U.S. home prices are on a roll. And as we head into the New Year, I am expecting another record year for home prices in 2018. Today, I am going to reveal the safest, easiest and most profitable way to benefit from this trend.
Fueled by record-low interest rates and housing inventories, home prices in the United States hit another all-time high in 2017.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Home Price NSA (SPCS20) Index measures the value of residential real estate in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago. The most recent update showed that the index expanded 6.1% to 203 in August, breaking the previous all-time high of 198 from July of 2007. Take a look below.
SPCS20 Index Level Since July 2007
Looking forward, I am expecting another record year. Not only will interest rates remain relatively low, but I see no short-term solution to historically low housing inventories.
Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Flowers Foods, Inc.(FLO)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.31 by ($0.01), Bloomberg Earnings reports. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 3.83% and a return on equity of 15.17%. The firm had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:
Wall Street expects Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M) to report quarterly earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $5.39 billion before the opening bell. Macy's shares fell 0.47 percent to $29.79 in after-hours trading.
Analysts are expecting Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) to have earned $0.65 per share on revenue of $12.43 billion in the latest quarter. Cisco will release earnings after the markets close. Cisco shares declined 0.07 percent to $45.45 in after-hours trading.
Boot Barn Holdings Inc (NYSE: BOOT) reported upbeat results for its fourth quarter and issued strong first-quarter earnings guidance. Boot Barn shares climbed 9.97 percent to $24.15 in the after-hours trading session.
After the markets close, Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue of $1.20 billion. Flowers Foods shares dropped 0.37 percent to $21.70 in after-hours trading.
Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
Yesterday, North Korean officials threatened to pull out of next month’s summit with President Donald Trump over demands tied to its nuclear weapons program. The announcement comes when tensions are already high over increasing inflation fears, Japan’s economic contraction, and uncertainty around trade between the U.S. and China. Markets are likely to continue to react with uncertainty as the global political climate continues to grow increasingly volatile. WTI crude oil remained near $71.00 despite concerns as markets look to the Energy Information Administration on the state of U.S. inventory levels. Oil prices have been under pressure after the U.S. announced it would pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. The American Petroleum Institute projected Tuesday that U.S. stocks increased by 4.9 million barrels to 435 million barrels. The EIA will release its official report later this morning.
Three Stocks to Watch Today: M, SBUX, AMZN
Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) will lead another busy day of earnings reports. The retail company’s stock surged more than 12% this morning after a huge earnings report that crushed Wall Street expectations. The firm reported EPS of $0.48, topping expectations of $0.37 by 11 cents. The company also beat revenue expectations by roughly $100 million and experienced a huge jump in same-store sales. It doesn’t look like the U.S-China trade dispute will impact Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX). The coffee giant announced plans to build 3,000 new stores in China in the coming years. The company aims to double its store-front presence by the end of 2022 and hopes to double its profits and triple its revenue in the nation in the process. Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) is back in the news as it continues its slash-and-burn campaign against rival grocery store operators. This morning, the company announced it was slashing Whole Foods prices for its Prime members. The new price list includes 10% discounts on hundreds of items. The perks are rolling ou - [By Stephan Byrd]
Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) was upgraded by analysts at Consumer Edge from a neutral rating to an outperform rating.
Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a buy rating to a hold rating. According to Zacks, “Hawaiian Electric kick started 2018 on a mixed note. While the company’s first-quarter earnings came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, revenues beat the consensus mark. The company is the largest provider of electricity in the state of Hawaii, as a result of which it outperformed the broader industry in past twelve months. It continues to make systematic investments in utility infrastructure development projects, primarily adding new generation facilities, replacing aging infrastructure and restoring transmission and distribution assets. However, Hawaiian Electric depends heavily on third-party suppliers for fuel and purchased power. With the Federal Reserve set to hike interest rate thrice in 2018, Hawaiian Electric’s operational performance may get hampered in coming days. Fluctuations in the oil price in the global market tend to push up Hawaiian Electric’s expenses.”
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Flowers Foods (FLO)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Saul Centers, Inc.(BFS)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America purchased a new position in shares of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE:BFS) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 13,437 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $685,000. Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America owned approximately 0.06% of Saul Centers at the end of the most recent quarter.
- [By Max Byerly]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Saul Centers (BFS)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Partner Communications Company Ltd.(PTNR)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Thursday afternoon, the health care shares rose 1.79 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR), up 8 percent, and Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) up 7 percent.
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) and Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong (OTCMKTS:HTHKY) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk, dividends and institutional ownership.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Thursday morning, the telecommunication services shares rose 1.06 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE: GSAT), up 5 percent, and Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR) up 4 percent.
Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TechTarget, Inc.(TTGT)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Joseph Griffin]
TechTarget (NASDAQ:TTGT) Director Leonard P. Forman sold 63,862 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.59, for a total transaction of $1,506,504.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
