Brent crude oil grabbed all the attention after spot prices hit $80 a barrel last week. And yet, almost unnoticed, a perhaps more important rally has occurred in the obscure world of forward prices, with some investors betting the "lower for longer" price mantra is all but over.
The five-year Brent forward price, which has been largely anchored in a tight $55-to-$60 a barrel range for the past year and a half, has jumped over the last month, outpacing the gains in spot prices. It closed at $63.50 on Friday.
"For the first time since December 2015, the back end of the curve has been leading the complex higher," said Yasser Elguindi, a market strategist at Energy Aspects Ltd. in New York. "It seems that the investor community is finally calling into question the ‘lower for longer’ thesis."
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Bob Dudley, the chief executive of oil giant BP Plc, coined the "lower for longer" mantra in early 2015, warning of a protracted period of cheap crude. He later clarified that he meant "lower for longer, but not for ever."
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Shane Hupp]
Meridian Wealth Management LLC cut its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) by 6.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,875 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,292 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises 2.0% of Meridian Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Meridian Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,039,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
- [By Shane Hupp]
UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) – SunTrust Banks issued their Q2 2018 EPS estimates for UnitedHealth Group in a report released on Monday, June 11th. SunTrust Banks analyst D. Macdonald anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $3.03 for the quarter. SunTrust Banks currently has a “Buy” rating and a $300.00 price target on the stock. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s Q3 2018 earnings at $3.32 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $3.25 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $12.64 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $3.37 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $3.50 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $3.80 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $3.63 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $14.30 EPS.
- [By JJ Kinahan]
Going into earnings season, one school of thought was that investors might be concerned more about companies’ forward guidance in some cases than in Q1 results. There was worry that perhaps the recent market turmoil and fears of a possible trade war could dampen some S&P 500 firms’ expectations for what the near future might bring. It’s less than a week since earnings began and guidance could still represent a speed bump in coming weeks, but so far it hasn’t been a problem. For instance, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) raised fiscal year guidance Tuesday, and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) raised its revenue guidance. In other signs of general good cheer, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) raised its quarterly dividend, while Netflix (NFLX) reported big gains in subscriber growth. It’s still really early and things could change, but maybe some of those guidance fears could have been, shall we say, misguided?
- [By Paul Ausick]
The Dow stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Monday was UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) which traded up 3.19% at $231.43. The stock’s 52-week range is $164.96 to $250.79. Volume was about 20% lower than the daily average of around 4 million shares. The company had no specific news, but is set to report earnings before markets open Tuesday morning.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Before the opening bell Tuesday, Dow Jones Industrial Average component UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is expected to report another solid quarter. After all, the company has beat analysts’ earnings estimate for eight straight quarters and revenues in six of those eight.
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Emerson Electric Company(EMR)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in shares of Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 111,625 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,015 shares during the quarter. Emerson Electric makes up approximately 2.4% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $7,624,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
- [By Shane Hupp]
Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 202,986 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,864,000.
- [By Lee Samaha]
In common with many other industrial companies, like Danaher, Pentair has been taking action to become a more focused investment proposition for investors. The sale of its valves and controls business to Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) in the spring of 2017 turned out to be well-timed for Emerson, as it occurred precisely at the time when oil and gas capital spending started picking up.
- [By Logan Wallace]
D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in shares of Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) by 1.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 574,584 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 7,640 shares during the period. Emerson Electric makes up about 0.8% of D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $39,244,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Analysts at Berenberg upgraded Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) from Sell to Hold.
Emerson Electric shares fell 0.43 percent to close at $69.90 on Monday.
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Kohl’s Corporation(KSS)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]
Most apparel-focused retailers have had a rough time over the past few years, bearing the brunt of declining U.S. mall traffic. However, No. 2 department store chain Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) and off-price leader TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) have been able to outperform most of their rivals, partially due to their focus on non-mall store locations.
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
The relationship between the P/E ratio and the dividend yield is important to understand here. The lower a company’s valuation is, the more valuable the dividend becomes as the dividend yield increases. For instance, with a P/E ratio of about 12,Kohl’s(NYSE: KSS) could be considered a value stock, and itsdividend yields a respectable 3.9%. Its payout ratio — the percentage of earnings that go to its dividend or dividend per share divided by earnings per share — is also modest at 48%. Eighty percent is considered the maximum that dividend stocks should aim for in order to leave adequate cash flow for other needs.
- [By Matt Hogan]
Against this backdrop, screening for a potentially overlooked value stock with signs of a turnaround itself makes for a compelling thesis. Department store operator Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) seems to fit the bill. The company posted impressive numbers last quarter (more on those below) and finbox.io valuation models show nearly 30 percent upside. With Kohl's set to announce earnings on the 22nd, let's take a closer look at the company's recent performance, competitive position, and strategic initiatives.
- [By ]
Walmart (WMT) was already on my “Best Short Ideas” list, and I added Kohl’s (KSS) and Target (TGT) to the roster on Thursday morning.
Some reasons for my bearishness on retail stocks:
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Express-1 Expedited Solutions Inc.(XPO)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Idexx Laboratories (IDXX) , XPO Logistics (XPO) , Diamondback Energy (FANG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) .
- [By Rich Duprey, Nicholas Rossolillo, and Maxx Chatsko]
Yet finding the best stocks to buy and hold isn’t easy. So to help get you started, we asked three Foolish investors to pick a growth stock that they believe investors would be wise to buy now and hold for the long term. Read on to learn why they like SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM), and XPO Logistics (NYSE:XPO).
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
Somebody’s got to deliver all of those products that we’re ordering online, and increasingly, that somebody isXPO Logistics(NYSE:XPO). The freight and logistics company has become the leader in last-mile delivery of heavy goods like furniture and appliances, making it a key partner of retailers like Amazon, IKEA,Wayfair, and Home Depot.
- [By ]
For his final “Executive Decision” segment, Cramer also checked in with Brad Jacobs, chairman and CEO of XPO Logistics (XPO) , the transportation provider with shares up 16% in 2018.
- [By ]
TheStreet’s founder and Action Alerts PLUS Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer analyzes Thursday’s trending stocks from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange including Macy’s (M) , Amazon (AMZN) , Etsy (ETSY) , XPO Logistics (XPO) and Groupon (GRPN) .
- [By Rich Duprey]
XPO Logistics (NYSE:XPO) has been a phenomenal growth story: Over the past decade, its shares have returned 2,000% to investors as demand for freight transportation and logistics services skyrocketed.
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Wayne Duggan]
In 1983, IBM Common Stock (NYSE: IBM) released the IBM PC XT. Hurricane Alicia hit the Gulf Coast of Texas, killing 21 people. Federal Reserve interest rates were 11 percent.
- [By Paul Ausick]
The Dow stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) which traded down 7.68% at $148.54. The stock’s 52-week range is $139.13 to $171.13. Volume was more than three times the daily average of around 5.3 million. The company reported quarterly earnings last night and investors didn’t like what the saw or heard.
- [By ]
Here’s everything you must know before Wednesday’s opening bell:
IBM (IBM) said revenue for the three months ended in March rose 5% to just more than $19 billion. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of a Southwest Airlines (LUV) reportedly showed evidence of ‘metal fatigue.’ CSX (CSX) reported a top-and bottom-line beat for the first quarter, driven by lower costs and restructuring expenses. The IRS is giving taxpayers an extra day to file due to major outages on its website yesterday. U.S. stock futures pointed modestly higher on a strong beginning to corporate earnings season.
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