Top Growth Stocks To Own For 2019


By Parke Shall

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) valuation has disconnected from the reality of its long-term growth slowdown, and the news this morning that the company has expanded into Vatican City, despite the protest of some locals who do not want a McDonald’s location there, suggests the company is running out of ideas too. Seeking Alpha reported,

A McDonald’s has opened in the Vatican, despite protests from locals and top clerics. The branch is located just meters from St. Peter’s Square and occupies the bottom floor of a building that is also home to several senior cardinals. According to La Repubblica, McDonald’s will pay the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See – basically, the Vatican’s property supervisor – a monthly rent of €30,000 for the 538 square-meter space.

This does nothing but further our case that McDonald’s and its executives are missing the point. We started writing about McDonald’s about a year and a half ago, talking about how the company needs more than just Band-Aids to fix and reinvent its business. We often made the point that the company is supersaturated around the globe and that it would take a significant shift in both operations and culture for the company to reinvent itself.

Top Growth Stocks To Own For 2019: Aaron's, Inc.(AAN)


Advisors’ Opinion:

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Analysts expect Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE:AAN) to announce earnings of $0.76 per share for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Seven analysts have issued estimates for Aaron’s’ earnings. The lowest EPS estimate is $0.71 and the highest is $0.79. Aaron’s reported earnings per share of $0.43 during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 76.7%. The business is scheduled to issue its next earnings results before the market opens on Friday, October 26th.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Aaron’s (AAN)

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

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. reduced its position in shares of Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE:AAN) by 17.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,145 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,300 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. owned 0.06% of Aaron’s worth $1,918,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top Growth Stocks To Own For 2019: Navigant Consulting, Inc.(NCI)


Advisors’ Opinion:

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Navigant Consulting (NCI)

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

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Navigant Consulting (NYSE:NCI) was upgraded by Barrington Research from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Navigant Consulting (NCI)

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

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Navigant Consulting (NCI)

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

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Navigant Consulting (NYSE:NCI)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reiterated by equities research analysts at William Blair in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Here are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern’s rankings:

    Get Navigant Consulting alerts:

    Navigant Recognized as Insurance Expert Witness Firm of the Year and Seven Thought Leaders Honored across Three Categories (finance.yahoo.com) Navigant Consulting Inc.: Alma Angotti and Salvatore LaScala Named Co-Leaders of Navigant’s Global Investigations and Compliance Practice (twst.com) Critical Review: Navigant Consulting (NCI) & Genpact (G) (americanbankingnews.com) Navigant Rides on Technology Investment Amid Staffing Issues (finance.yahoo.com)


    NYSE:NCI opened at $23.59 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of 21.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.92. Navigant Consulting has a fifty-two week low of $23.45 and a fifty-two week high of $23.63. The company has a quick ratio of 2.60, a current ratio of 2.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Top Growth Stocks To Own For 2019: AltaGas Ltd. (ATGFF)

Advisors’ Opinion:

  • [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

    If you are looking for high-yield stocks, it’s very likely that Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (NYSE:FGP) and AltaGas Ltd. (NASDAQOTH:ATGFF) will be of interest to you, sporting impressive yields of 12% and 8.3%, respectively. Often a higher yield is a good thing, but in this situation, you are probably better off going with the lower, though still robust, yield offered by AltaGas. Here’s why.

  • [By ]

    AltaGas (OTCPK:ATGFF) agreed to acquire WGL (WGL) in January 2017, and the acquisition is still pending regulatory approval in DC, which is expected mid-2018. WGL operates Washington Gas, the gas utility in the region. The interesting play here I think is AltaGas. It offers a fairly well covered 8.5%+ dividend but has been beaten down as a result of concerns over the price paid for the WGL acquisition and the debt it will be required to take on in the deal. If the WGL acquisition does not receive regulatory approval, it’s very possible that AltaGas goes up. And if WGL is approved, it’s obviously a much better acquisition if Amazon picks anywhere in the DC area, as that should fuel a significant population increase for the gas utility business (some estimates of up to 1 million over 10 to 15 years). The projected growth in the gas utility business can serve as the foundation for AltaGas’s broader operations and allow them to finance debt at more attractive levels going forward. A mere re-rating to a market AFFO multiple would lead to substantial gains from the current 10-20% discount to market AFFO multiples, and a premium driven by the growth in Washington Gas could warrant a 10-20% premium to market AFFO multiples.

  • [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

    Quarterly dividends are the norm in the United States, and if you’re leaning on dividend income, quarterly budgeting is different from monthly budgeting. However, there’s another option if you look hard enough, with Canadian energy companies Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) and AltaGas Ltd. (NASDAQOTH:ATGFF) offering both monthly dividends and sizable yields.

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