Zacks: Brokerages Anticipate Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) Will Announce Earnings of $0.89 Per Sha

Equities analysts expect Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE:GVA) to announce earnings per share (EPS) of $0.89 for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Two analysts have made estimates for Granite Construction’s earnings, with estimates ranging from $0.88 to $0.90. Granite Construction posted earnings per share of $0.35 in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year over year growth rate of 154.3%. The firm is expected to issue its next earnings results on Tuesday, August 7th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Granite Construction will report full year earnings of $3.36 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.24 to $3.50. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the company will post earnings of $4.50 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $4.31 to $4.69. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS averages are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Granite Construction.

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Granite Construction (NYSE:GVA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 30th. The construction company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.37) by $0.24. The company had revenue of $563.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $534.77 million. Granite Construction had a return on equity of 8.82% and a net margin of 2.64%. The business’s revenue was up 20.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.60) earnings per share.

Several analysts recently weighed in on GVA shares. ValuEngine raised Granite Construction from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 8th. DA Davidson raised Granite Construction from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research cut Granite Construction from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 6th. Finally, MKM Partners dropped their price target on Granite Construction to $74.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $72.29.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GVA. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Granite Construction by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 299,912 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $19,024,000 after acquiring an additional 18,513 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Granite Construction by 2,194.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 58,720 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,725,000 after acquiring an additional 56,161 shares during the period. Investment House LLC bought a new position in Granite Construction during the 4th quarter worth $214,000. Parametrica Management Ltd bought a new position in Granite Construction during the 4th quarter worth $360,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Granite Construction by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 859,962 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $54,547,000 after acquiring an additional 19,775 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.16% of the company’s stock.

NYSE:GVA traded down $0.32 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $56.36. 11,957 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 349,325. The stock has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.28, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Granite Construction has a fifty-two week low of $45.94 and a fifty-two week high of $68.58.

Granite Construction Company Profile

Granite Construction Incorporated operates as a heavy civil contractor and a construction materials producer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Construction, Large Project Construction, and Construction Materials. The Construction segment undertakes various civil construction projects focusing on new construction and improvement of streets, roads, highways, bridges, site work, underground, power-related facilities, water-related facilities, utilities, and other infrastructure projects.

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Affiliated Managers Group (AMG) & Eaton Vance (EV) Head-To-Head Contrast

Affiliated Managers Group (NYSE: AMG) and Eaton Vance (NYSE:EV) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, risk, valuation and profitability.

Profitability

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This table compares Affiliated Managers Group and Eaton Vance’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Affiliated Managers Group	30.34%	19.27%	9.90%
Eaton Vance	19.82%	33.96%	15.00%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Affiliated Managers Group and Eaton Vance’s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Affiliated Managers Group	$2.31 billion	3.85	$689.50 million	$14.60	11.19
Eaton Vance	$1.53 billion	4.32	$282.13 million	$2.48	22.17

Affiliated Managers Group has higher revenue and earnings than Eaton Vance. Affiliated Managers Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Eaton Vance, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Affiliated Managers Group has a beta of 1.53, meaning that its share price is 53% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Eaton Vance has a beta of 1.7, meaning that its share price is 70% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Affiliated Managers Group and Eaton Vance, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Affiliated Managers Group	0	3	4	0	2.57
Eaton Vance	0	4	3	0	2.43

Affiliated Managers Group currently has a consensus price target of $213.57, suggesting a potential upside of 30.76%. Eaton Vance has a consensus price target of $57.79, suggesting a potential upside of 5.10%. Given Affiliated Managers Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Affiliated Managers Group is more favorable than Eaton Vance.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

94.6% of Affiliated Managers Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 68.9% of Eaton Vance shares are held by institutional investors. 1.4% of Affiliated Managers Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Affiliated Managers Group pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Eaton Vance pays an annual dividend of $1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Affiliated Managers Group pays out 8.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Eaton Vance pays out 50.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Eaton Vance has raised its dividend for 37 consecutive years. Eaton Vance is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Affiliated Managers Group beats Eaton Vance on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

Affiliated Managers Group Company Profile

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., through its affiliates, operates as an asset management company providing investment management services to mutual funds, institutional clients, and high net worth individuals in the United States. It provides advisory or subadvisory services to mutual funds. These funds are distributed to retail and institutional clients directly and through intermediaries, including independent investment advisors, retirement plan sponsors, broker-dealers, major fund marketplaces, and bank trust departments. The company also offers investment products in various investment styles in the institutional distribution channel, including small, small/mid, mid, and large capitalization value and growth equity, and emerging markets. In addition, it offers quantitative, alternative, and fixed income products, and manages assets for foundations and endowments, defined benefit, and defined contribution plans for corporations and municipalities. Affiliated Managers Group provides investment management or customized investment counseling and fiduciary services. The company was formed as a corporation under the laws of Delaware in 1993. Affiliated Managers Group is based in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts.

Eaton Vance Company Profile

Eaton Vance Corp., through its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, marketing, and management of investment funds in the United States. It also provides investment management and counseling services to institutions and individuals. Further, the company operates as an adviser and distributor of investment companies and separate accounts. As of October 31, 2004, the company provided investment advisory or administration services to approximately 150 funds; approximately 1,300 separately managed individual and institutional accounts; and participated in approximately 40 retail-managed account broker/dealer programs. It markets and distributes shares of funds through a retail network of national and regional broker/dealers, banks, insurance companies, and financial planning firms. Eaton Vance Corp. was incorporated on January 29, 1981 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Analysts Expect Ctrip.Com International Ltd (CTRP) Will Post Earnings of $0.22 Per Share

Wall Street analysts forecast that Ctrip.Com International Ltd (NASDAQ:CTRP) will report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.22 for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Three analysts have made estimates for Ctrip.Com International’s earnings, with estimates ranging from $0.20 to $0.26. Ctrip.Com International posted earnings per share of $0.09 in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year-over-year growth rate of 144.4%. The business is expected to report its next earnings results on Wednesday, August 29th.

On average, analysts expect that Ctrip.Com International will report full year earnings of $1.16 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.94 to $1.52. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the company will report earnings of $1.54 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.34 to $1.71. Zacks’ earnings per share calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Ctrip.Com International.

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Ctrip.Com International (NASDAQ:CTRP) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 14th. The company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.16 by ($0.02). Ctrip.Com International had a net margin of 11.40% and a return on equity of 4.70%. The business had revenue of $987.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 35.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. TH Capital raised shares of Ctrip.Com International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday. Deutsche Bank assumed coverage on shares of Ctrip.Com International in a research note on Monday, February 5th. They set a “hold” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Co assumed coverage on shares of Ctrip.Com International in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Ctrip.Com International from $45.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Finally, TheStreet lowered shares of Ctrip.Com International from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Friday, April 20th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $53.23.

CTRP stock traded up $0.57 on Friday, hitting $46.50. 4,341,100 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,878,689. Ctrip.Com International has a 1-year low of $40.13 and a 1-year high of $60.65. The firm has a market cap of $24.43 billion, a PE ratio of 78.81, a P/E/G ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ctrip.Com International by 1,257.0% in the 1st quarter. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 3,419 shares in the last quarter. Baldwin Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ctrip.Com International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Point72 Asia Hong Kong Ltd lifted its position in shares of Ctrip.Com International by 3,674.8% in the 1st quarter. Point72 Asia Hong Kong Ltd now owns 4,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,000 after acquiring an additional 4,373 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ctrip.Com International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Finally, IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ctrip.Com International by 46.3% in the 1st quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $212,000 after acquiring an additional 1,467 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.49% of the company’s stock.

About Ctrip.Com International

Ctrip.com International, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides travel service for accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours, and corporate travel management in the People's Republic of China. The company operates as an agent for hotel-related transactions; sells air tickets; and other related services, including sale of aviation and train insurance, air-ticket delivery services, online check-in, and other value-added services, such as online seat selection and flight dynamics.

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Exxon Mobil, Chevron Clobber the Dow Thursday

May 24, 2018: Markets opened lower Thursday following Trump’s cancellation of the June meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Trump’s threatened tax on imported cars boosted the industrials, consumer cyclicals, and utilities sectors. The energy sector tumbled after a two-week run-up.

WTI crude oil for July delivery closed at $70.71 a barrel, down about 1.6% for the day. June gold added 1.2% on the day to settle at $1,304.40. Equities were headed for a narrowly lower close about 10 minutes before the bell as the Dow traded down 0.30% for the day, the S&P 500 traded down 0.23%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded down 0.06%.

Bitcoin futures (XBTM8) for June delivery traded at $7,585, down about 0.8% on the CBOE after opening at $7,635 this morning. The trading range today was $7,265 to $7,750.

The Dow stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) which traded down 2.42% at $80.16 in a 52-week range of $72.16 to $89.30. Volume was about 35% below the daily average of around 5.2 million shares. The company had no specific news.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) traded down 1.74% at $126.46. The stock’s 52-week range is $102.55 to $133.88. Volume was about 33% below the daily average of around 6.7 million shares. Like Exxon, the company had no specific news, but low oil prices hit the shares today.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) traded down 1.05% at $111.31. The stock’s 52-week range is $81.64 to $119.33. Volume was about 30% below the daily average of around 14.5 million. The bank had no specific news Thursday.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) traded down 1.08% at $122.12. The stock’s 52-week range is $121.28 to $148.32. Volume was about 20% below the daily average of 6.8 million. The company has been ordered to pay nearly $26 million in a case related to cancer linked �to asbestos in the company’s baby powder product.

Of the Dow stocks, 10 are on track to close higher Thursday and 20 are set to close lower.

24/7 Wall St.
The Biggest Company the Year You Were Born

Even Alibaba Isn't Immune to the Consequences of Heavy Investing

Alibaba's (NYSE:BABA)�spending had investors excited when the company was able to maintain its profit and margins. But now its heavy investing is causing some raised eyebrows after the Chinese retail giant reported a drop in net income and a shrunken operating margin.�

The company didn't shy away from talking about its spending habits, even warning investors during the fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call that it intended to continue the heavy investing trend. Alibaba seems confident that reinvesting billions of dollars in new projects like New Retail, cloud computing, and logistics will help it diversify its revenue, stay ahead of the competition, and entice customers to spend more.

Alibaba has been prioritizing long-term growth over short-term profit. Image source: Alibaba.

Alibaba's heavy investing weighs on profit, margins

Alibaba has been open about its heavy investing in the past year. But some investors were still taken aback by the company's latest earnings report, which showed net income fell by 29% year over year to $1.2 billion. The company noted that it had a tough comparison due to the sale of certain investments in the same quarter last year.�

But operating margin also shrank to just 15%, down from 25% a year ago. And Alibaba warned investors in its earnings report that it expects its margin to continue to shrink as it works on growing all of its new initiatives. And Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said on the earnings call that the company will continue to invest "aggressively."�

In 2017, Alibaba's heavy spending outside of its ongoing New Retail projects and cloud computing business included taking control of its logistics network Cainiao for $807 million. This gives Alibaba more control over deliveries and logistics, both in China and abroad, which it has typically relied on third parties for in the past. Furthermore, Alibaba also pledged to invest $15 billion additional dollars on building out its global logistics network over the next five years.�

And already in 2018, Alibaba is going after China's $10.7 billion food-delivery market by�scooping up�Ele.me in a deal that valued the start-up at $9.5 billion. But more importantly, Ele.me will also help improve Alibaba's delivery and logistics capabilities in China. That's because Ele.me's Feng Niao Delivery network has 3 million employees and a fleet of motorbikes that can strengthen Alibaba's local delivery network. Alibaba could expand its 30-minute grocery delivery service from its Hema stores or start offering 30-minute delivery on clothing, electronics, and more from its Tmall platform.�

Other investments this year include a 33% stake in its payment affiliate, Ant Financial, as it works to implement its Alipay mobile payment platform into its New Retail projects; a $2 billion investment in its Southeast Asia e-commerce company Lazada, bringing its total investment in the company to $4 billion; and most recently, the purchase of Pakistani e-commerce platform Daraz to further increase its chances of winning market share in South Asia.�

Why Alibaba feels pressured to spend big�

Right now Alibaba is reliant on its China commerce retail segment for over 70% of its revenue, which doesn't look good for long-term growth. Alibaba knows this and is working to diversify its revenue by investing in new initiatives.�

Alibaba is also under pressure to expand outside of online shopping because its top rivals, Tencent (NASDAQOTH:TCEHY) and JD.com (NASDAQ:JD), are both investing in other areas. JD.com already has its own delivery network and is building high-tech supermarkets across China, similar to Alibaba's Hema stores. And Tencent's WeChat app, which now allows for purchases, hit over 1 billion monthly active users earlier this year, topping Alibaba's 617 million monthly active users.��

Right now, Alibaba is in the lead for China e-commerce sales with 51.3% of the market, according to eMarketer. But Alibaba knows its position isn't secure and that investing in things like a better logistics network will be key to winning and keeping customers.

If everything goes right for Alibaba...

If all of these new initiatives work out as planned, then Alibaba will achieve its ultimate goal: to get each of its customers to spend more money within Alibaba's ecosystem.�Alibaba wants its 617 million monthly active users to come to its platform for all of their consumer needs, including media and entertainment, cloud computing, groceries, clothing, and more.�

In addition, as these customers buy more and more things through Alibaba, the company is going to glean even more information on consumer traits that will help it continue to improve all of its retail businesses. And it can also use that information to keep improving its New Retail projects.�

Co-founder Joseph Tsai said this in so many words in the last earnings call: "We're extremely excited by the potential flywheel effects of expanding the wallet share of these 550 million [annual active] users across our ecosystem, as well as the synergies and consumer insights that can be achieved through a platform built on the Alibaba technology infrastructure."�

But this hinges on everything going right for Alibaba. The company is putting a lot on the line for these new initiatives, and has warned investors about the expected negative impact on its margin. Now investors need to decide whether they trust the company can use these expensive initiatives to fuel long-term growth or not.

Vivus Inc (VVUS) CEO John P. Amos Bought $207,900 of Shares

CEO of Vivus Inc (NASDAQ:VVUS) John P. Amos bought 270,000 shares of VVUS on 05/18/2018 at an average price of $0.77 a share. The total cost of this purchase was $207,900.

VIVUS Incis a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutic products for large underserved markets. Its product line includes Qsymia for sleep apnea, STENDRA for erectile dysfunction. VIVUS Inc has a market cap of $88.730 million; its shares were traded at around $0.84 with and P/S ratio of 1.77.

CEO Recent Trades:

CEO John P. Amos bought 270,000 shares of VVUS stock on 05/18/2018 at the average price of $0.77. CEO John P. Amos bought 360,000 shares of VVUS stock on 05/17/2018 at the average price of $0.69. CEO John P. Amos bought 540,000 shares of VVUS stock on 05/16/2018 at the average price of $0.56. CEO John P. Amos bought 540,000 shares of VVUS stock on 05/14/2018 at the average price of $0.52. CEO John P. Amos sold 1,500 shares of VVUS stock on 05/18/2018 at the average price of $0.77.

For the complete insider trading history of VVUS, click here

.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018

tags:SAVE,ANIP,EMKR,TTMI,CWH,

Steve Wynn’s claim that he can’t be accused of ogling female dancers because he’s legally blind doesn’t hold water, according to a women’s rights lawyer sued by Wynn for allegedly defaming him.

Legal blindness isn’t equivalent to clinical blindness and there’s no reason to think that Wynn, a well-known art collector, isn’t capable of seeing things, lawyer Lisa Bloom said Wednesday in a bid to throw out Wynn’s defamation lawsuit.

“While Mr. Wynn’s eyesight may be less than ideal, it is clear that he can still see,” Bloom said in her request in federal court in Las Vegas. “And in bringing this lawsuit, he is perhaps more like Oedipus, lacking vision, but not eyesight.”

In any case, the question of Wynn’s eyesight is a legally irrelevant red herring because to claim defamation, according to Bloom, he must show that she knew he was so blind that he couldn’t see scantily clad women when she issued a press release with those allegations.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018: Spirit Airlines Inc.(SAVE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  For the first few years after its 2011 IPO, Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) achieved rapid profit growth, becoming a stock market darling in the process. However, the company's profit margin peaked in 2015 and has been moving inexorably lower since then.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $34.66 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $5.24 billion. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.55 per share on revenue of $16.44 billion. Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.74 per share on revenue of $7.91 billion. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $8.81 billion. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.93 per share on revenue of $12.4 billion. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $10.42 billion. Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $5.01 billion. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.8 per share on revenue of $34.52 billion. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.66 per share on revenue of $5.38 billion. D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion. The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.4 per share on revenue of $1.94 billion. Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.56 per share on revenue of $2.94 billion. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $4.63 billion. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.54 per share on revenue of $3.72 billion. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is projected to report quarter
• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Last fall, Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) forecast that its adjusted nonfuel unit costs would decline 3%-5% year over year in 2018. This reflected the ultra-low-cost carrier's dreadful cost performance during the second quarter of 2017, when a pilot dispute forced Spirit to cancel hundreds of flights. Adjusted nonfuel unit costs surged 10% year over year in that quarter.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Since transitioning to an ultra-low cost carrier model around the time of the Great Recession, Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) has become known for spartan service. Leg room is minimal, and a slew of amenities that are standard on other airlines carry additional charges or aren't available at all. Spirit's unpopular policies were designed as part of a ruthless strategy to cut costs so that it could offer the lowest fares.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  For more than a decade, Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) has exclusively operated Airbus (NASDAQOTH:EADSY) A320-family jets. Today, the 182-seat Airbus A320 is the backbone of Spirit's fleet, accounting for roughly half of its aircraft. Meanwhile, the 145-seat A319 and 228-seat A321 each account for about a quarter of the fleet. These planes help Spirit efficiently serve its smallest and largest markets, respectively.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Most air travelers would agree that Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) and Frontier Airlines are the worst airlines in the U.S. in terms of service quality. The two ultra-low-cost carriers offer rock-bottom fares, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018: ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(ANIP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Canaccord Genuity set a $82.00 target price on ANI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ANIP) in a research report released on Tuesday morning. The firm currently has a buy rating on the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018: EMCORE Corporation(EMKR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap fiber-optic networking product Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ: AAOI), a potential peer of EMCORE Corporation (NASDAQ: EMKR), Finisar Corporation (NASDAQ: FNSR) and Oclaro Inc (NASDAQ: OCLR), is the�most�shorted stock on the�NASDAQ with short interest of 62.65% according to Highshortnterest.com.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018: TTM Technologies, Inc.(TTMI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 155.56 percent to close at $5.75 on Thursday. Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: INSP) shares gained 56.12 percent to close at $24.98. Inspire Medical went public Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company issued 6.75 million shares priced at $16 each. Presbia PLC (NASDAQ: LENS) shares rose 53.02 percent to close at $3.55. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares rose 46.29 percent to close at $32.11. 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. Technical Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: TCCO) climbed 27.78 percent to close at $5.75. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares gained 26.27 percent to close at $21.15 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares jumped 22.16 percent to close at $4.30 on Thursday after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADC) rose 20.45 percent to close at $2.65 on Thursday. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) surged 18.36 percent to close at $9.99 following upbeat quarterly earnings. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) jumped 17.68 percent to close at $35.74 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) jumped 17.4 percent to close at $5.87. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHRS) shares rose 17.32 percent to close at $14.90. Coherus BioSciences reported resubmission of BLA for CHS-1701. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares gained 17.17 percent to close at $31.05 following upbeat quarterly earnings. The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET) gained 16.02 percent to close at $2.68 following Q1 earnings. Ca

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2018: Camping World Holdings, Inc. (CWH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.44 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $3.63 billion. Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $3.17 billion. Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $926.18 million. The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $2.98 billion. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $1.71 billion. US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $5.98 billion. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $3.50 billion. Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.06 per share on revenue of $936.98 million. Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion. Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.14 per share on revenue of $1.21 billion. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $23.80 billion. JD.com, Inc. (NYSE: JD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $15.65 billion. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.6 per share o
• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The popularity of recreational vehicles has been rising, and Camping World Holdings (NYSE:CWH) has been maneuvering itself toward the front of the pack to take advantage of the trend. Although competition in the RV business is fierce, the space is quite segmented, and Camping World has a golden opportunity to build out its national presence, and begin to unify its retail face under a single corporate roof -- even as it branches out in new directions in an attempt to become an even broader, all-outdoors giant.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH) reported its first-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Tuesday. The company said that it had $0.41 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.06 billion in revenue. Consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters had called for $0.42 in EPS on revenue of $1.05 billion, and the same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.38 and $883.82 million in revenue.

Swiss National Bank Has $32.18 Million Stake in Sirius XM Holdings (SIRI)

Swiss National Bank cut its position in Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) by 13.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,157,758 shares of the company’s stock after selling 818,600 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.11% of Sirius XM worth $32,184,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Carillon Tower Advisers Inc. bought a new position in shares of Sirius XM during the fourth quarter worth $53,443,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Sirius XM by 27.6% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 44,612,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,123,000 after acquiring an additional 9,657,090 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Sirius XM by 20.5% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 43,824,751 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,901,000 after purchasing an additional 7,449,602 shares during the last quarter. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Sirius XM during the fourth quarter valued at $26,702,000. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. lifted its position in Sirius XM by 18.1% during the fourth quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 13,210,562 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,968,000 after purchasing an additional 2,024,500 shares during the last quarter. 19.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Sirius XM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $6.25 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Buckingham Research increased their price objective on shares of Sirius XM from $6.50 to $7.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Sirius XM from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Citigroup lowered shares of Sirius XM from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $6.65 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, March 22nd. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Sirius XM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $6.27.

In related news, EVP Stephen Cook sold 97,550 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.35, for a total value of $619,442.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,305,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,293,055.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Joan Lordi Amble sold 73,961 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.50, for a total transaction of $480,746.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 101,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $657,631. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,846,791 shares of company stock worth $12,271,267. Insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Shares of SIRI opened at $6.89 on Friday. Sirius XM Holdings has a twelve month low of $6.84 and a twelve month high of $6.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.86 billion, a PE ratio of 34.45, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of -4.35.

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.01. Sirius XM had a net margin of 13.26% and a negative return on equity of 76.24%. The business had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. equities research analysts predict that Sirius XM Holdings will post 0.24 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 10th will be paid a $0.011 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 9th. Sirius XM’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.00%.

Sirius XM declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 23rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

About Sirius XM

Sirius XM Holdings Inc provides satellite radio services in the United States. The company broadcasts music plus sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic, and weather programs, including various music genres ranging from rock, pop and hip-hop to country, dance, jazz, Latin, and classical; live play-by-play sports from principal leagues and colleges; multitude of talk and entertainment channels for various audiences; national, international, and financial news; and limited run channels.