McDonald’s Buys AI Startup for Drive-Thru Menu Personalization

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is turning to digital technology to bolster its sales as the burger chain will acquire an artificial intelligence (AI) startup with tech that will improve menu personalization for drive-thru customers.

Source: Shutterstock

The San Bernandino, Calif.-based restaurant said that it will buy Dynamic Yield, an AI business based out of Israel to create more personalized experiences for consumers. The tech will offer customers items on the menu boards at drive-thru outlets based on a number of factors, including the weather, how busy the restaurant is, as well as the time of the day.

The new McDonald’s tech will also instantly recommend additional items to customers based on their initial order, such as possibly offering hash browns or McCafe offerings with a breakfast sandwich. The Dynamic Yield acquisition will aid the company’s “ability to increase the role technology and data will play in our future,” according to a statement from McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook.

The move will also bolster “the speed with which we’ll be able to implement our vision of creating more personalized experiences for our customers,” he said. It is unclear how large the deal is as McDonald’s has not commented on the acquisition’s dollar amount, which The Wall Street Journal reported as being north of $300 million.

The burger giant first tested the AI company’s tech in U.S. locations last year, and it plans on adding it to its platform this year. It will then add Dynamic Yield’s capabilities to major international markets, ass well as self-order kiosks and the McDonald’s mobile app.

MCD stock is up 0.9% Tuesday.

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Chalet Hotels climbs over 4% after JM Financial initiates coverage with 'buy' call

Chalet Hotels shares rallied 4.5 percent intraday on March 19 after brokerage house JM Financial initiated coverage with a buy call on the stock.

The stock was quoting at Rs 322.35, up Rs 9.05, or 2.89 percent on the BSE, at 1124 hours IST.

Chalet Hotels is the asset owner and manager of five high-end hotels with 2,328 keys across three metros. The assets are operated by Marriott.

Chalet's EBITDA margin of 35 percent and occupancy of 75 percent is superior to industry and is a testimony to the success of its asset management strategy, JM Financial said, adding Chalet, with its high-end hotels is well placed to benefit from the imminent up-cycle in the industry.

related news Hotel Leela Venture locked at upper circuit on sale of hotel properties for Rs 3,950 cr Coffee Day Enterprises falls 4% on stake sale in Mindtree

In addition, its upcoming 588 keys and 1.12 million square feet (msf) of commercial space will help drive growth going forward, the brokerage believes.

"We are factoring in an average room rate (ARR) growth of 7-8 percent for hotel operations and exit cap rate of 8 percent for commercial assets," JM Financial said.

It expects Chalet to report an EBITDA CAGR of 21 percent over FY18-21E.

The brokerage initiated with buy with a price target of Rs 400 (March 2020) at an implied EV/EBITDA of 15.4x and cap rate of 8.3 percent on FY21 for operational hospitality and commercial assets respectively.

Disclaimer: The above report is compiled from information available on public platforms. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. First Published on Mar 19, 2019 11:45 am

HomeStreet Inc (HMST) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript

Image source: The Motley Fool.

HomeStreet Inc  (NASDAQ:HMST)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallJan. 22, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET

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

Operator

Good morning and welcome to the HomeStreet Inc Year End and Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. (Operator Instructions) After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. (Operator Instructions) Please note this event is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Mark Mason, Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead.

Mark Mason -- Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

Hello and thank you for joining us for our year-end and fourth quarter 2018 earnings call. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that our detailed earnings release was furnished this morning to the SEC on Form 8-K and is available on our website at ir.homestreet.com under the News and Events link. In addition, a recording and a transcript of this call will be available at the same address following the call.

On today's call, we will make some forward-looking statements. Any statement that isn't a description of historical facts is probably forward-looking and is subject to many risks and uncertainties. Our actual performance may fall short of our expectations or we may take actions different from those we currently anticipate. Those factors include conditions affecting the mortgage markets, such as changes in interest rates and housing supply that affect the demand for our mortgages and that impact our net interest margin and other aspects of our financial performance, the actions, findings, or requirements of our regulators and general economic conditions that affect our net interest margins, borrower credit performance, loan origination volumes and the value of mortgage servicing rights.

Other factors that may cause actual results to differ from our expectations or that may cause us to deviate from our current plans are identified in our detailed earnings release and in our SEC filings, including our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q as well as our various other SEC filings. Additionally, information on any non-GAAP financial measures referenced in today's call, including a reconciliation of those measures to GAAP measures maybe found in our SEC filings and in the detailed earnings release available on our website. Please refer to our detailed earnings release for more discussion of our financial condition and results of operations.

Joining me today is our Chief Financial Officer, Mark Ruh. In a moment, Mark will present our financial results. But first, I would like to give an update on our results of operations and review our progress in executing our business strategy.

Notwithstanding the impact of a challenging period in the mortgage banking cycle, I'm proud of what we accomplished in 2018. Our Commercial and Consumer Banking segment achieved record net income for the year, driven primarily by a 12% increase in loans held for investment, all of which was from organic growth. This growth was broad based in all of our primary, commercial and consumer segment business lines. Of note, commercial and industrial lending portfolio grew 16%, reflecting the substantial investments we've made in this line of business.

Overall, loan growth drove an increase in our net interest income during the year, despite a decline in our net interest margin. The yield curve ended the year flatter than previous quarters. December 2018 marked both the lowest spread between the two year Treasury and the 10 year Treasury, and the first, time the yield curve was inverted along parts of the term structure since 2007. During the fourth quarter, our loan portfolio grew only 1%, which was less than our expectation of 2% to 4% growth. The lower growth was due to the sale of approximately $70 million of single family loans in the quarter. For the year loans held for investment grew 12%.

This interest rate environment and increasing competition for deposits continues to pressure our net interest margin. After several quarters of short term interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve without a similar upwards movement in long term rates, our cost of funds has increased at a faster rate than the yield on our assets. Additionally, we experienced outflows of demand deposits by some of our commercial clients associated with the mortgage industry as seasonal servicing deposit remittances, which we replaced with higher cost wholesale deposits and borrowing. For the year, deposits grew 6% lower than our expectations going into the year, reflecting a more competitive deposit market.

Notwithstanding a seasonal industrywide competitive pressure, our de novo branches, those opened five years or less, grew deposit balances by 6.8% during the qu

Zacks: Brokerages Set $15.00 Target Price for J Alexanders Holdings Inc (JAX)

Shares of J Alexanders Holdings Inc (NYSE:JAX) have earned an average broker rating score of 1.00 (Strong Buy) from the one analysts that provide coverage for the stock, Zacks Investment Research reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a strong buy rating.

Brokerages have set a one year consensus target price of $15.00 for the company, according to Zacks. Zacks has also given J Alexanders an industry rank of 160 out of 255 based on the ratings given to its competitors.

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A number of research analysts recently commented on JAX shares. Zacks Investment Research raised J Alexanders from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 5th. ValuEngine cut J Alexanders from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 13th.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in J Alexanders during the fourth quarter valued at about $64,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in J Alexanders by 73.8% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 4,053 shares during the period. Coatue Management LLC purchased a new stake in J Alexanders during the fourth quarter valued at about $101,000. Prudential Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in J Alexanders during the fourth quarter valued at about $137,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in J Alexanders by 42.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 18,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $153,000 after buying an additional 5,523 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.51% of the company’s stock.

JAX traded down $0.18 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $9.47. The stock had a trading volume of 85,256 shares, compared to its average volume of 41,803. The stock has a market cap of $138.87 million, a PE ratio of 17.87 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. J Alexanders has a one year low of $7.70 and a one year high of $13.40.

J Alexanders (NYSE:JAX) last released its earnings results on Monday, March 11th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $63.21 million for the quarter. J Alexanders had a return on equity of 7.49% and a net margin of 3.50%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that J Alexanders will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current year.

About J Alexanders

J. Alexander's Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates full service restaurants in the United States. It operates four complementary upscale dining restaurant concepts, including J. Alexander's, Redlands Grill, Lyndhurst Grill, and Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill (Stoney River).

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

Cloudera Earnings: CLDR Stock Down on Strong EPS, Weak 2019 Outlook

Cloudera (NYSE:CLDR) announced its latest quarterly earnings results and financial outlook for the current fiscal year Wednesday afternoon, yielding mixed results that played a role in CLDR stock plummeting after hours.

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company, which offers a software platform for data services, announced a fourth-quarter loss of $85.5 million, or 45 cents per share. On an adjusted basis, the business tallied a loss of 15 cents per share, 5 cents wider than the loss from the fourth quarter of 2017.

Cloudera added that its revenue for the period amounted to $144.5 million, about 36.7% higher than the $105.7 million from the same period a year ago. The Wall Street consensus estimate called for an adjusted loss of 11 cents per share and sales of $121 million, according to data compiled by FactSet.

For its fiscal 2019, the software business forecasts an adjusted loss of 32 cents to 36 cents per share, wider than the loss of 26 cents per share that analysts project, per FactSet. Cloudera sees its sales somewhere between $835 million to $855 million, topping the $538.4 million that the FactSet outlook calls for.

The company has been in operation since 2008 and it now has more than 3,000 employees. Cloudera’s public debut was nearly two years ago.

CLDR stock is down more than 12.7% after the bell on Wednesday as a positive fourth-quarter performance was not enough to overturn the disappointment of its 2019 guidance. Shares had been up more than 1.8% during regular trading hours.

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Top Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:AIM,UBOH,BDSI,SIRI,

By investing in marijuana penny stocks now, you're claiming your piece of what some are calling the new "gold rush."

Legal marijuana sales in North America totaled $10 billion in 2017, and that's expected to skyrocket 145% by 2021.

By now, everyone knows the dangers of investing in pot penny stocks. You should never invest what you can't afford to lose.

But because the share price for one of these marijuana penny stocks is expected to climb over 300%, we had to make sure you saw this list today…

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of Aimia Inc (TSE:AIM) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is C$3.54.

Top Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: United Bancshares Inc.(UBOH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  United Bancshares Inc. OH (NASDAQ:UBOH) and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Top Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: BioDelivery Sciences International Inc.(BDSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDSI) Director Francis E. Odonnell, Jr. sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.60, for a total value of $36,800.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BDSI) shares were also up, gaining 19 percent to $2.3272 after the company announced board restructuring plan and $50m equity financing deal led by Broadfin to "significantly strengthen" financial position.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BioDelivery Sciences International (NASDAQ:BDSI) had its target price reduced by research analysts at HC Wainwright from $4.00 to $3.50 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock. HC Wainwright’s price objective points to a potential upside of 40.00% from the company’s current price.

Top Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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).

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Investors don't have Pandora (NYSE:P) to kick around anymore. Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) closed on its purchase of the streaming music pioneer on Friday. Every share of Pandora was swapped out for 1.44 shares of Sirius XM, just three days after Pandora shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the corporate combination. 

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) has just received its most bullish sell-side analyst rating on Wall Street. Credit Suisse’s Brian Russo has raised the bar on Sirius XM with an Outperform rating with an $8.50 price target.

• [By VantagePoint]

  Siriux XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) began trading higher on April 19 following a bullish crossover, but the real uptrend didn't begin until May 3. This is an example of how trends can sometimes take several days to take shape, as the upside wasn't immediately apparent. Nonetheless, the stock is trading at its highest levels since 2005. 

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Shares of Sirius XM Holidngs Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI) tumbled today after the market turned sour on its acquisition of Pandora Media (NYSE:P). The satellite radio company's stock fell steadily over the trading session as investors seemed to believe that it was overpaying for the struggling internet radio company. Sirius stock closed down 10.3%, while Pandora finished down 1.1% after trading as a high as 10.2% earlier as its value is now linked to Sirius XM's in the all-stock deal. Liberty Media, the majority shareholder of Sirius XM, saw its tracking stocks, Liberty Sirius XM Group Series A (NASDAQ:LSXMA) and Series C (NASDAQ:LSXMK), fall 9.3% and 9.5%, respectively.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Will the last Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) short leaving the room please turn off the lights? The number of shares betting on a decline in the satellite radio provider's stock price has fallen to its lowest level in more than a year, and it's easy to wonder if the security that courted naysayers by the truckload when it was a speculative penny stock will ever be a hotbed for pessimism again. 

3 Top Stocks Under $20

Fluidigm (NASDAQ:FLDM), Cypress Semiconductor (NASDAQ:CY), and Under Armour (NYSE:UA) are very different businesses, but each could offer investors market-beating returns, according to three Motley Fool contributors.

Read on to learn:

How next-generation drug research and development is driving Fluidigm's future. Why investors might be underappreciating Cypress Semiconductor's shift in business mix. What could be signaling that Under Armour's worst days are behind it. A backdoor biotech stock

Todd Campbell (Fluidigm): This under-the-radar maker of instruments and chemical reagents used in labs has seen its shares jump recently. But it's still an under-followed stock, and that could mean there's plenty of upside left for new investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

Fluidigm supplies tools that life sciences' researchers use to better understand and inform innovations, such as immuno-oncology medicines. It sells machines to research labs, but a bigger opportunity for long-term growth and profitability may be selling the consumables used in these machines.

Its integrated fluid circuits allow researchers to create precisely controlled environments, enabling single-cell analysis. However, mass cytometry solutions used to assess the immune status in blood and solid tissue microenvironments are the bigger driver of Fluidigm's growth right now. Last year, the installed base of its mass cytometry machines grew 20%, which contributed to mass cytometry sales jumping 48% to $19.1 million in Q4.

The mass cytometry strength more than offset slipping fluid-circuit sales, so Fluidigm's total sales grew 17% year over year to $32.3 million last quarter. For the full year, revenue was $113 million, up 11% from 2017. That only scratches the surface of what the company pegs to be a $1.5 billion addressable market.

Since mass cytometry now accounts for 52% of the company's revenue, up from less than 40% in 2017, ongoing research into inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, and the application of discoveries for immuno-oncology treatments could boost overall revenue growth in 2019, making this a small-cap stock worth buying.

Quality connectivity on the cheap

Nicholas Rossolillo (Cypress Semiconductor): Shares of Cypress Semiconductor, a maker of connectivity and microcontroller chips, have been battered in the last year. As digital-memory pricing has tumbled since last summer, companies that are sensitive to this cyclical industry have been hurt. Thus Cypress shares are down 14% in the last 12 months.

Though it still has exposure to memory products, that's only part of the story. The chipmaker has made it clear that it has intentions to distance itself from its old legacy business. Cypress has been undergoing a multiyear transformation from a seller of commoditized semiconductors to a specialty manufacturer that participates in the fastest growing segments of the industry. During the fourth quarter of 2018, 41% of sales still came from memory, but a deal to offload some of that business into a joint venture managed by South Korean outfit SK Hynix should help.

What remains is a connectivity and microcontroller business focused on the auto, industrial, and consumer sectors. Cypress has been investing in this new territory because connectivity and microcontroller chip sales are expected to grow at least 16% and 5% a year, respectively, through 2021. Those fast-expanding segments helped Cypress notch 6% revenue growth in 2018 and run its first profit in years -- in spite of weakness from the struggling memory unit.

With shares still down sharply because of investor worry, now could be the time to buy. The forward P/E based on the next 12 months' profits sits at a mere 14 at the moment. With the need for connectivity chips on the rise in the coming years, Cypress Semiconductor's stock looks mighty affordable.

Image source: Getty Images.

Don't discount Under Armour

Jamal Carnette, CFA (Under Armour): After years of parabolic growth, the performance apparel maker spent 2017 in the penalty box with shares falling 50%. Many feared the company had outgrown founder Kevin Plank, as a series of questionable decisions -- the company's foray into connected wearables, its disastrous entry into athleisure, and a decision to expand into lower-end footwear -- took it out of its circle of competence.

In the following 14 months, shares rebounded as the company ditched athleisure to double down on performance apparel and the higher-end shoe market. It appears to finally be working. Despite a year-on-year decline in North American revenue, the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings on the strength of growth in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and in the Asia-Pacific region.

What's more important, the company's inventory level fell to approximately $1 billion, down 12% from last quarter and 22% from Q2. Bloated inventory levels present a double whammy for investors as old and discounted merchandise is a drag on earnings while also preventing the company from showcasing new inventory.

Under Armour has not fully rebounded yet, but it appears management is finally working through the ramifications of prior poor decisions and is focusing on its core competencies. It's time to take Under Armour stock out of the penalty box. 

 

Exxon Mobil (XOM) Given Media Impact Rating of 0.93

Media headlines about Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, according to InfoTrie. InfoTrie ranks the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than 6,000 blog and news sources in real-time. The firm ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -5 to 5, with scores closest to five being the most favorable. Exxon Mobil earned a daily sentiment score of 0.93 on their scale. InfoTrie also gave media stories about the oil and gas company an news buzz score of 8 out of 10, indicating that recent press coverage is very likely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Here are some of the media headlines that may have effected Exxon Mobil’s analysis:

Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Markets Right Now: Stocks mark 1st weekly loss since January (marketbeat.com) ExxonMobil, Chevron Are Converting The Permian Into A Manufacturing Operation (forbes.com) A Massive Revision To Exxon Mobil’s Growth Strategy (seekingalpha.com) ExxonMobil shares fall premarket after Cowen downgrades to market perform and slashes price target (marketwatch.com) Skepticism Ramps Up on Downgraded Exxon Mobil Stock (schaeffersresearch.com)

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho set a $84.00 price objective on Exxon Mobil and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Investment Research cut Exxon Mobil from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Exxon Mobil to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $81.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Monday, November 19th. Finally, Cowen cut Exxon Mobil from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $100.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $85.12.

NYSE XOM opened at $79.01 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $334.80 billion, a PE ratio of 16.03, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Exxon Mobil has a 1-year low of $64.65 and a 1-year high of $87.36.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $71.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.87 billion. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 10.89% and a net margin of 7.18%. The company’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.88 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil will post 4.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 11th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 8th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.15%. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.53%.

In other news, insider John R. Verity sold 15,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.94, for a total value of $1,219,499.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 146,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,260,169. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Neil A. Hansen sold 2,798 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.81, for a total value of $214,914.38. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 32,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,519,368. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 33,648 shares of company stock valued at $2,527,013 over the last 90 days. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Exxon Mobil (XOM) Given Media Impact Rating of 0.93” was reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this piece on another website, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US and international copyright laws. The correct version of this piece can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4208261/exxon-mobil-xom-given-media-impact-rating-of-0-93.html.

About Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas in the United States, Canada/Other Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania. It operates through Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical segments. The company is also involved in the manufacture, trade, transport, and sale of crude oil, petroleum products, and other specialty products; and manufactures and markets petrochemicals, including olefins, polyolefins, aromatics, and various other petrochemicals.

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EZCORP Inc (EZPW) Stake Increased by Loews Corp

Loews Corp raised its position in EZCORP Inc (NASDAQ:EZPW) by 20.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 13,509 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares during the period. Loews Corp’s holdings in EZCORP were worth $104,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Perritt Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the 4th quarter worth $77,000. Fosun International Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the third quarter valued at about $126,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the third quarter valued at about $137,000. Sigma Planning Corp lifted its stake in shares of EZCORP by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 16,936 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $131,000 after purchasing an additional 2,550 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the third quarter valued at about $208,000.

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Shares of NASDAQ EZPW opened at $9.81 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. EZCORP Inc has a 52 week low of $7.45 and a 52 week high of $15.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $573.86 million, a P/E ratio of 12.42 and a beta of 1.74.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.09. EZCORP had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 6.47%. The firm had revenue of $218.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.63 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.27 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that EZCORP Inc will post 0.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of EZCORP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 8th. BidaskClub cut shares of EZCORP from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 20th. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of EZCORP from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. EZCORP currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.00.

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EZCORP Company Profile

EZCORP, Inc provides pawn loans. It operates through three segments: U.S. Pawn, Latin America Pawn, and Other International. The company offers pawn loans, which are non-recourse loans collateralized by tangible personal property, including jewelry, consumer electronics, power tools, sporting goods, and musical instruments; and sells merchandise, such as collateral forfeited from pawn lending operations and used merchandise purchased from customers.

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Veracyte Inc (VCYT) Expected to Post Earnings of -$0.11 Per Share

Wall Street brokerages expect Veracyte Inc (NASDAQ:VCYT) to announce earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.11) for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Three analysts have issued estimates for Veracyte’s earnings, with estimates ranging from ($0.14) to ($0.08). Veracyte reported earnings of ($0.27) per share during the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year-over-year growth rate of 59.3%. The business is expected to report its next earnings results on Monday, February 25th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Veracyte will report full year earnings of ($0.39) per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.43) to ($0.34). For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the firm will post earnings of ($0.10) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.15) to ($0.05). Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that cover Veracyte.

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Several brokerages recently commented on VCYT. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Veracyte from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on the stock in a report on Saturday, February 9th. BidaskClub upgraded Veracyte from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 7th. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded Veracyte from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $12.30 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, November 29th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their target price on Veracyte to $17.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Veracyte presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.83.

Shares of NASDAQ:VCYT traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $20.43. 23,940 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 359,889. The company has a market cap of $797.81 million, a P/E ratio of -32.97 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 8.81 and a current ratio of 9.14. Veracyte has a 52-week low of $5.32 and a 52-week high of $22.30.

In other Veracyte news, Chairman Bonnie H. Anderson sold 25,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.29, for a total transaction of $389,895.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 94,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,437,886.89. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Bonnie H. Anderson sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.13, for a total value of $97,040.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 59,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $718,532.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 876,026 shares of company stock worth $17,623,135. Company insiders own 13.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Group One Trading L.P. acquired a new stake in Veracyte during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Veracyte by 562.5% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 12,640 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 10,732 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Veracyte during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $127,000. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY grew its position in shares of Veracyte by 356.6% in the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 10,544 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $133,000 after acquiring an additional 8,235 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Veracyte in the 4th quarter worth approximately $140,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.11% of the company’s stock.

About Veracyte

Veracyte, Inc operates as a genomic diagnostics company in the United States. It uses genomic technology to resolve diagnostic uncertainty. The company offers Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis solution; cytopathology testing services; and the Afirma Malignancy Classifiers to manage thyroid nodule patients.

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Zacks: Brokerages Anticipate American Equity Investment Life Holding (AEL) Will Post Earnings of $0.

Equities analysts expect American Equity Investment Life Holding (NYSE:AEL) to report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.91 for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Two analysts have provided estimates for American Equity Investment Life’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.88 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.92. American Equity Investment Life reported earnings per share of $0.85 in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year-over-year growth rate of 7.1%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, May 1st.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that American Equity Investment Life will report full year earnings of $3.78 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.70 to $3.90. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the company will post earnings of $3.95 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.90 to $4.10. Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share calculations are an average based on a survey of research firms that follow American Equity Investment Life.

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American Equity Investment Life (NYSE:AEL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.09. American Equity Investment Life had a return on equity of 14.00% and a net margin of 13.62%. The business had revenue of $554.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $556.20 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.82 EPS.

AEL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research downgraded American Equity Investment Life from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 13th. ValuEngine upgraded American Equity Investment Life from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $37.25.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royce & Associates LP purchased a new position in shares of American Equity Investment Life in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in American Equity Investment Life by 149.7% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,629 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 1,576 shares in the last quarter. Vigilant Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in American Equity Investment Life by 16.1% during the fourth quarter. Vigilant Capital Management LLC now owns 3,600 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its stake in American Equity Investment Life by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 4,149 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in American Equity Investment Life during the third quarter worth $161,000. 93.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE:AEL traded down $0.04 on Friday, reaching $31.61. The company had a trading volume of 2,270 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,048. American Equity Investment Life has a 52-week low of $25.27 and a 52-week high of $38.56. The company has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a PE ratio of 6.79 and a beta of 2.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

American Equity Investment Life Company Profile

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, provides life insurance products and services in the United States. The company issues fixed index and rate annuities; and single premium immediate annuities, as well as life insurance products. The company markets its products through various distribution channels, including national marketing organizations, broker/dealers, banks, and registered investment advisors.

See Also: What are gap-up stocks?

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Ford Motor (F) Holdings Raised by Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC

Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Ford Motor (NYSE:F) by 551.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,140 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,140 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ford Motor were worth $498,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Howe & Rusling Inc. grew its position in shares of Ford Motor by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 3,631 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 2,301 shares during the last quarter. Lavaca Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Csenge Advisory Group purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, First Mercantile Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. 53.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Several brokerages have issued reports on F. Seaport Global Securities began coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $8.46 price objective on the stock. They noted that the move was a valuation call. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 7th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $11.00 price objective on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Tuesday, January 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “hold” rating and set a $8.50 price objective on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Monday, January 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $10.39.

F stock opened at $8.77 on Friday. Ford Motor has a one year low of $7.41 and a one year high of $12.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.61 billion, a PE ratio of 6.75, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 23rd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, hitting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.30. Ford Motor had a net margin of 2.29% and a return on equity of 14.38%. The company had revenue of $38.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.83 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Ford Motor will post 1.19 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 31st will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 30th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.15%.

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About Ford Motor

Ford Motor Company designs, manufactures, markets, and services a range of Ford cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, and electrified vehicles; and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. Its Automotive segment sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to fleet customers, including commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.

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Summit Financial Group Inc (SMMF) Files 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended on December 31, 2018

Summit Financial Group Inc (NASDAQ:SMMF) files its latest 10-K with SEC for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2018. Summit Financial Group Inc provides insurance brokerage services to individuals and businesses covering corporate and personal property and casualty insurance products, as well as group health and life insurance products and consulting services. Summit Financial Group Inc has a market cap of $304.745 million; its shares were traded at around $24.75 with a P/E ratio of 10.97 and P/S ratio of 3.55. The dividend yield of Summit Financial Group Inc stocks is 2.14%.

For the last quarter Summit Financial Group Inc reported a revenue of $21.8 million, compared with the revenue of $22.48 million during the same period a year ago. For the latest fiscal year the company reported a revenue of $85.7 million, an increase of 6.4% from last year. For the last five years Summit Financial Group Inc had an average revenue growth rate of 12% a year.

The reported diluted earnings per share was $2.26 for the year, an increase of 126% from previous year. Over the last five years Summit Financial Group Inc had an EPS growth rate of 13.9% a year. The profitability rank of the company is 3 (out of 10).

At the end of the fiscal year, Summit Financial Group Inc has the cash and cash equivalents of $102.0 million, compared with $94.0 million in the previous year. The long term debt was $20.3 million, compared with $65.3 million in the previous year. Summit Financial Group Inc has a financial strength rank of 4 (out of 10).

At the current stock price of $24.75, Summit Financial Group Inc is traded at 108% premium to its historical median P/S valuation band of $11.90. The P/S ratio of the stock is 3.55, while the historical median P/S ratio is 1.70. The stock gained 4.29% during the past 12 months.

Directors and Officers Recent Trades:

Director Gary L Hinkle bought 744 shares of SMMF stock on 02/01/2019 at the average price of $23.95. The price of the stock has increased by 3.34% since.Director Dewey F Bensenhaver sold 1,039 shares of SMMF stock on 02/21/2019 at the average price of $23.96. The price of the stock has increased by 3.3% since.Director Duke A Mcdaniel sold 2,296 shares of SMMF stock on 02/04/2019 at the average price of $23.56. The price of the stock has increased by 5.05% since.

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

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:RIG,WPZ,MRO,RRC,COP,

Many of the best dividend growth stocks give their investors a raise each year. However, some companies take that to another level by handing their investors more money every single quarter. Three companies with a history of putting more money into their investors' pockets every three months are Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE:SHLX), Western Gas Partners (NYSE:WES), and Valero Energy Partners (NYSE:VLP).

Topped off the tank to continue growing

Shell Midstream Partners is a master limited partnership (MLP) formed by big oil giant Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A)(NYSE:RDS-B) in late 2014 to own, operate, develop, and acquire midstream infrastructure in the U.S. to support its operations. Since that time, Shell has dropped down several assets to Shell Midstream Partners, which has helped grow the MLP's cash flow. That rising income stream has enabled Shell Midstream to increase its distribution to investors each quarter since its formation -- 13 times overall -- including a 20% raise in the last year alone. Currently, the company's payout yields an attractive 6.1%, which it supports with solid financial metrics, including a comfortable 1.1 times coverage ratio in the first quarter.

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Transocean Inc.(RIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  We asked three Motley Fool contributors to discuss one stock in the oil and gas space they think is a great buy right now. Here's a rundown on their three picks: Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG)’s share price shot up 1.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $13.60 and last traded at $13.39. 771,349 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 94% from the average session volume of 13,165,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.19.

• [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  While we aren't prognosticators on crude oil prices, there does appear to be a lot of value in the energy sector at this price level. So we asked three Motley Fool investors to highlight a stock in the sector they like this month. Here's why they picked Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD), Enbridge (NYSE:ENB), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG). 

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  A wave of merger activity has swept across the offshore drilling sector in recent years. The latest news came on Monday when Ensco (NYSE:ESV) announced that it had agreed to buy Rowan in a $12 billion deal. That transaction occurred on the heels of Transocean's (NYSE:RIG) agreement earlier last month to acquire Ocean Rig for $2.7 billion. Before that, Transocean bought Songa Offshore for $3.4 billion while Ensco acquired Atwood Oceanics.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-four brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $12.52.

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) was off to a great start in 2018 thanks to the growth of its majority-owned master limited partnership, Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ). There's plenty more where that came from, which was clear from the comments of CEO Alan Armstrong on the accompanying quarterly conference call. While he didn't fill in every detail about what lies ahead, he made sure investors knew that the company's future looks bright.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Williams Pipeline Partners (WPZ)

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

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Williams Companies is in the midst of a major transition. It recently agreed to acquire the rest of its MLP, Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ), in a $10.4 billion deal. The pipeline giant is making this acquisition so that it can more easily finance the expansion projects Williams Partners has under development. The transaction would allow it to free up some cash flow and improve its credit metrics, giving it more financial flexibility.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market stayed in a pretty narrow range on Thursday, climbing early in the session but then slowly drifting lower through the afternoon hours. In the absence of major news, investors largely looked forward to key events like trade negotiations among the world's largest economies. Other financial markets saw mixed moves as well, with 10-year Treasury yields climbing above 3.1% while oil prices stayed comfortably above $70 per barrel. Despite the quiet day, some companies had good news that pushed their shares sharply higher. World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE:WWE), Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK), and Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) were among the best performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  SG Americas Securities LLC lowered its holdings in Williams Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE:WPZ) by 27.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 37,682 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 14,458 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Williams Pipeline Partners were worth $1,297,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  After plunging 40% over the final three months of 2018, oil prices snapped back to start 2019, rebounding 18% for the month. That rally in the oil market sent most oil stocks higher, including shares of producers Denbury Resources (NYSE:DNR), Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO), and Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG), which all rallied more than 10% for the month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. 

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Melrose Industries (LON:MRO) had its price target upped by Numis Securities from GBX 250 ($3.39) to GBX 280 ($3.80) in a research report report published on Monday morning. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close was Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) which traded up about 5% at $21.81. The stock's 52-week range is $10.64 to $22.74. Volume was nearly 16 million compared to the daily average volume of 11 million.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) is another oil producer built for $50 oil. At that level, Marathon can generate enough cash to grow its U.S. oil production 25% to 30% this year, while at $60 oil, the company can produce $500 million in free cash -- and even more at current prices. Marathon Oil has a range of options for that money, including buying back shares, boosting the dividend, paying off debt, or acquiring more drillable land.

• [By Zacks]

  Oil production is surging in Canada but producers are far from happy as their profit margin is sinking and they are striving to stay competitive with their U.S. counterparts. While upstream companies like Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO), Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) and others are enjoying the shale boom and rebound in prices in the United States, their Canadian counterparts like Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE: CVE) and others are thinking of reducing production. The primary reason behind this is the shortage of pipelines in the country. In short, pipeline construction in Canada has failed to keep pace with rising domestic oil production – the heavier sour variety churned out of the oil sands –  resulting in infrastructural bottlenecks. This has also forced producers to give away their products at a discounted rate.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Marathon Oil (MRO)

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Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) fell about 3.6% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $14.77 after closing at $15.30 on Friday. The 52-week high is $35.64. Volume of about 9.4 million was about 20% higher than the daily average of around 7.7 million shares traded. The company had no specific news.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  OppenheimerFunds Inc. lowered its holdings in Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) by 68.2% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 30,532 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock after selling 65,576 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc.’s holdings in Range Resources were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  So we asked three of our investing contributors to each highlight a company they think has a compelling investment case right now in the oil and gas industry. Here's why they selected Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Range Resources (NYSE:RRC), and ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM).

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Seaport Global Securities raised their Q4 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Range Resources in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 23rd. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Kelly now anticipates that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings per share of $0.12 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.11. Seaport Global Securities has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Seaport Global Securities also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q1 2019 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.98 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies issued their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Range Resources in a report issued on Sunday, October 7th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst K. Harrison expects that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings of $0.17 per share for the quarter. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Buy” rating and a $27.00 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.16 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $0.88 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.33 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.47 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $0.45 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $2.02 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Range Resources (RRC)

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

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) shares short fell to 11.83 million from the previous 12.60 million. Shares were trading at $71.30, within a 52-week range of $45.65 to $74.73.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Investors sold shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) on strength during trading hours on Monday. $64.42 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $108.08 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $43.66 million out of the stock. Of all equities tracked, ConocoPhillips had the 0th highest net out-flow for the day. ConocoPhillips traded up $0.74 for the day and closed at $74.24

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Oil prices have risen off of the lows reached following the mid-2014 oil downturn. That's been great news for most oil-related companies, since it means revenues are heading higher. The biggest beneficiaries are the companies most reliant on oil prices, like ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), which is up 85% since mid-January 2016, when oil prices started rising again. However, the downturn was an ugly reminder that what goes up can just as quickly go down. If you are considering an oil investment, forget ConocoPhillips and take a look at this pair of diversified energy giants instead.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) worked hard to turn its business around during the oil market downturn. We saw the first glimpse of its ability to thrive, now that prices are on the upswing, at the end of last year when the U.S. oil giant reported $545 million, or $0.45 per share, of adjusted earnings. That result marked a significant improvement from the loss it had posted in the previous year.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The number of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) shares short dropped to 17.34 million from the previous level of 18.27 million. Shares were trading at $68.71, within a 52-week range of $42.27 to $71.71.

Here's What Your Annual Income Might Look Like If You Don't Save for Retirement

You've probably heard that you're supposed to save for retirement during your working years rather than fall back on Social Security alone. But how many Americans are heeding that advice? A frightening 21% have no retirement savings, according to a 2018 Northwestern Mutual study, while 42% have less than $10,000 socked away for the future, according to GOBankingRates.

Now you're certainly aware that if you don't build any sort of nest egg of your own, you'll be forced to rely on Social Security to pay your bills in retirement. What you may not realize, however, is just how little money that will leave you with on an annual basis.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

So here it is: $17,532.

That's the amount the average Social Security recipient collects each year. It's also a mere $5,042 above the poverty limit for single adults in America.

Let that sink in for a second. A single $5,000 emergency, whether it be medical, car-, or home-related in nature, could drive you into poverty if you don't have savings outside of Social Security. And that's a risk you can't afford to take.

Social Security alone won't cut it

Many seniors expect their living expenses to drop dramatically in retirement, but much of the time, those bills largely stay the same. In fact, the typical senior needs around 80% of his or her previous annual income to live comfortably. Social Security, however, will only replace about 40% of your pre-retirement income if you were an average earner, thereby leaving you with quite the substantial gap to fill.

The solution? Save independently, even if it's just a few hundred dollars a month. If you invest that money wisely, it'll add up over time and give you a cushion to fall back on during your golden years -- especially if you're relatively young and have much of your career ahead of you.

Look at the following table, which illustrates how much savings you might accumulate if you were to save various amounts over a 30-year period:

Monthly Savings Amount

Total Accumulated Over 30 Years (Assumes a 7% Average Annual Return)

$100	$113,000
$200	$227,000
$300	$340,000
$400	$453,000
$500	$567,000
$600	$680,000

Data source: CALCULATIONS BY AUTHOR.

Saving $100 or $200 a month, even over three decades, won't help you retire rich -- but it might prevent you from being poor. And in case you're wondering about that 7% return, it's actually a couple of percentage points below the stock market's average. If you load up on stocks, which you should feel comfortable doing as long as you're looking at a 10-year investment window or longer, you're likely to score that 7% if not higher.

Building your nest egg

Of course, to save any amount consistently over time, you'll need to commit to that goal, which means sacrificing some sort of immediate luxury that money would otherwise go to. Maybe that luxury is the weekly takeout order you look forward to, or the monthly concerts you like to attend. Maybe it's the cable plan you like to keep for the nights you're home and bored, or the gym membership you admittedly don't use all that often, but enjoy having nonetheless. It doesn't matter what expense you eliminate from your budget as long as it serves the key purpose of freeing up cash for you to save.

And if you really can't bear to reduce your spending at all, get a side job on top of your regular one. Working a few hours per week at a second gig could do the trick in giving you $100, $200, $300, or more to save each month, which, as you can see above, will go a long way over time.

Saving for retirement on your own is a good way to ensure that you don't struggle financially when you're older. And if you're still not convinced, ask yourself this: Could you really live comfortably on $17,532 a year? If not, consider this your wake-up call to do better in terms of savings, or else get ready for a host of money issues when you're older and far more vulnerable.

China's 'Trump Rally' Is Fake News

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;size-large wp-image-88&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/williampesek/files/2019/02/Trump-1200x800.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;800&q; data-width=&q;1200&q;&g; President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, as other U.S. officials look on in the Oval Office of the White House February 22, 2019 in Washington, DC. Liu is in Washington with the Chinese delegation to participate in the U.S.-China trade talks. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As the bulls run through Shanghai, Sinologist Bill Bishop is preoccupied with pigs.

Since this is, after all, the year of the Pig, one can&a;rsquo;t blame punters for getting a bit greedy. But, Bishop warns, punters &q;should remember that eventually pigs get slaughtered.&q; And in the case of China&a;rsquo;s stock rally, make that trumped, too.

The proximate driver of this sudden bull run is a &l;a href=&q;https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/us/politics/china-trump-trade-deal-democrats.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;possible end&l;/a&g; to Donald Trump&s;s trade war. Among the reasons the U.S. president&a;rsquo;s approval ratings are rolling around in the mud is the mini-crash in stocks in late 2018. Punters drew a direct line between Trump&a;rsquo;s tariffs and plunging shares. Since then, Trump has throttled back tensions, even delaying a March 1 deadline for new assaults on Asia&a;rsquo;s supply chains. Hence the &q;&l;a href=&q;https://finance.yahoo.com/m/357deee9-0439-3305-847c-ac6f49315278/us-market-readies-for-another.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Trump rally&l;/a&g;.&q;

Yet the slaughterhouse imagery that worries geopolitical experts like Bishop of Axios remains relevant. Though Trump pushed Xi Jinping&a;rsquo;s economy toward the blade, China bears responsibility for its unbalanced financial system.

Xi is the most powerful Chinese leader in generations. And yet even he veers more toward stimulus-as-usual over painful structural reforms. Of course, blame for China&a;rsquo;s vulnerabilities pre-date Xi. The roots of Beijing&a;rsquo;s current troubles can be found in 2008, when Hu Jintao held the reins.

What Trump&a;rsquo;s trade war did was demonstrate the extent to which the bill for Beijing&a;rsquo;s response to the 2008 &a;ldquo;Lehman shock&a;rdquo; is coming due. The &l;a href=&q;https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/21/chinas-economic-growth-slowest-since-1990&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;slowest growth in 28 years&l;/a&g;&a;ndash;6.6% in 2018&a;ndash;is one metric. So is the drop in net earnings last year at 30% of China&a;rsquo;s roughly 3,600 listed companies.

The most important, though, is last year&a;rsquo;s surge in corporate defaults to a record $18 billion from $4 billion in 2017. Another vital metric: roughly $715 billion of bonds mature over the next 10 months, increasing the odds that the great Chinese default reckoning investors long feared could be coming.

Hence relief that Trump appears to be throttling back. Investors are right to rejoice if Trump and Xi come to an understanding, one that allows both nationalist leaders to declare some semblance of victory. Even if &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/01/14/china-is-losing-the-trade-war-in-nearly-every-way/#6fc1fe2c7f03&q;&g;Xi gets the better of Trump&l;/a&g;, which the odds favor, Trump will declare &a;ldquo;fake news&a;rdquo; and move on.

Yet here&a;rsquo;s the problem: nothing about a trade d&a;eacute;tente treats the addiction to runaway stimulus China Inc. developed since 2008.

It started innocently enough. Wall Street&a;rsquo;s crash had leaders around the globe pondering existential questions about legitimacy and social stability. None more so than those presiding over the most populous nation. In that context, few questioned the 4 trillion yuan, or $597 billion, jolt of stimulus that Hu&a;rsquo;s government back then pumped into the economy.

By 2017, &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2018/11/24/debt-not-trade-war-is-chinas-biggest-problem/#7883eaf54c4d&q;&g;the pump-priming strategy&l;/a&g; topped the $2 trillion mark. And that is just what we know of, given the vagaries that plague Chinese data. In the years between when Hu handed the baton to Xi in 2012, local governments ginned up many trillions of dollars of giant infrastructure projects.

National gross domestic product got epic boosts from dozens of tier 3 and tier 3 cities joining major metropoles in modern history&a;rsquo;s greatest building boom. New dams, six-lane highways, airports, entertainment centers, international hotels, cavernous shopping centers and white-elephant projects kept GDP north of 6%. By 2017, analysts like Charlene Chu of Autonomous Research Asia were putting the bill for all the &l;a href=&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-01/china-needs-to-act-on-33-trillion-of-credit-analyst-chu-says&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;credit growth&l;/a&g; behind that stimulus at higher than $33 trillion.

The end of Trump&a;rsquo;s trade war won&a;rsquo;t help Xi&a;rsquo;s government manage the bills coming due. Nor does it give Beijing back the last decade of putting stimulus over modernizing the financial system.

To be fair, Xi has tried to reduce excesses. Regulatory tweaks to curb leverage and shadowing-banking activities have indeed injected an element of sobriety into China Inc.

But Trump&a;rsquo;s tariffs reminded the world how little progress Beijing made shifting growth engines to services and innovation from exports. They also demonstrated a diminishing-returns challenge. It&a;rsquo;s a matter of &l;a href=&q;https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-policies/china-must-take-strong-stimulus-measures-to-support-growth-state-media-idUSKCN1MJ07H&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;economic gravity&l;/a&g; that, over time, the GDP payoff from construction booms lose potency. China, as Ian Bremmer of Eurasia Group points out, already has an estimated 65 million empty apartments. It hardly needs more.

The trade war exposed a major flaw in Xi&a;rsquo;s ambitious &q;Belt and Road&q; and &q;Made in China 2025&q; initiatives. Unless these global gambits are undergirded by a vibrant and sturdy domestic economy, they&a;rsquo;ll falter in the long run.

&l;img class=&q;size-large wp-image-89&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/williampesek/files/2019/02/Belt_Road-1200x800.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;800&q; data-width=&q;1200&q;&g; Chinese President Xi Jinping and other delegation heads arrive for a group photo during the Belt and Road Forum at Yanqi Lake on May 15, 2017, on the outskirt of Beijing, China. (Photo: Damir Sagolj-Pool/Getty Images)

The same goes for Beijing&a;rsquo;s efforts to increase the yuan&a;rsquo;s use in world trade. In 2016, Xi&a;rsquo;s team appeared to think its work was done when the International Monetary Fund welcomed the yuan into its reserve-currency club, making it a top-five monetary unit. Unless Beijing loosens the capital account, increases transparency and give traders a bigger role in deciding exchange-rate levels, trust in the yuan will lag.

The same is true of the stock bourses that the bulls are rediscovering. Just like its IMF milestone, Xi&a;rsquo;s government seemed to view MSCI&a;rsquo;s 2018 decision to include mainland shares in its indices as a reform in itself. And given the Shanghai Composite Index&a;rsquo;s 13% surge this month, the temptation may be to declare all&a;rsquo;s well and move on.

Chinese stocks, though, are barely readier for global prime time than in the summer of 2015. Back then, freefalling shares prompted Xi&a;rsquo;s team to throw Beijing&a;rsquo;s full weight at short sellers. It cut interest rates, bought shares, loosened margin requirements and leverage rules, suspended initial public offerings, halted trading in entire sectors of the market and let mainlanders use homes as collateral to buy shares.

Things stabilized. But nothing about that recovery made China Inc. more transparent, shareholder-friendly, innovative or socially responsible. Nor has Xi&a;rsquo;s moves to create &l;a href=&q;https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-policies/china-must-take-strong-stimulus-measures-to-support-growth-state-media-idUSKCN1MJ07H&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;stock-connect schemes&l;/a&g; to link Shanghai and Shenzhen with Hong Kong. Trillions of dollars in transactions, yes. A more international and trusted investment climate, no.

Just something for bulls racing back to Shanghai to consider. If Trump is ready to make a substantive deal with Xi&a;ndash;still a big &a;ldquo;if&a;rdquo;&a;ndash;it would be a big plus for global markets.

But punters are still left with a China paying the price for 10 years of putting runaway stimulus above bold reform. Until Beijing tends to its problems, not just the symptoms, its markets may just be leading the bulls to slaughter.&l;/p&g;

Tax Refunds Are Shrinking -- and Lower Earners Are Getting Hurt the Most

Each year, the majority of taxpayers wind up with a refund after filing their returns. And while most filers are still expected to get money back from the IRS this year, those refunds are already coming in smaller than in years past.

Unfortunately, lower earners are feeling the pain the most. The median federal refund amount for tax filers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $30,000 or less dropped 10.6% for the 2018 tax year -- the most of any income group, according to Credit Karma. For the 2017 tax year, the median federal refund amount for filers with an AGI of $30,000 or less was $1,191. For 2018, it's just $1,065. Now that may not seem like a huge difference, but for lower earners who bank on their refunds to pay their bills, it's enormous.

Image source: Getty Images.

Worse yet, filers with an AGI of $30,000 or less who submitted their tax returns early saw a 9.2% increase in their median federal tax bill. And these are the folks who really can't afford to see their tax burden go up.

Interestingly enough, higher earners with an AGI of over $175,000 have seen the smallest drop in federal refunds for the 2018 tax year. They've also seen the second-greatest decline (8.3%) in federal tax bills among filers who owed the IRS money.

If you're a lower earner and are worried about a disappointing tax refund this year, here are a few key steps you might take.

1. File your taxes as early as possible

A big reason why refunds have been lower across the board for the 2018 tax year boils down to the massive tax overhaul that was put into place and the new withholding tables that followed. For the most part, employers were instructed to withhold less tax from workers in 2018 so that more money would land in their paychecks. As such, much of the money that many filers are expecting this season has, in fact, already been paid to them.

If you're banking on a large refund this year, aim to file your taxes as early as possible. This way, if that number comes in lower than anticipated, you'll have time to come up with a backup plan. Furthermore, if you saw a large boost in your take-home pay last year that didn't come as the result of a raise, you'll need to prepare for the possibility that you might owe the IRS money. If that's the case, filing your return sooner rather than later will give you more time to figure out how you'll pay that debt.

2. Don't adjust your withholding if you still get money back

If your refund comes in lower than expected this year, you might rush to adjust your withholding to avoid a repeat scenario during the 2020 tax filing season. But actually, that's a bad move.

See, a lower tax refund isn't a negative thing. All it means is that you collected more of your earnings up front, as opposed to waiting until tax season to get the money that's rightfully yours. On the other hand, if you find that you underpaid your taxes in 2018 and owe the IRS money, you might adjust your withholding to avoid landing in the hole the following year.

3. Make sure you're claiming the right tax credits

A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax liability, and it can save you money in a very big way. There are several tax credits designed to help lower earners, and claiming the right ones could provide some much-needed financial relief.

First, there's the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is worth as much as $6,431 for the 2018 tax year, depending on your earnings and number of dependents in your household. There's also the Child Tax Credit, which is worth up to $2,000 per child under 17 in your household. And if you pay for child care in order to work, you might qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit, which could put up to $2,100 back in your pocket depending on how much you spend on child care and how many children you have. Take your time doing your taxes, and be sure to research these and other credits to avoid missing out on a potentially lucrative break.

Generally speaking, shrinking tax refunds aren't a bad thing, as it means that workers on the whole are getting access to more of their income up front. But if you're a lower earner who's banking on a large refund, any sort of decrease could really hurt you. Prepare for that possibility, and at the same time, make sure you're claiming the right tax credits to score the highest refund available to you.

U.S. To Monetize Its New Jumbo Fiscal Deficit

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-1127535743&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1127535743/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;719&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; (photo credit: Getty)

Now the Federal Reserve has tacitly let it be known that interest rates are on hold and that QT balance sheet reduction will come to an end shortly, we have to start thinking about what this means. There is no hurry as the super tanker of economics takes months and even years to turn around.

The totally obvious ramifications of QT, and its recession and crash creating potential, took a year to sink in and that is a good example of how slowly things move in economics these days. That&a;rsquo;s probably a good thing and likely a positive reflection on the skills of central bankers. Any idiot can cause acute problems, solving or creating chronic ones takes the next level of skill.

So the Fed balance sheet is not going back to $1 or $2 trillion, it&a;rsquo;s likely to stay $3-$4 trillion. That doesn&a;rsquo;t seem too terrible unless you work out how much money that is in the real world of &a;lsquo;per capita.&a;rsquo;

So the Federal&a;nbsp; Reserve has indicated they are going to lower their mortgage loan book and swap it into treasuries.

Whoop, whoop, up goes my danger flares.

So Trump has let the dogs of debt loose as far as the fiscal deficit goes. The Obama administration had got the yearly fiscal deficit back under control, but that &a;lsquo;austerity&a;rsquo; has been jettisoned and the U.S. will run a $1 trillion-plus deficit. Call it 4%-5% of GDP.

So the U.S. will need to sell $1 trillion in extra debt a year, going forwards, perhaps more.

A world in recession might not have such a strong appetite for U.S. Treasurys at the current low rates and heaven forfend if that lack of appetite in itself pushed up interest rates. Someone has to buy. Who is going to buy if the world decides it is not as keen as it was on U.S. debt?

What to do?

Get the fellows who bought up the new unwanted U.S. debt from the government in the pit of the global financial crisis to buy it. Who were they? Why, the U.S. government.

So the Fed is going to sell down its trillions of mortgage debt and take up any slack of too much new U.S. Treasurys.

That will work, but it will whack real estate as the process money for mortgages must get more expensive or less available or both. You could look at it, that, from a national balance sheet point of view, home owners will be paying for the deficit with the deflation in the value of their real estate. From a &a;lsquo;Dr. Evil&a;rsquo; point of view, that&a;rsquo;s pretty clever.

However, putting that aside, the direct monetization of debt is how you get inflation.

So called &q;modern monetary policy,&q; up to recently called &q;unorthodox monetary policy&q; doesn&a;rsquo;t create inflation because it liquidizes illiquid assets by swapping them out for more liquid ones of approximately the same &q;value.&q; Illiquid assets plummet more in price than liquid assets if no one wants to buy them because illiquidity makes their &q;real&q; value harder to substantiate. A central bank merely being prepared to buy illiquid assets makes them worth a lot more than if they weren&a;rsquo;t there to bid. MMT doesn&a;rsquo;t print money, it swaps assets for money so the net effect is of little net increase in assets to create more money to create more demand without more supply. MMT shifts the balance of asset liquidity towards the cash end so there are enough ready funds to keep the lights on.

However, the moment you issue a Treasury to yourself and use it as collateral to print cash, you are squarely into Weimar/Mugabe/Venezuela land of printing cash to pay your state workers and cover the costs of your grand plans for shiny bridges to nowhere. If you don&a;rsquo;t export your inflation to China, a rather more difficult trick for the U.S. to pull right now with its war on trade, the consequent inflation is going to stay at home.

Now the new money could, as we are looking at a kind of QE, go straight to the rich, which would mean inflation would hit extreme luxuries like upmarket real estate, Picassos, yachts and Ferraris, but the chances are as it will go through the public sector rather than financial carry trades, it will go to the less well off. This can only mean inflation on everyday things in the old school manner.

Forgive me, I am a child of the 1960s-1970s so inflation is always the pre-programmed prediction of doom.

The runaway fiscal debt is not an easily manageable thing, unlike the tightrope of financialized QE. Those Treasurys are coming, come what may, so keeping balance in the economy is going to be even more tricky than pulling the economy out of the flat spin of 2007-2009. Monetizing naked debt is how inflation happens and that looks like the path ahead now that QT is dead and the deficit is booming.

So what to do?

Firstly as an investor you need to track this inflation hypothesis. The Fed has plenty of QT firepower to yank the chain of the economy if it needs to do another U-turn. The place to look for impending inflation is in oil and gold. If inflation is coming down the pipe, they will move. Inflation, even once it is underway, will not show up in the stores right away, but oil and gold rallying will tell you it is in the economic pipeline and will soon enough arrive. Oil in particular, and perhaps other base commodities like copper, will be the first indicators.

I don&a;rsquo;t like gold, or rather I love gold, but I don&a;rsquo;t want to invest in it. It&a;rsquo;s a crowded trade; crowded by ancient, grumpy folk who believe the world is going to fall to pieces and leave them in a post-apocalypse HBO series with a sack of PGM. This makes it a hard market to navigate for all the insane noise it feeds off. However, if the U.S. monetizes debt to fund its fiscal deficit, gold will move. As gold has been as dead as a doornail for years, it will be the &q;canary in the coal mine&q; for this idea.

Inflation won&a;rsquo;t be the end of the world; inflation brings plenty of benefits along with the pain of savers&a;rsquo; money going down the drain

For a start, bitcoin will go ballistic and to be clear, I&a;rsquo;d like that.

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-59436&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/investor/files/2019/02/bitcoin-190221.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;Bitcoin is suddenly looking bullish&q; data-height=&q;586&q; data-width=&q;900&q;&g; Bitcoin is suddenly looking bullish

And as if by magic, bitcoin looks suddenly very bullish.

----

&l;em&g;Clem Chambers is the CEO of private investors Web site&l;/em&g;&l;span&g;&l;em&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/em&g;&l;/span&g;&l;span&g;&l;em&g;&l;a href=&q;http://www.advfn.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;ADVFN.com&l;/a&g;&l;/em&g;&l;/span&g;&l;em&g; and author of &l;/em&g;&l;span&g;&l;a href=&q;http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R3ABO9G&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Be Rich&l;/a&g;&l;/span&g;&l;em&g;, &l;/em&g;&l;span&g;&l;em&g;&l;a href=&q;http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HCOUWS2&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;The Game in Wall Street&l;/a&g;&l;/em&g;&l;/span&g;&l;em&g; and&l;/em&g; &l;span&g;&l;em&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077D9ZZ7P&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Trading Cryptocurrencies: A Beginner&a;rsquo;s Guide&l;/a&g;&l;/em&g;&l;/span&g;&l;em&g;.&l;/em&g;

In 2018, Chambers won Journalist of the Year in the Business Market Commentary category in the State Street U.K. Institutional Press Awards.

&a;nbsp;

&a;nbsp;&l;/p&g;