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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