The British pound is on a scorching rally, making it the best performing major currency of the year so far.
Badly battered in the aftermath of Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union, the currency has staged a major comeback, and has climbed 6% against the dollar and 3% against the euro this year alone.
The pound is gaining ground despite the fact that Brexit remains full of uncertainties. A trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union, its biggest trading partner, is far from certain, meaning the country might still crash out of the bloc without one. That would be disastrous for British companies and the wider economy.
So why the boom in the pound?
Kallum Pickering, senior economist at Berenberg, said that while the United Kingdom is missing out on the current global growth upswing because of Brexit, the economy is still doing much better than investors anticipated after the referendum.
The economy grew by 1.7% in 2017. That was weaker than 2016, but way better than the 1.1% predicted by the International Monetary Fund in the wake of the referendum. (Before the vote in June 2016, the IMF had forecast the United Kingdom to grow by 2.2% in 2017.)
Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Avangrid, Inc.(AGR)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.71 per share on revenue of $4.60 billion.
Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $5.75 billion.
Lennox International Inc. (NYSE: LII) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.09 per share on revenue of $815.16 million.
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.12 per share on revenue of $1.82 billion.
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $822.15 million.
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LECO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.08 per share on revenue of $729.83 million.
Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $251.93 million.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.67 per share on revenue of $3.43 billion.
Koninklijke Philips NV (ADR) (NYSE: PHG) is estimated to report earnings for its first quarter.
Bank of Hawaii Corporation (NYSE: BOH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.23 per share on revenue of $162.39 million.
Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.79 per share on revenue of $1.72 billion.
- [By Motley Fool Staff]
Avangrid Inc.(NYSE:AGR) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallApril 23, 2018 10:00 a.m. ET
Contents:
Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants
Prepared Remarks:Operator
Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.(SRNE)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE) : “This is the kind of speculative stock that I like.”
Geron (GERN) : “Let’s stick with high quality like Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) .”
- [By William Romov]
San Diego-based Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: SRNE) develops drugs to treat certain types of cancer and chronic cancer pain.
On Jan. 6, company officials will present a new proprietary technology for the treatment of cancer. Analysts are calling this new technology a potential “game-changer.”
- [By ]
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Spotify (SPOT) , Alkermes (ALKS) , Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) , Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) , Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE) , NVIDIA (NVDA) , Nucor, Eli Lilly (LLY) and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) .
Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Viking Therapeutics, Inc.(VKTX)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin] Gainers
Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) shares climbed 31.68 percent to close at $7.19 on Wednesday. Blink Charging reported Q1 net income of $2.2 million, versus a year-ago net loss of $3.1 million.
Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO) shares gained 24.15 percent to close at $3.29. Eleven Biotherapeutics posted a Q1 loss of $0.11 per share.
21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) shares surged 24 percent to close at $6.82.
Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) gained 20.25 percent to close at $4.87.
HUYA Inc. (NYSE: HUYA) shares surged 18.42 percent to close at $22.50
Abaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAX) rose 16.15 percent to close at $83.34. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) announced plans to acquire Abaxis for $83 per share in cash.
Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTIE) shares jumped 16.07 percent to close at $10.62.
Bilibili Inc. (NASDAQ: BILI) rose 16.04 percent to close at $14.11.
Gemphire Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GEMP) gained 14.88 percent to close at $6.33.
Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) rose 13.96 percent to close at $5.55.
Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) jumped 13.88 percent to close at $67.27 on Wednesday.
Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) jumped 12.59 percent to close at $11.98 after reporting Q1 results.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) rose 12.01 percent to close at $5.13.
Ascena Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASNA) gained 11.93 percent to close at $3.19.
Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BOOT) climbed 11.66 percent to close at $24.52 on Wednesday after the company reported upbeat results for its fourth quarter and issued strong first-quarter earnings guidance.
Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M) rose 10.83 percent to close at $33.17 after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter and lifted guidance.
ChemoCentryx, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCXI) gained 9.36 percent to close at $12.50. Canaccord Genuity initiated coverage on ChemoCentryx with a Buy rating.
Biolinerx Ltd/S ADR (NASDAQ: BLRX) - [By William Romov]
Currently trading at $4.52 per share, Viking Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: VKTX) develops drugs to treat fatty liver disease and post-hip surgery rehabilitation. It has the highest share price of the penny stocks on our list today.
- [By George Budwell]
Shares of Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX), a clinical-stage biotech developing treatments for endocrine and metabolic disorders,dropped by 30.1% last month,according toS&P Global Market Intelligence. What’s all the fuss about?
- [By George Budwell]
Over the past year, for example, gene therapy company uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) and endocrine specialist Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) both saw their shares skyrocket against the backdrop of a fairly weak overall market for biotech. Despite their rapid appreciation, though, these two stocks might still be incredible bargains for investors comfortable with high levels of risk. Here’s why.
Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]
The S&P 500 is one of the world's most widely followed equity indexes. There are over $7.8 trillion in global assets benchmarked to the index, according to ProShares data. The world's two largest ETFs, SPY and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: IVV), track the S&P 500. Those ETFs have about $395 billion in combined assets under management and are the only two ETFs trading in the U.S. with over $100 billion in assets.
Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Logitech International S.A.(LOGI)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [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 - [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]
Below we’ll look at three companies –Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI), and Skechers USA (NYSE:SKX)– that grew by at least 400% over that period.
- [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 Shane Hupp]
Mckinley Capital Management LLC Delaware raised its stake in Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI) by 7.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,741 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,017 shares during the period. Mckinley Capital Management LLC Delaware’s holdings in Logitech were worth $1,129,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI) insider Marcel Stolk sold 60,381 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.08, for a total value of $2,420,070.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 70,928 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,842,794.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
