, Immelt lacked vision for his company and hardly led GE into new growth markets during his tenure. The company’s performance was poor during Immelt’s time and the stock fell 30% since he became CEO in 2001.

General Electric has been the only company to be on the Dow continuously since 1986, even though others have come and go. According to CNBC, this change will have a positive impact and make the index a better measure of the economy and the stock market. 

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Golden Star Resources Ltd. (TSE:GSC) (NYSE:GSS) has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$1.48.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Golden Star Resources (GSS)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:GSS) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 28th, there was short interest totalling 10,021,831 shares, an increase of 6.9% from the September 14th total of 9,371,344 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,038,207 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 9.7 days. Approximately 4.7% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of New Gold (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its holdings in shares of New Gold Inc (Pre-Merger) (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) by 5.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,015,289 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 101,852 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI owned about 0.35% of New Gold Inc (Pre-Merger) worth $4,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Orezone Gold Corp (ORE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Robertson]

  Finally, Richard Seville, the CEO of Brisbane-based Orocobre Ltd (ASX: ORE) which began lithium sales in 2015 from northern Argentina and also experienced difficulty boosting output, commented that an "inability to access traditional funds has delayed the development of the sector" and that "these projects aren't easy -- so the banks just don't want to go there."

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Galactrum (ORE) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  Lyra2RE hashing algorithm. It launched on November 11th, 2017. Galactrum’s total supply is 2,092,679 coins and its circulating supply is 1,372,679 coins. Galactrum’s official Twitter account is @galactrum. Galactrum’s official website is galactrum.org.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Galactrum (ORE) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  Lyra2RE hashing algorithm. It was first traded on December 13th, 2017. Galactrum’s total supply is 2,781,952 coins and its circulating supply is 2,061,952 coins. Galactrum’s official website is galactrum.org. Galactrum’s official Twitter account is @galactrum.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Galactrum (CURRENCY:ORE) traded 1.7% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 18:00 PM Eastern on August 31st. Galactrum has a total market capitalization of $866,847.00 and approximately $5,272.00 worth of Galactrum was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Galactrum coin can now be purchased for about $0.42 or 0.00006032 BTC on major exchanges including Stocks.Exchange and Cryptopia. In the last seven days, Galactrum has traded 12.5% higher against the U.S. dollar.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: CME Group Inc.(CME)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 24,661 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,989,000.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  In this segment from Motley Fool Money, host Chris Hill asks Fool senior analysts Andy Cross, Matt Argersinger, and Ron Gross to give us the lowdown on some companies that caught their attention recently. But only two picked were individual equities this time around: CME Group (NASDAQ:CME), operator of the world's largest futures and options exchange; and creative software publisher Adobe Systems (NASDAQ:ADBE). The third Fool had his interest piqued by an ETF -- namely, the iShares MSCI China (NASDAQ:MCHI) Index Fund.

• [By Max Byerly]

  CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a hold rating to a buy rating.

  Get CME Group Inc alerts:

  Polarityte (NASDAQ:COOL) was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a hold rating to a buy rating.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Cashme (CURRENCY:CME) traded down 0.1% against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 10:00 AM E.T. on August 27th. Over the last week, Cashme has traded up 55.3% against the US dollar. Cashme has a market cap of $0.00 and $0.00 worth of Cashme was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Cashme coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0003 or 0.00000003 BTC on exchanges.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of NEX Group PLC (LON:NXG) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 696 ($9.21).

FDA Warns Against Thermography for Breast Cancer Screening

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday warned health care providers, cancer-treatment advocacy groups, people recommended for breast cancer screening and all women not to use thermography devices to detect, diagnose or screen for breast cancer.

Thermography devices use infrared cameras to produce images showing patterns of heat and blood flow on or near the surface of the body. The devices have been cleared for use only when used with another diagnostic test, not as a stand-alone diagnostic tool.

In the warning letter published Monday, the FDA noted that it had issued a separate warning on Friday to Total Thermal Imaging (TTI), which markets its Thermography Business Package as a “sole screening device for breast cancer and other diseases,” including “early detection of the diagnosis of many disorders including breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, pre-stroke, heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome, back, leg or headache, and even unexplained pain, TMJ, and other disease.”

The FDA states that there is no valid scientific data showing that thermography devices, either used in conjunction with another device or by itself, “are an effective screening tool for any medical condition.” Mammography, the FDA reiterated, “is the most effective breast cancer screening method and the only method proven to increase the chance of survival through earlier detection.”

The FDA inspected the company in July and August of 2018, notifying it of several other violations as well. TTI failed to respond in writing to the FDA’s inspection, as it had promised to do, within 15 days of the FDA inspection.

The FDA means business this time:

[TTI] should immediately cease distribution of the Thermography Business Package and take prompt action to correct the violations addressed in this letter. Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in regulatory action being initiated by the FDA without further notice. These actions include, but are not limited to, seizure, injunction, and civil money penalties. Also, federal agencies may be advised of the issuance of Warning Letters about devices so that they may take this information into account when considering the award of contracts. … Requests for Certificates to Foreign Governments will not be granted until the violations related to the subject devices have been corrected.

Last November the FDA sent a warning letter to Thermogram Assessment Services for a similar violation.

24/7 Wall St.
America’s Unsafe Medical Products

Musk says the tech is 'mind-bogglingly stupid,' but hydrogen cars may test Tesla

Tesla and its competitors in the battery-powered electric vehicle market dominate debate over who will control the future of cars, but there's another kind of green transportation technology making inroads in the United States, and it is based on the planet's most abundant resource.

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) combine hydrogen stored in a tank with oxygen from the air to produce electricity, with water vapor as the by-product. Unlike more common battery-powered electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles don't need to be plugged in, and current models all exceed 300 miles of range on a full tank. They're filled up with a nozzle almost as quickly as traditional gas and diesel vehicles. While fuel cell vehicles themselves only emit water vapor from their tailpipes, the Union of Concerned Scientists notes that producing hydrogen can lead to pollution. Though renewable sources of hydrogen, such as agricultural and waste sites, are increasing, the majority of the hydrogen sourced for fuel comes from traditional natural gas extraction. Still, the impact is still less than gasoline-powered counterparts.

Hydrogen power has been on the market for years but in an extremely limited capacity. There are currently 39 public hydrogen fueling stations in California (with another 25 in development), along with a couple in Hawaii. Now the East Coast is getting its own infrastructure. A handful of stations are up and running, and more are in the works in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Commercial success, consumer challenges

Hydrogen is more established in the commercial market. There are more than 23,000 fuel cell-powered forklifts in operation at warehouses and distribution centers across the U.S. in more than 40 states, including at Amazon and Walmart facilities. There are dozens of fuel cell buses in use or planned in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Massachusetts, as well as California.

Consumer hydrogen refueling stations are increasing throughout the world. Toyota and Honda are teaming up with the government in Quebec to build hydrogen infrastructure in Montreal this year, and even oil-rich Saudi Arabia is getting its first station.

Toyota, the world's second-largest automaker, is the largest player in the U.S. consumer market for hydrogen fuel cell cars. Its Mirai – a hydrogen fuel cell family car – has found 5,000 buyers since it was introduced in the fall of 2015. Russ Koble, a spokesman in Toyota's environmental and advanced technology group, said the company expects sales to increase as more fueling stations open.

"Toyota has long maintained that hydrogen fuel cell technology could be a zero-emission solution across a broad spectrum of vehicle types," he said.

Toyota says the scalability of hydrogen fuel cell technology also has led to two applications for California feasibility studies in another area of interest to Tesla: semi-trailer trucks.

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Toyota Motor's hydrogen fuel cell powered semi-truck is displayed at AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show

Honda also has made a big commitment to hydrogen. There are currently nearly 1,100 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles on the road in the U.S., said Natalie Kumaratne, a Honda spokeswoman. Honda only offers the Clarity Fuel Cell in California for lease — it offers battery electric power and hybrid versions of the car for lease or sale. Out of the 20,174 total Claritys sold or leased in 2018, 624 were fuel cell variants, 948 were battery-electrics, and 18,602 were the plug-in hybrid.

Honda and Toyota have teamed up with a subsidiary of Shell Oil to build new hydrogen fueling stations in California. Two have been built thus far, and five are in the works, Kumaratne said. The company is advocating for stations in the Northeastern United States, with several in development. "Partnering with other hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers and industry influencers makes sense. We all have skin in the game," she said.

Hyundai, which currently has 220 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road in the U.S., also sees sales increasing. "We expect the Northeast to be the next big region of hydrogen infrastructure growth," said Derek Joyce, spokesman for the Korean manufacturer's product and advanced powertrain group. The company just introduced the Nexo to the U.S. The EPA rates the midsize crossover's range up to 380 miles, longer than any battery-powered EV on the market.

As of Feb.1, just over 6,000 fuel cell electric vehicles had been sold and leased in the U.S., double Japan, the next biggest market.

Musk on hydrogen 'fool cells'

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has dismissed hydrogen fuel cells as "mind-bogglingly stupid," and that is not the only negative thing he has had to say about the technology. He has called them "fool cells," a "load of rubbish," and told Tesla shareholders at an annual meeting years ago that "success is simply not possible."

Musk found a surprising source of support in 2017, when Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer in charge of the Mirai, told Reuters, "Elon Musk is right — it's better to charge the electric car directly by plugging in." But the Toyota executive added that hydrogen is a viable alternative to gasoline. Toyota chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada told Reuters at the same Tokyo auto show in 2017, "We don't really see an adversary 'zero-sum' relationship between the EV (battery powered electric vehicle) and the hydrogen car. We're not about to give up on hydrogen electric fuel-cell technology at all."

The auto industry as a whole has not embraced Musk's battery-or-bust vision of the future. A 2017 survey of 1,000 senior auto executives conducted by KPMG found they believe hydrogen fuel cells have a better long-term future than electric cars and will represent "the real breakthrough" (78 percent), with the auto executives citing the short refueling time of just a few minutes as a major advantage. Sixty-two percent told KPMG that infrastructure challenges will result in the battery-powered electric vehicle market's undoing.

In California, debate continues over whether the subsidies offered by the state to jump-start the fuel cell market have paid back the investment as judged by the limited use of refueling stations and lack of profits. California is committed to the effort begun under former Gov. Jerry Brown to fund renewable energy initiatives, which included a $900 million zero-emissions vehicles plan and funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including 200 hydrogen stations by 2025.

"We could see hydrogen fuel cell systems that cost four times less than lithium-ion batteries, as well as providing a much longer range." -David Antonelli, chair of physical chemistry at Lancaster University

GM has not released a fuel cell vehicle for the consumer market, but it has a joint venture with Honda to produce fuel cell stacks at a Michigan plant, a deal that started in 2013 and expanded in 2017, when both companies said the Michigan plant where the fuel stacks are being made could produce vehicles starting in 2020.

Ford has experimented with fuel cell variants of its Focus and Fusion cars, as well as the Edge crossover, but does not offer any such vehicles for sale.

"With a steadily growing share of renewable energies, hydrogen fuel cells could play a role in the future," said a Ford spokesman. "In terms of a widespread market launch, however, the battery is currently in a superior position to the fuel cell – not least because of the cost situation and the available infrastructure. Our work will continue to focus on electrification as we monitor hydrogen's progress. We have no current plans to offer hydrogen fuel cell vehicles."

Fiat Chrysler does not have a fuel cell vehicle on sale in the U.S., but for 15 years it has supported research led by Professor David Antonelli, the chair of physical chemistry at Lancaster University in the U.K., that could bring costs down for the technology. His team is working with a material that enables fuel tanks to be smaller, cheaper and more energy-dense than existing hydrogen fuel technologies as well as battery-powered vehicles.

"The cost of manufacturing our material is so low, and the energy density it can store is so much higher than a lithium-ion battery, that we could see hydrogen fuel cell systems that cost four times less than lithium-ion batteries, as well as providing a much longer range," said Antonelli. The technology has been licensed to a for-profit company called Kubagen, set up by Antonelli.

Car model and refueling prices remain big issues

Safety is a concern, as hydrogen is flammable, but so is gasoline and lithium-ion batteries. The transportation of hydrogen for use at refueling stations poses additional safety risks — stations use sensors to monitor for leaks. There have not been serious incidents reported in California, and the industrial sector has been transporting hydrogen for decades.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, alternative-fueled vehicles, a category that includes both hydrogen fuel cell and battery-powered electric, are not more hazardous than traditional internal combustion engines. The NFPA's statistics reveal that approximately every 3 minutes there is a car fire in the U.S. from an internal combustion engine vehicle.

The biggest hurdle, however, may be cost.

The average price for hydrogen fuel in California is about $16/kg — gasoline is sold by the gallon (volume) and hydrogen by the kilogram (weight). To put that in perspective, 1 gal of gasoline has about the same amount of energy as 1 kg of hydrogen. Most fuel cell electric cars carry about 5 kg to 6 kg of hydrogen but go twice the distance of a modern internal combustion engine car with equivalent gas in the tank, which works out to a gasoline-per-gallon equivalent between $5 and $6.

Hydrogen fuel cell cars now average between 312 miles and 380 miles in range, according to the EPA. They will cost about $80 to refuel from empty (most drivers don't let the tank run down to empty before they refuel, so end up refueling at a cost of $55 to $65). That cost is currently being paid for by automakers, who provide lessees with prepaid cards for three years of fueling, up to $15,000. In California, which has the nation's highest gas prices, filling up a conventional car with a large gas tank can cost $40 or more.

Kelley Blue Book estimates annual fuel costs for the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity Fuel Cell and Hyundai Nexo at $4,495, which is three to four times the cost of gas-powered alternatives.

"We recognize the automakers can't keep paying for fuel, and we see the line of sight to get there, but it is a volume game and we need to hit a critical mass," said Shane Stephens, principal and chief development officer at FirstElement Fuel, which runs 19 of the 39 hydrogen refueling stations in California and is developing 12 of the 25 additional stations for the state. His company's near-term target is $10/kg, which would equate to roughly $4/gal of gas. "That is a good near-term acceptable number to hit in the next three to five years and get people off automaker-subsidized fuel," Stephens said.

The biggest problem: The cars remain expensive. Nexo, for instance, is the most expensive Hyundai on sale in the U.S., with a starting price of $59,345 (starting prices for the brand's comparably-sized Santa Fe start at $24,250). The Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity fuel cell models have a similar MSRP in the $59,000 range. These car purchases are eligible for government rebates — in California there is a $5,000 tax rebate available.

Leasing has been a popular consumer choice for fuel cell and battery electric cars because the technology is new and early adopters don't want to be tied into a current model for a long time as the technology advances and efficiency improves.

As with any new technology, fuel cell costs should come down if the market grows and achieves economies of scale in manufacturing and infrastructure. "Honda has a long-term commitment to hydrogen, but you can't sell vehicles without infrastructure," Kumaratne said.

Stephens said if the market can reach "a few hundred thousand cars" in California, it can be cost-competitive with gasoline. That represents a big jump from the 6,000 cars sold so far, but most new auto markets start with limited production runs. Toyota has said it plans to increase production from 3,000 Mirai units per year to 30,000 cars by 2021. "That is a tenfold magnitude increase."

"A few hundred thousand cars in California is not that far off. And that is just Toyota," Stephens said. "This is not about subsidizing the entire growth of the infrastructure but just helping us get over the hump, and that is on the horizon. If we get to a few hundred thousand cars, we can really start to sunset government subsidies and be self-sustaining."

TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC Sells 2,468 Shares of Marlin Business Services Corp. (MRLN)

TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC reduced its position in Marlin Business Services Corp. (NASDAQ:MRLN) by 12.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,342 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,468 shares during the quarter. TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC owned about 0.14% of Marlin Business Services worth $500,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Algert Global LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marlin Business Services in the 3rd quarter worth $208,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Marlin Business Services by 41.7% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 14,358 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 4,225 shares during the period. Globeflex Capital L P increased its holdings in shares of Marlin Business Services by 125.7% in the third quarter. Globeflex Capital L P now owns 15,800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $456,000 after purchasing an additional 8,800 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marlin Business Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $587,000. Finally, Monarch Partners Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marlin Business Services by 13.8% in the third quarter. Monarch Partners Asset Management LLC now owns 25,170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,050 shares during the period. 83.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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A number of research firms have commented on MRLN. ValuEngine downgraded Marlin Business Services from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 17th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Marlin Business Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 7th. Finally, BidaskClub downgraded Marlin Business Services from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 8th.

Marlin Business Services stock opened at $23.56 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $288.31 million, a P/E ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.93. Marlin Business Services Corp. has a 52 week low of $17.51 and a 52 week high of $31.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

Marlin Business Services (NASDAQ:MRLN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $23.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.50 million. Marlin Business Services had a net margin of 19.99% and a return on equity of 13.41%. Research analysts predict that Marlin Business Services Corp. will post 2.31 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 11th were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 8th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.38%. Marlin Business Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.45%.

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Marlin Business Services Profile

Marlin Business Services Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides equipment financing solutions to small and mid-sized businesses in the United States. It finances approximately 100 categories of equipment, including commercial and industrial, restaurant, auto, medical, VOIP, and printing equipment, as well as computer software, copiers, cash registers, dental implant systems, and other commercial equipment.

See Also: What is Cost of Debt?

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Global Payments' Successful Software Makeover

Over the past several years, the payments industry has exploded with innovation, as fintech players such as PayPal Holdings and Square have smartly leveraged technology to solve traditional pain points for merchants and financial institutions alike. But if traditional payment processing companies were supposed to roll over and surrender, it appears Global Payments Inc (NYSE:GPN) didn't get the memo.

In Global Payments' 2018 fourth quarter, which ended in late December, adjusted net revenue rose to $1.04 billion, a 12% increase year over year, and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) grew to $1.33, a 24% increase. The payment processing company managed to grow revenue and earnings by double digits, all while expanding its operating margin, which came in at 31.6% in the quarter.

Global Payments' Metrics Full-Year 2018 Full-Year 2017 Change

Adjusted revenue	$3.97 billion	$3.46 billion	15%
Adjusted EPS	$5.19	$4.01	29%
Operating margin	31.7	30.4	1.3 percentage points

Data source: Global Payments Inc. 

The company has managed to keep pace with nimble, deep-pocketed fintech competitors by following a deliberate strategy to orient its business toward a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, targeting specific software vertical niches where the market was fragmented and ripe for innovation and disruption. It has, slowly but surely, implemented this strategy via acquisitions, partnerships, and internal development. Let's take a closer look at what Global Payments is getting right.

The quiet SaaS transformation

It's not technically accurate to label Global Payments as an SaaS company. It captures the vast majority of its revenue by enabling merchants to accept card and digital payments at the point of sale for both online and face-to-face transactions. For each transaction, Global Payments collects small fees. Most of these fees end up going back to the card-issuing banks as interchange fees or to the card's payment network, such as Mastercard or Visa. However, a tiny sliver goes into Global Payments' coffers for its role in the transaction.

Image source: Getty Images.

Payment processing services are largely commoditized, however, meaning they do not require much expertise and businesses can fulfill this need fairly cheaply. Smart businesses, such as Square, have developed entire ecosystems around their payment processing services, offering lucrative features that make their entire platform sticky and difficult for merchants to leave.

While Global Payments has not developed the same comprehensive tools that Square has, it has targeted software platforms that are used in specific industries using partnerships and acquisitions. It then integrates its payment processing capabilities into these platforms. The end effect is the same: Global Payments is developing a sticky platform that makes it awfully hard for its sellers to leave.

The successful examples

Management's goal is for this "technology-enabled distribution" to account for 60% of its revenue by the end of 2020, and management says it made "substantial progress" toward this goal in 2018. It has already built up a sizable collection of such software verticals, giving it significant market penetration in several different industries. 

For instance, in 2017 Global Payments acquired ACTIVE Network for about $1 billion. ACTIVE Network makes event planning software often used for events such as marathons, youth camps, and sports leagues. Among its customers it counts Ironman, YMCA, and several state park departments.  

Last year, it acquired AdvancedMD, a provider of cloud-based software solutions to doctors' offices, for $700 million. AdvancedMD helps doctors' offices automate their back office needs by fulfilling tasks such as record management, scheduling, and billing.  

It's not just acquisitions, however, that Global Payments is using to fuel its growth; it's also partnerships. Just this quarter, for instance, the company announced it would be partnering with PowerSchool, a K-12 educational platform that can be used for a variety of school operations.

The core-edge approach

While each one of these specific verticals is relatively small, they collectively add up to form a significant revenue stream. How has Global Payments managed to successfully progress with such a diverse collection of businesses? In the company's Q4 conference call, CEO Jeff Sloan answered that question:

Once we close an acquisition, we follow a core and edge approach to integrating and operating those businesses ... Our edge businesses continued to do what they do best, which is ensuring their software solutions maintain market leadership position ... At the core, we also leverage our capabilities to extend and monetize the payments opportunities transactionally that are inherent in these businesses on a local and global basis. In addition, we provide support through scale, technology infrastructure and architecture, compliance, and information security just to name a few.

In other words, Global Payments lets its growing list of companies do what they do best: Work within their markets and interact with their customer base. Meanwhile, Global Payments provides them with technology and payments infrastructure at scale.

Why you should keep your eye on Global Payments

Global Payments is a company that smartly read the tea leaves that its industry was beginning to undergo significant changes years ago. It began to take the necessary steps to ensure it wouldn't be left behind, offering just a commoditized service with shrinking margins. The result is impressive. Global Payments is a company that should continue to offer shareholders market-beating returns for years to come.