First Financial Northwest (FFNW) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Tuesday

First Financial Northwest (NASDAQ:FFNW) will be announcing its earnings results on Tuesday, July 24th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.26 per share for the quarter.

First Financial Northwest (NASDAQ:FFNW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The bank reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.24. First Financial Northwest had a net margin of 24.45% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The business had revenue of $11.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.85 million. On average, analysts expect First Financial Northwest to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $1 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Get First Financial Northwest alerts:

Shares of NASDAQ FFNW opened at $20.10 on Friday. First Financial Northwest has a fifty-two week low of $13.13 and a fifty-two week high of $21.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.93 million, a P/E ratio of 22.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 8th were given a $0.08 dividend. This is a boost from First Financial Northwest’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 7th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. First Financial Northwest’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.96%.

In other First Financial Northwest news, CFO Richard P. Jacobson sold 3,000 shares of First Financial Northwest stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.88, for a total transaction of $59,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 24,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $494,256.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Joann E. Lee sold 18,001 shares of First Financial Northwest stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.50, for a total transaction of $315,017.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 106,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,856,820. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 99,580 shares of company stock worth $1,768,861. 6.75% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Separately, Zacks Investment Research cut shares of First Financial Northwest from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 16th.

First Financial Northwest Company Profile

First Financial Northwest, Inc operates as the holding company for First Financial Northwest Bank that provides commercial banking services in Washington. The company offers a range of deposit products, including noninterest bearing accounts, interest-bearing demand accounts, money market deposit accounts, statement savings accounts, and certificates of deposit.

Featured Article: Price to Earnings Ratio (PE)

Darsek Price Reaches $0.0052 on Exchanges (KED)

Darsek (CURRENCY:KED) traded 1.6% higher against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 11:00 AM E.T. on July 22nd. Darsek has a total market capitalization of $121,501.00 and approximately $6.00 worth of Darsek was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, Darsek has traded 3.6% higher against the US dollar. One Darsek coin can now be purchased for approximately $0.0052 or 0.00000070 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here is how other cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get Darsek alerts: TokenPay (TPAY) traded up 1.4% against the dollar and now trades at $3.75 or 0.00050124 BTC. GoNetwork (GOT) traded up 4.7% against the dollar and now trades at $0.57 or 0.00007578 BTC. SaluS (SLS) traded 4.2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $26.14 or 0.00349385 BTC. Nectar (NEC) traded down 3.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.32 or 0.00004234 BTC. HempCoin (THC) traded 10.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0689 or 0.00000920 BTC. ECC (ECC) traded 1.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0006 or 0.00000008 BTC. Linda (LINDA) traded 5.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0016 or 0.00000022 BTC. VeriCoin (VRC) traded 2.8% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.32 or 0.00004263 BTC. ToaCoin (TOA) traded up 6.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0031 or 0.00000042 BTC. Phantasma (SOUL) traded 6.3% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.13 or 0.00001689 BTC.

Darsek Profile

KED is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm. It was first traded on December 21st, 2013. Darsek’s total supply is 23,175,952 coins. The official website for Darsek is ked.scificrypto.info.

Darsek Coin Trading

Darsek can be bought or sold on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Cryptopia. It is usually not possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Darsek directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Darsek should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Gemini, Coinbase or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Darsek using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:NSP,EVTC,IEC,CPSI,HZO,CHD,

Clean energy stocks in 2018�are on the cusp of massive growth, as the sector is projected to expand by 500% in the United States alone…

The Energy Information Agency is projecting renewable energy production to grow 500% by 2040.

The World's First "Universal Fuel": Physicists have known about an unlimited source of free fuel for over 100 years. See why tech companies are investing millions in this fuel (and how to join them). Click here…

And that means right now is the time to invest in clean energy stocks before they begin to soar.

To help Money Morning readers profit from the massive industry growth ahead, we're giving our readers one of the best clean energy stocks to buy right now. More on that pick in just a bit, but we want to first show you why the renewable energy sector is set to soar…

How Renewables Will Power Clean Energy Stocks in 2018

There are three major catalysts propelling alternative energy sources to explosive growth potential. And as the sector grows, so will renewable energy stocks…

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Insperity, Inc.(NSP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Insperity (NYSE: NSP) and ASGN (NYSE:ASGN) are both mid-cap business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd (CVE:NSP) insider Sead Hamzagic sold 141,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$0.21, for a total value of C$29,715.00.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Atlantic Trust Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Insperity Inc (NYSE:NSP) by 16.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,152 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 5,491 shares during the period. Atlantic Trust Group LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Insperity worth $1,958,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Insperity Inc (NYSE:NSP) have been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the six analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $86.75.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Insperity (NSP)

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

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Evertec, Inc.(EVTC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Evertec (NYSE:EVTC) was downgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Equities research analysts at Raymond James initiated coverage on shares of Evertec (NYSE:EVTC) in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm set a “market perform” rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: IEC Electronics Corp.(IEC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRPA) shares jumped 31.6 percent to $12.18 following TripAdvisor Q1 earnings beat. ZAGG Inc (NASDAQ: ZAGG) rose 26.5 percent to $14.55 after the company posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings. OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK) shares gained 25 percent to $4.0234 following Q1 beat. Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) jumped 23.5 percent to $55.12 following a big Q1 beat. The company raised its fiscal 2018 sales growth guidance from 16-18 percent to 18-20 percent. Penn Virginia Corporation (NASDAQ: PVAC) gained 23.3 percent to $59.00 after reporting Q1 results. TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) rose 22.5 percent to $47.51 after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Tuesday. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) shares surged 21.7 percent to $3.36. Amazon.com's partnership with Sears started in 2017 with an agreement to sell Kenmore-branded appliances online. On Wednesday, the companies announced an extension of their relationship to now include tire delivery and installations. EP Energy Corporation (NYSE: EPE) jumped 21.3 percent to $2.68 following Q1 results. LendingClub Corporation (NYSE: LC) surged 20.4 percent to $3.395 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. Superior Industries International, Inc. (NYSE: SUP) gained 19 percent to $15.82 after reporting Q1 results. Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLCM) shares rose 18.5 percent to $8.13 following Q1 results. Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) rose 18.3 percent to $52.47 after the company posted strong quarterly results. Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS) shares jumped 18.3 percent to $6.47 following quarterly results. IEC Electronics Corp. (NYSE: IEC) shares climbed 17 percent to $4.68 after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings. New Relic, Inc. (NYSE: NEWR) rose 16.8 percent to $90.10 following Q4 results. Gulfport Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: GPOR)

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Computer Programs and Systems Inc.(CPSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Computer Programs & Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPSI) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation, one has given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.80.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Millrace Asset Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Computer Programs & Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPSI) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 45,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,314,000. Millrace Asset Group Inc. owned about 0.32% of Computer Programs & Systems at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Computer Programs & Systems (CPSI)

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

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: MarineMax, Inc.(HZO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares were also up, gaining 24 percent to $21.70 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook.

  Equities Trading DOWN

• [By Lisa Levin]

  MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares were also up, gaining 24 percent to $21.75 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook.

  Equities Trading DOWN

• [By Lisa Levin]

  MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares were also up, gaining 24 percent to $21.80 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook.

  Equities Trading DOWN

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MarineMax (HZO)

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

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) shares gained 86.76 percent to close at $11.00 on Thursday. Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CRK) shares climbed 47.06 percent to close at $7.00 after the company disclosed a deal with Arkoma Drilling L.P. and Williston Drilling, L.P. to buy oil & gas properties in North Dakota. Comstock announced withdrawal of tender offers for outstanding secured notes. Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: CDAY) gained 41.86 percent to close at $31.21. MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares rose 26.5 percent to close at $22.20 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook. Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (NYSE: CCM) jumped 24.92 percent to close at $4.06. Mattersight Corporation (NASDAQ: MATR) shares climbed 23.26 percent to close at $2.65 after the company agreed to be purchased by NICE Ltd. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) rose 24.44 percent to close at $422.50 as the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) gained 17.75 percent to close at $18.64 following upbeat Q1 earnings. PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI) rose 16.59 percent to close at $12.30 following Q1 results. Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) rose 16.06 percent to close at $15.25. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) shares climbed 14.5 percent to close at $121.42 as the company posted reported Q1 beat And raised FY18 outlook. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares gained 13.7 percent to close at $11.04 as the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM) rose 13.21 percent to close at $3.00 after the company disclosed a positive outcome of the interim analysis of STRIDE-1 Phase 3 trial of AXS-05 in treatment resistant depression. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) jumped 13.06 percent to close at $257.40 following upbeat Q1 profit. BioTelemetry,
• [By Max Byerly]

  MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE:HZO) EVP Charles A. Cashman sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.92, for a total value of $573,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Top Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Church & Dwight Company, Inc.(CHD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Church & Dwight (CHD)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Church & Dwight (NYSE:CHD) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 13,509,412 shares, a growth of 25.9% from the April 13th total of 10,734,473 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,175,548 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Compass Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 555,749 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,544,000. Church & Dwight comprises about 4.3% of Compass Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Compass Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.23% of Church & Dwight as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Church & Dwight (NYSE: CHD) and Unilever (NYSE:UL) are both large-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Capital City Trust Co Buys DowDuPont Inc, Blackstone Group LP

Investment company Capital City Trust Co buys DowDuPont Inc, Blackstone Group LP during the 3-months ended 2018-06-30, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Capital City Trust Co. As of 2018-06-30, Capital City Trust Co owns 97 stocks with a total value of $234 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: DWDP, BX, Added Positions: XOM, IBM, PM, ETN, ENB, CMP, CCBG, AMGN, VYM, TGT, Reduced Positions: KO, AGG, CSJ, AAPL, MSFT, ORCL, GOOGL, ROP, CTSH, TMO,

For the details of CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=CAPITAL+CITY+TRUST+CO

These are the top 5 holdings of CAPITAL CITY TRUST COCoca-Cola Co (KO) - 863,243 shares, 16.18% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 1.62%iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond (AGG) - 127,531 shares, 5.8% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 2.14%iShares 1-3 Year Credit Bond ETF (CSJ) - 79,527 shares, 3.53% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 2.27%Apple Inc (AAPL) - 33,408 shares, 2.64% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 1.77%Microsoft Corp (MSFT) - 62,365 shares, 2.63% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 1.45%New Purchase: DowDuPont Inc (DWDP)

Capital City Trust Co initiated holding in DowDuPont Inc. The purchase prices were between $62.04 and $70.04, with an estimated average price of $66.14. The stock is now traded at around $65.82. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 0.12%. The holding were 4,114 shares as of 2018-06-30.

New Purchase: Blackstone Group LP (BX)

Capital City Trust Co initiated holding in Blackstone Group LP. The purchase prices were between $30.71 and $33.3, with an estimated average price of $31.82. The stock is now traded at around $35.95. The impact to a portfolio due to this purchase was 0.11%. The holding were 7,803 shares as of 2018-06-30.

Here is the complete portfolio of CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO. Also check out:

1. CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO's Undervalued Stocks
2. CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO's Top Growth Companies, and
3. CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO's High Yield stocks
4. Stocks that CAPITAL CITY TRUST CO keeps buying

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2018: 6 Things to Know

Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) announced that the company is running its annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this year.

Here are six things to know about it:

The company said that its retail sale will offer a number of deep discounts on some of its best apparel items and the sale is only eight days away as it launches Friday, July 20, running through Monday, Aug. 6. Although the sale technically opens to the public on the 20th, company card holders will have early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starting on Thursday, July 12. You can also get the card before then if you don’t have one and shop early to ensure your favorite item doesn’t sell out. The sale is a special one because it’s not a close out sale or a seasonal when due to the fact that the company needs to get rid of some old inventory. Instead, the sale is geared towards new styles at great prices for a limited time. You’ll be able to buy everything from clothes, shoes, household items, accessories and beauty products. Brands offering items at a discount include Theory, MCM, Topshop, Nike and Alo Yago. Nordstrom in-house brands including Halogen and Zella are also offering sales. The sale also applies to the Nordstrom Buy Online & Pick Up In Store service, which allows you to reserve an item online and pick it up an hour later at your local Nordstrom location.

JWN stock is down 1.1% Thursday.

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Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:WFC,AP,CM,FCF,HSBA,

Equity markets across Asia were lower early Tuesday, tracking overnight declines in the U.S., as cautious investors looked ahead to elections in the U.K. and a European Central Bank meeting.

Investors are also looking for any fallout from former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey��s public testimony about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Comey��s testimony is scheduled for Thursday, as are the U.K. elections and the ECB meeting.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  In the latest chapter of the Wells Fargo�(NYSE:WFC) saga, the bank has agreed to a $1 billion penalty from the CFPB -- the largest penalty ever levied by the agency. In this clip, host Michael Douglass and Fool.com contributor Matt Frankel discuss what this means to investors.

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  
  U.S. sanctions of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) may last longer than expected. According to The Wall Street Journal:

  Wells Fargo & Co. will remain constrained by a regulator-imposed limit on growth for longer than expected, its chief executive said Thursday, as the bank continues to address the ramifications of risk-management failures.

• [By ]

  Citigroup Inc. (C)  , a rival Wall Street bank, said in a separate report Friday that first-quarter profit jumped 13%, also fueled by growth in trading revenue. Meanwhile, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) , struggling to recover from a series of regulatory penalties over allegedly aggressive sales practices, posted a 5.5% profit increase on a preliminary basis, noting that legal costs might have to be revised higher pending discussions with regulators over as much as $1 billion of new penalties related to auto insurance and mortgage-related violations. Bank of America Corp. (BAC) , Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) are all scheduled to post results next week.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  The 2018 Subaru Outback, one of the original SUV alternatives. Subaru is well-known for offering cars that can handle themselves when the going gets rough, and its Outback lies squarely in that tradition. (Photo: AP)

• [By ]

  Kabul, Afghanistan (AP) -- A Taliban assault on the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital killed at least six people, including a foreigner, and pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours before the last attacker was killed on Sunday, with the casualty toll expected to rise.

• [By ]

  Wellington, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealand plans to slaughter about 150,000 cows as it tries to eradicate a strain of disease-causing bacteria from the national herd.

• [By ]

  Panama City, Fla. (AP) -- A man suspected of trading wild bursts of gunfire with officers during a long standoff in the Florida Panhandle was found dead Tuesday in a gasoline-soaked apartment after an armored vehicle approached, authorities said.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce(CM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM)Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay 23, 2018, 8:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Logan Wallace]

  A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE: CM) recently:

  6/6/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was upgraded by analysts at Citigroup Inc from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating. They now have a C$130.00 price target on the stock, up previously from C$125.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was downgraded by analysts at National Bank Financial from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating. They now have a C$124.00 price target on the stock, down previously from C$136.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Scotiabank from C$131.00 to C$127.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$141.00 to C$135.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was given a new C$140.00 price target on by analysts at Eight Capital. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target raised by analysts at Barclays PLC from C$133.00 to C$138.00.

  CM traded up C$0.59 on Wednesday, reaching C$115.86. 987,570 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,290,708. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a fifty-two week low of C$103.84 and a fifty-two week high of C$124.37.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) (TSE:CM) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 23rd, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 28th will be paid a dividend of 1.036 per share by the bank on Friday, July 27th. This represents a $4.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.63%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 27th.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp boosted its position in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) (TSE:CM) by 54.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 911,300 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 320,800 shares during the quarter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce comprises approximately 1.0% of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s holdings in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce were worth $103,633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation(FCF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Barclays PLC increased its holdings in First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF) by 24.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,717 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 6,593 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in First Commonwealth Financial were worth $476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Commonwealth Financial (FCF)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Commonwealth Financial (FCF)

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

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Own For 2019: HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Shore Capital from GBX 721 ($9.60) to GBX 625 ($8.32) in a report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage presently has a “sell” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Shore Capital’s price objective indicates a potential downside of 14.71% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Citigroup from GBX 810 ($10.78) to GBX 800 ($10.65) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 9.59% from the stock’s previous close.

1 Top Oil Stock to Consider Buying for the 2nd Half of 2018

Shares of Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) have been all over the place so far in 2018. Investors initially pounded the stock after it reported disappointing fourth-quarter results to start the year. However, it has recovered since then after posting much better numbers in the first quarter as well as surprising investors with a big-time dividend increase and share buyback program. Still, shares are only up about 7% this year even though crude prices have been scorching-hot, rocketing more than 20% year to date.

That underperformance, though, could reverse in the second half of 2018 thanks to Devon Energy's expanded share buyback program, making it a top oil stock to consider buying right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Backing up the truck

After selling some noncore assets in March, Devon Energy announced plans to send back significantly more cash to its shareholders going forward. It boosted its dividend 33% while also authorizing a $1 billion share repurchase program, which was enough to retire 6% of its outstanding stock at the time. The company quickly got to work buying back shares, spending $204 million on 6.2 million of them by the end of April, putting it on pace to complete the program by year-end.

However, after announcing the sale of its interest in EnLink Midstream Partners (NYSE: ENLK) and EnLink Midstream (NYSE: ENLC) for $3.125 billion in June, it boosted its buyback authorization up to $4 billion. That represents enough cash to retire roughly 20% of its outstanding shares. Devon expects the sale of EnLink to close this July, which will enable it to accelerate the pace of repurchases through the end of 2019.

Unrivaled in its peer group

The size of Devon's buyback is worth noting given the impact that smaller plans have had on the shares of rivals in the past year. Last fall, for example, Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC) announced a $2.5 billion share repurchase program, which at the time could have retired 10% of its outstanding shares. Anadarko would go on to add $500 million to that plan earlier this year, which it expected to complete by the end of the second quarter. It's been a needle-mover for the company's stock, which has rocketed 63% since it made the initial announcement in September. For comparison's sake, Devon's stock is up about 27% over that time frame while crude has surged 39%.

Hess (NYSE:HES), meanwhile, authorized a $500 million buyback last fall, which it boosted by $1 billion earlier this year. At the time, that was enough money to retire about 10% of Hess' outstanding stock. The company has been making quick work of that authorization, buying back the first $500 million by the end of the first quarter and commencing an accelerated share repurchase in April for another $500 million. Those repurchases have helped drive Hess' stock up more than 50% since the initial announcement last November, vastly outperforming oil -- up 27% since then -- and Devon Energy, which is up about 16% over that span.

Those needle-moving repurchase programs are a key reason why Anadarko and Hess are two of the best-performing oil stocks so far in 2018. Given that Devon Energy's buyback is even larger, and its shares have underperformed, its stock has the potential to significantly outperform most other oil stocks in the second half of this year as it starts buying back shares hand over fist.

The run is nowhere close to being done

Devon Energy's buyback has already started to move the needle for investors considering that shares have rebounded 43% since hitting bottom in early March. However, the stock still has plenty of room to run since it's barely up for the year and still trades at a discount to its peers, which it hopes to address by accelerating its share repurchase program. That buyback-fueled upside potential is why I think it's the top oil stock to buy heading into the second half of 2018.

China Vows to Retaliate as Trump Targets $200 Billion in Tariffs

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Trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies intensified, with China vowing to retaliate "forcefully" against President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese imports.

"If the U.S. loses its senses and publishes such a list, China will have to take comprehensive quantitative and qualitative measures," according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce. It labeled the move "extreme pressure and blackmail," and said it would retaliate with counter measures.

Trump ordered up identification of $200 billion in Chinese imports for additional tariffs of 10 percent -- with another $200 billion after that if Beijing retaliates. While the $50 billion in tariffs already announced on Friday were mainly on industrial goods, the broader move would push up prices for toys, tools, t-shirts and a lot more for U.S. shoppers.

Markets soured as economists warned of damaged business confidence, a blow to China’s growth prospects and ripple effects through its supply chains. The benchmark index of Chinese stocks fell almost 4 percent, other Asian share markets declined and U.S. equity futures traded lower, while safe havens including the yen, gold and Treasuries climbed.

"Its psychological effects, its effects in increasing uncertainty, could be very serious and we’re certainly getting later in a cycle of escalation," former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

For More on the Trade Dispute:

The White House says the U.S. can withstand trade tensionsSee how American businesses are girding for new tariffsTrade war’s coming for your hip pocket AmericaThe IMF says the global outlook is worse as tensions riseHere’s what a full-blown global trade war might look likeWhat economists say about Trump’s new trade threatsTrumps Tariffs spread pain to non-Chinese companies

By targeting goods that are finished in China but whose components are often sourced from neighboring South Korea, Japan and Taiwan and more, the U.S. strategy could hurt the economies of America’s allies too.

"The collateral damage from an escalating U.S.-China trade war will be widespread, hitting many Asian countries that are part of China’s manufacturing supply chain in sectors such as electrical and electronic products," said Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit in Singapore.

There are dangers for the U.S. economy too. If implemented, the tariffs would mean a sizable amount of imported Chinese goods would be exposed to new tariffs. Higher prices on imported goods could dampen consumer sentiment and pressure inflation.

"In a global trade war, no matter how you spin tariffs, retailers and the American families that we serve are the losers," said Hun Quach, vice president, international trade, for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

Tom Orlik, chief economist at Bloomberg Economics, said that in the event that China’s exports to the U.S. weaken in the face of tariffs, the government would likely seek to offset the growth impact with a combination of subsidies to support domestic demand and higher infrastructure investment.

The People’s Bank of China is using both money and words to try to ease market concerns about escalating trade tensions and the weakening economy. It injected another 200 billion yuan ($31 billion) into the economy via its medium-term lending facility on Tuesday, pushing its net injections so far in June to the most in any month since December 2016.

The escalation in trade tensions comes at an inopportune time for China’s policy makers, with indicators for May suggesting growth is already dialing back a notch.

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The U.S. President last week threatened 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese products and said at the time he would impose even more duties if China retaliated. A counter punch was swift in coming, with a statement from Beijing on Friday night that it would "strike back forcefully."

China’s threat “clearly indicates its determination to keep the United States at a permanent and unfair disadvantage,” Trump said Monday. “This is unacceptable. Further action must be taken to encourage China to change its unfair practices, open its market to United States goods, and accept a more balanced trade relationship.”

The latest salvo came as Trump seeks to convince U.S. lawmakers to let Chinese telecom company ZTE Corp. remain in business after it became a bargaining chip in the trade row. Earlier this month, the Trump administration gave ZTE a reprieve for breaking a sanctions settlement after the company agreed to pay fines, change management and agree to American oversight. ZTE’s survival has been a key goal of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Shares in ZTE dived after the Senate passed legislation on Monday evening that would restore penalties.

The U.S. imported $505 billion of goods from China last year and exported about $130 billion, leaving a 2017 trade deficit of $376 billion, according to U.S. government figures. The fact that America imports more from China will make it harder for Beijing to match Trump’s attacks, according to Derek Scissors, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington who focuses on China.

Minding the Trade Gap

America's trade gap with China eclipses its deficit with other trading partners

Source: U.S. Commerce Department

Note: Data are for 2017, goods only

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“All they can do is impose higher tariffs on a smaller subset of products,” he said. That being said, “China is going to retaliate,” he added.

— With assistance by Kevin Hamlin

(Updates with comment from former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. An earlier version of this story was corrected to remove an incorrect reference to tariffs on agricultural products.)

Intercontinental Exchange Inc (ICE) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Intercontinental Exchange Inc (NYSE:ICE) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $78.31.

ICE has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Intercontinental Exchange from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 12th. ValuEngine raised shares of Intercontinental Exchange from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Intercontinental Exchange from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $76.00 to $83.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank increased their target price on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Monday, April 9th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $85.00 target price for the company.

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Shares of Intercontinental Exchange traded down $0.16, hitting $74.36, during midday trading on Tuesday, according to Marketbeat.com. 4,074,586 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,265,249. Intercontinental Exchange has a 1 year low of $63.22 and a 1 year high of $76.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.21, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The financial services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.02. Intercontinental Exchange had a net margin of 41.65% and a return on equity of 11.14%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.74 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. equities research analysts anticipate that Intercontinental Exchange will post 3.52 EPS for the current year.

In other Intercontinental Exchange news, Vice Chairman Charles A. Vice sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.65, for a total value of $2,647,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 417,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,584,404.55. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman Charles A. Vice sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.97, for a total value of $3,598,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 432,507 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,127,528.79. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 273,116 shares of company stock valued at $19,591,954 over the last three months. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. bought a new position in Intercontinental Exchange in the 4th quarter worth approximately $109,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 257.6% in the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,627 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 1,172 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $122,000. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. bought a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $127,000. Finally, Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.03% of the company’s stock.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc operates regulated exchanges, clearing houses, and listings venues for financial and commodity markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Asia, Israel, and Canada. It operates through two segments, Trading and Clearing; and Data and Listings. The company operates marketplaces for listing, trading, and clearing an array of derivatives and securities contracts across various asset classes, including energy and agricultural commodities, interest rates, equities, equity and credit derivatives, exchange traded funds, bonds, and currencies.

Cree, Inc. (CREE) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $401.60 Million

Wall Street analysts forecast that Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) will post sales of $401.60 million for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have made estimates for Cree’s earnings, with the lowest sales estimate coming in at $399.87 million and the highest estimate coming in at $405.00 million. Cree reported sales of $358.94 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 11.9%. The firm is expected to issue its next earnings report on Tuesday, August 28th.

On average, analysts expect that Cree will report full-year sales of $1.49 billion for the current year, with estimates ranging from $1.48 billion to $1.49 billion. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the firm will report sales of $1.66 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $1.61 billion to $1.73 billion. Zacks’ sales averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that follow Cree.

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Cree (NASDAQ:CREE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 24th. The LED producer reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $355.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $347.38 million. Cree had a negative net margin of 17.50% and a negative return on equity of 1.10%. The business’s revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.01 EPS.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on CREE shares. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Cree from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. ValuEngine lowered shares of Cree from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 1st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Cree from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 30th. CIBC upgraded shares of Cree from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. Finally, SunTrust Banks boosted their price objective on shares of Cree from $39.36 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $37.20.

In related news, insider Michael E. Mcdevitt sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.36, for a total value of $275,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 169,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,688,208.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Cree by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 11,101,297 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $447,493,000 after purchasing an additional 239,933 shares during the last quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT increased its stake in shares of Cree by 113.3% during the 1st quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 3,061,229 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $123,398,000 after acquiring an additional 1,625,772 shares during the last quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. increased its stake in shares of Cree by 36.7% during the 1st quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. now owns 2,574,663 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $103,785,000 after acquiring an additional 691,708 shares during the last quarter. Criterion Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Cree by 30.6% during the 1st quarter. Criterion Capital Management LLC now owns 1,758,262 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $70,876,000 after acquiring an additional 412,010 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Cree by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,431,299 shares of the LED producer’s stock valued at $57,696,000 after acquiring an additional 17,209 shares during the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of Cree traded up $0.70, hitting $47.32, during trading on Friday, according to Marketbeat. 773,900 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,406,979. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 249.05 and a beta of 0.62. Cree has a 1 year low of $20.50 and a 1 year high of $48.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 2.46 and a current ratio of 3.74.

Cree Company Profile

Cree, Inc provides lighting-class light emitting diode (LED), lighting, and semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications in the United States, China, Europe, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and internationally. Its Lighting Products segment offers LED lighting systems and bulbs for use in settings, such as office and retail space, restaurants and hospitality, schools and universities, manufacturing, healthcare, airports, municipal, residential, street lighting and parking structures, and other applications.

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Puma Biotechnology (PBYI) Reaches New 1-Year High and Low at $50.15

Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ:PBYI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high and low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $50.15 and last traded at $51.15, with a volume of 13342 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $51.45.

PBYI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Puma Biotechnology from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Credit Suisse Group set a $106.00 price target on Puma Biotechnology and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 26th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $95.00 price target on Puma Biotechnology and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 9th. Barclays cut their price target on Puma Biotechnology from $92.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 2nd. Finally, BidaskClub cut Puma Biotechnology from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $99.20.

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The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ:PBYI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.65) EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($1.26) by $0.61. The company had revenue of $66.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.33 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($1.16) EPS. sell-side analysts anticipate that Puma Biotechnology will post -3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in shares of Puma Biotechnology by 314.1% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 10,129 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 7,683 shares during the period. AXA purchased a new position in Puma Biotechnology during the 4th quarter valued at $1,052,000. C WorldWide Group Holding A S boosted its holdings in Puma Biotechnology by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. C WorldWide Group Holding A S now owns 23,882 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,625,000 after acquiring an additional 2,026 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Puma Biotechnology by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 290,691 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $28,733,000 after acquiring an additional 7,772 shares during the period. Finally, Castleark Management LLC boosted its holdings in Puma Biotechnology by 90.6% during the 4th quarter. Castleark Management LLC now owns 68,985 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $6,819,000 after acquiring an additional 32,800 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.95% of the company’s stock.

About Puma Biotechnology

Puma Biotechnology, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of products to enhance cancer care in the United States. Its drug candidates include PB272 neratinib (oral) for the treatment of early stage breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, HER2 mutation-positive solid tumors, and HER2-mutated non-amplified breast cancer; and PB272 neratinib (intravenous)).

5 Ways You're Sabotaging Your Retirement

Countless workers look forward to retirement and the opportunity to do what they want with their time. But if you're not careful, retirement could end up being nothing more than an extended period of financial stress. Here are a few moves that could leave you distraught and cash-strapped during your golden years, so be sure to avoid them at all costs.

1. Investing too conservatively

An estimated 60% of Americans are investing too conservatively for the future. They're therefore limiting their savings' growth and increasing their risk of running out of money down the line. While it's natural to want to avoid losses, the fact of the matter is that if you give yourself ample time to ride out the stock market's ups and downs, you're more likely than not to come out ahead. By contrast, if you play it too safe, you'll increase your chances of not having enough money when you need it.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Imagine you're able to save $200 a month for retirement over a 30-year time frame. Invest that money at an average annual 7% return, which is more than doable with stocks, and you'll wind up with $227,000 to work with. Stick to safer investments, like bonds, on the other hand, and you'll be looking at more like 3%, which will leave you with just $114,000 instead.

If you're still 10 years or more away from retirement, it absolutely pays to load up on stocks in your portfolio. Even if you're much closer to that milestone, you should still put some of your savings into stocks to maximize growth while you can.

2. Relying too heavily on Social Security

Millions of seniors today collect Social Security, and those benefits help them pay their living expenses in the absence of an actual paycheck. But if you think you can live on those benefits alone, you're sorely mistaken. Social Security is designed to replace about 40% of the average worker's pre-retirement income. Most people, however, need closer to 80% of their former earnings to pay the bills when they're older. Therefore, if your plan is to neglect your savings, you'll likely to run out of money in the future. So don't do that. Make regular IRA or 401(k) contributions, and aim to ramp up your savings rate as much as you can over time.

3. Filing for Social Security too early

Though your Social Security benefits are calculated based on your personal earnings record, filing for them too early could cause your payments to shrink. That's why it pays to wait until full retirement age to take benefits -- in doing so, you guarantee that your payments aren't reduced. Most Americans, however, don't know their full retirement age (hint: It's either 66, 67, or somewhere in between), and even among those who do, many still opt to file for Social Security at the earliest possible age of 62. Doing so, however, could severely limit what turns out to be your primary income stream in retirement, so be careful about when you file.

If you're wondering what sort of hit you might take by claiming benefits ahead of full retirement age, imagine that yours is 67 and that you're entitled to a full monthly benefit of $1,600 at that time. Filing at 62 will cut that benefit down to $1,120, which means you'll reduce your annual income by over $5,700. Therefore, if you don't have a specific reason to take benefits right away, it's wise to hold off.

4. Not paying off debt

Americans are used to living with debt, whether it be of the mortgage, student loan, or credit card variety. The problem with carrying that debt into retirement, however, is that when you're living on a fixed income, you might struggle to afford those nagging payments. And the longer you hang on to that debt, the more money you'll throw away on interest.

It's estimated that nearly 50% of seniors 75 and older continue to carry debt, so don't put yourself in a position where you end up joining their ranks. Figure out which of your debts are costing you the most (it's probably your credit cards) and work on paying down your outstanding obligations before your career comes to a close. You may need to cut corners in your budget to allow for that, but you'll appreciate the effort when your limited retirement income isn't being eaten up by debt payments.

5. Not having a plan

There's a reason retirement increases the likelihood of suffering from depression by 40% -- when you go from a 40-hour workweek to having little to do with your time, it can wreak havoc on your well-being. One of the worst mistakes you could make going into retirement is not having a plan for how you'll spend your days. So be kinder to yourself by mapping one out. Maybe you'll take that French literature class you were always interested in at your local community college, or round up friends for weekly museum outings. The possibilities are pretty much endless, but go in with a solid idea of how you'll occupy yourself so you don't wind up feeling bored and restless.

You deserve a rewarding retirement, so don't ruin your chances of achieving that goal. Steer clear of the aforementioned mistakes, and with any luck, you'll come to enjoy your golden years to the fullest.

Deutsche Bank AG Boosts Position in Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp (AP)

Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings in Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp (NYSE:AP) by 117.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 19,599 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,578 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG’s holdings in Ampco-Pittsburgh were worth $242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AP. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 271,200 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,363,000 after purchasing an additional 6,700 shares during the period. Adirondack Research & Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh by 41.5% during the fourth quarter. Adirondack Research & Management Inc. now owns 83,141 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,031,000 after purchasing an additional 24,386 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 600,154 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,442,000 after purchasing an additional 15,807 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh by 137.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 14,950 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 8,664 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh by 6.1% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 633,265 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $11,020,000 after purchasing an additional 36,417 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.41% of the company’s stock.

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In other news, major shareholder Louis Berkman Investment Co sold 14,411 shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.13, for a total transaction of $160,394.43. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,338,917 shares in the company, valued at $14,902,146.21. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold 66,595 shares of company stock worth $737,497 in the last quarter. Insiders own 29.60% of the company’s stock.

AP opened at $9.55 on Tuesday. Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp has a 52-week low of $8.49 and a 52-week high of $18.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

Ampco-Pittsburgh (NYSE:AP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 14th. The industrial products company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $114.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.00 million. Ampco-Pittsburgh had a negative net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 3.02%. equities research analysts forecast that Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp will post 0.51 earnings per share for the current year.

AP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. ValuEngine lowered shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 3rd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Ampco-Pittsburgh from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 11th.

About Ampco-Pittsburgh

Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells custom designed engineering products to commercial and industrial users worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Forged and Cast Engineered Products; and Air and Liquid Processing. The Forged and Cast Engineered Products segment produces forged hardened steel rolls that are used in cold rolling by producers of steel, aluminum, and other metals; ingot and open-die forged products for use in the oil and gas, and the aluminum and plastic extrusion industries; and cast rolls for hot and cold strip mills, medium/heavy section mills, hot strip finishing, roughing mills, and plate mills in various iron and steel qualities.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp (NYSE:AP).

Deutsche Bank chairman under fire ahead of AGM

Deutsche Bank AG (DBK.XE) Chairman Paul Achleitner faces fresh criticism ahead of the German bank's annual general meeting on Thursday.

Investment advisor Hermes EOS said Tuesday that the bank needs more effective leadership and should start considering plans for a new chairman.

"We urge Deutsche Bank to carefully consider the future composition of the supervisory board's nomination committee and use its reconstitution as an opportunity to review and improve the selection and nomination processes for management board members and nonexecutives respectively," Hans-Christoph Hirt, head of Hermes EOS at Hermes Investment Management, said in a statement.

"The nomination committee should also start to consider plans for the succession of Paul Achleitner," he added.

The chairman is "ultimately responsible for the limited progress Deutsche Bank has made during his tenure in the implementation of a value-creating strategy. Paul Achleitner will need to demonstrate more effective leadership at the top of the supervisory board," Mr. Hirt said.

Deutsche Bank reported a sharp decline in net profit in the first quarter of the year and in 2017 it reported its third-consecutive full-year loss.

Last month, the bank replaced its Chief Executive John Cryan with the senior head of its retail bank Christian Sewing.

Mr. Hirt criticized the way the appointment of the new CEO was handled.

"Paul Achleitner has not only overseen significant CEO and management board turnover during his six-year tenure but also a number of attempts to define and implement a value-creating strategy for Deutsche Bank. This included strategic U-turns, not least regarding both the bank's retail and asset management businesses, and to date, a failure to move decisively on the troubled investment bank," Mr. Hirt said.

Deutsche Bank declined to comment.

Deutsche Bank announced last month a overhaul of its corporate and investment bank business, as well as cost-cutting measures. The announcement didn't give many details and the German bank "could use the AGM to fill in the gaps," Goldman Sachs said in a research note.

Bloom Price Reaches $0.58 on Exchanges (BLT)

Bloom (CURRENCY:BLT) traded 6.6% higher against the U.S. dollar during the 1 day period ending at 16:00 PM ET on May 20th. Bloom has a market cap of $27.92 million and $265,036.00 worth of Bloom was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Bloom token can currently be bought for $0.58 or 0.00006858 BTC on major exchanges including Bibox, IDEX, Radar Relay and TOPBTC. During the last week, Bloom has traded 20.6% lower against the U.S. dollar.

Here is how similar cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get Bloom alerts: Ripple (XRP) traded 3.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.70 or 0.00008221 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded 3.7% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.33 or 0.00003907 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded up 2.6% against the dollar and now trades at $1.83 or 0.00021482 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded up 11.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0770 or 0.00000903 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 5% higher against the dollar and now trades at $62.91 or 0.00737665 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded down 0.3% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00011714 BTC. VeChain (VEN) traded up 3.9% against the dollar and now trades at $4.53 or 0.00053174 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 1.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $14.03 or 0.00164526 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 2.9% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.15 or 0.00001771 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded 9.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $7.94 or 0.00093074 BTC.

About Bloom

Bloom launched on November 29th, 2017. Bloom’s total supply is 150,000,000 tokens and its circulating supply is 47,742,434 tokens. The official website for Bloom is hellobloom.io. Bloom’s official Twitter account is @BloomToken and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for Bloom is /r/BloomToken and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here.

Buying and Selling Bloom

Bloom can be bought or sold on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: IDEX, Upbit, Bittrex, Radar Relay, TOPBTC and Bibox. It is usually not possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Bloom directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to trade Bloom should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Changelly, GDAX or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy Bloom using one of the exchanges listed above.

NXP jumps on report Qualcomm deal is 'looking more optimistic'

Dutch semiconductor company NXP is jumping on a report that its proposed deal with U.S. chip giant Qualcomm is "looking more optimistic."

Shares jumped roughly 4 percent on the update, attributed to an anonymous Beijing official and included in a WSJ report about broader U.S.-China trade talks.

The proposed merger has been waiting for months on regulatory approval out of China.

Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf told CNBC in April that broader trade tensions between the two tech-heavy countries were stalling the deal.

"I think it'd be a very unusual situation for the rest of the world to approve something and then China not do it," Mollenkopf said at the time. "It's a good situation for China to get this deal done, and you know I have confidence that that'll happen."