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;

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:EBIX,MODN,ADTN,CDNS,TKC,JBL,FTNT,MSTR,TTMI,BRCM,

Marvell Technology Group (NASDAQ:MRVL) might not be a fashionable name in the semiconductor space, but it enjoys the same set of catalysts as some of its illustrious peers. From the Internet of Things (IoT) to connected cars and big data, the chipmaker is sitting on multiple opportunities that could help it accelerate remarkably in the long run.

Not surprisingly, Wall Street analysts now have a favorable view of Marvell's business, especially considering that the company is about to close its acquisition of chip developer Cavium. This acquisition is set to boost the chipmaker's addressable market by an impressive $8 billion, but this is just one of the many solid reasons why Marvell could help investors make money.

Image source: Getty Images.

Booming storage demand will be a big catalyst

Marvell gets just over half of its revenue by supplying storage controllers for hard-disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), as well as data center storage. Demand for storage products such as SSDs is increasing at a terrific pace as the data boom continues. In the future, data centers will need to read/write data at faster speeds so that they can process the huge amount of information to power applications such as self-driving cars.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ebix, Inc.(EBIX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Wall Street seemed to phone it in on Monday, with low volume and fairly modest moves for most major benchmarks reflecting the fact that many federal and state government offices were closed for a holiday. Interest rates stabilized after a substantial jump last week, but market participants are still working through the potential consequences of the rate rise that resulted in 10-year Treasury yields hitting their highest levels since the early 2010s. Moreover, some negative news regarding individual companies weighed on sentiment. Square (NYSE:SQ), Ebix (NASDAQ:EBIX), and iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) were among the worst performers on the day. Here's why they did so poorly.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of Ebix Inc (NASDAQ:EBIX) were down 5.8% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $57.66 and last traded at $61.47. Approximately 18,499 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 189,931 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.10.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ARS Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ebix Inc (NASDAQ:EBIX) by 62.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 92,910 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 35,681 shares during the quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC owned 0.30% of Ebix worth $6,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Ebix (NASDAQ: EBIX) and Mattersight (NASDAQ:MATR) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends and valuation.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Ebix Inc (NASDAQ:EBIX) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $100.00.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Model N, Inc.(MODN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Finally, there's Model N (NYSE: MODN). My long-time readers might remember this revenue management cloud company for the life sciences and technology businesses: we sold its shares a year ago almost to the day, for a gain of 30% in about six months. I like MODN's business, and with long-term projected growth of 44%, now might be the time to revisit the shares. If you're a subscriber to Game-Changing Stocks, stay tuned...

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Model N (NYSE: MODN) and Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk and valuation.

• [By ]

  Finally, there's Model N (NYSE: MODN). My long-time readers might remember this revenue management cloud company for the life sciences and technology businesses: we sold its shares a year ago almost to the day, for a gain of 30% in about six months. I like MODN's business, and with long-term projected growth of 44%, now might be the time to revisit the shares. If you're a subscriber to Game-Changing Stocks, stay tuned...

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Model N Inc  (NYSE:MODN)Q1 2019 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 05, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: ADTRAN Inc.(ADTN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 1,051,552 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 134% from the previous session’s volume of 450,057 shares.The stock last traded at $18.60 and had previously closed at $18.50.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ADTRAN (NASDAQ:ADTN) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

  Several other analysts have also issued reports on ADTN. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ADTRAN from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 9th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of ADTRAN from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. ValuEngine lowered shares of ADTRAN from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 17th. Northland Securities set a $24.00 price target on shares of ADTRAN and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 20th. Finally, MKM Partners decreased their price target on shares of ADTRAN to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.50.

• [By Max Byerly]

  ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $19.38.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ADTRAN (ADTN)

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

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(CDNS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  In other Cadence Design Systems news, Director John B. Shoven sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $2,500,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 152,120 shares in the company, valued at $7,606,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Thomas P. Beckley sold 23,208 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $1,113,984.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 173,208 shares of company stock valued at $8,418,984 over the last 90 days. 2.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

  WARNING: “Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) Updates Q1 Earnings Guidance” was originally published by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this piece on another website, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of international trademark and copyright legislation. The original version of this piece can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4164548/cadence-design-systems-cdns-updates-q1-earnings-guidance.html.

  Cadence Design Systems Company Profile

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Southwest Airlines Inc. (NYSE: LUV) canceled flights across the country in order to inspect the engines of 40 different airplanes. The inspections come a week after a mid-air engine explosion caused the first U.S. air fatality since 2009. Money Morning Executive Editor Bill Patalon breaks down the aftermath of the accident, and explains what it means for both Southwest and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA). The price of Bitcoin pushed back toward $9,000 as the post-tax season breakout continues for the cryptocurrency markets. The total value of the global cryptocurrency market topped $400 billion this morning, a significant recovery from the massive downturn that occurred in the first quarter. As we explained on Saturday, now may be the best time to buy Bitcoin since July 2013. That month was when Money Morning Defense and Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson went on live television with a bold prediction for Bitcoin (BTC), which would be followed by 25,351% gains at the peak of the cryptocurrency's run. Find out where Bitcoin is heading next, right here. Three Stocks to Watch Today: GOOGL, LUV, HAS Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) leads another busy day of earnings reports on Monday. Wall Street anticipates that the online media giant will report earnings per share (EPS) of $9.21 on top of $24.29 billion in revenue. Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS) slumped more than 7.6% in pre-market hours after the company reported earnings. The toymaker reported adjusted EPS of $0.10, well short of the $0.33 expected on Wall Street. The firm also reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the quarter. The firm named Toys 'R Us as a central reason for poor showing – the company recently liquidated its stores, impacting Hasbro Inc.'s (Nasdaq: HAS) bottom lines. Look for earnings reports from Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK), Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR), TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: AMTD), Kimberley-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB), Cadence Design Syst
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers SemiLEDs Corporation (NASDAQ: LEDS) shares rose 35.8 percent to $4.55. EVINE Live Inc. (NASDAQ: EVLV) gained 28.8 percent to $1.04. The pay-TV home shopping company was named as a potential acquisition target by TechCrunch. According to the publication, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is exploring ways of marketing its products and services to consumers beyond the internet. Sanmina Corp (NASDAQ: SANM) shares surged 19.1 percent to $33.00 as the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its second quarter on Monday. Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) gained 14.9 percent to $37.22 as the company posted upbeat results for its first quarter. Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) shares climbed 14 percent to $17.90 following upbeat quarterly earnings. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE: HLX) climbed 14 percent to $7.12 following strong quarterly results. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) gained 13.6 percent to $8.25. Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS) rose 11.8 percent to $3.34. Atossa Genetics disclosed that it has Received positive interim review from the Independent Safety Committee in Phase 1 Topical endoxifen dose escalation study in men. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS) gained 11.6 percent to $40.99 after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and issued a strong Q2 forecast. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) climbed 11.2 percent to $4.9363. Mitel Networks Corporation (NASDAQ: MITL) rose 10.5 percent to $11.23 after the company agreed to be acquired by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners for $2.0 billion. Systemax Inc. (NYSE: SYX) rose 10.2 percent to $30.86. Sidoti & Co. upgraded Systemax from Neutral to Buy. Orchids Paper Products Company (NYSE: TIS) surged 9.2 percent to $7.13. Orchids Paper Products is expected to report its Q1 financial results on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (NYSE: EDU) rose

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS(TKC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) fell 13.4 percent to $51.10 in pre-market trading after the company reported downbeat earnings for its first quarter and lowered its profit outlook for the year. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) fell 9.8 percent to $28.97 in pre-market trading after surging 46.29 percent on Thursday. Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO) shares fell 8.2 percent to $8.81 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and disclosed that it is withdrawing its FY18 outlook for adjusted EBITDA, airborne cash capex, airborne equipment inventory purchases and free cash flow. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares fell 7.5 percent to $3.98 in pre-market trading after climbing 22.16 percent on Thursday. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE: ANET) fell 7.4 percent to $248.00 in pre-market trading following first-quarter earnings. Web.com Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WEB) fell 6.7 percent to $18.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Varex Imaging Corporation (NASDAQ: VREX) fell 5.2 percent to $34 in pre-market trading after reporting Q2 results. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE: TKC) shares fell 5.2 percent to $7.60 in pre-market trading after dropping 3.02 percent on Thursday. AMN Healthcare Services, Inc (NYSE: AMN) shares fell 4.7 percent to $61.70 in pre-market trading following Q1 earnings. HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSEA) fell 4.6 percent to $25.15 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) shares fell 4 percent to $16.66 in pre-market trading after dropping 2.86 percent on Thursday. Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (NASDAQ: MLCO) fell 4 percent to $30.65 in pre-market trading. Century Aluminum Co (NASDAQ: CENX) fell 4 percent to $15.76 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) shares fell 3.5 percent to $48.10 in pre-market tr
• [By Rich Smith]

  Second verse, same as the first. Last week, shares of Turkish telco Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri (NYSE:TKC) got thrown for a 13% loop when the U.S. government announced plans to double tariffs on imports of Turkish steel and aluminum. The Turkish lira took a nosedive in response, rattling the entire Turkish economy -- Turkcell included.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Forward Pharma A/S (NASDAQ: FWP) fell 15.2 percent to $3.51 in pre-market trading after surging 88.18 percent on Tuesday. Pfenex Inc. (NASDAQ: PFNX) shares fell 15 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after the company announced an offering of common stock. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) fell 17.6 percent to $47.75 in pre-market trading after the company reported downbeat results for its first quarter and issued a weak earnings forecast for the second quarter. Container Store Group, Inc. (NYSE: TCS) fell 13 percent to $7.15 in pre-market trading after reporting weaker-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter. Ardelyx, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARDX) shares fell 12.1 percent to $4.00 in pre-market trading after reporting pricing of public offering of common stock. Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) shares fell 9.8 percent to $27.31 in pre-market trading. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE: TKC) fell 6.5 percent to $6.60 in pre-market trading. Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) shares fell 5.8 percent to $71.02 in pre-market trading. Target reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter, while sales exceeded estimates. PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE: PBF) shares fell 5.7 percent to $42.42 in pre-market trading
• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market lost ground on Monday, although the declines in some major benchmarks were more extreme than others. A budding financial crisis in Turkey once again captured the attention of investors, as the threat of rising tariffs and escalating diplomatic tension could drive a wedge through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at a critical time for the geopolitical environment in the region. The repercussions of recent events involving Turkey echoed around the world, and some companies felt the tremors more sharply than others. First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG), Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri (NYSE:TKC), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG) were among the worst performers on the day. Here's why they did so poorly.

• [By Jason Hall, Rich Smith, and Jeremy Bowman]

  But there are plenty of stocks that pay even higher yields that investors should at least entertain buying. We asked three Motley Fool contributors to offer up a compelling dividend stock that's paying more than Ford, and they came up with a surprisingly diverse list: Pattern Energy Group (NASDAQ:PEGI), L Brands (NYSE:LB), and Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (ADR) (NYSE:TKC).

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Jabil Circuit Inc.(JBL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Jabil (NYSE:JBL) was downgraded by research analysts at TheStreet from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows shares of small cap Sanmina Corp (NASDAQ: SANM), a previous Elite Opportunity Pro (EOP) newsletter suggestion as the next breakout stock, and mid cap Flextronics International being bigger winners (albeit FLEX has steadily risen for two years while SANM has already peaked) compared with the moderately positive performance of mid cap Jabil Circuit, Inc (NYSE: JBL) and small cap Celestica Inc (NYSE: CLS):

• [By Chris Lange]

  Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL) is scheduled to share its quarterly report early on Tuesday. The consensus forecast is $0.68 in EPS on revenue of $5.43 billion. Shares were trading at $29.80. The stock has a 52-week range of $23.70 to $31.77, and the consensus price target is $32.56.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Jabil (JBL)

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

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Three Stocks to Watch Today: NKE, KORS, GE

  Shares of Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) are on the move ahead of today's earnings report. Wall Street expects that the apparel giant will report earnings per share of $0.62 on top of $9.87 billion in revenue. Investors will be hanging on every word of the conference call as markets weigh the success of the company's latest ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. In addition, investors will be curious if the firm received a boost by the Tour Championship victory over the weekend by Tiger Woods, who won his first golf tournament in five years. Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) just made another huge acquisition. According to reports, it purchased the iconic Gianni Versace brand in a deal worth $2.1 billion. The deal gives Kors a gateway to the high-end European luxury market. Shares of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) are sitting at nine-year lows as the company's power business struggles. Shares hit their lowest levels since July 13, 2009 as the firm grapples with a failed gas turbine in Texas. The turbine's failure fueled a stock downgrade by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: GE) last week. Look for earnings reports from Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL), KB Home (NYSE: KBH), FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE: FDS), Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL), Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS), AAR Corp. (NYSE: AIR), Neogen Corp. (NASDAQ: NEOG), and IHS Markit Ltd. (NYSE: INFO).

  Follow Money Morning on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  And the licensing deal with Jabil (NYSE: JBL), which makes GoPro cameras, to have the camera tech added into third-party devices, expands the window of opportunity further.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Fortinet, Inc.(FTNT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  OppenheimerFunds Inc. lessened its stake in Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ:FTNT) by 10.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,860 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 1,023 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc.’s holdings in Fortinet were worth $475,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Fortinet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: FTNT) short interest increased to 6.98 million shares from the previous 6.66 million. Shares were trading at $88.73. The 52-week range is $35.44 to $88.97.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ:FTNT) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the twenty-six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $57.11.

• [By Leo Sun]

  Second, FireEye struggled to compete against bigger competitors like Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC), and Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT), which bundle similar threat prevention solutions with other services.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Insider Selling: Fortinet Inc (FTNT) CEO Sells 80,000 Shares of Stock” was reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this story on another website, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of international trademark and copyright laws. The correct version of this story can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4153077/insider-selling-fortinet-inc-ftnt-ceo-sells-80000-shares-of-stock.html.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: MicroStrategy Incorporated(MSTR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,500 shares of the software maker’s stock, valued at approximately $192,000.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MicroStrategy (MSTR)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MSTR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors acquired 419 call options on the company. This is an increase of 610% compared to the typical volume of 59 call options.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MicroStrategy (MSTR)

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

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: TTM Technologies, Inc.(TTMI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $20.40.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTMI) EVP Tai Keung Chung sold 23,345 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.90, for a total transaction of $441,220.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 50,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $951,747.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  TTM Technologies (NASDAQ:TTMI) was downgraded by equities researchers at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report issued on Monday.

• [By Taylor Cox]

  Investor Events

  Analyst/investor days for: PayPal Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL), Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT), S&P Global Inc (NYSE: SPGI), Total System Services, Inc (NYSE: TSS), and TTM Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: TTMI) Roku, Inc (NASDAQ: ROKU) annual shareholder meeting Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) will meet with investors in L.A.

  Friday

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) surged 73.3 percent to $3.90. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares gained 51 percent to $33.1365. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Monaker Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKGI) shares jumped 34 percent to $3.00. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares rose 28.2 percent to $4.51 after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares jumped 27.8 percent to $21.40 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 20.5 percent to $8.920 after climbing 107.87 percent on Wednesday. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) gained 19.5 percent to $ 5.97. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) rose 18.9 percent to $10.035 following upbeat quarterly earnings. ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) gained 18.3 percent to $3.0177. ENDRA Life Sciences is expected to report Q1 results on May 15. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) rose 18.1 percent to $35.85 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares jumped 16 percent to $30.75 following upbeat quarterly earnings. TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTMI) gained 13.7 percent to $16.53 after reporting Q1 results. Insight Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT) shares surged 12 percent to $40.06 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS) rose 11.8 percent to $40.93 following Q1 results. Engility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EGL) surged 11.2 percent to $27.36. Engility reported upbeat quarterly earnings. Synalloy Corporation (NASDAQ: SYNL) rose 10.7 percent to $19.10 following Q1 results. Logitech International S.A. (NASDAQ: LOGI)
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Miles Capital Inc. Acquires Shares of 10,416 TTM Technologies, Inc. (TTMI)” was originally published by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this report on another domain, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of international copyright legislation. The correct version of this report can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4118880/miles-capital-inc-acquires-shares-of-10416-ttm-technologies-inc-ttmi.html.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Broadcom Corporation(BRCM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Headlines about Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm scores the sentiment of media coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Broadcom earned a news impact score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the semiconductor manufacturer an impact score of 43.7335359332371 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCM) traded down about 1.4% Friday and posted a new 52-week low of $222.00 after closing Thursday at $225.25. The stock’s 52-week high is $285.68. Volume totaled around 3.9 million, just under the daily average of about 4.1 million. The company had no specific news.

Mizuho Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Portland General Electric (POR)

Mizuho reiterated their buy rating on shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) in a research report report published on Thursday. They currently have a $50.00 price target on the utilities provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Portland General Electric from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $51.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 15th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Portland General Electric from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 20th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Portland General Electric from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Portland General Electric from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Monday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Portland General Electric currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $44.56.

Get Portland General Electric alerts:

POR opened at $48.93 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90. Portland General Electric has a fifty-two week low of $39.02 and a fifty-two week high of $50.40. The firm has a market cap of $4.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.37, a PEG ratio of 6.14 and a beta of 0.27.

Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 15th. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.01. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 10.34% and a return on equity of 9.05%. The company had revenue of $524.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $520.95 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Portland General Electric will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 25th will be paid a $0.3625 dividend. This represents a $1.45 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. Portland General Electric’s payout ratio is currently 63.32%.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. First Mercantile Trust Co. lifted its stake in Portland General Electric by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. First Mercantile Trust Co. now owns 5,182 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Portland General Electric by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,648 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $809,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Suntrust Banks Inc. lifted its stake in Portland General Electric by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Suntrust Banks Inc. now owns 56,518 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,591,000 after purchasing an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Portland General Electric by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,777 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $678,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in Portland General Electric by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 50,832 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,331,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.96% of the company’s stock.

Portland General Electric Company Profile

Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. The company operates seven thermal plants; seven hydroelectric plants; and two wind farms. As of December 31, 2017, it owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,250 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 402 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 561 miles of 115 kilovolt line.

See Also: What is an SEC Filing?

Will My Social Security Benefits Start Automatically?

Millions of seniors count on Social Security to pay the bills in retirement, and thankfully, signing up for benefits is pretty easy. But if you're wondering whether that process will happen automatically, the answer is "no."

The reason? There's no single age to file for Social Security. Eligible recipients get an eight-year window to claim benefits that begins at age 62 and ends at age 70. (In fact, you're not even required to file by 70, though there's no financial reason to wait past that point.) There are different repercussions and advantages associated with filing at various ages, so the decision to claim benefits isn't one the Social Security Administration (SSA) can make for you. Rather, you'll need to weigh the pros and cons of filing at various ages to land on the right one.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Making the best filing decision

Your Social Security benefits are calculated based on your 35 highest years of earnings, but the age at which you file for them can cause that number to climb or drop. If you file at full retirement age (FRA) -- which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later – you'll get the exact monthly benefit your earnings record entitles you to. File before FRA, and your benefits will be reduced for each month you claim them early. And if you delay benefits past FRA, you'll boost them by 8% a year up until age 70 -- which is why waiting past 70 doesn't pay: You won't grow your benefits any longer.

Because there are financial ramifications involved in your filing decision, you'll need to consider your choices carefully. One thing to keep in mind is the extent to which you expect to rely on Social Security to cover your expenses in retirement. If you've saved well, you might claim benefits on the early side so you can use them to travel or enjoy life while you're relatively young. But if you're low on savings, you'll probably want to grow those benefits, or least avoid a reduction.

Your health should play a big role in your filing decision, too. Though Social Security is technically designed to pay you the same lifetime total regardless of when you initially file (the logic being that claiming early will reduce your payments, but you'll get more of them, while filing late will increase your payments, but you'll get fewer), that's only the case if you live an average lifespan. If your health is poor, and you expect to pass away on the younger side, you're generally best off claiming benefits as soon as you're able to. And if you expect to live a longer life than most, you should file as late as possible.

Claiming your benefits

No matter when you decide to file for Social Security, don't expect those benefits to become available overnight. It can take several months for your application to go through, so if, for example, you want to start collecting benefits at age 67, you'd be wise to apply when you're 66 and 9 months old.

The easiest way to apply for Social Security is online via the SSA's website. You can also apply by phone or in person at your local Social Security office, though you might need an appointment if you're going the latter route. Either way, put a decent amount of thought into the decision, and thank your lucky stars that you have the flexibility to start taking benefits at a time that's most optimal for you.

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019

tags:KSS,WEN,SIRI,GD,EMR,

2018 was a tough year for digital memory manufacturers, and investors in Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) and Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) were no exception. In the last trailing-12-month stretch, Seagate is down 20%, and Western Digital is down 48%.

A slowdown in demand for memory products toward the end of the year is to blame, and a rebound isn't expected until later in 2019. Nevertheless, these two stocks look mighty cheap, and both pay out generous dividends. One looks like a better deal, though, as needs for digital memory continue to grow and evolve.

Metric

Seagate Technology

Western Digital

Market cap

$12.7 billion

$13.1 billion

TTM price to earnings

8.9

16.7

Forward price to earnings

8.7

8.1

Price to free cash flow

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) reported first-quarter fiscal 2018 results before markets opened Tuesday. The department store retailer reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.64 on total revenues of $4.21 billion. In the first quarter of 2017, the company reported EPS of $0.39 on revenue of $4.01 billion. First-quarter results also compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for EPS of $0.50 and $3.95 billion in revenue.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Shares of Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) were heading lower today as a warning from the department store chain about slowing sales growth in the second half overshadowed a strong first-quarter report. In fact, that response seemed to mirror the investor reaction to its fourth-quarter report. As of 2:51 p.m. EDT, the stock was trading down 6.4%.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) will share its latest quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.50 in EPS and $3.95 billion in revenue. Shares ended last week at $63.67, in a 52-week range of $35.16 to $69.48. The consensus analyst target is $69.76.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) fiscal first-quarter 2018 results, released on May 22, reveal its momentum even as many fellow brick-and-mortar retailers struggle with an industry shift to e-commerce, and rapidly evolving consumer purchasing habits. Kohl's reported revenue growth of 3.5% over the last three months, to $4.2 billion, and boasted a 3.5% lift in comparable-store sales.

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wedbush reissued their hold rating on shares of Wendys (NASDAQ:WEN) in a research report report published on Monday. Wedbush currently has a $17.50 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock.

• [By ]

  The company's properties are freestanding, not located in malls or shopping centers (which means better margins, lower rent volatility and less dependence on imperiled anchors). Better still, 96% of its rental income is shielded from e-commerce threats. After all, gas stations, drug stores and fast-food chains like Wendy's (Nasdaq: WEN) don't compete with Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN).

• [By ]

  The company's properties are freestanding, not located in malls or shopping centers (which means better margins, lower rent volatility and less dependence on imperiled anchors). Better still, 96% of its rental income is shielded from e-commerce threats. After all, gas stations, drug stores and fast-food chains like Wendy's (Nasdaq: WEN) don't compete with Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN).

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  If you're a burger lover who doesn't mind slumming it with the fast-food giants, this is going to be a great month for your pocketbook. McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) and now Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) are offering big markdowns on signature sandwiches through the end of September. 

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA) was reportedly willing to sell itself, and Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) might have been interested in buying, until comments deemed racially insensitive by the pizzeria's founder John Schnatter led to his resignation as company chairman -- and caused the burger joint to back away from further negotiations.

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in shares of Sirius XM Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI) by 36.7% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 130,110 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 34,955 shares during the quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank’s holdings in Sirius XM were worth $812,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Shares of Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) hit another 12-year high on Monday. The country's lone satellite radio provider would go on to improve its fundamentals, announcing that it's laying to rest a pending legal matter by settling with SoundExchange.

• [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 Rick Munarriz]

  The market didn't exactly jump for joy with Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) following its first-quarter results on Wednesday. Revenue rose 6.3% to hit $1.375 billion, in line with analyst expectations but the satellite radio provider's weakest top-line growth since 2011. Free cash flow, operating cash flow, and earnings grew even faster, up 31%, 34%, and 40%, respectively. Sirius XM's profit of $0.06 a share did beat Wall Street's bottom-line target.  

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019: S&P GSCI(GD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  Two of the biggest laggards have been General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) and Huntington Ingalls (NYSE:HII), each down by more than 10% in the past three months. The similarities go well beyond stock performance. The companies have two of the more interesting outlooks for growth among defense players, but each seemed to catch investors off guard over how long it will take that increased business to materialize.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  Sciple: That will be our first look at how any of these companies was affected by the shutdown. We had a lot of defense contractors reporting earnings in this past week. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), Raytheon (NYSE:RTN), Northrop (NYSE:NOC). Of course, those numbers are not embracing a significant chunk of the government shutdown. However, they did give relatively muted guidance looking out into next year. Can you talk about that a little bit? 

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This company, like other major defense contractors, has had a very solid few years, and the future looks solid. General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) is engaged in business aviation, land and expeditionary combat vehicles and systems, armaments, munitions, shipbuilding and marine systems, and information systems and technologies.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.4 per share on revenue of $5.63 billion. Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $37.16 billion. Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $605.26 million. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.59 per share on revenue of $22.75 billion. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.52 per share on revenue of $7.6 billion. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.58 per share on revenue of $22.24 billion. Anthem, Inc. (NYSE: ANTM) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $4.91 per share on revenue of $22.52 billion. Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.79 per share on revenue of $3.04 billion. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.61 per share on revenue of $6.61 billion. Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.81 per share on revenue of $1.66 billion. Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $2.15 billion. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $3.82 billion. Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.97 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TROW) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.71 per share on revenue of $1.29 billion. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $1.57 billion. Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SI
• [By ]

  In addition to increasing the dividend, Action Alerts PLUS holding Raytheon announced in late March that under the Department of Defense's DARPA program, it was developing technology that could control swarms of both air-based, and ground-based drone vehicles that might be launched using a "drag and drop" visual interface. My price target: $245.

  General Dynamics (GD)

  This is one firm where we have already seen cash flows and margins improving. GD is also another defense name that increased their dividend in March. Think the Navy gets some love in the 2018 federal budget that earmarked $654 billion for the Pentagon? Me too. Know who runs the Virginia class submarine program? General Dynamics. In fact, the Navy just awarded a $696 million modification to that program for 2019.

Best Cheap Stocks For 2019: Emerson Electric Company(EMR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Emerson Electric (EMR)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 202,986 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,864,000.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Diversified industrial conglomerate Emerson (NYSE:EMR) submitted its first-quarter 2019 earnings report on Tuesday. Three months into the new fiscal year, Emerson hit the low end of its full-year underlying revenue growth target range and tweaked earnings expectations slightly higher.

Ion Geophysical Corp (IO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Ion Geophysical Corp (NYSE:IO) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $35.00.

IO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group cut shares of Ion Geophysical from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 1st. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ion Geophysical in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. ValuEngine downgraded Ion Geophysical from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 6th. CIBC restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ion Geophysical in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Ion Geophysical from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 2nd.

Get Ion Geophysical alerts:

Shares of IO traded up $0.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $12.54. The stock had a trading volume of 134,133 shares, compared to its average volume of 183,942. The firm has a market cap of $175.76 million, a P/E ratio of -5.29 and a beta of 3.74. Ion Geophysical has a 12 month low of $4.53 and a 12 month high of $30.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Ion Geophysical (NYSE:IO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 6th. The oil and gas company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.27. Ion Geophysical had a negative net margin of 39.53% and a negative return on equity of 99.92%. The company had revenue of $74.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $65.40 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Ion Geophysical will post -0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, Director James M. Lapeyre, Jr. bought 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $7.61 per share, with a total value of $152,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 202,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,543,102.53. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 13.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Ion Geophysical during the third quarter valued at $184,000. Rhumbline Advisers purchased a new stake in Ion Geophysical during the fourth quarter valued at $75,000. New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust purchased a new stake in Ion Geophysical during the third quarter valued at $249,000. Man Group plc purchased a new stake in Ion Geophysical during the third quarter valued at $301,000. Finally, Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Ion Geophysical during the second quarter valued at $549,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.61% of the company’s stock.

About Ion Geophysical

ION Geophysical Corporation provides geoscience products, services, and solutions to the oil and gas industry worldwide. It operates through three segments: E&P Technology & Services, E&P Operations Optimization, and Ocean Bottom Services. The E&P Technology & Services segment offers complete seismic data services, including survey design and planning, data acquisition, project management, advanced processing, and imaging services, as well as reservoir characterization and interpretation services.

Further Reading: Quiet Period Expirations

Capital One Financial Weighs in on Martin Midstream Partners L.P.’s FY2018 Earnings (MMLP)

Martin Midstream Partners L.P. (NASDAQ:MMLP) – Equities research analysts at Capital One Financial lowered their FY2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Martin Midstream Partners in a report released on Thursday, February 14th. Capital One Financial analyst K. May now forecasts that the pipeline company will earn $0.12 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $0.14. Capital One Financial also issued estimates for Martin Midstream Partners’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.22 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $0.82 EPS.

Get Martin Midstream Partners alerts:

Several other research firms have also commented on MMLP. Zacks Investment Research lowered Martin Midstream Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 1st. ValuEngine raised Martin Midstream Partners from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 1st. BidaskClub raised Martin Midstream Partners from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 2nd. Finally, Raymond James cut their price objective on Martin Midstream Partners from $17.00 to $15.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.83.

NASDAQ MMLP opened at $12.30 on Friday. Martin Midstream Partners has a 52 week low of $9.13 and a 52 week high of $16.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.45, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 2.28. The firm has a market cap of $491.24 million, a PE ratio of 27.95, a P/E/G ratio of 9.19 and a beta of 1.27.

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MMLP. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Martin Midstream Partners by 26.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 31,454 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 6,564 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of Martin Midstream Partners by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 43,226 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $597,000 after purchasing an additional 4,226 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new stake in shares of Martin Midstream Partners during the 3rd quarter worth about $449,000. ING Groep NV acquired a new position in Martin Midstream Partners in the 3rd quarter valued at about $457,000. Finally, Rational Advisors LLC grew its position in Martin Midstream Partners by 38.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rational Advisors LLC now owns 63,710 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $739,000 after acquiring an additional 17,810 shares in the last quarter. 25.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 7th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 16.26%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 6th. Martin Midstream Partners’s payout ratio is 454.55%.

About Martin Midstream Partners

Martin Midstream Partners L.P. collects, transports, stores, and markets petroleum products and by-products in the United States Gulf Coast region. The company's Terminalling and Storage segment owns or operates 22 marine shore-based terminal facilities and 16 specialty terminal facilities that provide storage, refining, blending, packaging, and handling services for producers and suppliers of petroleum products and by-products.

Recommended Story: New Google Finance Tool and Screening Stocks

Cerity Partners LLC Has $3.22 Million Position in Electronic Arts Inc. (EA)

Cerity Partners LLC decreased its position in Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,799 shares of the game software company’s stock after selling 1,595 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Electronic Arts were worth $3,219,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Baystate Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Electronic Arts by 373.1% in the 4th quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 317 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 7,694.9% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 2,624,704 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 2,591,032 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 692.2% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 610 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Electronic Arts by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 800 shares of the game software company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IMS Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Electronic Arts during the 3rd quarter valued at about $70,000. 95.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Electronic Arts alerts:

A number of research firms have recently commented on EA. SunTrust Banks set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Electronic Arts and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price objective on shares of Electronic Arts from $127.00 to $126.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 31st. Piper Jaffray Companies dropped their price objective on shares of Electronic Arts from $148.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 10th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 1st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Electronic Arts from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Electronic Arts presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $113.92.

In other Electronic Arts news, Director Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.55, for a total value of $1,005,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 27,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,752,154.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Andrew Wilson sold 9,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.36, for a total value of $759,240.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 65,200 shares of company stock valued at $5,962,501 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.24% of the company’s stock.

Shares of NASDAQ:EA opened at $102.25 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.99 and a quick ratio of 2.99. Electronic Arts Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.91 and a 1 year high of $151.26. The stock has a market cap of $29.13 billion, a PE ratio of 29.72, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.20.

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 5th. The game software company reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.12. Electronic Arts had a return on equity of 23.21% and a net margin of 26.77%. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.60) EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Electronic Arts Inc. will post 3.14 EPS for the current year.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Cerity Partners LLC Has $3.22 Million Position in Electronic Arts Inc. (EA)” was published by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this piece of content on another domain, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of U.S. & international trademark & copyright law. The original version of this piece of content can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4150566/cerity-partners-llc-has-3-22-million-position-in-electronic-arts-inc-ea.html.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc develops, markets, publishes, and distributes games, content, and services for game consoles, PCs, mobile phones, and tablets worldwide. The company develops and publishes games and services across various genres, such as sports, first-person shooter, action, role-playing, and simulation primarily under the Battlefield, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, The Sims, and Plants v.

Recommended Story: What are the benefits of momentum investing?

3M Co (MMM) Holdings Cut by John G Ullman & Associates Inc.

John G Ullman & Associates Inc. lowered its stake in shares of 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,881 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after selling 115 shares during the quarter. John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s holdings in 3M were worth $930,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MMM. Capital Insight Partners LLC raised its stake in 3M by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Capital Insight Partners LLC now owns 8,852 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $1,687,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc raised its stake in 3M by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc now owns 3,790 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $722,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. raised its stake in 3M by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 6,928 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $1,320,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in 3M by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,645 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $2,409,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SignalPoint Asset Management LLC raised its stake in 3M by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. SignalPoint Asset Management LLC now owns 3,324 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $633,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.67% of the company’s stock.

Get 3M alerts:

In other 3M news, Chairman Inge G. Thulin sold 13,499 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $2,699,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 230,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,091,600. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Paul A. Keel sold 9,410 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.14, for a total value of $1,873,907.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,012.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 50,589 shares of company stock worth $10,103,464. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Shares of MMM stock opened at $200.91 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market cap of $115.06 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.06. 3M Co has a 52 week low of $176.87 and a 52 week high of $244.86.

3M (NYSE:MMM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 29th. The conglomerate reported $2.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.87 billion. 3M had a return on equity of 57.70% and a net margin of 16.33%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that 3M Co will post 10.67 EPS for the current year.

3M declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 13th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the conglomerate to buy up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 15th will be issued a $1.44 dividend. This is a boost from 3M’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 14th. This represents a $5.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. 3M’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.01%.

MMM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded 3M from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 29th. Barclays decreased their target price on 3M from $201.00 to $195.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 24th. Citigroup decreased their target price on 3M from $251.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 24th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their target price on 3M from $228.00 to $222.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “buy” rating and set a $213.00 target price on shares of 3M in a report on Wednesday, December 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $214.57.

TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This report was published by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this report on another publication, it was stolen and republished in violation of international copyright & trademark laws. The original version of this report can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4146024/3m-co-mmm-holdings-cut-by-john-g-ullman-associates-inc.html.

3M Profile

3M Company operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company's Industrial segment offers tapes; coated, non-woven, and bonded abrasives; adhesives; ceramics; sealants; specialty materials; purification products; closure systems for personal hygiene products; acoustic systems products; automotive components; and abrasion-resistant films, and paint finishing and detailing products.

Recommended Story: Do stock splits help investors?

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MMM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for 3M Co (NYSE:MMM).