European stocks, which have lagged their U.S. counterparts dramatically since the bull market began in 2009, are closing the gap. In the first five months of 2017, the MSCI Europe index returned 16.6%nearly double the return of Standard & Poors 500-stock index.
See Also: Great Foreign Stocks That Pay Dividends
Whats behind Europes resurgence? For one thing, European stocks are relatively cheap, trading, on average, at 15 times estimated year-ahead earnings, compared with 18 for the S&P 500. Moreover, European companies are likely to deliver better profit gains than U.S. companies this year. Wall Street sees European companies boosting earnings by 22% in 2017, twice the rate of U.S. firms.
The improved outlook stems from growing optimism about the global economy. The International Monetary Fund expects a 3.5% boost in global growth this year and a 3.6% uptick in 2018. Analysts say that should disproportionately benefit European firms, which generate nearly half of their sales outside of the Continent.
Hot Dividend Stocks To Own For 2018: Paychex Inc.(PAYX)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Wednesday brings earnings from General Mills (GIS) , which will likely be disappointing, Paychex (PAYX) , which will likely be good, and an analyst meeting from Cisco Systems (CSCO) , which needs to show investors it still has more growth ahead.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) is projected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.50 per share on revenue of $751.20 million.
UniFirst Corp (NYSE: UNF) is estimated to report its quarterly earnings at $1.26 per share on revenue of $362.62 million.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) reported better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter on Wednesday.
Paychex posted Q3 earnings of $0.56 per share on revenue of $795.8 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.54 per share on revenue of $799.0 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) is estimated to report its quarterly earnings at $1.08 per share on revenue of $1.81 billion.
ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE: CAG) is expected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $2.89 billion.
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) is projected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.49 per share on revenue of $751.52 million.
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is expected to post a quarterly loss at $0.09 per share on revenue of $2.95 billion.
McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) is estimated to report its quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion.
Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ) is expected to report its quarterly earnings at $1.51 per share.
Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCHN) is estimated to report its quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $356.41 million.
Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is expected to post its quarterly earnings at $0.08 per share on revenue of $49.89 million.
Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) is projected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.99 per share on revenue of $148.43 million.
Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets
- [By Monica Gerson]
Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) is estimated to report its quarterly earnings at $0.49 per share on revenue of $751.52 million. Paychex shares rose 1.10 percent to close at $56.14 on Wednesday.
Wall Street expects Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) to post a quarterly loss at $0.09 per share on revenue of $2.95 billion. Micron shares rose 0.76 percent to $13.29 in after-hours trading.
Pier 1 Imports Inc (NYSE: PIR) reported a wider-than-expected loss for its first quarter and issued a weak outlook. Pier 1 Imports shares dropped 6.07 percent to $5.11 in the after-hours trading session.
Analysts are expecting McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) to have earned $0.74 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion in the latest quarter. McCormick shares fell 0.59 percent to $102.10 in after-hours trading.
Posted-In: Stocks To WatchEarnings News Guidance Pre-Market Outlook Markets Trading Ideas
Hot Dividend Stocks To Own For 2018: Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation(RL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
The sidewalks outside stores like Armani, Dolce & Gabanna, Ralph Lauren (RL) , Gap (GPS) , Prada, Abercrombie & Fitch (AF) , Microsoft (MSFT) and Harry Winston are now lined with metal barricades. The strip commands some of the highest retail rents in the world, with the average annual rent being $3500 per square foot.
- [By Johanna Bennett]
Times are tough for Ralph Lauren (RL). Profit and sales are fallingat theiconic clothingcompany, and investors who bet on a turnaround havelost their shirts on the stock. Adding to its troubles,CEO StefanLarsson is departingfollowing a creative clash with the companys namesake and founder.
Pessimism, meanwhile, appears to be on the rise.
According to a report by the financial analytics company S3 Partners, short interest in Ralph Lauren has risen since the start of the year, hitting historical levels. And while that short position is expected to keep expanding, bearish sentiments could turn on a dime.
Ihor Dusaniwsky at S3 Partners writes:
RL short interest levels, already at historical highs today, should continue to grow if the recent trend continues, but having made almost 23% in 2016 and 14% in 2017, short sellers may be quick to cover their positions and lock in profits if RLs stock price turns against them.
Short interest in Ralph Lauren fell in 2016 as the stock price fella nd shorts covered positions, netting a return of 22.6%. So far this year, however, the short position as increased $226 million, or 38% to $815 million as of this morning, according to the S3 report.
Its a profitable day for those short sellers. Todays 11% decline Ralph Laurens stock price on an $815 million short position has added $90 million to the short sellers collective bottom line.
Ralph Lauren is down 11.5% in recent market actions to $77.26 a after earlier falling as low as $76.86 a share. Thats the lowest price for the stock since 2010.
- [By Casey Wilson]
Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) just became the latest company to fall victim to the “Retail Ice Age.”
The 50-year-old American icon announced it shuttered its flagship store at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in New York City on Tuesday (April 4). It will also close 50 other retail locations by the end of the fiscal year.
Hot Dividend Stocks To Own For 2018: S&P GSCI(GD)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By WWW.KIPLINGER.COM]
Its this kind of environment that has made the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF(ITA) one of the best-performing ETFs over the past decade. Companies like Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) and General Dynamics Corporation (GD) have thrived by producing solutions funded by a thick military wallet.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
General Dynamics (GD) is number four in the U.S. The company provides combat vehicles; information technology solutions for the military; maintenance overhaul and repair for military aircraft; submarines; and surface ships.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) was last trading at $173.21 versus a Merrill Lynch price objective of $200.00 for the company. That implies a gain of 15% if Merrill Lynch is right, and then there is the 1.8% dividend yield to consider for total return investors. General Dynamics has a consensus analyst target price of $186.06 and a 52-week range of $121.61 to $180.09.
- [By Rich Smith]
Huntington’s problems may not end at the water’s surface, either. While it’s the principal contractor building the Ford-class carriers, Huntington will cooperate with peer shipbuilder General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) to build the new Columbia class of ballistic missile submarines, which will replace the current Ohio class (and up until recently, it was commonly called the “Ohio Replacement Class”).
- [By Rich Smith]
As details about the Pentagon’s plan have emerged, it’s become clear that this will be a sizable program, amounting to perhaps $1 trillion in spending over 30 years — not just to upgrade the Minuteman missiles, but also to buy new B-21 stealth bombers from Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)and have General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) and Huntington Ingalls (NYSE:HII) design an entirely new class of ballistic missile submarines (to be known as the “Columbia class.”)
Hot Dividend Stocks To Own For 2018: Reynolds American Inc(RAI)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Leo Sun]
With interest rates set to rise this year, many dividend investors are likely worried that their stocks will slip as bond yields become more attractive. While some dividend stocks will inevitably decline, investors can still find some low-risk income plays that have high yields and cheap valuations. Let’s take a look at three such stocks — AT&T (NYSE:T), Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO), and Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI).
- [By Rich Duprey, Demitrios Kalogeropoulos, and Brian Feroldi]
It remains true that the tobacco industry will continue coming under pressure from anti-smoking activists, politicians, and regulators who seek to stub out cigarettes further by raising taxes on smokes, but companies such as Altria and Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) are largely able to offset their impact on profits by raising prices. The ability to command such pricing power without an overly large loss of customers obviously speaks to the addictive qualities of smoking but is also an otherwise enviable position to be in.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Just before 1pm today, shares of Reynolds American (RAI) took a sudden nosedive on reports that its merger with British American Tobacco (BTI) had “hit a snag” according to StreetInsider.com. Cowen’s Vivien Azer and team still think a deal gets done:
Getty Images
Street Insider is reporting that BATS’ acquisition of RAI has “hit a snag,” and that “a potential transaction may be less likely near-term.” We view this source as less credible (vs. a WSJ or CNBC), in particular given the scant level of detail. While the delay in a consummated deal has extended longer than we thought, we still view the deal as likely (85% probability).
Shares of Reynolds American have dropped 1.3% to $55.47 at 2:26 p.m. today, while British American Tobacco has declined 0.2% to $112.71. Shares of Philip Morris International (PM), which could be interested in an acquisition of Altria Group (MO), have fallen 1% to$90.28 after getting cut toNeutral from Buy at BofA Merrill Lynch, while Altria has risen 0.5% to$67.94 after getting upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill.
Hot Dividend Stocks To Own For 2018: Nordson Corporation(NDSN)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Steve Symington]
Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) released fiscal second-quarter 2017 results on Monday that easily exceeded expectations, highlighting broad-based organic growth and solid contributions from its recently acquired businesses.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN) is projected to post its quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $415.52 million. Nordson shares gained 0.88 percent to close at $75.74 on Friday.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) , Chubb (CB) , XPO Logistics (XPO) , FedEx (FDX) and Nordson (NDSN) .
Cramer was bearish on Prudential (PRU) , Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASX) and ZTO Express (ZTO) .
- [By Monica Gerson]
Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN) is estimated to post its quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $415.52 million.
KLX Inc (NASDAQ: KLXI) is projected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.30 per share on revenue of $383.62 million.
