It's Official: Apple Wins the Race to $1 Trillion

This momentous occasion has been a long time coming, but Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) officially crossed the threshold ($207.04 per share) that puts its total market cap into 13-digit territory, becoming the first U.S. company valued at $1 trillion. Technically, China's PetroChina was the first company in the world to briefly�hit a $1 trillion market cap back in 2007 before losing roughly 80% of its value since.

Amazon.com had been closing the gap in recent years, with the e-commerce giant's stock posting strong gains as it continues to grow and expand into more and more markets, but Apple's strong fiscal third-quarter earnings release earlier this week helped propel the Mac maker's shares higher, as investors cheered strong guidance and accelerating revenue growth.

AAPL Market Cap data by YCharts.

Cheap at $1 trillion

While $1 trillion in market valuation is an awful lot of money, it's worth noting that Apple remains incredibly cheap relative to its earnings power. The Mac maker has long traded at a discount to the S&P 500, and still does. Here's how Apple's valuation metrics compare to the broader market as well as some large tech peers.

Company or Index

P/E Ratio

P/S Ratio

S&P 500	24.3	2.2
Apple	17.5	3.7
Amazon.com	249.7	3.2
Alphabet	33.1	6.9
Facebook	23.7	10.3
Microsoft	28.1	6.5

Data sources: Multpl.com and Reuters.

Relative to its earnings power, Apple is the cheapest among its peers by a meaningful margin.

CEO Tim Cook holding the billionth iPhone. Image source: Apple.

How buybacks affect Apple's market cap

Incredibly, Apple has repurchased a mind-boggling $219.6 billion worth of its stock since kicking off its capital return program nearly six years ago. These repurchase activities have significantly accelerated in recent quarters following tax reform.

Data source: SEC filings. Chart by author. Calendar quarters shown.

These buybacks have been conducted at various share prices over the years, but the company has now retired over (split-adjusted) 1.7 billion shares outstanding relative to its peak of shares outstanding in 2013.

AAPL Shares Outstanding data by YCharts.

At current prices, those 1.7 billion shares would be worth $360 billion. Of course, it's not that simple. Apple's buybacks are so massive that the repurchases are highly accretive to earnings, allowing net income to be distributed across fewer shares and allowing EPS growth to outpace net income growth. That helps boost Apple's stock price.

So there are opposing forces at play regarding how buybacks affect Apple's market cap: Buying back shares reduces its market cap by decreasing the number of shares outstanding, but the resulting earnings accretion helps drive prices higher.

While impressive, the reality is that a $1 trillion market cap is still a somewhat arbitrary milestone that has little bearing on the company's underlying fundamentals. Apple is the most profitable company on Earth, and long-term shareholders are getting increasingly bigger cuts of those profits.

Gujarat State Petronet Q1 PAT seen up 9.4% YoY to Rs. 166.9 cr: KR Choksey

KR Choksey has come out with its first quarter (April-June�� 18) earnings estimates for the Oil & Gas sector. The brokerage house expects Gujarat State Petronet to report net profit at Rs. 166.9 crore up 9.4% year-on-year (up 6% quarter-on-quarter).

Net Sales are expected to increase by 24.1 percent Y-o-Y (up 4.9 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 367.7 crore, according to KR Choksey.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are likely to rise by 10 percent Y-o-Y (up 4.9 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 303.5 crore.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More First Published on Jul 22, 2018 07:24 pm

Rogers Communications Inc. Class B (RCI.B) Given New C$69.00 Price Target at National Bank Financial

Rogers Communications Inc. Class B (TSE:RCI.B) (NYSE:RCI) had its target price lifted by National Bank Financial from C$68.00 to C$69.00 in a report issued on Friday morning. The brokerage currently has a sector perform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on RCI.B. CIBC increased their price target on Rogers Communications Inc. Class B from C$67.00 to C$70.00 in a research report on Friday. Barclays increased their price target on Rogers Communications Inc. Class B from C$68.00 to C$70.00 in a research report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity increased their price target on Rogers Communications Inc. Class B from C$66.00 to C$69.00 in a research report on Monday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Rogers Communications Inc. Class B from C$67.00 to C$68.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Rogers Communications Inc. Class B from C$67.00 to C$72.00 in a research report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$70.38.

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TSE RCI.B traded down C$1.16 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$65.90. 1,092,822 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 906,109. Rogers Communications Inc. Class B has a twelve month low of C$55.67 and a twelve month high of C$70.08.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 3rd were paid a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 8th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.91%.

About Rogers Communications Inc. Class B

Rogers Communications Inc is a communications and media company. The Company provides wireless communications services, and cable television, Internet, information technology (IT) and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Its segments include Wireless, Cable, Business Solutions and Media. The Wireless segment is engaged in wireless telecommunications operations for Canadian consumers and businesses.

Read More: Should you buy a closed-end mutual fund?

American Express (AXP) Holdings Lifted by Rathbone Brothers plc

Rathbone Brothers plc boosted its holdings in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 13.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,012 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 728 shares during the period. Rathbone Brothers plc’s holdings in American Express were worth $589,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Certified Advisory Corp bought a new position in American Express in the 4th quarter worth approximately $101,000. Archford Capital Strategies LLC bought a new position in American Express in the 1st quarter worth approximately $123,000. Private Ocean LLC increased its position in American Express by 14,070.0% in the 1st quarter. Private Ocean LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 1,407 shares during the period. Guidant Wealth Advisors increased its position in American Express by 280.7% in the 2nd quarter. Guidant Wealth Advisors now owns 807 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $150,000 after buying an additional 595 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asia Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in American Express in the 1st quarter worth approximately $151,000. 82.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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AXP opened at $101.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $86.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.71, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67. American Express has a 1 year low of $83.33 and a 1 year high of $103.24.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 18th. The payment services company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $9.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.49 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 28.41% and a net margin of 8.79%. American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.34 earnings per share. research analysts predict that American Express will post 7.22 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 10th. Investors of record on Friday, July 6th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 5th. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 23.85%.

American Express announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, June 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $3.40 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the payment services company to reacquire up to 4.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

AXP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $111.00 price target on the stock. ValuEngine downgraded American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 23rd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $104.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, April 19th. Citigroup initiated coverage on American Express in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $110.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on American Express from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $107.96.

In related news, CFO Jeffrey C. Campbell sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.05, for a total value of $882,450.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 79,978 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,841,842.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Douglas E. Buckminster sold 3,804 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.03, for a total value of $376,710.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,932,471.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 80,936 shares of company stock worth $8,082,400. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About American Express

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products and travel-related services to consumers and businesses worldwide. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, International Consumer and Network Services, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant Services.

See Also: Are analyst ratings accurate?

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

Zacks: Brokerages Expect Brown-Forman Co. Class B (BF.B) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $760.76 Millio

Brokerages expect that Brown-Forman Co. Class B (NYSE:BF.B) will announce $760.76 million in sales for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Four analysts have issued estimates for Brown-Forman Co. Class B’s earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $752.00 million and the highest is $768.49 million. Brown-Forman Co. Class B reported sales of $723.00 million during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 5.2%. The company is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, August 29th.

On average, analysts expect that Brown-Forman Co. Class B will report full year sales of $3.38 billion for the current year, with estimates ranging from $3.34 billion to $3.45 billion. For the next year, analysts anticipate that the firm will report sales of $3.55 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $3.49 billion to $3.64 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that cover Brown-Forman Co. Class B.

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Brown-Forman Co. Class B (NYSE:BF.B) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, June 6th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $733.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $754.56 million. Brown-Forman Co. Class B had a return on equity of 53.10% and a net margin of 18.00%. Brown-Forman Co. Class B’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share.

Several research firms have issued reports on BF.B. ValuEngine downgraded Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 21st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $66.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 21st. Societe Generale downgraded Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Brown-Forman Co. Class B from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Brown-Forman Co. Class B presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.82.

Shares of NYSE:BF.B traded up $0.13 during trading on Monday, hitting $50.76. 63,438 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,720,818. The company has a market cap of $24.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.21 and a beta of 0.87. Brown-Forman Co. Class B has a 52-week low of $37.71 and a 52-week high of $59.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.43.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 6th were given a $0.158 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 5th. This represents a $0.63 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.25%. Brown-Forman Co. Class B’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.57%.

About Brown-Forman Co. Class B

Brown-Forman Corporation is a spirit and wine company. The Company manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets and sells a range of alcoholic beverages. The Company has a portfolio of approximately 40 spirit, wine and ready-to-drink cocktail (RTD) brands. Its principal brands include Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s RTDs, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Collection, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select, Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack, Jack Daniel’s No.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Brown-Forman Co. Class B (BF.B)

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

Amazon just hit a new high, and one trader sees more to come

Amazon just hit its highest level ever.

That won��t be the last record it breaks this year, says one technician.

��Amazon is just a great example of momentum in markets,�� Ari Wald, head of technical analysis at Oppenheimer, told CNBC��s ��Trading Nation�� on Thursday. ��Stocks with high risk-adjusted returns over the prior year are usually the stocks that continue to be leadership over the coming year and Amazon scores high in our momentum work.��

Amazon has an annualized total return of 80 percent, far higher than the S&P 500��s total return of 16 percent.

Moves in the bond market should also support gains in Amazon��s stock, said Wald.

��As long as we have a continued flattening in this yield curve, it should continue to support growth investing and I think Amazon has that tail wind, too,�� he said.

The 10-year/2-year yield spread flattened to 26 basis points on Thursday, its narrowest level since August 2007. Growth stocks typically outperform value stocks in slower-growth environments �� an inverse yield curve, where shorter-term bonds yield more than long-term bonds, often signals a coming recession.

From macro moves to the fundamentals, Strategic Wealth Partners President Mark Tepper expects sales growth giving Amazon��s shares a big boost.

��Prime is definitely the biggest thing that��s driving revenues,�� Tepper told ��Trading Nation�� on Thursday. ��Prime Day is right around the corner ... and it��s a day for Amazon that��s actually bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday, believe it or not.��

Amazon will kick off its annual sales day Monday. Sales grew by more than 60 percent year over year during its 2017 event.

Tepper does worry about one thing tied to Amazon��s fundamentals, though.

��I��m wondering at this point about Prime saturation in the U.S. market,�� he said. ��It seems that Amazon has very high penetration rates in the U.S. so I��m concerned about future growth.��

Amazon reported in April that it had more than 100 million Prime members. It was the first time the company had divulged subscriber numbers.

Disclaimer

6 answers to key 401(k) questions

Last week, my column covered seven common 401(k)-related questions. That only scratched the surface. Here are six more. And six answers!

Is a 401(k) loan a good idea?

Some 401(k)s let you borrow $50,000, or half your account value, whichever is smaller. The wisdom of this move depends on your circumstances and other options. Taking out a 401(k) loan�is�typically cheaper and easier than getting a consumer loan. And you pay interest to yourself instead of some stupid bank. So if you will really repay the loan quickly, a 401(k) loan is OK.�

But if the loan is longer term, or you fear you won��t repay it fully or that you might lose your job soon, tread carefully. If you don��t repay it, you will suffer income taxes and early withdrawal penalties. You also risk missing good investment returns, limiting your retirement savings�� long-term growth. For most folks, I suspect this is a bad trade-off.

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What am I invested in, and how can I change that?�

Believe it or not, this is a common question. Depending on your employer��s plan, you may have automatically received their standard investment portfolio. Or, you may have multiple options to choose from, perhaps including age-based portfolios. Many plans use mutual funds rather than individual stocks and bonds, simplifying your choices.�

If you have a ��self-directed�� 401(k), you can shift between the available investment vehicles whenever you like. You can always explore your options and ensure your approach matches your goals by contacting your 401(k) provider (an external vendor your employer outsources the guts of the plan to).�

How do I track my investments?

Tracking your investments�� results is something you should do only once a year-ish. Don��t be short-term oriented �� that would hurt you. Often, your year-end account statement will show your account performance. It may also be available online. Take a look at the returns your investment choices generated. How did they fare compared with�others of the same types? Your vendor should have helpful data here. Are you on track for your long-term goals and needs? Not just in the year you��re reviewing, but overall. That��s what matters most.�

Even if you answer yes, ask your 401(k) provider every few years for their opinion on your investment mix. Ask how you could do more with the same amount of money, especially as you near retirement.�

What are 'corrective distributions'�on my statements?

Annoyances! Federal law mandates that a 401(k) benefit everyone at the firm equally. If ��highly compensated�� employees (those making $120,000 annually or more), are the plan��s primary participants, they may suffer extra income taxes. This is allegedly to correct for imbalances. To avoid these, talk to your employer about how to restructure the plan to increase engagement at all income levels so everyone gets similar value. It��s tricky, but doable.�

Does my 401(k) need help?

The 401(k) system presumes employees know how to make their own investment decisions. But colleges don��t offer 401(k) classes. Basic finance is mysterious to many, and confusion over�401(k)s is rampant. You may need help if you don��t feel confident picking investments, or, you don��t know how much to save for a comfy retirement, or you have multiple 401(k)s from multiple employers. Regardless, a check-in with your provider can help you get on track and stay there.�

How do I balance retirement saving and funding my kids�� college?

529 plans are great for college savings. Start when your kids are young and slowly build savings for tuition, books and other expenses. But also�have open family discussions about what you can afford for this without jeopardizing your retirement (which could burden them later on). Talk about other options, like seeking scholarships and part-time jobs. Making them work is probably the best thing you can do for them in the long run. Teenage work is great. It sure was for me.�

Monthly dividend stocks are a smart choice if you're at or near retirement. (Photo: Getty Images)

�

Head-To-Head Analysis: XpresSpa Group (XSPA) and The Competition

XpresSpa Group (NASDAQ: XSPA) is one of 24 publicly-traded companies in the “Patent owners & lessors” industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare XpresSpa Group to similar companies based on the strength of its valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

Risk & Volatility

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XpresSpa Group has a beta of -0.64, indicating that its stock price is 164% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, XpresSpa Group’s peers have a beta of 1.70, indicating that their average stock price is 70% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares XpresSpa Group and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
XpresSpa Group	$48.82 million	-$28.84 million	-0.41
XpresSpa Group Competitors	$169.39 million	$6.93 million	3.92

XpresSpa Group’s peers have higher revenue and earnings than XpresSpa Group. XpresSpa Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares XpresSpa Group and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
XpresSpa Group	-92.08%	-34.38%	-24.43%
XpresSpa Group Competitors	-133.51%	-65.06%	-47.71%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

23.4% of XpresSpa Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 36.2% of shares of all “Patent owners & lessors” companies are held by institutional investors. 26.4% of XpresSpa Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 18.3% of shares of all “Patent owners & lessors” companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for XpresSpa Group and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
XpresSpa Group	0	0	1	0	3.00
XpresSpa Group Competitors	81	294	591	11	2.54

XpresSpa Group presently has a consensus price target of $3.00, suggesting a potential upside of 886.52%. As a group, “Patent owners & lessors” companies have a potential upside of 20.68%. Given XpresSpa Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe XpresSpa Group is more favorable than its peers.

Summary

XpresSpa Group beats its peers on 7 of the 12 factors compared.

About XpresSpa Group

XpresSpa Group, Inc. operates as a health and wellness company in the United States and internationally. It offers spa services, as well as luxury travel products and accessories to air travelers. The company was formerly known as FORM Holdings Corp. and changed its name to XpresSpa Group, Inc. in January 2018. XpresSpa Group, Inc. is based in New York, New York.

UR Trading 30.5% Higher Over Last 7 Days (UR)

UR (CURRENCY:UR) traded 10.4% higher against the dollar during the 1 day period ending at 17:00 PM Eastern on July 6th. One UR coin can currently be bought for about $0.0008 or 0.00000012 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges. In the last seven days, UR has traded up 30.5% against the dollar. UR has a market capitalization of $0.00 and approximately $58.00 worth of UR was traded on exchanges in the last day.

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

Get UR alerts: Ubiq (UBQ) traded down 1.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.93 or 0.00014101 BTC. Shift (SHIFT) traded down 1.6% against the dollar and now trades at $1.05 or 0.00015978 BTC. Expanse (EXP) traded down 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.87 or 0.00013245 BTC. Travelflex (TRF) traded up 42.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0723 or 0.00001100 BTC. Pirl (PIRL) traded down 10.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.23 or 0.00003489 BTC.

UR Coin Profile

UR (CRYPTO:UR) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Dagger hashing algorithm. It launched on October 16th, 2016. UR’s official website is ur.technology. UR’s official Twitter account is @URforall.

Buying and Selling UR

UR can be bought or sold on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Cryptopia. It is usually not currently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as UR directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire UR should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Coinbase, GDAX or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase UR using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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NewYorkCoin (NYC) Price Tops $0.0001 on Exchanges

NewYorkCoin (CURRENCY:NYC) traded up 12.7% against the dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on July 5th. One NewYorkCoin coin can now be bought for approximately $0.0001 or 0.00000001 BTC on exchanges including YoBit, Crex24 and Trade Satoshi. NewYorkCoin has a total market capitalization of $8.05 million and approximately $15,458.00 worth of NewYorkCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. In the last week, NewYorkCoin has traded 38.5% higher against the dollar.

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

Get NewYorkCoin alerts: Litecoin (LTC) traded down 4.5% against the dollar and now trades at $83.05 or 0.01283570 BTC. Bytom (BTM) traded down 5.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.38 or 0.00005874 BTC. Verge (XVG) traded 10.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0241 or 0.00000373 BTC. Dogecoin (DOGE) traded 4.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0026 or 0.00000040 BTC. CyberMiles (CMT) traded down 6.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.19 or 0.00002875 BTC. Syscoin (SYS) traded 22.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.19 or 0.00002949 BTC. Polymath (POLY) traded down 2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.36 or 0.00005572 BTC. Matrix AI Network (MAN) traded up 0.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.55 or 0.00008440 BTC. GameCredits (GAME) traded down 6.7% against the dollar and now trades at $0.66 or 0.00010148 BTC. BridgeCoin (BCO) traded 1.6% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.15 or 0.00017848 BTC.

About NewYorkCoin

NewYorkCoin (CRYPTO:NYC) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm. It was first traded on March 4th, 2014. NewYorkCoin’s total supply is 134,024,588,760 coins. The official website for NewYorkCoin is nycoin.community. The Reddit community for NewYorkCoin is /r/nycoincommunity and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. NewYorkCoin’s official Twitter account is @NYCCoin.

NewYorkCoin Coin Trading

NewYorkCoin can be traded on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Trade Satoshi, Crex24 and YoBit. It is usually not presently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as NewYorkCoin directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire NewYorkCoin should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as GDAX, Changelly or Coinbase. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase NewYorkCoin using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Netflix gets a $500 price target, highest on Wall Street

One Wall Street firm is getting a lot more bullish on Netflix's ability to dominate the video streaming market.

GBH Insights increased its price target for Netflix shares to $500 from $400, representing 28 percent upside to Monday's close. It is the highest target of the 36 analysts who cover Netflix, according to FactSet. The firm also reiterated its "highly attractive" rating.

"Our bullish thesis on Netflix is based on our belief that the company's competitive moat, franchise appeal, ability to increase international streaming customers through 2020, and original content build out will translate into robust profitability and growth," head of technology research Daniel Ives said in a note to clients Tuesday. Ives previously worked for FBR for 16 years.

Netflix shares rose 1.9 percent to $397.24 in early trading Tuesday as the rest of the market fell on trade war fears. Its stock is up 103 percent this year through Monday, which is the second-best performance in the S&P 500.

Citing his firm's survey of users, Ives said the average Netflix customer watches its service more than 10 hours per week versus five hours per week for Amazon and Hulu. He also said nearly 90 percent of Netflix's subscribers said they are willing to pay more for the service.

"We believe Netflix remains in a unique position of iron-like strength to grow its content and distribution tentacles over the next 12 to 18 months and thus further build out its massive content and streaming footprint," he said.

In a similar move, Piper Jaffray raised its price target to $420 from $367 and reiterated its overweight rating for Netflix shares Tuesday, predicting strong international subscriber growth for the company.

Disclaimer

Pizza Hut nixing antibiotics from chicken

Pizza Hut offers a lot of toppings on its cheesy pies, but in a few years�there's one you will no longer be able to get: chicken containing antibiotics.

The same goes for chicken wings and any other chicken products that Pizza Hut sells. All will be antibiotic-free.

The pizza chain, a unit of Yum Brands along with Taco Bell and KFC, said Tuesday that its chicken will be raised without antibiotics by 2022.

Pizza Hut's goal is to serve food that ��customers can feel good about eating,�� Chief Brand Officer Marianne Radley said�in a statement.

Besides Pizza Hut, Papa John��s and Papa Murphy��s have cut the use of poultry raised with antibiotics. KFC, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald��s have also decided to stop using antibiotics.

The overuse of antibiotics is being blamed for contributing to the rise of life-threatening human infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At least 23,000 people die each year as a result of these infections, according to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The change is one of several made within the past few�years in an effort to adhere to customer standards. In 2016, the pizza chain launched its initial plan to remove antibiotics from chicken toppings.

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��Our customers are our business, and we will continue to push ourselves to ensure that we are delivering the quality food and quality experience our customers expect and deserve,�� said Radley.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:ISRG,BWLD,MED,JWN,TBI,

Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:STAF) is on a roll. Just a couple of days after it pre-announced some impressive preliminary results for the most recently-completed quarter, the IT staffing agency told STAF shareholders today that $2.7 million worth of debt had essentially been refinanced. Now, no interest payments are due until October of this year, and no principal is due until October of next year. That may well be enough time for Staffing 360 Solutions to acquire more companies, beef up the top and bottom line, and pay the whole amount off before another refinancing or conversion to shares.

Staffing 360 Solutions' story is a compelling one. Seeing the growing need for information technology workers in an increasingly digital and increasingly networked world -- and a severe lack of those qualified workers -- three years ago the company began to capitalize on the supply/demand imbalance. Its mission was to aggregate, or "roll up" several smaller IT staffing companies into one big one, create some synergies and thus widen margins, and develop enough muscle to become THE dominant name in the niche.

It's working too. On Tuesday of this week, the company pre-announced its fiscal first quarter (ending in November) sales and gross profits. Revenue of $47 million and a gross profit of $8.1 million were up 14% and 8%, respectively, year-over-year, extending a long-term growth trend.

What we haven't heard yet -- and won't until the official Q1 filing is submitted later this month -- is the company's net income and EBITDA figures for the quarter. But, those numbers are improving too. EBITDA has been positive in each of the five prior quarters, and is expected to continue growing through last quarter. Net income is within sight of turning positive too. And, with its debt-interest payments now going away for at least nine months, net income will move towards turning positive at an even faster rate... through lower expenses, as well as greater financial flexibility that will allow the company to add another acquisition (and maybe even two) before October to help make those interest payments when they start to come due in October.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Earnings season is now in full swing, with today's key reports from�International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), and Intuitive Surgical Inc.�(Nasdaq: ISRG). Thanks to tax cuts, expectations are high. Analysts expect profit growth to top 18%, which would be the biggest jump in seven years. But there are a few bearish trends that are still lurking in the market. And if you're serious about making money, you need to know how to harness them and target individual stocks for life-changing gains.�Money Morning�Quantitative Specialist Chris Johnson explains.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  These are some of the news stories that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s scoring:

  Get Intuitive Surgical alerts: Global Commercial Robotics Market 2018 by Key Players �� INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC , YASKAWA ELECTRIC … (themobileherald.com) Bullish or Bearish Territory: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) (nysestocks.review) Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) -Price to Earnings Ratio Evaluation (P/E) (nasdaqfortune.com) Stock in Featured List: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) (stockquote.review) Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Gains on Strength in Robotics (finance.yahoo.com)

  A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ISRG. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $490.00 price objective on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a report on Friday, January 26th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Intuitive Surgical from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. ValuEngine lowered Intuitive Surgical from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, March 1st. Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Vetr raised Intuitive Surgical from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $478.64 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 19th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Intuitive Surgical presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $457.59.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Stock No. 4: Let's go to the "I" stock from our April stocks a year ago. That's one of my favorite companies, a stock that I own, and have held for more than a decade, and that would be Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), the maker of the da Vinci robot, the surgical robot.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Wednesday was Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) which rose over 6% to $423.76. The stock��s 52-week range is $217.19 to $426.98. Volume was 1.7 million compared to its average volume of nearly 1 million.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Align Technology (NASDAQ: ALGN) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and earnings.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The VISE acronym stands for:

  Visa (NYSE:V) Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA)

  Each of these four companies brings clear-cut competitive advantages to the table that should allow it to handily outperform the broader market (and the FANG stocks).

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  That's not to say it was a quiet day for every stock on the market. With earnings season ramping up, brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) and restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD) served as an exercise in contrast as investors reacted to their respective quarterly reports.

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows Dave & Busters Entertainment�tripling in value�before falling back while�small cap upscale gentlemen's clubs and restaurant owner�RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: RICK) began taking off in 2016 and small cap�Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) is being acquired by Arby��s Restaurant Group:

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 6.8% lower against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 15:00 PM Eastern on May 27th. MediBloc has a total market cap of $73.40 million and $743,880.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One MediBloc token can currently be purchased for approximately $0.0247 or 0.00000339 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Bibox, Gate.io and Coinrail. During the last seven days, MediBloc has traded 8.3% higher against the dollar.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares were also up, gaining 25 percent to $124.60 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares were also up, gaining 22 percent to $121.06 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares were also up, gaining 20 percent to $119 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Crude oil prices continue to remain in focus after Brent crude hit $80.00 per barrel. The benchmark crude touched $80.00, as markets are concerned about the impact renewed Iranian sanctions will have on global supply. French oil giant Total announced Wednesday that it was abandoning a gas project in Iran after failing to obtain a waiver from the Trump administration to do business in Iran. The sanctions are expected to decline global output at a time that OPEC is already working diligently to push oil prices higher by containing excessive global production. Four Stocks to Watch Today: JCP, BABA, F, KR Shares of JCPenney (NYSE: JCP) are ticking higher after its earnings report before the bell. Yesterday, retail companies were stunned by the 11% jump for its rival Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) stock thanks to a strong first-quarter report. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.�(NYSE: BABA) is generating a lot of buzz as investors monitor trade relations between the United States and China. BABA stock had slumped by 18% thanks to trade restrictions on Chinese companies. Ford Motor Co.�(NYSE: F) announced it will restart production of its popular F-150 pickup truck at its Dearborn, Mich., facility. The company recently suspended operations after a fire damaged supplies needed for manufacturing. The F-150 is the most popular consumer vehicle in the United States. In an effort to beat back the growth of Wal-Mart and Amazon, grocery giant Kroger Co.�(NYSE: KR) announced a deal to purchase a 5% stake in British online supermarket Ocado. The deal will allow Kroger to utilize the UK firm's warehouse automation technology in the United States and improve its supply chain costs. Look for additional earnings reports from Applied Materials Inc.�(Nasdaq: AMAT), Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN), The Children's Place Inc.�(Nasdaq: PLCE), Teekay Corp.�(NYSE: TK), and Quantum Corp.�(NYSE: QTM).

  Follow�Money Morning��on��Facebook,�Twitter, and�LinkedIn.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly results after the markets close on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for $0.44 in earnings per share (EPS) on $3.46 billion in revenue. The fiscal first quarter of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.37 and $3.35 billion in revenue.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN) insider Ken Worzel sold 13,703 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.97, for a total value of $671,035.91. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) reported fourth-quarter and full fiscal-year 2017 results after markets closed Thursday evening. The department store giant posted quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.89 on revenues of $4.7 billion. In the same period a year ago, Nordstrom reported EPS of $1.27 on revenues of $4.32 billion. Fourth-quarter results compare to the consensus estimates for EPS of $1.24 and $4.62 billion in revenue. EPS includes a negative impact of $0.31 per share related to changes in U.S. tax law.

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  DE was the second company to disappoint the Street since yesterday’s closing bell. Retailer Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) beat Wall Street analysts’ earnings per share estimates and raised guidance, but missed on same-store sales. That key metric barely rose (up 0.2 percent), and shares of JWN tumbled more than 6 percent in pre-market futures trading. The same-store weakness for JWN came after a bunch of other retailers reported growth in that area.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Hudson's Bay's European operations and its off-price division are probably responsible for the majority of the company's recent losses. Still, sales have been plummeting at Lord & Taylor in recent years, as the tired chain has lost market share to other retail formats, as well as stronger department stores like Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) and even Macy's (NYSE:M). Lord & Taylor is almost certainly contributing to its parent company's ongoing losses.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) by 24.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 95,307 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,680 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Trueblue worth $2,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Trueblue (NYSE: TBI) is one of 23 public companies in the “Help supply services” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Trueblue to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings and risk.

Glencore Trader Held by China Amid Lead Probe

A Glencore Plc metals trader is one of a group of people detained by Chinese authorities this week as part of an investigation into shipments of lead into the country, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Hu Qiang, a Beijing-based senior lead concentrate trader at Glencore, was detained by Chinese authorities, the people said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly. While a spokesman for Glencore declined to comment on any individual arrests, the company on Thursday said it refutes allegations that it acted improperly.

Nobody replied to calls or a fax to China’s General Administration of Customs. Hu didn’t answer calls to his mobile phone, which were diverted to voice mail, nor he did he reply to emails sent to his work address.

The Nanjing branch of China’s customs authority this week was said to have seized 16,000 metric tons of imported material that it says is lead slag but was declared as lead concentrate. The authorities allege that Glencore worked with a local company to import the material from Germany. The company said it refuted the allegations.

It’s another challenge for the world’s biggest commodity trader as it grapples with legal battles from Africa to Europe and faces the possibility of a bribery investigation by Britain’s white collar prosecutors over its work in the Democratic Republic of Congo with an Israeli billionaire.

The material was imported in three batches to the port of Lianyungang in Jiangsu province in December, people said on Thursday.

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Agarwal Wants to Build Indian Commodity Giant to Rival Majors

Billionaire industrialist Anil Agarwal plans to leave behind a legacy: an Indian resources group to rival the world’s biggest.

The founder and owner of Vedanta Resources Plc wants to keep building the company into a giant producer of the commodities that India needs to curb its reliance on imports, create jobs and reduce poverty. Despite its insatiable appetite for materials, India is yet to impose itself among the mining heavyweights in the way that Australia, China or even the U.K does.

Vedanta Still Dwarfed by Majors

Source: Company data on Bloomberg

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"It can be the second- or third-largest resource company in the world," Agarwal, 64, said in an interview in London. Domestic resources have been key to the success of all of the world’s biggest economies and India should be no different, he said. “We thought India should have a company.”

The goal is to invest in more local production of all commodities to feed India’s rapidly growing economy, which currently depends on imports for 80 percent of its oil and minerals. What’s less clear is how Agarwal’s stake in Anglo American Plc fits into that plan. The structure of his purchase last year -- he’s now Anglo’s top shareholder but effectively rents the shares -- led to speculation that he might take an activist role and seek to merge assets with Vedanta.

Management Talks

Anglo’s management have consulted Agarwal regularly, he said, and so far his interventions have been limited to advice that the miner shouldn’t abandon South Africa as well as offering to help it expand into India. He said he’s committed to his 21 percent stake in Anglo.

“I am long-term, we can always keep extending, I can buy the bonds,” he said. “We can do anything.”

Read more: Agarwal offers Anglo help in tapping India’s 1.3 billion people

The self-made businessman has enjoyed an audacious ascent from a small-town metal business in northern India to chairman of Vedanta, which he founded in Mumbai in 1976 and listed in London in 2003. Through its local Vedanta Ltd. and Hindustan Zinc Ltd. units, it controls oil fields, zinc mines, iron ore assets and aluminum and copper operations in India. It also has mines in Zambia and South Africa.

Vedanta's Commodities

Company owns assets in India and Africa

Source: Company report

.chart-js { display: none; }

To keep expanding, Vedanta will invest $8 billion in the next 2 1/2 years. That’s a bigger share of annual revenue than miners such as Rio Tinto Group and Anglo have pledged to spend over a similar period.

“We take chances," Agarwal said. “We are like a river, we are going as and where assets are available.”

Agarwal’s confidence is largely driven by India’s reliance on imported raw materials. The country’s economy is expected to triple by 2030, and at the moment oil and mineral imports cost the nation about $300 billion a year, he said. By developing local mines, he hopes to curb that import spend and increase the mining industry’s contribution to the economy from 2.5 percent to 10 percent.

"In India we have enough resources,” Agarwal said “India’s policies are liberalizing and improving the ease of doing business, and we don’t have to go outside of India.”

While Agarwal sees Vedanta’s growth and his philanthropy as key to helping reduce India’s poverty, the company’s expansion plans haven’t always been welcomed in the country. Deaths this week during protests at its copper smelting operations in southern India are the latest incidents in a controversial rise that has seen the company clash with communities and environmental standards. It shows the challenges of mining in the world’s most populated democracy.

Last month, Agarwal hired AngloGold Ashanti Ltd.’s Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan to take over as chief executive officer, giving Vedanta a chief with global mining experience and a strong reputation in India. Agarwal said it will allow him to better focus on company strategy, in the way he did before former CEO Tom Albanese left last year, as well as philanthropic work. But he won’t be walking away from the company.

"I’ll never retire, why should I retire," he said.

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BP Invests in Tech to Charge Cars as Quickly as Filling Gas Tank

BP Plc agreed to invest $20 million in a developer of ultra-fast charging for batteries, a technology the oil major believes is key for accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.

The lithium ion technology developed by StoreDot has the potential to recharge a car battery as quickly as refilling a gas tank, according to a joint statement released on Tuesday. The Israel-based firm’s “flash batteries” will be deployed in mobile devices as early as next year and BP’s investment will help bring them to vehicles.

London-based BP’s collaboration with StoreDot is just the latest example of major oil producers backing technology that could help drive the mass adoption of electric vehicles. The investments serve a dual purpose -- potentially providing a shield against criticism about their contribution to climate change, while also offering a commercial foothold in a technology that could account for half of all new car sales by 2040 and wipe out 6.4 million barrels a day of oil demand.

#lazy-img-327913216:before{padding-top:65.16666666666667%;}

“Ultra-fast charging is at the heart of BP’s electrification strategy,” Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive officer of the company’s downstream division, said in the statement. “We are committed to be the fuel provider of choice -- no matter what car our customers drive.”

BP currently has more than 70 charge points on its retail sites globally. In January it invested $5 million in FreeWire Technologies, which makes mobile rapid charging systems for electric vehicles. Earlier this month, it signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s NIO Capital to explore opportunities in advanced mobility.

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Polaris Industries (PII) Position Raised by Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc.

Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Polaris Industries (NYSE:PII) by 26.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 441,807 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 92,350 shares during the quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.70% of Polaris Industries worth $50,596,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of PII. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Polaris Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $533,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Polaris Industries by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 173,820 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,552,000 after buying an additional 924 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Polaris Industries by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 20,434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,534,000 after buying an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. purchased a new stake in Polaris Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,989,000. Finally, Rice Hall James & Associates LLC lifted its stake in Polaris Industries by 374.5% in the fourth quarter. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC now owns 33,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,134,000 after buying an additional 26,312 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.69% of the company’s stock.

Get Polaris Industries alerts:

Shares of Polaris Industries opened at $112.52 on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a market cap of $7.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.19. Polaris Industries has a 1-year low of $82.77 and a 1-year high of $137.66.

Polaris Industries (NYSE:PII) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. Polaris Industries had a return on equity of 36.32% and a net margin of 4.15%. Polaris Industries’s revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.75 earnings per share. equities analysts predict that Polaris Industries will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 1st will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 31st. Polaris Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.48%.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. ValuEngine cut Polaris Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 11th. TheStreet upgraded Polaris Industries from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up previously from $105.00) on shares of Polaris Industries in a research note on Monday, April 9th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Polaris Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Polaris Industries from $136.00 to $129.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $112.88.

Polaris Industries Company Profile

Polaris Industries Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets power sports vehicles worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs)/Snowmobiles, Motorcycles, Global Adjacent Markets, and Aftermarket. It offers ORVs, including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles for recreational and utility use; snowmobiles; motorcycles; and low emission, light duty hauling, passenger, commercial, and industrial vehicles, as well as snow bike conversion kit systems.

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

3 Workplace Benefits That May Not Kick in Right Away

One of the many perks of becoming a permanent employee is getting access to a host of workplace benefits. But don't get too excited -- you may have to work a certain minimum period of time before becoming eligible to enjoy those benefits. Here are a few that tend to come with a waiting period, and what to do about it.

1. Health insurance

Health benefits are a major plus for permanent workers, since often, your employer will subsidize a large chunk of your insurance premium, making it more affordable for you on a whole. But don't assume you'll be eligible for health insurance right away when you start a new job. Often, you'll need to wait a minimum of 30 days, or as long as 90 days, before getting coverage under your employer's group plan, so don't let yourself get stuck without insurance.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Thankfully, you have a few options for securing coverage during that transition. First, you can see about continuing your old coverage under COBRA, which allows you to retain your previous plan provided you're willing to pay its premiums costs in full. The downside of COBRA is that it can be prohibitively expensive, but if you're looking at, say, a 60-day coverage gap, and you know you have solid coverage under your old plan, it might pay to bear that cost until you can move over to a new health plan.

Another option is to buy your own plan on the open marketplace. The advantage of going this route is that you might pay a lot less per month than with COBRA. The downside, on the other hand, is that you might experience a dip in coverage -- and if you encounter a major health issue during that period, you could end up spending more out of pocket.

Finally, you might talk to your employer about paying your way into its plan and getting access to coverage right away. Though your company's policy might state that employees don't get subsidized insurance immediately, if you're willing to pay those premiums in full, you may be allowed to start on that group health plan sooner.

2. Vacation time

Paid time off is one of those benefits permanent employees look forward to the most. But if you're new to a job, you might have to accrue time off based on hours worked, as opposed to being eligible for paid vacation or sick time right away. Now the most obvious solution here is to avoid being out of the office until you're eligible to get paid for it. But what if you come down with the flu, or have an out-of-town wedding you must travel for during that transition period?

First, know that you probably have the option to take that time off without pay. Is that ideal? Certainly not. But if you can swing it financially, it's probably the easiest solution. If that doesn't work, you can see about making up those days by working weekends instead. Some companies are more flexible than others, so it pays to discuss your personal situation with your manager and see what you can work out.

3. 401(k) participation

Some companies allow you to sign up for their 401(k) plans right away. Others, however, might make you wait a year to participate. And then there are those that allow you to contribute immediately, but wait to become eligible for employee matching dollars.

Your solution here will depend on the specifics of your employer's policy. If you're barred from making plan contributions for a given period of time (say, a year), you can always save for retirement in an IRA instead. The downside is that you'll be limited to a lower annual maximum contribution -- $5,500 if you're under 50, and $6,500 if you're 50 or older, compared to $18,500 and $24,500, respectively, for a 401(k). Still, saving some money in a tax-advantaged fashion is better than saving none.

As far as matching goes, if your employer states that you don't get a match right away, there's not much you can do about it. But make sure that's really the case. Some companies put their employees on a vesting schedule where they receive a 401(k) match immediately, but must remain employed for a specific period of time to get full access to that money. If that's the case, then be sure to contribute enough of your own earnings to snag that match as soon as you can. Otherwise, you'll be giving up free money.

Waiting isn't always easy, especially when it comes to workplace benefits. If you're starting at a new company, make sure you understand what benefits you won't have access to immediately. This way, you can plan around them and start that job off on the right foot.

California's Solar Mandate Could Be a $2 Billion Windfall for the Solar Industry

California's Energy Commission has officially made solar mandatory for new homes built after 2020. This gives the solar industry a new guaranteed market of about 222 megawatts (MW) per year, according to GTM Research (now Wood Mackenzie, a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics). In other words, California's new home construction alone could account for about 10% of all of the residential solar installed in the U.S., based on 2017 installation levels.

Recent updates to GTM Research's projections show an incremental benefit for the residential solar industry of about 650 MW between 2020 and 2023, which could be worth $2 billion for the industry. That should be great for the fortunes of solar companies with exposure to the state.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why this mandate is a big deal

New homes were always more likely to have solar than old homes in California, but only about 20% of new homes actually had solar installed. With 75,000 to 100,000 new homes being built each year, there could be as much as 400 MW of incremental demand growth, assuming an average solar system size of 5 kW.

GTM Research takes a slightly more conservative approach and only estimates 222 MW of total new-build solar in California in 2020, with 900 MW total installed between 2020 and 2023. But 650 MW will be incremental new demand from this law, which at an average cost of $3 per watt would be worth $1.95 billion to the solar industry.

Expanding the pool for everyone

Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN), Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR), and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) are the three biggest solar installers in the U.S., and they're likely to see an incremental boost in demand. Expanding the pool in any way is good news because residential solar installations were down 16% in 2017, and it's getting harder to find new solar customers. Tesla has taken the brunt of the decline, shrinking installations in the first quarter of 2018 by 49% versus a year ago. Sunrun's installations fell 7% to 68 MW, and Vivint Solar's dropped 12% to 40.4 MW. All installers would love a new source of consistent demand.

One product that will be interesting to watch is Tesla's solar roof, which makes a lot of sense on new homes (rather than in retrofits of old homes). New roofs could be designed to incorporate the solar roof, maximizing the number of active solar tiles and improving energy production. This would also give Tesla a consistent source of demand.

The king of new-construction solar energy

It's easy to see how the winners from a residential solar mandate would be the biggest residential solar installers in the country. But it's SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) that has a leg up in solar for new construction. The company has partnered with 13 of the top 16 homebuilders in California, and its premium solar panels fit well with the same target market as buyers of newly constructed homes, who are more likely to have disposable income for a premium product.

According to SunPower, it has installed solar on over 30,000 new homes in over 1,000 communities since 2005. It may be a surprising choice, but if I had to choose one winner in California's new-home solar boom, SunPower would be it. Still, given the decline in installations recently, all solar installers will take a guaranteed source of demand.