Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:ZIOP,PMT,TX,EVHC,INVA,IOSP,

Gevo (NASDAQ:GEVO) was upgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on GEVO. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Gevo from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 13th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Gevo in a research note on Tuesday, May 15th.

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NASDAQ:GEVO traded up $4.00 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $4.23. 4,411 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 582,213. The company has a market capitalization of $5.57 million, a P/E ratio of -0.14 and a beta of 2.25. Gevo has a 1-year low of $0.19 and a 1-year high of $0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.82 and a quick ratio of 1.23.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc(ZIOP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE: OGEN) shares surged 66.67 percent to close at $2.00 on Wednesday after the company’s AG013 for oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients showed favorable safety profile in mid-stage OM study. Sigma Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) shares jumped 49.24 percent to close at $1.97 on Wednesday. Sigma Labs demonstrated proof of concept for closed loop quality control during metal additive manufacturing. ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Limited (NASDAQ: ASLN) rose 34.45 percent to close at $9.21. BTIG Research initiated coverage on ASLAN Pharmaceuticals with a Buy rating. Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE: DKS) shares rose 25.82 percent to close at $38.35 after the company reported upbeat Q1 earnings and raised FY18 earnings outlook. TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) rose 24.15 percent to close at $5.09. WBB Securities upgraded TapImmune from Speculative Buy to Buy. Legacy Reserves LP (NASDAQ: LGCY) jumped 23.3 percent to close at $5.98 on Wednesday. Summer Infant, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMR) gained 22.92 percent to close at $1.18 after announcing commitment for $60 million credit facility from Bank of America and $17.5 million term loan from Pathlight Capital. Cloud Peak Energy Inc. (NYSE: CLD) rose 21.95 percent to close at $4.00. SpartanNash Co (NASDAQ: SPTN) gained 21.4 percent to close at $22.92 after the company reported upbeat earnings for its first quarter on Tuesday. Motus GI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOTS) rose 17.14 percent to close at $5.40. Movado Group, Inc. (NYSE: MOV) gained 16.59 percent to close at $49.20 after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 results and raised its guidance. Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ORMP) climbed 15.61 percent to close at $8.22. Oramed Pharma disclosed that its patent has been allowed in the US for oral administration of proteins. Dorian LPG Ltd. (NYSE: LPG) rose 14.89 percent to close at $8.41. Dorian LPG confirmed receipt of unsolicited proposal fr
• [By Keith Speights]

  Ziopharm Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) shareholders have been on a roller coaster ride this year. The stock soared 16% in May, but the ride promptly went downhill in June, with the biotech's share price dropping more than 10%. The first four months of 2018 featured more of the same up-and-down action.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBOT) fell 42 percent to $2.25 in pre-market trading after dropping 31.45 percent on Thursday. Stellar Biotechnologies priced 2.075 million units at price of $2.65 per unit. Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) shares fell 25.2 percent to $21.82 in pre-market trading. Symantec reported better-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter, but issued weak second-quarter guidance. AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) shares fell 9.5 percent to $10 in pre-market trading after surging 7.79 percent on Thursday. ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIOP) fell 8.9 percent to $4.11 in pre-market trading after the company posted wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Redfin Corporation (NASDAQ: RDFN) fell 8.6 percent to $21.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) fell 8.3 percent to $3.33 in pre-market trading. Geron posted a Q1 loss of $0.04 per share. Talend S.A. (NASDAQ: TLND) shares fell 6 percent to $56 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE: FTK) fell 5.4 percent to $3.54 in pre-market trading after dropping 2.35 percent on Thursday. Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) fell 5.1 percent to $18.95 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) shares fell 4.9 percent to $45.40 in pre-market trading. Yelp reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Thursday. Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALDX) shares fell 3.3 percent to $7.50 in pre-market trading after dropping 4.32 percent on Thursday
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ziopharm Oncology (ZIOP)

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

• [By Todd Campbell]

  After disclosing that the Food and Drug Administration is asking for more information before signing off on a phase 1 study of its "Sleeping Beauty" CAR-T for leukemia and lymphoma, shares in Ziopharm Oncology (NASDAQ:ZIOP) were tumbling 17.7% at 3 p.m. EDT today.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust(PMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) – Equities researchers at Wedbush lifted their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Pennymac Mortgage Investment in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 10th. Wedbush analyst J. Weaver now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will post earnings per share of $0.36 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.34. Wedbush also issued estimates for Pennymac Mortgage Investment’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.52 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.74 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) shares reached a new 52-week high and low on Monday . The company traded as low as $18.60 and last traded at $18.62, with a volume of 19306 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.50.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: Ternium S.A.(TX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  TT International cut its position in Ternium (NYSE:TX) by 24.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 865,613 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 277,967 shares during the quarter. Ternium makes up about 1.2% of TT International’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. TT International owned about 0.43% of Ternium worth $28,123,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) shares gained 86.76 percent to close at $11.00 on Thursday. Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CRK) shares climbed 47.06 percent to close at $7.00 after the company disclosed a deal with Arkoma Drilling L.P. and Williston Drilling, L.P. to buy oil & gas properties in North Dakota. Comstock announced withdrawal of tender offers for outstanding secured notes. Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: CDAY) gained 41.86 percent to close at $31.21. MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares rose 26.5 percent to close at $22.20 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook. Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (NYSE: CCM) jumped 24.92 percent to close at $4.06. Mattersight Corporation (NASDAQ: MATR) shares climbed 23.26 percent to close at $2.65 after the company agreed to be purchased by NICE Ltd. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) rose 24.44 percent to close at $422.50 as the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) gained 17.75 percent to close at $18.64 following upbeat Q1 earnings. PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI) rose 16.59 percent to close at $12.30 following Q1 results. Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) rose 16.06 percent to close at $15.25. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) shares climbed 14.5 percent to close at $121.42 as the company posted reported Q1 beat And raised FY18 outlook. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares gained 13.7 percent to close at $11.04 as the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM) rose 13.21 percent to close at $3.00 after the company disclosed a positive outcome of the interim analysis of STRIDE-1 Phase 3 trial of AXS-05 in treatment resistant depression. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) jumped 13.06 percent to close at $257.40 following upbeat Q1 profit. BioTelemetry,
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sumitomo (OTCMKTS: SSUMY) and Ternium (NYSE:TX) are both multi-sector conglomerates companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and profitability.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: Envision Healthcare Holdings, Inc.(EVHC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  I'm talking about private equity behemoth KKR & Co. LP (NYSE: KKR) buying Envision Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: EVHC) for $5.7 billion in cash, with the total deal value adding up to $9.9 billion including debt. This marks one of the largest leveraged buyouts of 2018.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Envision Healthcare (NYSE:EVHC) from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  This was not overlooked by Wall Street, either, as the giant private equity firm KKR & Co. LP (NYSE: KKR) bought Envision Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: EVHC) for $5.7 billion in cash, with the total deal value adding up to $9.9 billion including debt. It was one of the largest leveraged buyouts so far in 2018.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: Innoviva, Inc. (INVA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams, Chuck Saletta, and Brian Feroldi]

  With this in mind, we asked three Motley Fool investors to name one healthcare stock that's tops on their list for the month of June. These three mid-cap stocks made the cut: royalty drug company Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA), mental illness treatment center operator Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC), and health savings account provider HealthEquity (NASDAQ:HQY).

• [By Sean Williams]

  Lastly, there's Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA), which isn't a traditional drug stock, per se. Innoviva is a royalty company that's currently reaping benefits from a group of long-lasting COPD and asthma medications that were developed in cooperation with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK). You know these medicines today as Breo Ellipta and Anoro Ellipta, to name a few.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Innoviva (INVA)

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

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2019: Innospec Inc.(IOSP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Innospec (IOSP)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: “TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC Has $7.35 Million Holdings in Innospec (IOSP)” was posted by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this news story on another domain, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this news story can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3353526/tiaa-cref-investment-management-llc-has-7-35-million-holdings-in-innospec-iosp.html.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.34. Innospec had a net margin of 4.73% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The business had revenue of $353.80 million during the quarter. analysts expect that Innospec will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current year.

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Innospec (IOSP) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages” was originally posted by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this piece of content on another site, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of US and international trademark and copyright laws. The original version of this piece of content can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3368568/innospec-iosp-given-consensus-recommendation-of-hold-by-brokerages.html.

  Innospec Company Profile

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Press coverage about Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) has trended somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Innospec earned a daily sentiment score of 0.08 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the specialty chemicals company an impact score of 46.0007935851604 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Innospec (NASDAQ: IOSP) and JOHNSON MATTHEY/S (OTCMKTS:JMPLY) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) insider Philip Curran sold 2,000 shares of Innospec stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.63, for a total transaction of $147,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $310,571.34. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Google might return to China. Here's why that's controversial

Google is reportedly planning to get back into China, a lucrative market where it has a long history of tangling with authorities.

The Intercept reported Wednesday that Google plans to launch a search app in China that would block sensitive websites and search terms to comply with Chinese government censorship.

China has hundreds of millions of internet users and a thriving online shopping market, making it impossible for US tech companies to ignore. But jumping back into China presents ethical issues for Google (GOOGL), which has long advocated a free and open internet.

Andy Tian, a tech executive who formerly led mobile strategy and partnerships for Google in China, said the Chinese tech companies that currently dominate search can't compete with Google's product.

"There's a huge void, Google can fill that void," said Tian, who is now CEO of Asia Innovations.

Asked about The Intercept report, Google said in a statement that "we don't comment on speculation about future plans."

Like many other US internet platforms, Google's most popular products �� search, YouTube, Gmail �� have been banned in China for years, blacked out by a vast government censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall.

But that wasn't always the case.

Google China 1.0

Google launched a Chinese language version of its search engine �� google.cn �� in 2006. It complied with Beijing's censorship laws.

"While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission," Google said at the time.

While the search engine was censored, it also flagged to users when information was removed from results. That gave Chinese internet users an idea of what they were not allowed to see.

China blocks Google searches on the eve of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2014.

"We reminded users in China every single day that they are looking at filtered results," said Tian, who worked at Google when the search engine launched.

Still, critics complained that Google was breaching its own company motto: "Don't Be Evil."

The company's devotion to web freedom, critics charged, was being subverted by a willingness to comply with Chinese censorship in return for access to a huge potential customer base.

Attack and retreat

Google was battling Baidu (BIDU) for market share. Three years after launch, Google had wrestled about a third of the search market away from its Chinese rival.

The dynamic changed in January 2010, when Google charged that Chinese hackers had targeted Google and more than 20 other Western companies and compromised the email accounts of Chinese dissidents living abroad.

Beijing denied that it had been involved in the attacks, but the incident sparked a political fight with Washington.

A laptop screen displaying the landing page google.cn, which linked to an uncensored Hong Kong site on July 1, 2010, in Beijing.

About three months later, Google made good on a threat to stop offering search in China.

In March 2010, it announced it had stopped running the censored Google.cn service and began routing its Chinese users to an uncensored version of Google based in Hong Kong.

Academics, university students and other researchers relied heavily on Google's search services to access information not available through Chinese search engines like Baidu.

Businesses that depended on Google applications such as Google Docs and Gmail also suffered.

Google wants back behind the Firewall

Google's parent company Alphabet changed its motto in 2015, replacing "Don't Be Evil" with "Do the Right Thing."

From a business perspective, getting back into China is the right thing for Google. It currently offers just a few services in the country �� Google Translate, a file organizing program and a new AI game.

Advertising is Google's main source of revenue, and 1.4 billion potential users are hard to ignore. Facebook (FB), which competes with Google for advertising revenue, is also locked out of China.

Shares in Baidu (BIDU) dropped 8% on Wednesday after The Intercept report was published.

Critics and human rights groups are already accusing Google of bending to China's will.

"The reality is that they will be serving the Chinese government," said Lockman Tsui, former head of free expression for Google in Asia.

"The government now tracks people, apps on phones reveal who you are, where you are. They are intrusive," he added. "They collect much more data and Google can be requested to handover these data to the government."

�� Begona Blanco Munoz contributed reporting.

Brokerages Set Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC) PT at $91.86

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $91.86.

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 4th.

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Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMC. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 7,851,174 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $648,428,000 after purchasing an additional 287,978 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 22.5% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,322,464 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $439,582,000 after purchasing an additional 976,003 shares during the last quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. now owns 3,609,298 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $298,093,000 after purchasing an additional 342,211 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 155.0% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,822,249 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $233,090,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715,497 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mawer Investment Management Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,810,468 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $232,071,000 after purchasing an additional 32,203 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.06% of the company’s stock.

NYSE MMC traded up $0.35 on Friday, reaching $87.48. The stock had a trading volume of 1,357,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,817,835. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.52. Marsh & McLennan Companies has a 1 year low of $76.68 and a 1 year high of $87.89. The company has a market capitalization of $44.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.96.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 29.38% and a net margin of 11.11%. The firm had revenue of $4 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.87 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.08 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts anticipate that Marsh & McLennan Companies will post 4.33 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.415 per share. This represents a $1.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 10th. This is an increase from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.35%.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc, a professional services firm, provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy, and people worldwide. It operates in two segments, Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting. The Risk and Insurance Services segment offers risk management services, such as risk advice, risk transfer, and risk control and mitigation solutions, as well as insurance, reinsurance broking, catastrophe and financial modeling, and related advisory services.

Featured Story: Relative Strength Index

Samsung or Xiaomi? It's a two-horse race for India's smartphone market

India's booming smartphone market is turning into a two-horse race between Samsung and Xiaomi.

The world's biggest smartphone maker and its fast-growing Chinese rival now account for 60% of the country's sales, according to a new report by research firm Canalys.

Samsung (SSNLF) and Xiaomi each sold nearly 10 million smartphones in India in the three months to June 30, a new record for both companies, Canalys said.

The new sales estimates reflect a big comeback for Samsung, which dominated the Indian market for six years but was overtaken by Xiaomi at the end of 2017.

The Chinese smartphone maker, whose cheaper devices have struck a chord with India's price-conscious consumers, widened its lead in the quarter to March 31. It also tripled its manufacturing base in the country by adding four new smartphone factories.

But Samsung's sales grew by 47% in the June quarter compared with the same period a year ago, its best rate of growth since the last quarter of 2015.

"Samsung is hitting back," said Canalys analyst TuanAhn Nguyen. "It has launched devices pitted directly against Xiaomi's capabilities."

Making more phones in India

The South Korean electronics firm is also responding by beefing up its own capacity to make phones in India. It opened what it claims is the "world's largest mobile factory" earlier this month on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Spanning 32 acres, the factory will allow Samsung to nearly double the number of smartphones it makes in India every year from 68 million to 120 million by 2020.

There are over 800 million potential customers in India for both companies �� and others �� to target.

The iPhone is still nowhere

India is already the world's second largest smartphone market behind China, with more than 300 million users. And despite the dominance of Samsung and Xiaomi, there are opportunities for other vendors, said Canalys research manager Rushabh Doshi.

Xiaomi and Samsung are locked in a battle for supremacy in India's smartphone market.

Other Chinese smartphone companies are also making a big play for Indian customers. Xiaomi's smaller rivals Vivo and Oppo now have 11% and 10% of the market respectively.

One global brand that's nowhere in the picture? Apple (AAPL).

The iPhone has struggled to gain a foothold in India for years, where Apple has been prevented from setting up its trademark stores because of regulations requiring single-brand retailers to make most of their products locally.

It's also too expensive for the vast majority of Indians, whose average annual wage is less than $2,000.

Shipments of iPhones to India fell about 50% in the last quarter, according to Doshi. Apple has started making some older iPhone models at a new plant in Bangalore, but it still mainly caters to wealthier customers.

5 Stocks That Spoke to Brexit, 2 Years Later: Euronet Worldwide

In July 2016, the world and financial markets were still in shock from Great Britain's vote to withdraw from the European Union. It was a watershed moment for the open market -- or perhaps a catastrophic flash flood, and at the time, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner offered listeners to the Rule Breakers podcast a sampler of five stock recommendations that he felt had some Brexit resonance. Two years on, Brexit is barely even a work in progress. In fact, it's a political quagmire with no blueprint close to being accepted by all sides, and based on the latest news, the negotiations are appearing to grow even more tumultuous. However, though there's no clarity in Europe, it is nonetheless time for him to check back in and see how those picks are performing en route to the three-year holding period he originally suggested.

Stock No. 2 was Euronet Worldwide�(NASDAQ:EEFT), a payment processor and ATM network operator, which David liked because he expected trade and commerce would keep growing globally despite Brexit. His baseline for comparison is the S&P 500, which is up 26% since he made these picks. At this point, the PayPal of Europe is not paying off for shareholders.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on July 4, 2018.

David Gardner: Stock No. 2 is Euronet Worldwide. The ticker symbol is EEFT. This is, as I was saying two years ago, kind of the PayPal for Europe. This is a company that does a lot of e-payments, a lot of digital payments. Focused mostly in Europe, hence the name Euronet Worldwide. Yet, it also owns a lot of ATMs. Even though that may sound like an older business, because this company is expanding pretty mightily through India, where things are lower-tech in a lot of places throughout that country, a network of ATMs in India is a valuable commodity.

Euronet Worldwide two years ago was at $72 a share. Today, it tips the scales at $84 per share. That's up 17%. Good news, the stock is up, but bad news, the stock is losing to the market by 9%.

Well, why did this stock appear on the Brexit-inspired stock list? Well, for Euronet Worldwide, I was reminding anybody in the European Union who felt bereft that the U.K. had opted to leave that Europe remains such a substantial and important block. Yes, you've potentially lost one of your star players -- sticking with soccer, out on the field, you've lost one of your start players -- but you still have a really good team.

I like, I was saying at the time, the so-called PayPal for Europe, and I think that you should too. Let's hope that this stock has a better year over the next year so that I can put this one in the win column when we close out a year from now. But, for now, Euronet Worldwide is a minus 9%. If you combine that with Alphabet, plus 29%, minus 9%, that equals plus 20% as we move in our game to stock No. 3.

2 Stocks I'd Hate to Buy

There's an old sales maxim that says, "A confused mind always says no." If the sales pitch is too complicated, the customer will simply balk at making a purchase. But that doesn't seem to be the case with investing. People buy all manner of stocks they don't understand and end up regretting it when the crash comes.

Well, here are two stocks that I'd hate to buy, even though the story sounds simple enough, because I just can't understand the bull case: meal-kit leader Blue Apron (NYSE:APRN)�and streaming-movie leader Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX).

Image source: Blue Apron.

You'll be eaten alive

Even though meal kits appear to be a growth industry, the market for individual providers is not healthy. Although its shares have nearly doubled over the last three months (they're up over 95% since their April lows), Blue Apron is a business that can't survive, at least not on its own.

The primary problem with meal-kit services is that they're an expensive meal option that consumers simply don't stay with. Customer churn is extraordinarily high, which means the service needs to spend bucketloads of money to acquire new customers again and again. It's a constant ebb and flow that drains much-needed capital and raises costs.

Standalone meal-kit companies are also an inefficient means of distributing food, which is why numerous supermarket chains, including Albertson's, Kroger, and Walmart, have acquired or launched their own meal-kit lines. Unless they cater to very special dietary needs, meal kits have become a commodity product that can't justify their inflated price, especially when they're sold outside of a supermarket.

Since few people can fully forgo shopping at a grocery store, the future of the industry is in partnerships with national chains. Although Blue Apron has teamed up to have its kits appear in a few Costco stores, it won't be enough of a boost to the bottom line to keep the meal-kit maker going for long.

A buyout remains its best bet, but since it no longer has a compelling growth story, Blue Apron is unlikely to see an acquisition premium, even if an offer is made.

Image source: Getty Images.

We've seen this movie before

Netflix started the year at less than $200 a share, and halfway through 2018, it's already over $400 a stub for a 113% gain so far. Over the last 12 months it is up 180%. But just because a stock is scoring big gains doesn't mean you avoid buying, and Netflix is inarguably a terrific company that has played the streaming wave just right. However, at 244 times trailing earnings and 88 times next year's estimates, it's hard to make the case Netflix stock is worth it when it isn't producing any operating cash flow -- it ended 2017 almost $1.8 billion in the red.

While profitability can come if it slows its content spending some, it's unfortunately unable to do that as the competitive arena becomes more intense. Netflix realizes that, which is why it reportedly is increasing its budget from $7 billion to $13 billion to purchase original content to stream on its platform. This spend-or-die attitude has taken root in the industry and Netflix is feeling the heat from its rivals, which is why it's stepping up its spending.

And its competition isn't only from a bunch of Johnny-come-latelies, but rather�Disney, Facebook, Alphabet, and more.

Now Netflix is adding more members to its rolls, but the valuation is predicated on its being able to continue growing at this torrid pace for years to come. While an international market opportunity does exist, it's going to become a more expensive proposition as the company burns through cash trying to keep all of its irons in the fire.

Not a call to short

While I wouldn't buy either of these stocks, that doesn't mean I would short them now, either. These stocks are both on a tear, and as the saying goes, a market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.

Still, these stocks have far surpassed rational valuations, and expectations have run too far ahead. That doesn't necessarily make them bad businesses; they're just not worth the price the market says you should pay. And that price will keep me away from them.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:STRS,SHBI,CSWC,ONB,CBOE, LISTEN TO ARTICLE 1:48 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

A torrent of fund outflows has taken Bank of America Corp.’s contrarian Bull & Bear Indicator to a two-year low, pushing it closer to a buy signal for risk assets.

Emerging-market equity, financials and investment-grade funds have suffered their biggest exodus since late 2016 as trade tensions and tighter monetary policy spur investors to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Stratus Properties Inc.(STRS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

  Get Stratus Properties alerts: Analyzing Stratus Properties (STRS) & City Developments (CDEVY) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Financial Survey (americanbankingnews.com) Reviewing Stratus Properties (STRS) and St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com) Stratus Properties (STRS) versus City Developments (CDEVY) Head-To-Head Analysis (americanbankingnews.com) Contrasting Stratus Properties (STRS) & St. Joe (JOE) (americanbankingnews.com)

  NASDAQ STRS traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $31.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 528 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123. Stratus Properties has a 52 week low of $26.15 and a 52 week high of $32.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Shore Bancshares Inc(SHBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Shore Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:SHBI) by 134.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 157,489 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 90,289 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Shore Bancshares were worth $2,970,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media coverage about Shore Bancshares (NASDAQ:SHBI) has trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Shore Bancshares earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the bank an impact score of 47.376414932679 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Press coverage about Shore Bancshares (NASDAQ:SHBI) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Shore Bancshares earned a coverage optimism score of 0.15 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the bank an impact score of 46.3784121307224 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Capital Southwest Corporation(CSWC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Capital Southwest (NASDAQ:CSWC) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallJun. 5, 2018 11:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Press coverage about Capital Southwest (NASDAQ:CSWC) has been trending positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Capital Southwest earned a coverage optimism score of 0.27 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the asset manager an impact score of 44.9331419606621 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near term.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Capital Southwest (NASDAQ: CSWC) and TRIPLEPOINT VEN/COM (NYSE:TPVG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, dividends and analyst recommendations.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Capital Southwest Co. (NASDAQ:CSWC) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, June 5th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.29 per share by the asset manager on Monday, July 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 25th. This is a boost from Capital Southwest’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Old National Bancorp Capital Trust I(ONB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ:ONB) Director Katherine E. White sold 1,064 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.80, for a total transaction of $18,939.20. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,125.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ:ONB) by 31.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 441,479 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 198,314 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.29% of Old National Bancorp worth $7,461,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  MetLife Investment Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ:ONB) by 9.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 59,196 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 5,905 shares during the quarter. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Old National Bancorp were worth $1,000,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ:ONB) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  State of Tennessee Treasury Department lessened its stake in shares of Cboe Global Markets Inc (NASDAQ:CBOE) by 23.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 110,676 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 33,675 shares during the quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department’s holdings in Cboe Global Markets were worth $12,628,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Last December, two major futures exchanges started offering futures contracts on bitcoin. CBOE Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) was the first to market with its futures offering, and CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) didn't waste any time coming out with its own version of a bitcoin contract.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage loss in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) which fell about 2% to $100.79. The stock��s 52-week range is $91.12 to $138.54. Volume was nearly 1 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.1 million.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Cboe Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay. 4, 2018 8:30 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:NUS,THO,SWY,PBH,PMT,

Press coverage about Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) has trended somewhat positive on Thursday, according to Accern. The research group scores the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Canadian Solar earned a media sentiment score of 0.15 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the solar energy provider an impact score of 48.308473317829 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next several days.

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

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Nu Skin Enterprises Inc.(NUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) is benefiting from two key trends: its strong presence in Asia where it books 79% of its revenue and leading brand awareness with millennials. The company has increased its dividend every year since 2001, now paying a 2% yield, and maintains a share repurchase program that returns excess cash to shareholders.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) and PetIQ (NASDAQ:PETQ) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and risk.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS) reached a new 52-week high and low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $81.72 and last traded at $81.25, with a volume of 3382 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $80.34.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Thor Industries Inc.(THO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  LCI Industries (LCII) fell 5% on the day. Patrick Industries Inc. (PATK) dropped 4.24%. Thor Industries Inc. (THO) tanked 9.83%. Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO) fell 8.85%. 

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Markets are cheering a major development in efforts to fix the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and China. According to Reuters, Chinese telecom giant ZTE has signed an agreement to get back into business with its American partners. The agreement will lift a ban by the U.S. Commerce Department that prevented China's No. 2 telecommunications equipment from buying from U.S. suppliers. This is a major development, and one that signals progress among trade officials from both nations. There are now more job openings in the United States than available workers. This is the first time that the Department of Labor has documented this phenomenon. There are 6.7 million openings compared to the 6.4 million workers available to fill those positions. As a result, U.S. companies have been forced to increase compensation in order to attract talent. All of the positive economic development could come to a screeching halt should the U.S. experience the largest labor strike in a decade. Reports indicate that the Teamsters and the United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) are on a collision course that could result in a general strike. The union has announced that 260,000 UPS employees have authorized a strike should both sides fail to reach a labor deal by August 1. UPS is responsible for the transport of 6% of the nation's gross domestic product. Three Stocks to Watch Today: TSLA, NOG, WFC Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) investors remain committed to giving Chairman Elon Musk more of their money. On Tuesday, shareholders struck down proposals that would have removed Musk from the chairman role and shaken up the board of directors. Both proposals failed. At the same shareholder event, Musk announced plans for Tesla to open a production facility in Shanghai and projected that his firm will likely produce 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of June. In deal news, defense contractor Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOG) has won U.S. antitrust approval to purchase rocket moto
• [By Shane Hupp]

  Tahoe Resources Inc (TSE:THO) (NASDAQ:TAHO) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned 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$8.33.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Winnebago's total backlog increased by 36% against the comparable prior year quarter, to $193.1 million. Competitor Thor Industries' (NYSE:THO) quarterly earnings, reported earlier this month, revealed a backlog reduction of 18%. Although Thor's management presented a credible argument�that the organization's backlog reduction is due to increased production capability, its shareholders nonetheless have worried over demand trends. Winnebago's own backlog growth provides a more positive data point for those taking stock of the larger RV industry.�

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Many people think of recreational vehicles as part of an iconic American pastime associated with the love of the open road. For Thor Industries (NYSE:THO), the RV manufacturer's corporate home in Elkhart, Indiana, might seem about as far removed from international trade tensions as you could image. Yet even though the RV market has been extremely strong lately, Thor believes that what's been going on between Washington and foreign trade partners could create headwinds that will eventually make their way to this company in America's heartland.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Brokerages expect Tahoe Resources Inc (NYSE:TAHO) (TSE:THO) to announce earnings of $0.02 per share for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Zero analysts have made estimates for Tahoe Resources’ earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $0.04 and the lowest is ($0.01). Tahoe Resources reported earnings per share of $0.11 in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year over year growth rate of 81.8%. The company is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 14th.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Robertson]

  In addition, Goldcorp��s (NYSE: GG) �l茅onore mine in the heart of the territory along with the Troilus mine (which produced over 2 million ounces of gold from 1997-2010 and is estimated to have another remaining 2 million ounces of reserves) are helping to maintain the interest of junior exploration companies in nearby properties. The same can be said about the Otish Mountains�area following the discovery of diamonds by�Stornoway Diamond Corporation (TSX: SWY) at their Renard diamond mine which is projected to produce 1.5-2 millions carats per year.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Prestige Brand Holdings Inc.(PBH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) – Investment analysts at Gabelli cut their FY2019 earnings estimates for shares of Prestige Brands in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 3rd. Gabelli analyst Z. Bodini now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $3.00 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $3.05. Gabelli also issued estimates for Prestige Brands’ FY2020 earnings at $3.35 EPS, FY2021 earnings at $3.75 EPS, FY2022 earnings at $4.20 EPS and FY2023 earnings at $4.65 EPS.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) – Equities researchers at DA Davidson cut their Q2 2019 earnings estimates for shares of Prestige Brands in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, July 3rd. DA Davidson analyst L. Weiser now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.60 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.64. DA Davidson currently has a “Neutral” rating and a $33.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Prestige Brands’ FY2019 earnings at $2.83 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $2.97 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Premium Brands (TSE:PBH) had its target price increased by TD Securities from C$140.00 to C$145.00 in a research note published on Thursday. The firm currently has an action list buy rating on the stock.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Nomad Foods Limited (NYSE: NOMD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $656.43 million. AMC Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: AMCX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.2 per share on revenue of $720.14 million. Magna International Inc. (NYSE: MGA) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.7 per share on revenue of $10.11 billion. Univar Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $2.12 billion. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.14 per share on revenue of $5.78 billion. Owens & Minor, Inc. (NYSE: OMI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.47 per share on revenue of $2.40 billion. Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PBH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.61 per share on revenue of $255.60 million. Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $457.67 million. ArcBest Corporation (NASDAQ: ARCB) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.07 per share on revenue of $691.18 million. Genesis Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: GEN) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.34 per share on revenue of $1.32 billion. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $10.14 billion. Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion. NICE Ltd. (NASDAQ: NICE) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.01 per share on revenue of $332.93 million. World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.94 per share on revenue of $147.32 million. MAXIMUS, Inc. (NYSE: MMS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $616.04 million. Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CH
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Premium Brands Holdings Corp (TSE:PBH) Director Stephen Sposari sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$117.01, for a total transaction of C$351,030.00.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) surged 87.1 percent to $12.98 after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares jumped 66.8 percent to $49.735 after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) gained 34 percent to $2.2920 following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PBH) climbed 22.3 percent to $34.84 after the company posted upbeat Q4 earnings. Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: DEPO) shares jumped 22.2 percent to $7.28 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) gained 19.8 percent to $8.89 after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE: LXFR) surged 19.8 percent to $17.10 following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 18.3 percent to $2.26 after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Intelligent Systems Corporation (NYSE: INS) gained 17 percent to $7.116. Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT) surged 15.3 percent to $73.00 after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHEF) climbed 15 percent to $28.85. Chefs' Warehouse posted Q1 earnings of $0.03 per share on sales of $318.6 million. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: WPRT) rose 14.2 percent to $2.9701. Wright Medical Group N.V. (NASDAQ: WMGI) jumped 13.8 percent to $23.87 after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) gained 13.4 percent to $22.70. Diplomat named Brian Griffin as Chairman and CEO. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 13 percent to $27.97 after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ: PRTA) gained 12 percent to $15.19

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust(PMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) – Equities researchers at Wedbush lifted their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Pennymac Mortgage Investment in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 10th. Wedbush analyst J. Weaver now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will post earnings per share of $0.36 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.34. Wedbush also issued estimates for Pennymac Mortgage Investment’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.52 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.74 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) shares reached a new 52-week high and low on Monday . The company traded as low as $18.60 and last traded at $18.62, with a volume of 19306 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.50.

Cramer says 'accidentally anti-Chinese' FANG stocks are 'perfect for this market'

With U.S. investors laser-focused on the White House's tit-for-tat trade dispute with Beijing, CNBC's Jim Cramer wanted to hone in on four stocks in the market that are most resilient to trade tensions.

The lucky few? The members of FANG, the "Mad Money" host's acronym for the stocks of Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google, now Alphabet.

"In one of the great coincidences in stock market history, FANG��s got nothing in China," Cramer said Thursday as stocks rose in a day of recovery from the U.S.-China dispute.

"All four are accidentally anti-Chinese stocks, and that is perfect for this market," he added.

Facebook, for one, is blocked in the People's Republic, where the government has been loathe to allow the social media platform to do business for fear of the free speech and social unrest it could encourage among users.

Amazon's major Chinese obstacle is its counterpart, Alibaba, a comparably massive e-commerce player already established in China that makes even the world's richest man, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, obsolete.

Netflix, like Facebook, is also blocked in China.

And Alphabet, the parent company of Google, withdrew its business from China by choice as a way of protesting the government's heightened focus on censorship.

"They literally leave billions on the table as a matter of principle," Cramer said of Alphabet. "Still, Alphabet��s lack of China exposure right now makes it a better stock than if it had China as a major market. Ironic, isn��t it?"

Some other factors that make FANG this market's lucky few? Consider the technology giants' secular growth �� growth that doesn't rely on the rest of the global economy �� and economic immunity, the "Mad Money" host said.

For example, both investors and Federal Reserve officials have expressed concerns about inflation rising due to tariffs, oil prices and growing freight costs. But when it comes to FANG, the market's biggest worries become minor issues.

"If you were going to design four large companies that would be relatively immune to inflation, they��d look a lot like Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet," Cramer said.

So when it comes to Facebook and its Instagram momentum, Amazon and its newfound pharmacy business, Netflix and its seemingly endless overseas opportunity and Alphabet with its wide array of businesses, Cramer was actually bullish on the stocks many investors see as far-too-expensive investments.

As of Thursday's close, shares of Facebook were up 3 percent at $198.45; shares of Amazon were up a modest 0.34 percent at $1,699.73; shares of Netflix were up 2 percent at $398.39; and Alphabet's Class A shares were up 2.24 percent, at $1,141.29.

"I know nothing lasts forever, and it��s easy to see why these FANG stocks are reviled for being too high, too fast, too rich, too whatever," he said. "But that��s been the case ever since we coined the term five years ago. Who knows? Maybe it'll be the same five years hence."

WATCH: Cramer doubles down on FANG amid trade tensions show chapters Cramer says 'accidentally anti-Chinese' FANG stocks are 'perfect for this market'    12 Hours Ago | 08:03

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Facebook, Amazon and Alphabet.

Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 176,566 Shares of Genworth Financial Inc (GNW)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Genworth Financial Inc (NYSE:GNW) by 8.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,038,174 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 176,566 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.41% of Genworth Financial worth $5,768,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of GNW. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Genworth Financial by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,334,927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,372,000 after purchasing an additional 172,433 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in shares of Genworth Financial by 298.6% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 164,362 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $511,000 after purchasing an additional 123,128 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in shares of Genworth Financial by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,193,331 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,711,000 after purchasing an additional 94,598 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Genworth Financial by 27.0% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 359,273 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,117,000 after purchasing an additional 76,331 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Genworth Financial by 52.1% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 55,077 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $171,000 after purchasing an additional 18,868 shares in the last quarter. 65.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get Genworth Financial alerts:

GNW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Co reissued a “hold” rating and set a $5.00 price objective (up from $3.00) on shares of Genworth Financial in a research note on Wednesday, June 6th. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Genworth Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday. BTIG Research reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Genworth Financial in a research note on Tuesday, June 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Genworth Financial in a research note on Thursday, April 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.17.

GNW stock opened at $4.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.24, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 2.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Genworth Financial Inc has a one year low of $2.66 and a one year high of $4.92.

Genworth Financial (NYSE:GNW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $2.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.15 billion. Genworth Financial had a return on equity of 4.50% and a net margin of 9.39%. The firm’s revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. sell-side analysts expect that Genworth Financial Inc will post 0.98 EPS for the current year.

Genworth Financial Company Profile

Genworth Financial, Inc provides insurance and homeownership solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Canada Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products primarily insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans.

EU Can Toughen Its Emissions-Cut Target Under Paris Climate Deal

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The European Union signaled it can exceed its 2030 emissions-reduction goal and submit a more ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gases by “slightly over 45 percent” under the Paris Agreement to fight climate change.

The announcement was made by EU Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete on Wednesday in Brussels at the start of a gathering of ministers from the 28-nations bloc, Canada and China before the next round of global talks to lower emissions. This year’s negotiations, known as COP24, will be held in EU member state Poland.

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Europe, which aims to lead the fight against global warming, submitted a target to reduce greenhouse gases by “at least 40 percent” as a contribution under the Paris deal in 2015. After representatives of national governments and the European Parliament agreed earlier this month to pursue more ambitious renewables and energy efficiency targets, the headline emissions goal will effectively be higher, Canete said.

“Both the new targets would de facto mean that the European Union would be in a position to raise the level of ambition of our Nationally Determined Contribution and increase our emission-reduction target from the current 40 percent to slightly over 45 percent by 2030,” he told the ministerial conference.

A change of the EU plan under the Paris Agreement would need support by the bloc’s ministers, possibly at their quarterly meeting in October. Such a move wouldn’t automatically mean a change to the European legislation on the headline 2030 emissions-reduction target, which was unanimously approved by heads of government in 2014.

EU policy makers reached on Tuesday a preliminary deal to boost energy savings by 32.5 percent by the end of the next decade, compared with a goal of 30 percent proposed by the European Commission. On June 14, they agreed to increase the objective for renewables to 32 percent of energy consumption from at least 27 percent sought by the commission.

10 EU Countries with Biggest Share of Renewables

Source: Eurostat data for 2016

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An analysis by the commission earlier this year showed that a drop in wind and solar energy costs means the EU can aim to increase its renewables target to 30 percent without boosting expenditures needed to meet it. It would also mean a faster reduction of carbon discharges in the EU Emissions Trading System, the bloc’s cap-and-trade program that imposes pollution caps on around 12,000 facilities owned by power producers, airlines and industries from steel to cement makers.

Top Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:AMGN,ARQL,BIIB,ALNY,

SLS International (AMEX:SLS) has been given a $11.00 target price by stock analysts at HC Wainwright in a note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.

SLS has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Maxim Group set a $13.00 price target on SLS International and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated a “hold” rating on shares of SLS International in a report on Monday, December 18th.

Shares of AMEX:SLS opened at $0.00 on Monday.

Top Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) is waiting for the FDA to review its Biologics License Application (BLA) for Aimovig (erenumab) for the prevention of migraine in patients experiencing four or more migraine days per month. The FDA has set a PDUFA date for May 17.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Field & Main Bank grew its stake in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 9.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,153 shares of the medical research company’s stock after buying an additional 345 shares during the quarter. Field & Main Bank’s holdings in Amgen were worth $708,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  AlphaMark Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 5.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,973 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 1,638 shares during the period. Amgen comprises about 2.0% of AlphaMark Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. AlphaMark Advisors LLC’s holdings in Amgen were worth $4,769,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) has been the hands-down winner over Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) in terms of stock performance over the last year. It's the same story for revenue generated. Celgene beat Amgen in earnings, but only because of a technicality: Amgen incurred a big one-time tax hit in 2017.

Top Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) Director Ronald M. Lindsay acquired 23,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $2.67 per share, for a total transaction of $63,813.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 43,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $117,213. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of development-stage biopharma ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) rose nearly 17% today after the company announced two appointments to its management team in two newly created positions. Dr. Marc Schegerin will serve as senior vice president, corporate strategy, communication, and finance. Dr. Shirish Hirani will serve as senior vice president, program management and product planning.�

Top Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Drug-developer Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) reported a pretty strong earnings�increase in the first quarter. While revenue growth wasn't as solid, investors appear to be giving management a pass, thanks to its explanations on why slowing first-quarter sales aren't a sign of future trouble.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) decreased to 3.45 million shares from the previous 3.50 million. The stock recently traded at $274.50, within a 52-week range of $244.28 to $370.57.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Monday was Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) which traded down nearly 4% at $329.58. The stock��s 52-week range is $244.28 to $348.84. Volume was 1.2 million matching the daily average of 1.2 million shares.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Short interest in Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) increased to 3.50 million shares from the previous 3.16 million. The stock recently traded at $262.15, within a 52-week range of $244.28 to $370.57.

Top Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  I wrote three months ago that I viewed Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) stock as a pretty good pick -- but with a couple of qualifications. First, I didn't think that the biotech would generate returns in 2018 nearly as great as it did last year. Second, I thought that there were even better stocks to buy than Alnylam.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.41) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.06. The business had revenue of $21.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.23 million. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 36.81% and a negative net margin of 565.20%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($1.25) earnings per share. equities analysts anticipate that Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -6.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) released first-quarter results last week, but all eyes were looking forward as the company waits for a potential approval of its hereditary TTR amyloidosis (ATTR) drug, patisiran.

US government proposes removal of the so-called 'startup visa'

The Department of Homeland Security has formally proposed to rescind the so-called startup visa, a program that was enacted by the Obama administration.

In a document filed Friday to the Federal Registrar, the government states that it believes the program is "inadvisable, impracticable, and an unwarranted use of limited agency resources."

DHS said the rule lacks sufficient protections for US workers and investors, and believes it to be "out of sync with DHS' current policy priorities."

The rule aimed to help keep foreign entrepreneurs in the United States by giving them a workaround to existing visas. It says foreigners building "fast-growing businesses" could apply for "parole status" to work in the United States. Parole status is typically granted to individuals who need a visa to work on humanitarian or medical relief.

While some nations, such as France and Canada, have special visas intended to encourage foreign entrepreneurs to build companies in their countries, the United States does not. People who come to America and start companies typically have to navigate a complicated web of existing visas, like the H-1B. The H-1B requires individuals to work under the control of an employer, making it difficult to launch a company.

The rule indicates that entrepreneurs must show that their young companies -- no more than five years old -- have the potential for "rapid growth" and job creation, by way of government grants of at least $100,000 or funding of at least $250,000 from a qualified investor. The rule excludes small businesses from consideration. Startups must also be able to operate legally in the country, and founders must own a minimum 10% stake of the firm at the time of the application.

The parole status lasts for 2.5 years and could be renewed for another 2.5 years. It could also be revoked at any time if it's believed the company is no longer benefiting the public.

The program was slated to begin in June 2017, but it never really got off of the ground. The Trump administration delayed its launch just days before it was set to begin. Then in September, the National Venture Capital Association and startup founders sued the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that the agency didn't follow proper "notice-and-comment" procedures before delaying the rule.

In December, a judge said that the Department of Homeland Security did not have reasonable cause to delay the start of the visa program for foreign entrepreneurs. It posted instructions and a form to apply later that month.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services director L. Francis Cissna wrote in a letter in April that government had not processed any requests for the visa to date and confirmed plans to rescind the rule. The government has received approximately 12 applications for the program, but has not yet issued any final decisions, according to a USCIS spokesperson

DHS said in its filing Friday that it believes the rule focused too much on the economic benefits that potential foreign entrepreneurs may bring without providing a clear pathway for them to remain in the US.

The notice will be officially published on Tuesday, at which point there will be a 30-day period for the public to comment on the proposal to rescind the rule.

Turkey's Election Angst Is Driving Up Demand for Gold Coins

With just a month until elections, shopkeepers at Turkey’s biggest bazaar say they’re seeing a jump in demand for gold coins.

“Turkish people have an interesting behavior -- they buy gold when the prices are rising, they think it’s gonna rise more,” said Gokhan Karakan, 32, who runs a gold exchange office in the heart of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. “People think there is a trend here and choose to buy gold until uncertainty is out of the way.”

On Friday afternoon, at the Grand Bazaar -- one of the world’s oldest covered markets -- shopkeepers said more customers were buying gold, instead of selling it, in hopes that the metal will keep its worth as the value of the lira plunges. Gold priced in lira is more expensive than ever, but that’s not deterring buyers, who are looking for a safe haven.

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“Turkish people love gold,” said Tekin Firat, 30, who owns and runs a gold store in the bazaar. “People think that it will never lose in the long run.”

QuickTake: What the Lira’s Plight Says About Turkey’s Economy

Citizens are buying up gold as the lira plunges in latest currency crisis. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who’s about to launch a re-election campaign that may provide the toughest electoral test of his 15 years in power, is an outspoken advocate of cheap money. He’s up against investors demanding higher returns to fund an economy beset by inflation and a swollen current account deficit.

Gold has a special importance in Turkey. The country is to home the ancient kingdom of Lydia, where the earliest known gold coinage originated in the 7th century B.C.

Turkey imported 118 metric tons of bullion, worth $5 billion at today’s prices, in first four months of this year, the most over that period, according to data going back to 1995 from the Istanbul Gold Exchange. Last year, imports reached a record.

It’s not just consumers that are snapping up gold. Official reserves have also increased over the past year. The central bank doesn’t comment on its gold strategy, but previously said the changes in its holdings are part of an effort to diversify its reserves.

The reported figure may be misleadingly high because the central bank allows commercial banks to deposit gold as part of their reserves. The government last year launched a campaign to get more “under-the-pillow gold” into the formal banking system. About half of the 216 ton inflow since the start of 2017 can be attributed to this alternative source, according to Matthew Turner, a strategist at Macquarie Group Ltd. in London.

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Even so, the purchases have happened a year after Erdogan urged Turks to convert their foreign currency savings into liras and gold, and tensions with the U.S. reached a new low.

“The central bank certainly has been more active in the gold market,” said Turner. “It seems the government would like a larger share of its reserves in assets that’s not related to the U.S. dollar.”

In 2017, the central bank withdrew of its 28.7 tons of gold, worth about $1.2 billion, from Federal Reserve vaults. It didn’t say where the gold went, but holdings increased at Borsa Instanbul, the Bank of England and Bank of International Settlements, according to a report released in April.

The decision for any country to withdraw gold from U.S. vaults is rare -- happening only a handful of times in the past decade. Since 2011, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary and Venezuela have repatriated their gold holdings from the U.S.

Turkey’s decision to withdraw gold may have been a reaction to U.S. court cases against Turkish banks for alleged deals struck with Iran, said Cagdas Kucukemiroglu, a Middle Eastern gold analyst at research firm Metals Focus.

“Having the gold physically at home allows countries to feel like they are in control of their reserves,” said Brian Lucey, a professor of finance at Trinity Business School in Dublin.

— With assistance by Onur Ant

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US Justice Department Investigating Cryptocurrency Price Manipulation

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) reportedly has opened a criminal investigation into illegal manipulation of bitcoin prices. According to a report at Bloomberg News citing unnamed sources, investigators will be searching for evidence of illegal practices that place false orders in an effort to create the appearance of market activity.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal agency charged with oversight of the futures and options market, is reportedly joining the DoJ in the investigation. Other federal agencies also may be involved.

This past March, an investor named Sylvain Ribes posted a story in which he claimed his own investigation of a cryptocurrency exchange called OKex indicated that�about 93% of trading volume was�the result of wash trading, a type of illegal trade where sellers buy their own offerings as a way to show that demand for the goods is higher than it really is.

The CFTC in December subpoenaed records from another cryptocurrency exchange, Bitfinex, and a digital currency firm Tether that pegs the value of its digital currency to the U.S. dollar.

In addition to wash trading, the DoJ investigation is also said to be targeting spoofing, another method of faking trades to make trading volume look much higher than it actually is. The object of spoofing and wash trading is to create an image of demand that will lead other unsuspecting traders to jump in as well.

The CFTC in 2015 declared virtual currencies to be a commodity and claims investigatory power, including the authority to subpoena exchange operators. Commissioner Brian Quintenz said earlier this year that the CFTC will focus its attention on fraud, market manipulation and disruptive trading in the cryptocurrency markets. It looks like that’s what’s now happening.

ALSO READ: Cisco’s Talos Warns VPNFilter Malware Already Targets 500,000+ Networking Devices Worldwide

At $78,000, Tesla Moves Mass-Market Model 3 Beyond the Masses

Elon Musk’s Model 3, once touted as Tesla’s $35,000 car for the masses, can now set a buyer back almost $80,000.

Musk unveiled specifications for a faster and more powerful version of the Model 3 in a series of tweets over the weekend. It will cost $78,000, more than double the $35,000 base-model starting price discussed into the run-up before the electric car’s deliveries started last year. And that doesn’t include the Autopilot driver-assist feature.

The increasingly expensive configurations for the Model 3 are planned steps, if somewhat counterintuitive ones, toward Musk’s vision of Tesla Inc. as a mass-production player with vehicles affordable to a broader swath of buyers. The $78,000 sticker puts the electric sedan beyond reach of many consumers, and, by Musk’s own estimations, brings it closer to the realm of luxury cars.

“A Model 3 with a $35,000 price will be the rarest of the rare,” said Kevin Tynan, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “Perhaps the second most collectible Tesla ever, behind the one floating around in space.”

Musk’s latest tweets build the hype around a car that’s faced repeated production delays and manufacturing bottlenecks, which the company is just starting to clear. Tesla delivered 8,180 of the sedans in the first quarter, making it the best-selling electric car in America, and almost a half-million people have put down $1,000 deposits for Model 3s.

Original Vision

When Model 3 deliveries started in July, Tesla described the $35,000 price for a Model 3 with a standard battery with a 220-mile range before options or incentives. But its focus was on fulfilling orders for customers who wanted longer-range battery packs with faster charging, pushing the price up to about $44,000.

In a letter to shareholders earlier this month, Musk said that the company would begin offering new options such as all-wheel drive -- and a base model with a standard-sized battery pack -- once his factory in Fremont, California, reaches a production rate of 5,000 cars a week.

Only the expensive performance model was mentioned in Musk’s tweets this weekend. The company’s current business model and financial position -- it’s operating at a loss and has negative operating cash flow -- mean “that this is not the time for a $35,000 Model 3,” Tynan said in emailed comments.

A Tesla spokesman declined to comment.

Newest Model 3

The new dual-motor, all-wheel-drive performance version of the Model 3 will have a top speed of 155 miles per hour, a 310-mile range and acceleration from standstill to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, Musk wrote.

The latest performance Model 3 will cost “about same as BMW M3, but 15% quicker & with better handling,” Musk tweeted. The car “will beat anything in its class on the track,” he said. It will also be available with black and white interiors. According to BMW’s website, a BMW M3 sedan has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price of about $66,500.

The pricey version of the Model 3 is in keeping with Musk’s earlier practices with the Model S luxury sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle -- adding options and higher specifications to help generate cash that can be used to eventually build vehicles for mainstream buyers.

Burning Cash

The company burned through more than $1 billion of cash in the first quarter and may need to tap capital markets for more than $10 billion by 2020 to fund its car-making operations, new products and expected expansion into China, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts said last week. Mounting liquidity pressures and challenges with Model 3 production prompted Moody’s Investors Service to cut the carmaker’s credit rating further into junk status in March, adding fuel to a sell off of the company’s bonds to all-time lows.

For every additional thousand dollars that ends up being added to the price of Model 3, the size of the U.S. auto market that buys cars that are that expensive shrinks by 1 percent to 2 percent, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s a trade off the company is willing to make.

The profit is in the higher trims, Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry analysis at Edmunds.com, said by phone. “The idea that it’s supposed to be a car for everyone is kind of laughable,” Drury said. “Anyone who wanted a base model may have to wait years out.”

— With assistance by Dana Hull