Saturday, July 21, 2018

Taglich Brothers Weighs in on Simulations Plus, Inc.’s FY2019 Earnings (SLP)

Simulations Plus, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLP) – Analysts at Taglich Brothers increased their FY2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Simulations Plus in a report released on Thursday, July 19th. Taglich Brothers analyst H. Halpern now anticipates that the technology company will earn $0.52 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $0.51.

Get Simulations Plus alerts:

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on SLP. BidaskClub upgraded Simulations Plus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 13th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Simulations Plus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 23rd. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded Simulations Plus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 14th.

Simulations Plus stock opened at $18.15 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $305.63 million, a P/E ratio of 53.24 and a beta of -0.60. Simulations Plus has a one year low of $13.38 and a one year high of $23.95.

Simulations Plus (NASDAQ:SLP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 10th. The technology company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $8.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.86 million. Simulations Plus had a return on equity of 25.65% and a net margin of 29.88%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. TIAA FSB bought a new stake in shares of Simulations Plus during the second quarter worth $225,000. Bank of Montreal Can bought a new stake in shares of Simulations Plus during the second quarter worth $186,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simulations Plus during the second quarter worth $507,000. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Simulations Plus during the first quarter worth $752,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Simulations Plus by 12.9% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 296,837 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,378,000 after acquiring an additional 33,925 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 35.13% of the company’s stock.

In other Simulations Plus news, Chairman Walter S. Woltosz sold 18,500 shares of Simulations Plus stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.27, for a total value of $356,495.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 5,454,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,106,442.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 33.45% of the company’s stock.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 26th will be given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 25th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.32%. Simulations Plus’s payout ratio is 70.59%.

Simulations Plus Company Profile

Simulations Plus, Inc develops drug discovery and development software for mechanistic modeling and simulation worldwide. The company offers GastroPlus, which simulates the absorption, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics of drugs administered to humans and animals; DDDPlus that simulates in vitro laboratory experiments, which measure the rate of dissolution of the drug and additives in a dosage form; and MembranePlus, which simulates laboratory experiments.

Featured Story: Should you buy a closed-end mutual fund?

Earnings History and Estimates for Simulations Plus (NASDAQ:SLP)

Friday, July 20, 2018

Friday’s Biggest Winners and Losers in the S&P 500

July 20, 2018: The S&P 500 closed flat at 2,801.92. The DJIA closed flat at 25,057.92. Separately, the Nasdaq was flat at 7,820.20.

Thursday was a flat day for the broad U.S. markets, although each one of the major averages was fairly positive at one point in the day. Crude oil made another solid gain in the session putting it back above $70. The S&P 500 sectors were mostly negative. The most positive sectors were consumer staples and financials up 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively. The worst performing sectors were real estate and utilities down 0.8% and 0.6%, respectively.

Crude oil was last seen trading up 1.2% at $70.31.

Gold was last seen trading up 0.5% at $1,229.60.

The stock posting the largest daily percentage loss in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT) which fell more than 7% to $86.13. The stock��s 52-week range is $84.56 to $114.27. Volume was about 10 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.6 million.

The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close was Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS) which traded up 5% at $203.55. The stock��s 52-week range is $130.09 to $204.27. Volume was 1.2 million compared to the daily average volume of less than half a million.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Netflix stock is tanking, but Hollywood would kill for its problems

Wall Street is punishing Netflix for a mediocre quarter. But don't feel too bad for it just yet.

Netflix is still the one to beat in Hollywood, where traditional entertainment and media companies are racing to catch up to its enormous head start in streaming video.

Sure, Netflix (NFLX) might have missed its subscriber target by 1 million customers last quarter. But it still has 130 million people tuning in around the world.

"They have a bulls eye on their back," said said Daniel Ives, an analyst at GBH Insights. "Look, they are on the top of the mountain right now. They are miles ahead of their competitors."

Ives is keeping his $500 price target on the company.

Hulu, for example, just passed 20 million subscribers in May. That service also doesn't have the same international reach that Netflix does.

Disney (DIS), meanwhile, is often considered a major threat to Netflix. But its competitive streaming service isn't expected to launch until next year.

Right now, Netflix is already on the road to recovery. The stock was down about 5% on Tuesday, compared to its initial 13% drop during after-hours trading Monday.

Analysts at BMO Capital Markets upgraded Netflix to "outperform" and pointed to the opportunity the company has to grow in countries like India and Japan.

BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield raised his price target to $420, citing the "breadth and quality" of Netflix content as a key factor in its continued success. Netflix earned 112 Emmy nominations this year, topping longtime premium TV king HBO.

But there are some questions about how much the company can keep growing.

Disney is already mounting a formidable challenge. It is close to finalizing a deal for the movie studio assets of 21st Century Fox (FOXA), a pairing that would also allow it to inherit Fox's share of Hulu and control a majority stake in that service. (Comcast controls 30%, while AT&T (T) controls 10%).

Disney and Comcast (CCZ) are also fighting over the European broadcaster Sky, which would expand either company's footprint overseas.

AT&T's HBO is another major factor. That service has at least 142 million viewers around the world including cable subscribers, according to Bloomberg. The New York Times has also reported that its executives have acknowledged the need to make more headway in streaming. (AT&T also owns CNN).

Netflix also has to face competition from tech's most powerful companies, like Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN). Amazon is already streaming originals through its Prime Video service, while Apple is investing heavily in its own content.

Analysts at MoffettNathanson on Tuesday pointed out that Netflix's focus is narrower than its tech rivals. Amazon, for example, is defined by its massive shopping business.

"There is little sign that rivals are falling away," they wrote. "In fact, as Netflix noted, other larger, better funded entities are entering this space."

chart netflix subscribers growth

The MoffettNathanson analysts also noted that Netflix will have to spend more money on original content and marketing to succeed, especially as traditional studios pull their content off the service. Disney has already said it would do that ahead of its own streaming plans.

"While the rewards are clearly there for breakthrough content like 'Stranger Things,' it is much more expensive and riskier, in general, to fund original productions as replacement content," the analysts wrote, referencing the popular Netflix show.

Netflix understands the need for independence already �� it is spending at least $8 billion on content this year.

But there are some concerns about whether it can maintain the quality of its programming. Although many originals have been well received, the service has been derided for the quality of its original movies.

The company arguably has some quality insurance. It recently poached TV heavyweights Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy to make content exclusively for Netflix.

And if it really wants to boost its moviemaking credentials, Netflix could try to acquire a studio, said Ives, the GBH Insights analyst. He suggested A24, the company behind "Moonlight" and "Lady Bird," as a good target.

Netflix, for its part, does not appear too worried. CEO Reed Hastings called the competition "all normal and expected" during a broadcast for investors Monday.

His company reiterated that confidence in a letter to shareholders, which suggested that more competition is good for Netflix.

"We believe that consumer appetite for great content is broad and that there is room for multiple parties to have attractive offerings," the company said in the letter. "Our strategy is to simply keep improving, as we've been doing every year in the past."

--CNNMoney's Frank Pallotta contributed to this report.

Friday, July 13, 2018

Overlook Holdings Ltd Buys Baidu Inc

Hong Kong, K3, based Investment company Overlook Holdings Ltd buys Baidu Inc during the 3-months ended 2018-06-30, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Overlook Holdings Ltd. As of 2018-06-30, Overlook Holdings Ltd owns 2 stocks with a total value of $330 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: BIDU, Reduced Positions: NTES,

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

These are the top 5 holdings of Overlook Holdings LtdNetEase Inc (NTES) - 756,622 shares, 58.02% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 15.29%Baidu Inc (BIDU) - 569,283 shares, 41.98% of the total portfolio. New PositionNew Purchase: Baidu Inc (BIDU)

Overlook Holdings Ltd initiated holding in Baidu Inc. The purchase prices were between $219.82 and $284.07, with an estimated average price of $249.09. The stock is now traded at around $261.25. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 41.98%. The holding were 569,283 shares as of 2018-06-30.



Here is the complete portfolio of Overlook Holdings Ltd. Also check out:

1. Overlook Holdings Ltd's Undervalued Stocks
2. Overlook Holdings Ltd's Top Growth Companies, and
3. Overlook Holdings Ltd's High Yield stocks
4. Stocks that Overlook Holdings Ltd keeps buying

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:NYMT,AIM,RDC,ATAX,EGLE,NRG,JST,XIN,BDL,NICK,

Penny stocks are a great way for investors to chase triple-digit gains without a huge initial investment. That's why we're bringing you the three penny stocks to buy in July 2018.

You see, penny stocks can generate significant returns for retail investors. Just last month, we identified a little-known education company that jumped 267% in just one week.

In order to identify penny stocks with this kind of potential, we use the Money Morning�Stock VQScore�� system to find the best stocks under $5 �� the SEC's official definition of a penny stock.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: New York Mortgage Trust Inc.(NYMT)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Shares of NY Mtg Tr Inc/SH (NASDAQ:NYMT) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $6.06.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Aerosonic Corporation(AIM)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

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

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Rowan Companies Inc.(RDC)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

    Losers MDC Partners Inc. (NASDAQ: MDCA) fell 23.4 percent to $5.25 in pre-market trading after a first-quarter earnings miss. Hudson Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: HDSN) shares fell 15.1 percent to $3.48 in pre-market trading after the company reported downbeat Q1 earnings. Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) fell 14 percent to $13.15 in pre-market trading after the company posted downbeat Q2 earnings and lowered FY18 organic growth guidance. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) fell 13.2 percent to $3.10 in pre-market trading after reporting downbeat quarterly results. Rowan Companies plc (NYSE: RDC) shares fell 10.7 percent to $14.13 in pre-market trading after climbing 8.50 percent on Wednesday. BT Group plc (NYSE: BT) fell 9 percent to $14.80 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q4 results and announced plans to cut 13,000 jobs over the next three years. Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) fell 8.3 percent to $19.90 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed that IMblaze370 Phase 3 pivotal trial of atezolizumab and cobimetinib in patients with heavily pretreated locally advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer did not meet primary endpoint. Infinera Corporation (NASDAQ: INFN) fell 8.2 percent to $10.80 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Synaptics, Incorporated (NASDAQ: SYNA) shares fell 7.4 percent to $43.00 in pre-market trading. Synaptics reported better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter, while sales missed estimates. Randgold Resources Limited (NASDAQ: GOLD) shares fell 7.4 percent to $76.23 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 earnings. Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: IART) shares fell 7 percent to $59.36 in pre-market trading. Integra LifeSciences priced its 5.25 million share public offering of common stock at $58.50 per share. Array BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY) shares fell 6.9 percent to $12.75 in pre-m
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    California Public Employees Retirement System reduced its position in Rowan Companies PLC (NYSE:RDC) by 5.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 656,438 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 41,386 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned 0.52% of Rowan Companies worth $7,575,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Shares of Rowan Companies PLC (NYSE:RDC) rose 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $16.36 and last traded at $16.09. Approximately 144,835 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 94% from the average daily volume of 2,492,971 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.22.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: America First Tax Exempt Investors L.P.(ATAX)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on America First Multifamily Investors (ATAX)

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

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on America First Multifamily Investors (ATAX)

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

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Shares of America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P. (NASDAQ:ATAX) hit a new 52-week high and low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $6.47 and last traded at $6.43, with a volume of 54800 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $6.43.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.(EGLE)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Several brokerages have updated their recommendations and price targets on shares of Eagle Bulk Shipping (NASDAQ: EGLE) in the last few weeks:

    7/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating. 6/28/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. 6/18/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at Morgan Stanley. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $6.50 price target on the stock. 6/18/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at DNB Markets. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. 6/12/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. 6/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. 6/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. 5/29/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at Evercore ISI. They set an “outperform” rating and a $7.50 price target on the stock. 5/15/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating. According to Zacks, “Eagle Bulk Shipping is the largest U.S. based owner of Handymax dry bulk vessels. Handymax dry bulk vessels range in size from 35,000 to 60,000 deadweight tons, or dwt, and transport a broad range of major and minor bulk cargoes, including iron ore, coal, grain, cement and fertilizer, along worldwide shipping routes. “ 5/9/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Maxim Group. They now have a $6.00 price target on the

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: NRG Energy Inc.(NRG)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) and NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and analyst recommendations.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) was started with a Buy rating and�assigned a $37 price objective (versus a $33.15 close) at Merrill Lynch.

    Oasis Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OAS) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $17 from $13 at Morgan Stanley.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Jinpan International Limited(JST)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Deutsche Bank set a €46.00 ($53.49) price target on JOST Werke (ETR:JST) in a research report sent to investors on Friday. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of JOST Werke (ETR: JST) recently:

    5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €47.00 ($54.65) price target on by analysts at Warburg Research. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €45.00 ($52.33) price target on by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock. 5/8/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 4/4/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €47.00 ($54.65) price target on by analysts at Warburg Research. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.

    Shares of JOST Werke traded down €0.15 ($0.17), hitting €38.10 ($44.30), during mid-day trading on Friday, according to MarketBeat. 8,510 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 35,469. JOST Werke AG has a 52 week low of €27.20 ($31.63) and a 52 week high of €47.50 ($55.23).

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Warburg Research set a €47.00 ($55.95) price target on JOST Werke (ETR:JST) in a report published on Friday. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Xinyuan Real Estate Co Ltd(XIN)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (NYSE:XIN) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 30th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 11th will be given a dividend of 0.05 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.74%.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Mixin (XIN) is a proof-of-stake (PoS) token that uses the SHA256 hashing algorithm. It launched on October 2nd, 2017. Mixin’s total supply is 1,000,000 tokens and its circulating supply is 438,115 tokens. Mixin’s official message board is mixin.one/logs. Mixin’s official Twitter account is @XIN_Foundation and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for Mixin is mixin.one.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Flanigan's Enterprises Inc.(BDL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) shares jumped 26.5 percent to $6.9042. Blink Charging reported Q1 net income of $2.2 million, versus a year-ago net loss of $3.1 million. Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO) shares climbed 17.4 percent to $3.11. Eleven Biotherapeutics posted a Q1 loss of $0.11 per share. Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BDL) shares jumped 17 percent to $27.97 following Q2 results. Flanigan's Enterprises posted Q2 earnings of $0.75 per share on sales of $29.456 million. Borqs Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRQS) rose 15.8 percent to $8.05 after reporting Q1 results. Abaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAX) jumped 15.3 percent to $82.75. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) announced plans to acquire Abaxis for $83 per share in cash. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) gained 15.1 percent to $6.33. Gemphire Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GEMP) rose 13.8 percent to $6.27. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) gained 12.8 percent to $5.98. H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage on Enphase Energy with a Buy rating. PetIQ Inc (NASDAQ: PETQ) shares surged 12.1 percent to $21.68 after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. NF Energy Saving Corporation (NASDAQ: NFEC) climbed 11.6 percent to $2.399. Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: AHPI) surged 11.4 percent to $3.0643. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BOOT) gained 11.1 percent to $24.40 after the company reported upbeat results for its fourth quarter and issued strong first-quarter earnings guidance. Ascena Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASNA) rose 10.9 percent to $3.16. Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) gained 10.1 percent to $11.71 after reporting Q1 results. GEE Group, Inc. (NYSE: JOB) climbed 7.9 percent to $2.61 following Q2 results. The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. (NASDAQ: STKS) gained 7.6 percent to $2.41 after reporting Q1 results. Biolinerx Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: BLRX) rose 7.3 percent to $0.8798 after the company was granted a patent approval. The clinical-st
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Bitdeal (CURRENCY:BDL) traded 12.6% lower against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on July 10th. Bitdeal has a market cap of $592,736.00 and $1,700.00 worth of Bitdeal was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Bitdeal coin can now be bought for $0.0034 or 0.00000053 BTC on popular exchanges including CoinExchange and Cryptopia. During the last seven days, Bitdeal has traded 11.9% lower against the dollar.

Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ: NICK) and Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ: NICK) and CPI Card Group (NASDAQ:PMTS) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ: NICK) and Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability and risk.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    CPI Card Group (NASDAQ: PMTS) and Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ:NICK) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

PACCAR (PCAR) Downgraded by BidaskClub

BidaskClub downgraded shares of PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on PACCAR from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank downgraded PACCAR from a hold rating to a sell rating and set a $77.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, March 19th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded PACCAR from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 3rd. ValuEngine upgraded PACCAR from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird reiterated a hold rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of PACCAR in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.30.

Get PACCAR alerts:

Shares of PCAR stock opened at $61.84 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.29, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. PACCAR has a fifty-two week low of $59.82 and a fifty-two week high of $79.69. The company has a market capitalization of $21.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.22.

PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.14. PACCAR had a return on equity of 21.26% and a net margin of 8.99%. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 35.2% on a year-over-year basis. equities analysts predict that PACCAR will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.81%. PACCAR’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.29%.

In related news, insider T. Kyle Quinn sold 9,964 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.69, for a total value of $644,571.16. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 32,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,070,080. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP C Michael Dozier sold 13,348 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.45, for a total value of $846,930.60. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,860 shares in the company, valued at $562,167. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jacobi Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PACCAR in the first quarter worth $102,000. Point72 Asia Hong Kong Ltd grew its stake in PACCAR by 1,202.7% in the first quarter. Point72 Asia Hong Kong Ltd now owns 2,423 shares of the company’s stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 2,237 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PACCAR in the first quarter worth $177,000. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in PACCAR in the first quarter worth $204,000. Finally, Two Sigma Securities LLC purchased a new stake in PACCAR in the fourth quarter worth $226,000. 62.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About PACCAR

PACCAR Inc designs, manufactures, and distributes light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial trucks in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Truck, Parts, and Financial Services. The Truck segment offers trucks that are used for the over-the-road and off-highway hauling of commercial and consumer goods.

Analyst Recommendations for PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR)

Friday, July 6, 2018

Forbes - Investing Information and Investing News - Forbes.com","description":"Forbes is a leading s

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image shutterstock size-large wp-image-1079539136&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1079539136/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g;&l;span&g;Carrying a credit card balance month-to-month will cost you unnecessary interest fees but won&s;t help your credit score&a;nbsp;(Photo: Shutterstock)&l;/span&g;

A &l;a href=&q;https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/late-payment-survey.php&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;new study&l;/a&g; by CreditCards.com sheds more light on a common credit myth that causes millions of Americans to underpay their credit card balances in an effort to improve their credit score.

While the components that make up your credit score are &l;a href=&q;https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;publicly disclosed&l;/a&g;, the actual calculation itself is shrouded in mystery. Many consumers struggle to understand what types of actions will help or hurt their score. For example, while opening a new credit card may temporarily ding your score a small amount, it can actually improve your score in the long run because higher cumulative credit limits result in lower utilization (the amount of your total credit line that you use).

It&a;rsquo;s no wonder then that credit myths run wild. One myth in particular is costing unsuspecting consumers millions of dollars in unnecessary interest fees.

&l;strong&g;Carrying a Credit Card Balance Does Not Help Your Credit Score&l;/strong&g;

The CreditCards.com &l;a href=&q;https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/late-payment-survey.php&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;study&l;/a&g; found that a&l;span&g;lmost one quarter of cardholders who carry a balance choose to do so not because they can&s;t pay the balance down, but for the express purpose of improving their credit score - despite the fact that doing so has absolutely no discernible impact on credit scores. Similarly, &l;a href=&q;https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/bad-credit-score-survey/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;another survey by Nerdwallet&l;/a&g; found that more than 40% of Americans mistakenly believe this myth that carrying a balance month-to-month like this will help their credit score. &l;/span&g;

&l;span&g;Fortunately, there is no truth to this concept.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;Lenders checking your credit report can see the utilization reported by your credit card issuer and whether or not you pay your bills on time. However, they won&a;rsquo;t actually know whether you carry a balance month-to-month or whether you pay it in full.

&l;strong&g;What This Means for Your Wallet&l;/strong&g;

When you carry a balance just to try to help your credit, you&a;rsquo;re literally just throwing your money away! With credit card APRs averaging in the &l;a href=&q;https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/good-apr-interest-rate.php&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;mid-to-high teens&l;/a&g;, carrying a balance when you can otherwise afford to pay it off can be an expensive and unnecessary mistake. For example, carrying a balance of $600 month-to-month can cost over $100 a year in avoidable interest fees, money that could be better used to pay down other debts, save up for a big purchase, or contribute to a retirement account.

&l;strong&g;What&a;nbsp;Does&a;nbsp;Go into Your Credit Score?&l;/strong&g;

Most myths are based in some fact, and this one is no different. The second largest portion of your credit score is your &a;ldquo;Amounts Owed,&a;rdquo; or what portion of your credit lines you use - often called your utilization. Having a positive utilization can be seen as better than 0% utilization, and &l;a href=&q;https://www.creditkarma.com/article/creditcardutilizationandscore&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;studies from Credit Karma&l;/a&g; show this to be generally true across many consumers. On average, consumers with zero utilization on their credit card accounts have lower credit scores than those with low but positive utilization. This means that using your card and having a balance could be better for you than not using your card at all.

So why the confusion? Many consumers have misinterpreted what it means to have positive utilization. According to the Fair Issac Corporation, the company behind the ubiquitous FICO credit score, &a;ldquo;Your account balance on your credit report will reflect the account balance your lender reported to the credit bureau (typically the balance from your latest monthly statement)&a;rdquo; and &a;ldquo;even if you pay off your credit cards in full each month, your credit report may show a balance on those cards.&a;rdquo; In other words, your credit card issuer will report your statement balance regardless of how much of that statement balance you pay off and when.

Nowhere in the calculation is there any mention of an interest-accruing balance that is carried month-to-month; yet some consumers still mistakenly think that in order to prove they can use credit responsibly and show some utilization, they do need to carry a balance month to month. Ultimately, paying your statement balance in full to avoid interest and late fees will still demonstrate utilization.

&l;!--nextpage--&g;

&l;strong&g;Why Utilization Matters at All&l;/strong&g;

Future potential lenders want to know that you can manage credit effectively. Using a credit card responsibly and paying it off on time demonstrates a trustworthy pattern. Not using a card at all makes it harder to predict how you would handle credit when you do need it. On the other side of the same coin, using a high percentage of your outstanding credit line might worry a future lender that you have already overextended yourself and may max out any new line of credit. Having a low, but positive, utilization is the ideal middle ground and is typically best for your credit.

&l;strong&g;The Best Way to Optimize Credit Utilization&l;/strong&g;

If you really want to game your credit utilization and improve your credit score, your best bet is to make a payment right before your issuer reports your balances. This date is typically your statement date, as mentioned, but you can confirm for any specific credit card by looking at a recent credit report to see when the balance on&a;nbsp;that card was reported. Once you know the date your balance is reported to the bureaus, pay a portion but not all of your current balance down to about 1-2% of your credit limit just beforehand every month. Then, make sure you pay off any remaining statement balance before your due date to avoid any interest. At the end of the day, there&a;rsquo;s no need to incur any fees at all!&l;/p&g;

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Financial Freedom Eludes Many, but Social Security Helps

Today, we celebrate our freedom as a nation, as was symbolized by the signing of the Declaration of Independence 242 years ago. Whether we're with friends or family, manning the barbeque, out enjoying a sporting event, or preparing to unleash an arsenal of fireworks, we as Americans understand and appreciate the freedoms afforded to us.

However, one "freedom" that continues to elude many Americans is the ability to retire comfortably, and on your own terms.

According to a Bankrate survey released in March, most Americans fail to save an adequate amount of their income. While most financial advisors recommend that people save 15% or more of what they earn, just 16% of respondents to Bankrate's survey were heeding this advice. By comparison, 19% weren't saving a red cent, 21% were putting away 1% to 5% of their earnings, and another 25% were saving 6% to 10% of their income. In another context, essentially two-thirds of Americans are saving nothing or very little, thusly putting their retirement in jeopardy.�

A person filling out a Social Security benefits application form.

Image source: Getty Images.

Americans are leaning heavily on Social Security

One thing that has happened as a result of poor saving rates in recent decades is a growing reliance on Social Security to provide a financial foundation. Though it's a program that's only designed to replace 40% of working wages for the average retired worker, it's currently leaned on by 62% of aged beneficiaries for at least half of their monthly income, per the Social Security Administration. Worse yet, 34% of aged beneficiaries rely on Social Security for virtually all of their income (90% or more).

Still, it's a Gallup survey from April 2018 that's truly telling. Gallup asked both retirees and non-retired workers what role Social Security currently plays for them, or is expected to play in the future. Of current retirees, 57% cited that it was a "major source" of income, compared to 33% who considered it a "minor source," and the 10% who responded that it wasn't a source at all. Among non-retirees, 30% expect Social Security to be a major source of income, with another 54% suggesting it will play a minor role, and 14% not expecting it to be a source of income.�

Considering that non-retirees tend to overestimate their ability to prepare for the future, the percentage of retired and non-retired workers who'll have complete freedom from Social Security -- i.e., not rely on it as a source of income during retirement -- is probably at, or just above, 10%.

Meanwhile, an analysis conducted in 2016 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that the mere existence of Social Security and its guaranteed monthly payout is responsible for keeping an estimated 22.1 million people out of poverty. Of these folks, 15.1 million are retired workers. While retirement may not be lavish for these more than 15 million retired workers, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that building a financial foundation is rare without Social Security playing a role.

Dice and casino chips lying atop Social Security cards.

Image source: Getty Images.

Big trouble awaits

Though Social Security payments have been nothing short of a godsend for seniors over the past 78 years, the program is also on the verge of major changes that could adversely impact the perceived financial freedoms afforded to current and future retirees.

According to the newest Board of Trustees report, the program is on track to pay out more in benefits than it generates in revenue this year. This'll be the first time that's happened since prior to the Reagan administration reforms passed in 1983.

Between 2018 and 2034, the roughly $2.9 trillion in asset reserves that've been built up over more than three decades will be depleted. With no excess cash estimated to be in its coffers by 2034, the Trustees intimate that an across-the-board cut to benefits for current and future beneficiaries of 21% may be needed to sustain payouts through the year 2092. That's a terrifying proposition given how few people aren't reliant on Social Security in some capacity to help make ends meet when they retire. Based on the monthly average retired worker benefit of $1,412 as of May 2018, a 21% reduction would lead to an average monthly payout (in 2018 dollars) of $1,115. That's only $103 a month above the federal poverty level for the average retired worker!

A smiling woman holding a financial newspaper and looking off into the distance.

Image source: Getty Images.

It's time to break the cycle

In short, no one is denying the role Social Security has played up to this point in helping retirees form a financial foundation. But, truth be told, this cycle needs to be broken with today's working-age Americans. Social Security was never designed to be leaned on this heavily, and changing demographics are likely to sting those who continue to substantially rely on Social Security in the decades to come.

How does the cycle get broken? It means Americans will need to formulate a budget and stick to it in order to save more of their income. A 2013 Gallup poll found that just a third of American households stick to a detailed monthly budget, which makes understanding your cash flow, and therefore saving a reasonable amount of money, almost impossible.

It also means putting the money you do save to work over the long run. Sure, the stock market may have its hiccups every now and then, but there's been no more consistent creator of wealth over the long term.

No one ever said the path to financial freedom was easy. If you want your shot at the American dream, which includes financial freedom, you'll need to be proactive about saving more of your income and putting those savings to work.