With the S&P 500 hitting another new high yesterday, UBS strategistJulian Emanuel and team wonder if buyback activity is signalling a market top:
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
On one hand, many would argue that the emphasis on share repurchases is merely a sign of the times the US economy continues to grow (albeit slowly) while corporates enjoy ample balance sheet flexibility in an entirely unprecedented ultralow interest rate environment characterized by the Fed’s ongoing reluctance to raise rates as much of the world’s government debt has moved to negative yields…
On the other hand, buyback activity near all-time highs could be considered a potential sign that the current Bull Market is approaching its peak. While there is a plausible argument supporting greater share repurchases return of excess cash in the absence of viable alternative investments firms have historically exhibited poor timing. Management tends to repurchase shares in bull markets when profits are high and balance sheets are flush with cash, while cutting back during recessions (precisely the time they should be buying over the long term).
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2018: Celanese Corporation(CE)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Time To Favor Optionality: Most macro data are similar to, or better than, when the merger was announced. As a result, the same returns have been obtainable, with significantly less stress, simply through owning 3M (MMM) or a basket of chemical companies that approximate the Dow-DuPont portfolio. Relative to the chemical sector, performance has been average, leverage appears reasonable but near-term FCF less-than compelling partly due to new capacity ramping. With the merger likely to close in the near-term (90% chance, in our view), we believe Dow-DuPont will have an opportunity to show how scale creates optionality. The overhaul at Celanese (CE) over the past few years shows the way.
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2018: Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACBFF)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Sean Williams]
This rapid growth in legal pot has create quite the demand for marijuana stocks. The seven largest marijuana stocks by market cap have all put on a show over the past couple of years. Here are those seven “green giants” listed with their market caps as of March 17, 2017, along with their trailing one-year total returns.
GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH): $3.0 billion, up 64% Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQOTH:TWMJF): $904 million, up 259% Aphria (NASDAQOTH:APHQF) $440 million, up 381% Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQOTH:ACBFF): $482 million, up 299% AXIM Biotechnologies (NASDAQOTH:AXIM): $562 million, up 1,720% Corbus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CRBP): $450 million, up 431% Medical Marijuana (NASDAQOTH:MJNA): $221 million, up 254%
As you can see, these are some hefty valuations — and some exceptionally strong moves higher on the heels of marijuana’s expansion. With the exception of GW Pharmaceuticals, every one of the largest marijuana stocks has at least tripled in value over the trailing 12 months, with cannabinoid-based drug developer AXIM Biotechnologies skyrocketing more than 1,700%!
- [By Javier Hasse]
While biotechs like GW Pharmaceuticals PLC- ADR (NASDAQ: GWPH) and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ZYNE) only lost 0.45 percent and 0.36 percent respectively, other companies experienced a large tumble. CANOPY GROWTH CORP COM NPV (OTC: TWMJF) lost 4.71 percent, AURORA CANNABIS IN COM NPV (OTC: ACBFF) slipped 2.93 percent, APHRIA INC COM NPV (OTC: APHQF) dropped 1.01 percent, and MassRoots Inc (OTC: MSRT) plummeted an astounding 9.00 percent.
- [By Javier Hasse]
Also quite recently, Benzinga asked Alan Brochstein, founding partner at New Cannabis Ventures and founder at 420 Investor, about plays in the marijuana industry against such an uncertain backdrop. The expert mentioned a few Canadian Licensed Producers, including AURORA CANNABIS IN COM NPV (OTC: ACBFF), APHRIA INC NPV (OTC: APHQF), METTRUM HEALTH COR COM NPV (OTC: MQTRF), ORGANIGRAM HLDGS I COM NPV (OTC: OGRMF), SUPREME PHARMACEUT COM NPV (OTC: SPRWF) and CANOPY GROWTH CORP COM NPV (OTC: TWMJF), as well as “the only” biotech stock in the space, GW Pharmaceuticals PLC- ADR (NASDAQ: GWPH).
- [By Keith Speights]
As increasingly more marijuana growers entered the market and more states allowed residents to legally grow marijuana, cannabis prices dropped throughout 2016. Wholesale marijuana prices late in the year were roughly half the levels of 12 months earlier. Will this trend continue — and possibly hurt leading marijuana stocks including Aphria (NASDAQOTH:APHQF),Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQOTH:ACBFF), Medical Marijuana,Inc.(NASDAQOTH:MJNA), and even GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH) in the process?
- [By SEEKINGALPHA.COM]
This article is for those who are hopeful of the long-term view and want to get in ahead of time. This article will compare the three front-runners of the Canadian cannabis industry, Canopy Growth Corp. (OTCPK:TWMJF), Aphria (NYSE:APH), and Aurora (OTCQX:ACBFF). Although these companies will soon have to prove themselves in a new environment, there is plenty to study right now. We will be comparing revenue growth, production capacity, valuations, and then making financial projections. The result will be a recommendation of Aurora followed by Canopy. Again this article is meant to compare competitors. The industry has the potential to be a 22.6B industry but the thesis for investing in Canadian cannabis is a separate topic and I encourage you to consider the risks.
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2018: DXP Enterprises Inc.(DXPE)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Shares of DXP Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ: DXPE) were down 17 percent to $24.00. DXP Enterprises reported preliminary revenue of $228 million to $231 million for the third quarter.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Shares of DXP Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ: DXPE) got a boost, shooting up 22 percent to $40.27 after the company posted upbeat quarterly results.
Nature's Sunshine Prod. (NASDAQ: NATR) shares were also up, gaining 28 percent to $11.35 as the company disclosed that it has received its direct selling license in China.
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2018: Chesapeake Utilities Corporation(CPK)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
On Tuesday, utilities shares slipped by just 0.5 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Pampa Energia S.A. (ADR) (NYSE: PAM), up 2 percent, and Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) up 3 percent.
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2018: Great Plains Energy Inc(GXP)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Westar Energy stock declined 8% after regulators at the Kansas Corporation Commissions blocked the sale of Westar to Great Plains Energy (NYSE:GXP). The $12.2 billion merger would have joined utilities in Kansas and Missouri. Great Plains had argued that the combination would produce nearly $2 billion in efficiency gains in the next 10 years, but regulators instead sided with those who had argued that the deal was too rich and would have required rate increases sooner rather than later. Great Plains stock was hardly affected at all by the decision, leading many to conclude that Westar had a lot more to lose from the deal falling through then Great Plains had to gain from a successful merger.
