Hot Medical Stocks For 2019

tags:TAHO,PLUS,GNTX,

BioScrip (NASDAQ: BIOS) and Chemed (NYSE:CHE) are both medical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations and risk.

Dividends

Get BioScrip alerts:

Chemed pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. BioScrip does not pay a dividend. Chemed pays out 20.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Chemed has raised its dividend for 9 consecutive years.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares BioScrip and Chemed’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio BioScrip $817.19 million 0.38 -$64.19 million ($0.44) -5.55 Chemed $1.67 billion 3.12 $98.17 million $5.36 60.90

Chemed has higher revenue and earnings than BioScrip. BioScrip is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Chemed, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Hot Medical Stocks For 2019: Tahoe Resources, Inc.(TAHO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  TheStreet lowered shares of Tahoe Resources (NYSE:TAHO) (TSE:THO) from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report published on Tuesday.

  A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on TAHO. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Tahoe Resources in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Tahoe Resources from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, April 26th. ValuEngine downgraded Tahoe Resources from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, April 2nd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group downgraded Tahoe Resources from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Tahoe Resources has an average rating of Hold.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Tahoe Resources (TSE:THO) (NASDAQ:TAHO) – Equities research analysts at National Bank Financial reduced their FY2018 earnings estimates for shares of Tahoe Resources in a research report issued on Monday, April 9th. National Bank Financial analyst M. Parkin now forecasts that the company will earn $0.29 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $0.35. National Bank Financial currently has a “Sector Perform” rating and a $8.00 price objective on the stock.

Hot Medical Stocks For 2019: ePlus Inc.(PLUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Tech Data (NASDAQ: TECD) and ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.07 per share on revenue of $3.54 billion. Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $557.65 million. Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $3.60 billion. Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.13 per share on revenue of $131.95 million. Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) is expected to post quarterly loss at $0.09 per share on revenue of $297.67 million. Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCVL) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $262.02 million. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE: DECK) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $375.41 million. Zoe's Kitchen, Inc. (NYSE: ZOES) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $105.30 million. DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $2.23 per share on revenue of $6.12 billion. 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $76.93 million. Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) is projected to post quarterly loss at $0.45 per share on revenue of $424.46 million. ePlus inc. (NASDAQ: PLUS) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.01 per share on revenue of $1.60 billion. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF.A) is expected to post quarterly loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $1.04 billion. Agilysys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGYS) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $32.58 million. Nutanix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $278.98 million. Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE: VEEV) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue

Hot Medical Stocks For 2019: Gentex Corporation(GNTX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Gentex (NASDAQ: GNTX) is one of 45 publicly-traded companies in the “Motor vehicle parts & accessories” industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Gentex to related companies based on the strength of its profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and valuation.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  The good news is that investors looking for opportunities in the future of transportation and renewables have more options than Tesla. Two stocks to consider: niche auto parts supplier Gentex (NASDAQ:GNTX) and well-positioned solar component supplier SolarEdge Technologies (NASDAQ:SEDG).

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gentex (NASDAQ: GNTX) and Tenneco (NYSE:TEN) are both mid-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk, earnings and dividends.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018

tags:UNFI,ATRO,PLUS,AMGN,WPP,

According to SEC Form 4 filings between October 25 to December 4, 2017, insiders at Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG), one of the top five constituents of the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (NASDAQ:IBB), bought a total of 84,870 shares at prices between $31.21 per share and $98.17 per share in 4 transactions and sold 1,088 shares at $98.17 per share in one transaction, as shares of Celgene plunged about 35% in less than a month from its all-time high at $147.17 per share. Insiders might have thought that Wall Street was overreacting to the company's negative news announcements.

Sanofi S.A. (NYSE:SNY) said in a SEC Form 4 filing on September 25, 2017 that it purchased 166,413 common shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) through its subsidiary Sanofi-Aventis Amerique du Nord from September 23 through September 24, 2017, at prices ranging from $467.78 per share to $488.82 per share. Sanofi now owns about 23.81 million outstanding shares, or a 20.35% stake in Regeneron. Sanofi might have thought that Regeneron shares were undervalued after it plunged over 20% from its June high of $543.55 per share. In January this year, Sanofi bought 87,298 common shares of Regeneron at prices ranging from $361.76 per share to $379.80 per share, after the stock sold-off almost 25%.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018: United Natural Foods, Inc.(UNFI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Natural Foods (NASDAQ:UNFI) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 26,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,137,000.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018: Astronics Corporation(ATRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Astronics (NASDAQ: ATRO) and TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG) are both aerospace companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, risk, valuation and analyst recommendations.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Astronics (NASDAQ: ATRO) and Ducommun (NYSE:DCO) are both small-cap aerospace companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018: ePlus Inc.(PLUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.07 per share on revenue of $3.54 billion. Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $557.65 million. Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $3.60 billion. Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.13 per share on revenue of $131.95 million. Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) is expected to post quarterly loss at $0.09 per share on revenue of $297.67 million. Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCVL) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $262.02 million. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE: DECK) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $375.41 million. Zoe's Kitchen, Inc. (NYSE: ZOES) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $105.30 million. DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $2.23 per share on revenue of $6.12 billion. 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $76.93 million. Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) is projected to post quarterly loss at $0.45 per share on revenue of $424.46 million. ePlus inc. (NASDAQ: PLUS) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.01 per share on revenue of $1.60 billion. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF.A) is expected to post quarterly loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $1.04 billion. Agilysys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGYS) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $32.58 million. Nutanix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $278.98 million. Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE: VEEV) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Tech Data (NASDAQ: TECD) and ePlus (NASDAQ:PLUS) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  For example, if you buy 100 shares of the�Nasdaq�100�ETF�(NYSE: QQQ), you're theoretically buying 11.9 shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)... 7.7 shares of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB)... 1.8 shares of�Amgen�(NASDAQ: AMGN)... 2.6 shares of Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA)... and even smaller amounts of about 95 different companies.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  In September of 2016, Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) announced that the FDA had approved its Amjevita as a biosimilar to Humira for multiple inflammatory diseases that included RA and several other related inflammatory diseases.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) has been the hands-down winner over Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) in terms of stock performance over the last year. It's the same story for revenue generated. Celgene beat Amgen in earnings, but only because of a technicality: Amgen incurred a big one-time tax hit in 2017.

• [By Todd Campbell]

  One of these two drugs is Amgen's (NASDAQ:AMGN) Repatha, and the other is Praluent, which was co-developed by Sanofi SA (NYSE:SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN). Both drugs launched to billion-dollar blockbuster expectations, but because they're complex biologics that are expensive to make, they cost about $14,000 per year. Their high cost, plus the fact that they're injected rather than taken orally, may make them best suited for patients with stubbornly high cholesterol who are at the greatest risk of heart disease.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2018: Wausau Paper Corp.(WPP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Embattled WPP Group (WPP) CEO Martin Sorrell, no stranger to business news channels and fat annual compensation checks, has quit as CEO. Below is a statement from Sorrell obtained by TheStreet.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Bio-Path Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPTH) shares rose 29.5 percent to $2.15 in pre-market trading after reporting pre-clinical data demonstrating potential of Prexigebersen presented at the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Chicago. Sientra, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIEN) rose 16.7 percent to $12.90 in pre-market trading following the announcement of FDA approval for PMA supplement. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) rose 13.5 percent to $2.95 in pre-market trading after climbing 14.04 percent on Wednesday. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE: HMY) rose 5.6 percent to $2.09 in pre-market trading. Alcoa Corporation (NYSE: AA) shares rose 5 percent to $62.32 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and raised its FY18 adjusted EBITDA outlook. Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE: GFI) shares rose 4.9 percent to $4.11 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.03 percent on Wednesday. ABB Ltd (NYSE: ABB) shares rose 4.3 percent to $24.47 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. WPP plc (NYSE: WPP) rose 4.2 percent to $82.99 in pre-market trading. American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) rose 4 percent to $98.95 in pre-market trading after the company reported stronger-than-expected profit for its first quarter. HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSEA) rose 3.4 percent to $27.30 in pre-market trading. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) rose 3.4 percent to $167.95 in pre-market trading. Takada offered to buy Shire at £46.50 per share, Reuters reported. Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS) rose 3.1 percent to $16.43 in pre-market trading. iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ: IRBT) shares rose 3 percent to $63.66 in the pre-market trading session.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:RCII,SRDX,SHI,DSKYF,TTMI,VSH, The world's largest automaker is putting big money into electric vehicles in China.

Volkswagen (VLKAF) and its local partners plan to invest more than ��10 billion ($11.8 billion) to build electric and hybrid cars in the country -- the world's biggest auto market -- over the next seven to eight years.

More electric vehicles are sold in China than anywhere else on the planet -- and the national government is pushing companies to design and build them on Chinese territory.

Under the plan announced Thursday, VW and its partners are aiming to develop and produce as many as 40 new electric and hybrid vehicle models in China between now and 2025. It expects the first of the new models to hit the Chinese market next year.

VW's top China exec, Jochem Heizmann, said the German company is "determined to be at the forefront" of China's electric vehicle revolution.

China accounts for about 50% of the global market for clean energy vehicles, according to investment firm East Capital. Chinese officials said two months ago that they were working on a plan to eventually phase out the production and sale of vehicles powered solely by fossil fuels.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  AerCap (NYSE: AER) and Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ:RCII) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and valuation.

• [By Max Byerly]

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Q1 2018 EPS Estimates for Rent-A-Center Increased by KeyCorp (RCII)” was first reported by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this article on another publication, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of United States and international trademark & copyright laws. The legal version of this article can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3350595/q1-2018-eps-estimates-for-rent-a-center-increased-by-keycorp-rcii.html.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ:RCII) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $9.36, but opened at $9.43. Rent-A-Center shares last traded at $9.54, with a volume of 375675 shares changing hands.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SurModics Inc.(SRDX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of SurModics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRDX) hit a new 52-week high and low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $47.30 and last traded at $47.20, with a volume of 902 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.50.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SINOPEC Shangai Petrochemical Company Ltd.(SHI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Shanghai Petrochemical (NYSE: SHI) and Eastman Chemical (NYSE:EMN) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (DSKYF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Daiichi Sankyo (OTCPK:DSKYF)

  There are 4 members of the EGF receptor family, but in cancer research we tend to focus mainly on the first two: EGFR and HER2. But we are also gaining a better understanding of the third family member, HER3, which is an odd duck because of its willingness to form dimers not with itself, but with other members of the EGFR family. And it is highly active in PI3K/Akt signaling, as well. So it��s no surprise that companies are trying to exploit this receptor as a therapeutic target. DSKYF��s U3-1402 is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting HER3 and delivering a lethal payload to tumor cells. This phase 1/2 study focused on the use of this agent in metastatic breast cancer overexpressing HER3.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TTM Technologies, Inc.(TTMI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 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 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.(VSH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Mercury Systems (NASDAQ: MRCY) and Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings and institutional ownership.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.75.

10 States With the Lowest Average Social Security Retirement Benefit

By the time you retire, there's a very good chance that you'll be reliant on Social Security income in some capacity. According to national pollster Gallup, 89% of non-retirees believe they'll need Social Security income to make ends meet.�

As for official data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), 62% of today's retirees lean on the program to supply at least half of their monthly income, while some 34% of retired workers effectively depend on Social Security for all (90%-100%) of their income. We can safely say that without this guaranteed payout, the elderly poverty rate would be considerably higher than it is now.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's also interesting about Social Security's average retired worker benefit is that, at least on a nominal basis, it's not that big. According to the SSA's monthly snapshot from April 2018, the average retired worker received $1,411.07 a month, or $16,933 a year.� Even though it might not seem like a lot, this is above the federal poverty level of $12,140 in 2018, and it demonstrates the importance the retirement benefit has played in helping lay a financial foundation for our nation's retirees.

These states have the lowest average Social Security retirement benefits

However, if we were to examine the average Social Security retirement benefit on a state-by-state basis, we'd see quite the variance. Earlier this month, we examined those states paying the most to retired workers, and noted that the average New Jersey retiree, who's collecting an average of $1,553.63 a month, nets $1,711 extra per year over the national average.

Today, we're going to take a look at the 10 states with the lowest average Social Security retirement benefit, based on data released by the SSA in April 2018.

Louisiana: $1,311.72 Maine: $1,314.22 Mississippi: $1,319.06 New Mexico: $1,323.16 Montana: $1,331.30 Arkansas: $1,333.93 South Dakota: $1,336.28 Kentucky: $1,340.30 Alaska: $1,343.39 North Dakota: $1,344.48

In total, the average retired worker in 28 out of 50 U.S. states is receiving less than the national average retirement benefit, as of April 2018. In Louisiana, the average retiree is taking home around $2,900 a year less than the average retired worker in New Jersey. Likewise, Louisiana's retired workers are netting Social Security income that's about $100 a month below the national average, or about $1,200 a year.�

Image source: Getty Images.

Why these states are lagging

As was the case with for the states with the highest average benefit, the biggest differentiating factor for the states with the lowest average retirement benefit is earnings. Though there are more than a half-dozen factors that can ultimately impact your Social Security take-home, your wage income is a major component. The SSA takes your 35 highest-earning, inflation-adjusted years into account when determining your retirement benefit at full retirement age. Essentially, the more you make per year, up to the maximum taxable earnings cap, the more you'll be paid by Social Security when you retire.

According to 2015 median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisiana, New Mexico, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi were five of the bottom seven states in median household income. If people are earning less per year than the national average, it would only make sense that their Social Security payouts are lower during retirement.�

Cost of living may also be playing a critical role. If a retired worker has earned less than the national average over their lifetime, it may make sense to seek out a place to retire where cost-of-living standards are low. In other words, San Francisco and New York City probably aren't reasonable retirement destinations.

With the exception of Alaska, the other nine states listed above have a Regional Price Parity Index reading of less than 100, as of 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. With regional price parity equating to 100, it means these states tends to be a few percentage points, to a double-digit percentage, cheaper than the national average. In other words, retirees are able to make their Social Security dollars stretch farther in these states, so this could be why so many lower lifetime-income workers flock to them.�

As for the anomaly that is Alaska, its inclusion might be best explained by the fact that it's the only U.S. state that has no sales or income tax. That might be just enough of a lure to attract lower-income retirees.�

Image source: Getty Images.

Looking at the big picture

However, current and future retirees should understand that this list doesn't define what they're capable of. For instance, if you live in Louisiana, you aren't doomed to receive $100 a month less than the national average when you claim Social Security. Everything is based on your income and work history, your birth year, and your claiming age.

Though you can't do anything about when you're born -- your birth year determines your full retirement age, which is when you're able to receive 100% of your retirement benefit -- you certainly have control over your wage income, the years you work, and when you file for benefits. Adjusting these variables can have a big impact on what the program pays you when you retire. All things being equal -- earnings, work history, and birth year -- a person claiming benefits at age 70 can net up to a 76% higher monthly payout than someone claiming retirement benefits as early as possible at age 62.

Ultimately, averages are just that... averages. It's what you make of your own work and earnings history that matters.

Euro Members Must Appoint More Women to ECB, Coeure Says

Euro-region governments should accept responsibility for the lack of female policy makers at the European Central Bank and act to fix the matter, according to Executive Board member Benoit Coeure.

Coeure’s intervention, 18 months before a successor to ECB President Mario Draghi will take office, adds the institution’s voice to a call for diversity in its top echelon. The imbalance has long been an embarrassment even in the male-dominated world of central banks.

“We are committed to fostering diversity -- including but not limited to gender diversity -- within our staff,” Coeure, the institution’s official in charge of liaising with euro zone governments, said in Stockholm on Friday. “This cannot substitute for more resolute action by European leaders to appoint more women to our Executive Board and Governing Council.”

Just one of the six policy makers on the current Executive Board -- which is appointed by euro-area governments -- is female. The expiry of four of their terms by the end of next year provides an opportunity to improve this, though a man, former Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos, has already claimed one of those spots.

Lack of Diversity

“Our profession increasingly struggles with a lack of diversity -- something that may also affect public acceptance and, hence, trust,” Coeure said at a Riksbank conference celebrating its 350th anniversary. “In the euro area, only two women are currently members of the Governing Council.”

European governments have shown a clear focus on nationality rather than gender diversity in their nominations to the ECB: since its establishment in 1998, only three women have sat on its Executive Board. The European Parliament has complained frequently about that in the past, and it delayed the appointment of Yves Mersch in 2012 in a symbolic protest.

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As Coeure mentioned, gender balance is also severely lacking on the ECB Governing Council, which is made up of the members of the Executive Board and the chiefs of the 19 euro-area central banks. Only one such institution in the region -- in Cyprus -- is led by a woman.

Recent opportunities to fix that haven’t changed anything. When Finland appointed Olli Rehn to succeed central bank Governor Erkki Liikanen in July, he was picked from a list of 10 candidates that was exclusively male as not a single woman applied.

Among positions coming due is that of Bank of Spain chief. The government there must announce a governor to replace Luis Maria Linde by June 11.

Draghi has acknowledged that the central bank has its work cut out to develop a staff profile more representative of the wider population and is currently attempting to increase the share of women in influential roles. Just 27 percent of management positions were held by women at the end of 2017, compared to an interim target of 29 percent, and goals for senior management fell short by an even larger margin.

Coeure said measures to increase the number of female managers “can help address the problem closer to its root -- and it will make us a better central bank.”

Beyond Economics

Diversity isn’t an issue only for the ECB. Only one Group of 20 central bank -- Russia’s -- has a female chief, even if the Federal Reserve was headed by Janet Yellen until the beginning of this year.

Speaking at the same event as Coeure, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney made the case for diversity going beyond gender, saying central banks in the future will need to recruit from a wider range of educational and social backgrounds, moving beyond economics.

“The future of central banking may involve fewer central bankers,” he said.

— With assistance by Piotr Skolimowski, Maria Tadeo, Kati Pohjanpalo, and David Goodman

(Updates with Carney comments in penultimate paragraph.) LISTEN TO ARTICLE 3:23 Share Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Send as an Email Print

BitBoost Reaches One Day Volume of $0.00 (BBT)

BitBoost (CURRENCY:BBT) traded 0.1% lower against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 12:00 PM ET on May 23rd. Over the last week, BitBoost has traded up 17.5% against the US dollar. BitBoost has a total market cap of $1.85 million and approximately $0.00 worth of BitBoost was traded on exchanges in the last day. One BitBoost token can now be purchased for $0.14 or 0.00001497 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here’s how similar cryptocurrencies have performed over the last day:

Get BitBoost alerts: Ripple (XRP) traded down 11% against the dollar and now trades at $0.60 or 0.00007854 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded down 13.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.28 or 0.00003628 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded down 12.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0693 or 0.00000911 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded 16.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.44 or 0.00018886 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 10.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $53.42 or 0.00701740 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded 0.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013120 BTC. VeChain (VEN) traded 15.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $3.60 or 0.00047290 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 14.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $12.48 or 0.00163968 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 18% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.12 or 0.00001584 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded 15.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $6.19 or 0.00081320 BTC.

BitBoost Profile

BitBoost launched on September 15th, 2017. BitBoost’s total supply is 50,000,000 tokens and its circulating supply is 12,959,036 tokens. BitBoost’s official Twitter account is @bitboosters and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for BitBoost is www.bitboost.net. BitBoost’s official message board is medium.com/bitboost.

Buying and Selling BitBoost

BitBoost can be traded on these cryptocurrency exchanges: YoBit. It is usually not possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as BitBoost directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to acquire BitBoost should first purchase Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, GDAX or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to purchase BitBoost using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Monro Inc Shares Dip on Q4 Revenue Miss

Monro Inc (NASDAQ:MNRO) stock was down Monday on a revenue miss for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2018.

During its fiscal fourth quarter of the year, Monro Inc reported revenue of $285.58 million. This represents a roughly 13% increase over its revenue of $252.01 million that was reported in its fiscal fourth quarter of 2017. However, it just missed Wall Street’s revenue estimate of $285.99 million for the period.

Monro Inc notes that its comparable store sales for its fiscal fourth quarter of the year was up roughly 10%. The company says that comparable store sales for tires were up 5%, as well as 2% for brakes and front end/shocks. Despite all this good news, MNRO also saw a drop of 2% in comparable sales for maintenance services and alignments.

Monro Inc’s earnings report for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2018 also includes earnings per share of 52 cents. This is better than the brake company’s earnings per share of 29 cents from the same period of the year prior. It also came in above analysts’ earnings per share estimate of 50 cents for the quarter.

Net income reported by Monro Inc for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2018 came in at $17.48 million. This is an increase over its net income of $9.66 million that was reported in its fiscal fourth quarter of the previous year.

Monro Inc also reported operating income of $30.43 million for its fiscal fourth quarter of the year. This is up from the company’s operating income of $20.09 million for the same time last year.

MNRO stock was down 1% as of noon Monday.

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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Zacks: Analysts Expect MedEquities Realty Trust (MRT) to Announce $0.30 EPS

Equities analysts expect MedEquities Realty Trust (NYSE:MRT) to post earnings of $0.30 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Two analysts have provided estimates for MedEquities Realty Trust’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.29 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.31. MedEquities Realty Trust reported earnings of $0.27 per share during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 11.1%. The business is scheduled to report its next earnings results on Tuesday, August 14th.

On average, analysts expect that MedEquities Realty Trust will report full year earnings of $1.20 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.19 to $1.22. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the company will report earnings of $1.24 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.22 to $1.27. Zacks’ earnings per share calculations are an average based on a survey of research analysts that that provide coverage for MedEquities Realty Trust.

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MedEquities Realty Trust (NYSE:MRT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.14). MedEquities Realty Trust had a net margin of 34.63% and a return on equity of 6.17%. The firm had revenue of $16.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.41 million.

A number of brokerages have commented on MRT. B. Riley set a $13.00 price objective on shares of MedEquities Realty Trust and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on shares of MedEquities Realty Trust from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 16th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of MedEquities Realty Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $14.00 price objective on shares of MedEquities Realty Trust in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of MedEquities Realty Trust from $12.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.43.

Shares of NYSE:MRT traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.39. The stock had a trading volume of 126,255 shares, compared to its average volume of 156,942. MedEquities Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $10.27 and a 1 year high of $10.43. The company has a market cap of $326.84 million, a PE ratio of 9.11 and a beta of -0.18.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 22nd will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 21st. MedEquities Realty Trust’s payout ratio is 73.68%.

In other news, Director Bluemountain Capital Managemen sold 17,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.16, for a total value of $179,567.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 235,786 shares of company stock valued at $2,435,627. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in MedEquities Realty Trust by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,111,333 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $23,689,000 after purchasing an additional 385,125 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in MedEquities Realty Trust by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,424,525 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,984,000 after purchasing an additional 32,289 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in MedEquities Realty Trust by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,165,213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $12,246,000 after purchasing an additional 113,799 shares during the period. Northpointe Capital LLC boosted its stake in MedEquities Realty Trust by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Northpointe Capital LLC now owns 863,411 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,687,000 after purchasing an additional 13,444 shares during the period. Finally, Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in MedEquities Realty Trust by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 776,946 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,718,000 after purchasing an additional 317,829 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.09% of the company’s stock.

MedEquities Realty Trust Company Profile

MedEquities Realty Trust (NYSE: MRT) is a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust that invests in a diversified mix of healthcare properties and healthcare-related real estate debt investments. The Company's management team has extensive industry experience in acquiring, owning, developing, financing, operating, leasing and monetizing many types of healthcare properties and portfolios.

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