Sunday, July 22, 2018

AJ Wealth Strategies LLC Has $6.93 Million Holdings in Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (CORT)

AJ Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ:CORT) by 113.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 441,103 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 234,483 shares during the quarter. Corcept Therapeutics comprises approximately 1.4% of AJ Wealth Strategies LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC owned approximately 0.38% of Corcept Therapeutics worth $6,934,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CORT. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Corcept Therapeutics by 13.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,905,164 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $212,288,000 after purchasing an additional 1,505,877 shares in the last quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA grew its position in shares of Corcept Therapeutics by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA now owns 12,686,727 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $208,697,000 after purchasing an additional 62,715 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Corcept Therapeutics by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,576,649 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,936,000 after purchasing an additional 306,691 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Corcept Therapeutics by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,116,603 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $18,368,000 after purchasing an additional 5,342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nexthera Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Corcept Therapeutics during the 1st quarter valued at $17,193,000. 76.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Corcept Therapeutics traded down $0.39, hitting $13.22, during midday trading on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The company had a trading volume of 2,865,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,574,573. Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated has a 52-week low of $11.88 and a 52-week high of $25.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a PE ratio of 30.07 and a beta of 1.93.

Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CORT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The biotechnology company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.01. Corcept Therapeutics had a net margin of 75.05% and a return on equity of 46.78%. The company had revenue of $57.66 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.18 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.06 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 108.9% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts predict that Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, Director G Leonard Baker, Jr. sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.01, for a total value of $480,300.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Robert S. Fishman sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.09, for a total transaction of $120,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $120,720. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 54,000 shares of company stock valued at $888,300 over the last quarter. 15.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CORT shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered shares of Corcept Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, May 31st. Seaport Global Securities assumed coverage on shares of Corcept Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, April 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $32.00 price target for the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Corcept Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, April 27th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Corcept Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 20th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Corcept Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $26.20.

Corcept Therapeutics Company Profile

Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated, a pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes drugs for the treatment of severe metabolic, oncologic, and psychiatric disorders in the United States. The company offers Korlym (mifepristone) tablets as a once-daily oral medication for the treatment of hyperglycemia secondary to hypercortisolism in adult patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome, who have type 2 diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance, and have failed surgery or are not candidates for surgery, as well as develops CLIA-validated assay to measure FKBP5 gene expression.

Read More: Closed-End Mutual Funds

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CORT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ:CORT).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CORT)

Friday, July 20, 2018

Stocks in the news: UltraTech Cement, HDFC, IDBI Bank, Kridhan Infra, PNC Infratech

Here are the stocks that are in news today:

Results Today:�UltraTech Cement, Bandhan Bank, Mindtree, NIIT Technologies, JM Financial, Mastek, GHCL, Mahindra CIE Auto, Reliance Communications, Sasken Tech, Responsive Industries, JK Tyre & Industries, Foseco India, HT media, Artson Engineering

HDFC: HDFC Asset Management Company decided to open its initial public offering for subscription on July 25 and close on July 27. Price band is fixed at Rs 1,095 to Rs 1,100 per share.

IDBI Bank: The bank has received a letter from Life Insurance Corporation of India expressing their interest in acquiring 51 percent controlling stake in the bank, as a Promoter through preferential allotment of shares/open offer.

related news Stocks in the news: Ashok Leyland, HCL Info, HUL, JSW Energy, Glenmark Pharma, BEML Stocks in the news: Tata Motors, Infosys, HUL, Vedanta, Aurobindo Pharma, JSPL, Just Dial Stocks in the news: Infosys, Fortis, Vakrangee, Cyient, HCL Tech, HOEC, Novartis, HDFC Bank

PSU Banks: The government has announced a capital infusion of Rs 11,336 crore in five public sector banks, which include�Punjab National Bank�(Rs 2,816 crore),�Indian Overseas Bank�(Rs 2,157 crore),�Andhra Bank�(Rs 2,019 crore),�Corporation Bank�(Rs 2,555 crore) and�Allahabad Bank�(Rs 1,790 crore).

Zee Entertainment Enterprises: Q1 consolidated net profit up 31.2 percent at Rs 326 crore versus Rs 248.2 crore; revenue up 15 percent at Rs 1,772 crore versus Rs 1,504.3 crore (YoY).

Sintex Industries: Q1 consolidated profit up 11.5 percent at Rs 39.1 crore versus Rs 35.1 crore; revenue up 34.6 percent at Rs 925.3 crore versus Rs 687.6 crore (YoY).

5paisa Capital: Q1 consolidated loss at Rs 5.6 crore versus loss of Rs 6.2 crore; revenue rises to Rs 9 crore versus Rs 2.2 crore (YoY).

HDFC Bank: The bank will issue 3.91 crore shares to HDFC via preferential allotment at Rs 2,174.09 per share.

Tejas Networks: Tejas implements 100G DWDM network for MCM Telecom in Mexico.

Kridhan Infra: VNC's JV awarded order worth Rs 222.6 crore.

PNC Infratech: The concession agreement signed between National Highways Authority of India and PNC Challakere (Karnataka) Highways Private Limited [special purpose vehicle] incorporated for implementation of project of four laning of Challakere to Hariyur section of NH 150 A, in Karnataka on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

Vibrant Global Capital: Board approved further Investment in Vibrant Global Salt Private Limited (subsidiary company) by way of purchase of 7 lakh Equity Shares in VGSPL. By way of this proposed investment, VGSPL will become wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.

REC board to consider raising up to Rs 70K cr via NCDs

Jet Airways to hold 26th AGM on August 9

NCLAT stays voting by Bhushan Power & Steel lenders on finalising bids

Allahabad Bank plans Rs 1,900 cr equity capital mop-up

Kalpataru Power Transmission to seek shareholders' nod to raise up to Rs 300 cr

Well mgt Co LLP sold 37,45,651 shares of PC Jeweller at Rs 85.43 First Published on Jul 18, 2018 07:44 am

Friday, July 13, 2018

Intellect Design Q1 PAT may dip 22.8% QoQ to Rs. 20 cr: HDFC Securities


HDFC Securities has come out with its first quarter (April-June�� 18) earnings estimates for the Technology sector. The brokerage house expects Intellect Design to report net profit at Rs. 20 crore down 22.8% quarter-on-quarter.


Net Sales are expected to increase by 3.5 percent Q-o-Q (up 31.8 percent Y-o-Y) to Rs. 318 crore, according to HDFC Securities.


Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are likely to rise by 6.7 percent Q-o-Q (up 62.6 percent Y-o-Y) to Rs. 26 crore.


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

Read More First Published on Jul 12, 2018 05:50 pm

Thursday, July 12, 2018

The United States could be spared the worst in a trade war

Mohamed El-Erian thinks a trade war will hurt the global economy. But it'll hurt the United States less than others.

In a piece for Project Syndicate, Allianz's chief economic adviser wrote that "today, a trade war would damage all economies."

But, he added, the United States "would do better than most others in a contracting world economy. Already, Chinese financial markets have suffered, while those in the US have held their own."

The investing expert will join CNNMoney editor-at-large Richard Quest on "Markets Now" on Wednesday.

In addition to the ramifications of a trade war, El-Erian and Quest will discuss the importance of continuing job growth to the US economy, the best sectors to invest in today and when bitcoin can be a good bet.

Recently, El-Erian said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that he'd buy bitcoin if it fell to about $5,000 per coin.

The price of one bitcoin is now hovering around $6,400. That's a more than 50% drop in 2018 and a 66% plunge from the all-time high of just under $20,000 that bitcoin hit in late December.

CNNMoney's "Markets Now" streams live from the New York Stock Exchange every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. ET. Hosted by Quest, the 15-minute program features incisive commentary from experts.

Recent guests include BlackRock's (BLK)Rick Rieder, Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza and bitcoin bull Mike Novogratz.

You can watch "Markets Now" at CNNMoney.com/MarketsNow from your desk or on your phone or tablet. If you can't catch the show live, check out highlights online and through the Markets Now newsletter, delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Fidelity National Financial (FNF) to Release Earnings on Tuesday

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) will post its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Tuesday, July 17th. Analysts expect Fidelity National Financial to post earnings of $0.82 per share for the quarter.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.42. Fidelity National Financial had a return on equity of 13.04% and a net margin of 8.66%. The firm had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.42 EPS. On average, analysts expect Fidelity National Financial to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Shares of Fidelity National Financial opened at $38.29 on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Fidelity National Financial has a 1-year low of $31.89 and a 1-year high of $42.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $10.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.87 and a beta of 0.80.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 29th. Investors of record on Friday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.13%. This is an increase from Fidelity National Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 14th. Fidelity National Financial’s payout ratio is 52.86%.

In other Fidelity National Financial news, insider Brent B. Bickett sold 63,155 shares of Fidelity National Financial stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.10, for a total transaction of $2,469,360.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Anthony Park sold 55,779 shares of Fidelity National Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.99, for a total value of $2,063,265.21. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 119,998 shares of company stock valued at $4,573,185. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

A number of brokerages have commented on FNF. Zacks Investment Research raised Fidelity National Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. ValuEngine cut Fidelity National Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $43.83.

Fidelity National Financial Company Profile

Fidelity National Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides title insurance, technology, and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries in the United States. The company operates in Title, and Corporate and Other segments. It offers title insurance, escrow, and other title related services, including collection and trust activities, trustee sales guarantees, recordings and conveyances, and home warranty insurance.

Earnings History for Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF)

Monday, July 9, 2018

K&S (SDF) Given a €25.00 Price Target by Deutsche Bank Analysts

Deutsche Bank set a €25.00 ($29.07) price objective on K&S (ETR:SDF) in a report published on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also commented on the company. UBS Group set a €25.00 ($29.07) price target on K&S and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 6th. Credit Suisse Group set a €19.30 ($22.44) price target on K&S and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Independent Research set a €25.00 ($29.07) price target on K&S and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 16th. Warburg Research set a €24.60 ($28.60) price target on K&S and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. Finally, Commerzbank set a €25.00 ($29.07) price target on K&S and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of €23.74 ($27.60).

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Shares of SDF stock opened at €20.71 ($24.08) on Tuesday. K&S has a one year low of €18.92 ($22.00) and a one year high of €24.74 ($28.77).

About K&S

K+S Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells potash, magnesium, and salt products worldwide. Its Potash and Magnesium Products segment produces and markets mineral fertilizers, such as potassium chloride for various crops, including cereals, corn, rice, and soy beans; fertilizer specialties for rapeseeds, potatoes, citrus fruits, vines, and vegetables; potassium and magnesium products for industrial applications; and a range of products for use in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food processing, and animal feed industries.

Analyst Recommendations for K&S (ETR:SDF)

Friday, July 6, 2018

2 Biotech Stocks at New Lows. Can They Recover?

It's been a rough year for these two biotechs and their unhappy shareholders. Denali Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:DNLI)�stock isn't much older than last year's Christmas presents, but shares have already tumbled 39% from a peak set in February.�MiMedx Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDXG)�also peaked in February, but rumors of impropriety knocked the stock down 75% since then.

There have been years of steady stock gains across the board, and now, distressed companies are one of the few places left to shop for bargains. Let's see if any of these stocks have a path to recovery that might make them worth another look.

Business people looking down at a peer laying flat on his stomach on the ground.

Image source: Getty Images.

Denali Therapeutics Inc.: Down, but still high

This sparkly new biotech stock fell hard following its�initial public offering (IPO) last December, then recovered briefly after announcing a new partnership with�Takeda. The company hasn't run into any significant trouble recently, but the stock just approached another all-time low. Despite the slide, this start-up still has a $1.4 billion market cap that could fall a lot lower if its new drug candidates aren't as valuable as hoped.

Denali's developing a slate of experimental drugs aimed at targets in the brain that have been implicated in different neurodegenerative diseases that lack effective treatment options, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The company thinks its proprietary transport technology will help it get big drugs across the tricky blood-brain barrier -- but that's just a beginning.

The neurodegenerative diseases that Denali aims to treat, such as Alzheimer's, progress very slowly. Coupled with the fact that cognitive benefits are difficult to measure and compare from one person to the next, it's no wonder there's a dearth of drugs to stop the diseases this company wants to treat. Denali intends to use lots of patient data to select trial participants most likely to respond to its drug candidates, but there's no getting around the fact that you have to follow them around for years before you'd know if you have a new drug candidate with any potential.

Lab scientist looking up close at a medicine capsule.

Image source: Getty Images.

Denali stock could rise several times over if its drugs work for real people, but it's going to be a long time before we know if there's anything here worth getting excited about. Investigators have begun healthy volunteer studies, but the first human proof-of-concept trials aren't slated to begin until the end of the year, at best.

Denali's operations lost $90 million last year, and running new clinical trials will probably accelerate the losses going forward. The company finished March with a healthy $373 million in cash and short-term investments, which suggests it has another couple of years to show some results before it has to tap investors for more.

If the first trial results aren't terrific, though, investors could lose a bundle. Given the odds of success in this tough field, I'd steer clear of this stock until there's some data to evaluate.

MiMedx Group, Inc.: Restate and regenerate?

This company's stock has tumbled around 77% from a peak reached less than five months ago. That's what telling investors that your latest financial report is unreliable as you march your CEO out the door will do to a stock.

The Board of Directors concluded that it will need to restate five years of financials. If the restatements don't deviate too far from stated results, though, this stock could move up nicely.�

MDXG Revenue (TTM) Chart

MDXG Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts.

Over the past several years, MiMedx Group�reported�steady sales growth among its placenta-based tissue-regeneration products. The hammering of the stock this year, however, is in response to fears the company may have overcharged the government.�

What we do know is that top-line revenue wasn't growing much faster than sales, general, and administrative expenses to begin with. If operations have been relying on dubious practices to earn a modest profit, the company's troubles could go far beyond legal expenses.

On the other hand, MiMedx Group is in a strong financial position with positive cash flows and no significant debt to pay down. The shares have been trading at just 1.1 times this year's sales expectations, which is awfully cheap for a profitable business with steadily rising sales. If the company emerges from ongoing investigations relatively unscathed, intrepid investors will be greatly rewarded.

Just because it could rise doesn't mean you should buy

The odds of Denali scoring enough wins in neurology to justify its sky-high valuation are long, but I think there's a solid chance MiMedx will emerge from ongoing investigations with both feet on the ground. While that will make it a fun stock to watch, it probably isn't right for your portfolio.

Once MiMedx restates five years of earnings, your investment could get wiped out if it turns out the company really can't sell regenerative tissue at a profit. Until we can be certain this isn't the case, I wouldn't put any money here.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

How Sensitive Is Pfizer To R&D Expense Changes?

&l;p&g;We estimate that &l;a href=&q;http://finapps.forbes.com/finapps/jsp/finance/compinfo/CIAtAGlance.jsp?tkr=pfe&a;amp;tab=searchtabquotesdark&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Pfizer&a;rsquo;s&l;/a&g; (NYSE:PFE) R&a;amp;D expenses will grow in low single digits to $7.8 billion in 2018. However, we expect a slight decline in R&a;amp;D expenditure as a percentage of Pfizer&a;rsquo;s gross profit. Of late, many large pharmaceutical firms are becoming more financially disciplined in order to protect their earnings, which are under threat due to patent expiries for key drugs. Over the last few years, Pfizer has lost its patent exclusivity for some of its drugs, and it will lose patent exclusivity for Lyrica this year. Lyrica&a;rsquo;s annual sales were over $5 billion in 2017. While Pfizer has a solid portfolio of new drugs, which will likely offset the revenue declines that are expected from the loss of patent exclusivity for drugs in the coming years, we expect the company to be prudent about its R&a;amp;D spending. We have created an interactive dashboard analysis ~ &l;a href=&q;http://dashboards.trefis.com/no-login-required/oDtgFxAH?fromforbesandarticle=how-sensitive-is-pfizer-to-rd-expense-changes&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;strong&g;How Sensitive Is Pfizer To R&a;amp;D Expense Changes?&l;/strong&g;&l;/a&g; Note that you can adjust the R&a;amp;D drivers, and see the impact on Pfizer&a;rsquo;s overall valuation and price estimate. Below are some of the charts and data from the interactive dashboard.

&l;strong&g;Expect R&a;amp;D Expenses To Grow In Low Single Digits In 2018&l;/strong&g;

&l;a href=&q;http://dashboards.trefis.com/no-login-required/oDtgFxAH?fromforbesandarticle=how-sensitive-is-pfizer-to-rd-expense-changes&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;img class=&q; wp-image-185958 size-full&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/greatspeculations/files/2018/07/pfe2-e1530553110440.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;383&q; data-width=&q;394&q;&g;&l;/a&g;

&a;nbsp;

&l;/p&g;&l;div&g; Pfizer&a;rsquo;s R&a;amp;D expenditures as a percentage of revenues have increased from around 17.0% in 2011 to around 18.5% in 2017. However, the figure has declined slightly over the last three years. We believe that R&a;amp;D expenditure as a percentage of revenues will come back to its historical average of less than 18% in the coming years. In 2018, we forecast the figure to be around 18.4%. Given that we forecast an increase in Pfizer&a;rsquo;s overall revenues for 2018, led by its Oncology segment, this should translate into overall R&a;amp;D expenditures of nearly $7.8 billion, reflecting a slight increase over the prior year. Of late, several pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, have been focusing on a few specific therapeutic areas such as oncology. This is expected to streamline expenses and optimize R&a;amp;D spending. However, developing and bringing a new drug to the market is a long process involving several phases including identifying the compound and clinical trials, which is costly and can last for several years. With many drugs, such as Lyrica, Xeljanz, and Sutent facing patent expiry over the next few years, Pfizer has been investing prudently to grow its pharmaceutical pipeline, and this trend is likely to continue, at least in the near term. The company has around 7 new drugs under its phase 3 pipeline, including Dacomitinib, Talazoparib, Tanezumbab, and Rivipansel. The company is also testing some biosimilars for existing drugs. This could result in higher R&a;amp;D spending as well. A 2.5% increase in R&a;amp;D expenditures as a percentage of gross profit would translate into an approximately 5% decline in Pfizer&a;rsquo;s valuation and stock price estimate, as shown in the scenario on our &l;a href=&q;http://dashboards.trefis.com/no-login-required/oDtgFxAH?d=456616&a;amp;dt=79187b4dfbd492728c28295c464c17bdeadc1541&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;interactive dashboard analysis&l;/a&g;. &l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;What&a;rsquo;s behind Trefis? See How It&a;rsquo;s Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;For &l;b&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.trefis.com/trefis-technology&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;CFOs and Finance Teams&l;/a&g;&l;/b&g; | &l;b&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.trefis.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Product, R&a;amp;D, and Marketing Teams&l;/a&g;&l;/b&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;strong&g;&l;a href=&q;http://www.trefis.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;More Trefis Research&l;/a&g;&l;/strong&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;Like our charts? Explore &l;a href=&q;https://dashboards.trefis.com/signupDashboard&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;example interactive dashboards&l;/a&g; and create your own.&l;/div&g;

&l;div&g;&l;/div&g;

&l;strong&g;

&l;/strong&g;

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Golar LNG Partners (GMLP) Stock Rating Upgraded by ValuEngine

Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ:GMLP) was upgraded by investment analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. BidaskClub upgraded Golar LNG Partners from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Golar LNG Partners from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 21st. B. Riley decreased their target price on Golar LNG Partners from $23.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 8th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Golar LNG Partners from $25.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 1st. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Golar LNG Partners from $26.00 to $24.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.80.

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GMLP traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, reaching $15.48. 217,573 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 399,449. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market cap of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.23, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.87. Golar LNG Partners has a 1 year low of $14.27 and a 1 year high of $23.46.

Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ:GMLP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 31st. The shipping company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $74.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.64 million. Golar LNG Partners had a return on equity of 16.74% and a net margin of 29.68%. analysts predict that Golar LNG Partners will post 1.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Golar LNG Partners announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Monday, March 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $25.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the shipping company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of GMLP. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG Partners by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 154,810 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,530,000 after acquiring an additional 2,679 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG Partners by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 130,671 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,978,000 after acquiring an additional 2,631 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG Partners by 47.6% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,541 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $446,000 after acquiring an additional 6,300 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG Partners by 67.1% in the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 150,648 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,434,000 after acquiring an additional 60,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Golar LNG Partners by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 159,098 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,627,000 after acquiring an additional 48,191 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.49% of the company’s stock.

About Golar LNG Partners

Golar LNG Partners LP owns and operates floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers under long-term charters in Brazil, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. As of April 6, 2018, it had a fleet of six FSRUs and four LNG carriers. Golar GP LLC serves as the general partner of Golar LNG Partners LP.

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Analyst Recommendations for Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ:GMLP)

Monday, July 2, 2018

Will Trump Finally Turn His Trade Guns on the WTO?

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President Donald Trump is following through on his campaign pledges to reshape the global trading system. Is the World Trade Organization his next target? With his administration renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, and already out of the trade pact formerly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the WTO stands as one of the last major, multilateral trade agreements or negotiations that Trump hasn’t disavowed.

1. What are Trump’s intentions on the WTO?

That’s unclear. Axios reported on June 29 that the president has repeatedly told top White House officials that he wants to withdraw the U.S. from the WTO. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin quickly disputed the statement, calling the report “an exaggeration” during an interview on Fox Business Network.

2. What does the WTO do?

It’s an international body that negotiates, monitors and mediates trade rules among 164 members including the U.S., China, Russia and the European Union. Established in 1994 and based in Geneva, it has a goal of reducing obstacles to international trade. It has no authority over its members’ labor rules, antitrust laws, monetary policies or tax rules, so long as such policies do not distort or block trade.

3. What has Trump said about the WTO?

As a candidate, he said the WTO was a “disaster” and threatened to withdraw from the organization. In April 2017 Trump ordered a review of all U.S. trade deals, including its participation in the the WTO, to see if any harm national interests and should be revised or terminated. Trump has mentioned his distaste for the organization repeatedly, saying the WTO is “unfair” and “bad” to the U.S. in posts on Twitter. Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s trade chief, has said that a “slavish dedication” to WTO rules“makes very little sense.”

4. How has the WTO responded?

Cautiously. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo has repeatedly warned of the consequences of a global trade war. Last year, Azevedo said the biggest risk to the global trade order is one country taking unilateral action that causes a retaliatory, domino effect throughout the system. Since then, the announcement of U.S. plans to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports received quick responses of retaliatory measures by other WTO members prompting Azevedo to issue a sharp warning in March: "An eye for an eye will leave us all blind and the world in deep recession. We must make every effort to avoid the fall of the first dominoes.”

5. Has the WTO weighed in on Trump’s tariffs?

Not yet, but it’s fielded objections. Six countries filed complaints to the WTO in response to the metals tariffs, accusing the U.S. of using the measures to protect the steel and aluminum industries from outside competition -- thus violating WTO rules. Lighthizer cites Article XXI of the GATT, which specifies WTO members are permitted to take action necessary to protect essential security interests, to justify the legality of recent metals tariffs.

6. What does the WTO do in a case like this?

Its dispute-settlement system aims to discourage nations from unilaterally raising tariffs or imposing other trade sanctions against one another. The goal is to prevent escalation that can lead to trade wars. The WTO first encourages members to resolve their disputes by seeking a settlement through informal discussions. If that’s not possible, the WTO’s dispute-settlement body will study the matter, issue a ruling and, if required, urge guilty parties to bring their laws into compliance. The threat of a true trade war escalates when countries intentionally bypass WTO rules and ignore its rulings to pursue unilateral tariffs or other restrictions.

7. Are WTO rules legally binding?

For the most part. Each member agrees to abide by the WTO’s various agreements and the individual terms accepted when it joins. That said, the U.S. agreed to join the organization on the condition that the WTO and its dispute system wouldn’t override its obligations and rights. The WTO’s primary legal authority is rooted in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, also known as GATT, which aims to promote international trade in goods. The WTO also oversees certain rules related to trade in agriculture, services and intellectual property, among other issues.

8. What happens if a member ignores WTO dispute rulings?

The country that brought the complaint can ask the WTO to authorize retaliatory trade measures.

9. Could the U.S. withdraw from the WTO?

Yes, but it would be problematic for the U.S. and could leave its companies at a disadvantage. Other countries would be able to unilaterally raise tariffs on U.S. imports and impose burdensome requirements that prevent U.S. companies from competing abroad. The U.S. would also forfeit any ability to overturn unfair trade practices via the WTO dispute-settlement system.

The Reference ShelfA 2017 Bloomberg article outlined the Trump’s administration’s complaints on the global trading system.QuickTake explainers on free trade and Trump’s fears of U.S. trade deficits. Can Trump win a trade war with China?China should listen to U.S. complaints on trade, Michael Schuman writes in Bloomberg Opinion.