Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:BBBY,CTBI,CBOE,FBNK,APB,XEL,MYOK,VIRC,THST,GPRE,

Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM (NASDAQ:FTC) by 22.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,599 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 5,356 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM were worth $1,697,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PFS Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM by 39.1% in the 4th quarter. PFS Investments Inc. now owns 272,621 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,164,000 after purchasing an additional 76,664 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,920,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,242,928 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,461,000 after purchasing an additional 68,320 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM by 73.4% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 142,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,053,000 after purchasing an additional 60,474 shares during the period. Finally, LPL Financial LLC boosted its holdings in 1ST TR LARGE CA/COM by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 477,729 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,616,000 after purchasing an additional 48,538 shares during the period.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.(BBBY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  The secret to becoming a millionaire, of course, is getting out in front of a major investment trend before it becomes mainstream. In 2017, it was Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. But this year, it's a taboo investment that is creating millionaires all across North America. Tap into the "green rush," and prepare to become a "Marijuana millionaire." Learn how to get started right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump is facing criticism after threatening to ramp up taxes on Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG). The iconic motorcycle producer said it will move parts of its production overseas in order to avoid tariffs from the European Union. Trump threatened to increase taxes on the firm. "Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be patient!" Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched a $7.5 billion takeover of the web-based hosting service GitHub. The acquisition, orchestrated by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, brought out critics who claim that GitHub lacks any real profit potential for Microsoft stock. Here's why those critics are wrong… and why MSFT is a buy. Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) has reversed its policy on cryptocurrency ads. The social media giant says that it will permit marketing from "pre-approved advisers." According to TechCrunch, the company will still ban ads pushing binary options and initial coin offerings. The report goes on to explain that cryptocurrency scams cost customers more than $500 million in just January and February 2018 alone. Four Stocks to Watch Today: ORCL, FB, GOOGL, BA Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) were largely flat despite a strong earnings report after the bell yesterday. The cloud computing giant reported EPS of $0.99
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, September 27th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Friday, December 14th will be given a dividend of 0.16 per share by the retailer on Tuesday, January 15th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.31%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 13th.

• [By ]

  These earnings offset the horrible news from Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) , as that retailer continues its struggle against Amazon (AMZN) . Shares of Bed Bath plummeted 20% by the close.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The image makeover that was supposed to save Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) instead seems to be keeping customers away. The home furnishings retailer reported its 10th consecutive quarter of falling same-store sales even though first-quarter earnings beat analyst expectations, and revenues were largely in line with forecasts.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Barclays lowered shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $13.00 price target on the retailer’s stock, down from their prior price target of $15.00.

• [By Leo Sun]

  Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) lost about 75% of its market value over the past five years as it struggled to compete against Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and superstores like Walmart (NYSE:WMT). Wall Street expects that pain to continue with a 3% decline in sales and 36% drop in earnings this year.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Community Trust Bancorp, Inc.(CTBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI)

  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 Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI)

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

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage loss in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) which fell about 2% to $100.79. The stock's 52-week range is $91.12 to $138.54. Volume was nearly 1 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.1 million.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This company is the beneficiary of volatility and options trading. Cboe Global Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) was founded in 1973 as the first U.S. options exchange and went public in 2010. Its primary business is trading listed options contracts on equities, indexes (including several exclusively licensed and proprietary products) and ETFs through a hybrid model that combines electronic and open outcry trading.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Cboe Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay. 4, 2018 8:30 a.m. ET

  Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

  Operator

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Last December, two major futures exchanges started offering futures contracts on bitcoin. CBOE Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) was the first to market with its futures offering, and CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) didn't waste any time coming out with its own version of a bitcoin contract.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc.(FBNK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Connecticut Bancorp (FBNK)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Connecticut Bancorp (FBNK)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  First Connecticut Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNK) and Entegra Financial (NASDAQ:ENFC) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and risk.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Connecticut Bancorp (FBNK)

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

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Asia Pacific Fund, Inc. (APB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Media coverage about Asia Pacific Fund, Inc. (The) common stock (NYSE:APB) has been trending somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern reports. Accern rates the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Asia Pacific Fund, Inc. (The) common stock earned a news impact score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the investment management company an impact score of 45.8681605197346 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Xcel Energy Inc.(XEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Many stakeholders and technologies have played a role in this changing of the guard, but two companies in particular made incredible contributions: NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) and Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL). The pair of renewable utility holding companies ended 2017 with a combined 20.7 gigawatts of wind power in their generation mix. Throw in budding solar portfolios and their total renewable energy capacity tops 24 GW.

• [By David Zeiler]

  Xcel Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: XEL)

  Market cap: $23.9 billion Dividend yield: 3.25% Current price: $46.95 Xcel has customers in eight states, mostly in the central part of the United States. Two of those states, Texas and North Dakota, are low-cost electricity states (North Dakota is ranked 18th). But Xcel is also rapidly expanding its renewable energy footprint. Wind power already accounts for 21% of its power generation mix. And Xcel is in the second year of a push to increase its wind power generation by 55%. Just this week the company bought a 478-magawatt wind project from NextEra Energy Resources.

  American Electric Power Company Inc. (Nasdaq: AEP)

• [By Max Byerly]

  Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Xcel Energy Inc (NYSE:XEL) by 2.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 225,167 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,527 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $10,240,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  But as Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) investors recently discovered, retiring even uneconomical coal-fired power plants isn't always easy. Utilities must receive regulatory approval to retire old assets or build new ones. Last summer the utility proposed retiring 660 megawatts of coal-fired power years ahead of schedule and replacing the lost generation with 380 megawatts of natural gas and nearly 2,000 megawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) nearly rejected the plan. The uncertainty weighed heavily on the usually steady utility stock.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Elastic (CURRENCY:XEL) traded down 6.9% against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 0:00 AM ET on September 20th. One Elastic coin can now be purchased for $0.0548 or 0.00000836 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Stellar Decentralized Exchange, Bittrex and Upbit. Elastic has a market cap of $5.02 million and approximately $37,867.00 worth of Elastic was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, Elastic has traded 17.7% lower against the U.S. dollar.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

  Get Xcel Energy alerts: Xcel Energy: Be prepared, stay safe, when severe weather strikes (everythinglubbock.com) Endesa (ELEZF) and Xcel Energy (XEL) Head-To-Head Comparison (americanbankingnews.com) Xcel Energy Inc (XEL) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com) Xcel Energy (XEL) Shares Enter Oversold Territory (nasdaq.com)

  Shares of XEL stock traded up $0.35 on Friday, hitting $45.19. The stock had a trading volume of 2,477,944 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,484,859. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. Xcel Energy has a 12-month low of $41.51 and a 12-month high of $52.22.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: MyoKardia, Inc.(MYOK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MyoKardia (MYOK)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  BidaskClub cut shares of Myokardia (NASDAQ:MYOK) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Myokardia Inc (NASDAQ:MYOK) insider June Lee sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.13, for a total value of $315,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,426 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $342,543.38. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of Myokardia Inc (NASDAQ:MYOK) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $69.50.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Virco Manufacturing Corporation(VIRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Virco Mfg. (VIRC)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Virco Mfg. (NASDAQ:VIRC) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a hold rating to a strong sell rating. According to Zacks, “Virco Mfg. Corporation designs, produces, and distributes quality furniture for the contract and education markets worldwide. Examples of facilities served by Virco include public and private schools, colleges and universities, convention centers, federal and state institutions, churches and other businesses. They also sell to wholesalers, distributors, retailers and catalog retailers. In order to divide the workload into manageable amounts, Virco has divided the sales force into two groups: Education and Commercial. “

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Truett-Hurst, Inc.(THST)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Media coverage about Truett-Hurst (NASDAQ:THST) has trended somewhat positive on Tuesday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research firm identifies positive and negative news coverage by monitoring more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Truett-Hurst earned a daily sentiment score of 0.19 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the company an impact score of 45.6772286424113 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Press coverage about Truett-Hurst (NASDAQ:THST) has trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern identifies negative and positive media coverage by analyzing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Truett-Hurst earned a coverage optimism score of 0.19 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the company an impact score of 45.6772286424113 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media coverage about Truett-Hurst (NASDAQ:THST) has been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. The research firm ranks the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Truett-Hurst earned a daily sentiment score of 0.00 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the company an impact score of 44.6844029134937 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Green Plains, Inc.(GPRE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Just a few short years ago, management at Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) embarked on an ambitious diversification strategy to stabilize the bottom line of its commodity-driven business. It was easy for investors to follow the rationale: the company is one of the world's largest ethanol producers in the world -- and ethanol has become synonymous with low-margin sales and uncertainty, at least in recent years.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Here's how the rule change could permanently lift the fortunes of the nation's largest ethanol manufacturers, including Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE:ADM), Valero (NYSE:VLO), and Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Green Plains Inc (NASDAQ:GPRE) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $25.67.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  While all producers have paid the price of a grossly oversupplied market in recent years, none has suffered as much as Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE). The business is much more dependent on ethanol output and selling prices than peers Archer Daniels Midland or Valero Energy, which generate the majority of their income from agricultural raw materials and petroleum refining, respectively.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  China imported 55 million gallons of American ethanol from November 2017 to the end of February 2018. It could be just the beginning. That would be great news for Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE:ADM), Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE), and Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) -- the three largest publicly traded ethanol producers in the United States.   

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market continued to lose ground on Thursday, with major benchmarks once again posting significant declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished near its lows of the day, falling 546 points despite multiple efforts to cut its losses during the session. Even though most indexes are still up for 2018, investor confidence seems to be eroding badly after nearly a decade of bull market gains. Nevertheless, some good news from a handful of individual stocks let them buck the downtrend and move higher. Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX), Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE), and RH (NYSE:RH) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

Movers & Shakers: Eicher Motors, Torrent Power, Thermax, Parsvnath Developers

Bulls have once again made a comeback in the afternoon trade on March 19 as Nifty50 added 75 points, trading at 11,538 whereas Sensex gained 296 points, trading at 38,391.

Nifty PSU Bank along with Nifty Energy are the outperforming sectors led by gains from Bank of India, PNB and Union Bank of India while from the energy space, the top gainers are Reliance Industries, HPCL, GAIL India and ONGC.

Here's a look at the top stock movers with respect to volumes:

Torrent Power was trading with volumes of 47,006,399 shares, compared to its five day average of 40,292 shares, an increase of 116,565.51 percent. Also, Thermax was trading with volumes of 412,158 shares, compared to its five day average of 7,295 shares, an increase of 5,549.56 percent.

related news D-Street Buzz: PSU banks extend gains, ITC jumps 2%; RIL most active Jet Airways plunges 5% as report claims Etihad may not invest further Kaveri Seed rises 3% on launch of a new facility at Telangana

Parsvnath Developers was trading with volumes of 1,202,866 shares, compared to its five day average of 29,261 shares, an increase of 4,010.82 percent and witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 45.36 times and touched upper circuit of Rs 7.78.

Natco Pharma was trading with volumes of 848,108 shares, compared to its five day average of 21,312 shares, an increase of 3,879.52 percent and saw a spurt in volume by more than 49.18 times.

Eicher Motors was trading with volumes of 68,906 shares, compared to its five day average of 3,259 shares, an increase of 2,014.20 percent. The stock saw a spurt in volume by more than 13.02 times.

Finolex Industries was trading with volumes of 52,048 shares, compared to its five day average of 5,516 shares, an increase of 843.51 percent. The stock saw a spurt in volume by more than 6.94 times. Also, Future Retail was trading with volumes of 179,103 shares, compared to its five day average of 35,390 shares, an increase of 406.09 percent. The stock witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 4.64 times. First Published on Mar 19, 2019 03:33 pm

Buy LIC Housing Finance; target of Rs 600: Motilal Oswal

Motilal Oswal's research report on LIC Housing Finance

Our strategist recently increased the weightage of LIC Housing Finance (LICHF) in our model portfolio. In our view, after a span of two years, the business environment is turning favorable for LICHF. With liquidity tightening, we expect players with stronger parentage to disproportionately benefit v/s peers. The benefit to such players will be two-fold; (a) they will have access to larger quantum of capital from the debt markets at more competitive rates, and (b) lower-rated peers would now be less aggressive, thus, reducing competition as well as balance transfer pressure. LICHF sailed through the past quarter with relative ease owing to its parentage and granular balance sheet (94% of loans are to individuals). It raised INR200b from NCDs, INR90b from CPs and INR10b from deposits in the quarter. While core home loan growth was moderate, we expect it to accelerate over the ensuing quarters.

Outlook

At CMP, the stock trades at 1.4x FY20 BVPS - this is close to its decadal low of 1.1x. With steady-to-improving core home loan growth, stable spread and asset quality, LICHF is set to deliver 1.5%/16% RoA/RoE over the medium term. Key risks stem from the increasing GNPL ratio of the retail loan book. Maintain BUY with a target price of INR600 (1.5x Dec 2020E BVPS).

For all recommendations report, click here

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More First Published on Mar 19, 2019 02:56 pm

Centurylink Inc (CTL) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $5.75 Billion

Analysts expect Centurylink Inc (NYSE:CTL) to post $5.75 billion in sales for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Five analysts have made estimates for Centurylink’s earnings. The highest sales estimate is $5.79 billion and the lowest is $5.71 billion. Centurylink posted sales of $5.95 billion during the same quarter last year, which suggests a negative year over year growth rate of 3.4%. The company is scheduled to report its next earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th.

On average, analysts expect that Centurylink will report full year sales of $22.77 billion for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $22.52 billion to $22.94 billion. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the business will post sales of $22.24 billion, with estimates ranging from $21.79 billion to $22.65 billion. Zacks’ sales calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that follow Centurylink.

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Centurylink (NYSE:CTL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 13th. The technology company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $5.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.78 billion. Centurylink had a positive return on equity of 5.68% and a negative net margin of 7.39%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.18 EPS.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on CTL shares. Zacks Investment Research lowered Centurylink from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 10th. Edward Jones lowered Centurylink to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Centurylink from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $27.00 to $14.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 14th. Guggenheim lowered Centurylink from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $11.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, January 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered Centurylink from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $24.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.75.

In other Centurylink news, Director Steven T. Clontz purchased 8,000 shares of Centurylink stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $11.95 per share, with a total value of $95,600.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 202,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,417,891.30. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Indraneel Dev purchased 50,000 shares of Centurylink stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.75 per share, for a total transaction of $587,500.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer now owns 459,153 shares in the company, valued at $5,395,047.75. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 143,000 shares of company stock worth $1,698,720. 0.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Signet Investment Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Centurylink during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Doyle Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Centurylink during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Pearl River Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centurylink during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Centurylink by 34.6% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 3,513 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 904 shares during the period. Finally, Intercontinental Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Centurylink during the 4th quarter worth $61,000. 75.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE:CTL opened at $11.91 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $13.05 billion, a PE ratio of 10.01, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.69. Centurylink has a 12 month low of $11.52 and a 12 month high of $24.20.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 12th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.40%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 11th. Centurylink’s payout ratio is currently 84.03%.

About Centurylink

CenturyLink, Inc provides various communications services to residential, business, wholesale, and governmental customers primarily in the United States. It operates in two segments, Business and Consumer. The company offers virtual private network data network services; Ethernet services; Internet protocol services; CenturyLink Prism TV that allows customers to watch television or cable channels and record up to four shows on one home digital video recorder; and Vyvx, which provides audio and video feeds over fiber or satellite for broadcast and production customers, as well as satellite digital television services.

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RingCentral (RNG) Coverage Initiated at Guggenheim

Guggenheim started coverage on shares of RingCentral (NYSE:RNG) in a research report report published on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $125.00 price objective on the software maker’s stock.

RNG has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of RingCentral from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $100.00 price target for the company in a report on Saturday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of RingCentral from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $100.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, November 19th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of RingCentral from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of RingCentral from $84.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 7th. Finally, Stephens restated an equal weight rating on shares of RingCentral in a report on Tuesday, February 12th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $110.00.

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RNG opened at $106.53 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2,663.25 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 3.55 and a current ratio of 3.55. RingCentral has a 1-year low of $61.35 and a 1-year high of $109.84.

RingCentral (NYSE:RNG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 11th. The software maker reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.05. The business had revenue of $188.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.91 million. RingCentral had a negative net margin of 3.89% and a negative return on equity of 0.69%. Sell-side analysts forecast that RingCentral will post -0.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CAO John H. Marlow sold 32,774 shares of RingCentral stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.38, for a total value of $3,453,724.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 121,245 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,776,798.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Vladimir Shmunis sold 16,898 shares of RingCentral stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.36, for a total transaction of $1,763,475.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 245,623 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,633,216.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 477,279 shares of company stock valued at $48,597,478 in the last quarter. 11.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Utah Retirement Systems boosted its position in RingCentral by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 12,600 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $1,039,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its position in RingCentral by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 8,420 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $694,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC boosted its position in RingCentral by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 3,200 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Neuburgh Advisers LLC purchased a new position in RingCentral in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Ffcm LLC purchased a new position in RingCentral in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.51% of the company’s stock.

About RingCentral

RingCentral, Inc provides software-as-a-service solutions that enable businesses to communicate, collaborate, and connect primarily in North America. The company's products include RingCentral Office, provides communication and collaboration across various modes, including high-definition voice, video, SMS, messaging and collaboration, conferencing, online meetings, and fax through smartphones, tablets, PCs, and desk phones; RingCentral Professional, a cloud based virtual telephone service for professionals, as well as provides inbound call answering and management services, and includes inbound local, long-distance, and toll-free minutes; and RingCentral Fax that provides online fax capabilities that allow businesses to send and receive fax documents without a fax machine.

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Tesla's Model Y is coming. What should you expect?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will unveil the automaker's newest electric vehicle at an event Thursday night in the Los Angeles area.

The Model Y will make its debut as questions swirl regarding the SUV's design, tech features, exact timing and pricing.

Tesla must deliver a functional interior and improved reliability to appeal to pragmatic, family-oriented compact SUV buyers, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at car-buying advice site Edmunds.

"This is not a sports-car segment," Caldwell said. "These are not young Tesla enthusiasts thinking this is my way into a Tesla. Will it have smart packaging on the interior that will actually work for families?"

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FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedInTesla through the years FullscreenPost to FacebookPosted!

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A worker cleans a Tesla Model S sedan before an event to deliver the first set of cars to customers in Beijing, April 22, 2014. Ng Han Guan, APFullscreenA Tesla Roadster and "Starman" mannequin head toward deep space after launching on Falcon Heavy on Feb. 6, 2018. Tesla via Getty ImagesFullscreenTesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveils the Model X at a launch event in Fremont, Calif. Sept. 29, 2015. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAYFullscreenThe Tesla Motors showroom in the Tysons Corner Mall in VA. June 12, 2014. H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAYFullscreen2 Tesla Model 3's. TeslaFullscreenA Tesla Semi. TeslaFullscreenAFP/Getty ImagesTesla founder Elon Musk presents the new Roadster electric sports vehicle at Tesla's Los Angeles design centre, Nov. 16, 2017. TESLA HANDOUT, EPA-EFEFullscreenA Tesla Roadster in San Carlos, Calif., Feb. 28, 2008. Jack Gruber, USA TODAYFullscreenThis Tesla Roadster on the road in San Carlos, Calif. Feb. 28, 2008 Jack Gruber, USA TODAYFullscreenSome of twelve Tesla Roadsters bound for Japan are seen at a dock in Port Hueneme, Calif. April 21, 2010. Chuck Kirman, APFullscreenA lot full of Tesla vehicles in Chicago, Dec. 18, 2018. Teresa Crawford, APFullscreenGuest test-drive the new Tesla Model S P85D after Tesla Motors Inc., announced its new all-wheel-drive version of the Tesla Model S car in Hawthorne, Calif., Oct. 9, 2014. Ringo H.W. Chiu, APFullscreenWorkers assembly a Tesla Roadster at their showroom in Menlo Park, Calif. Sept. 16, 2008. Paul Sakuma, APFullscreenA Tesla Roadster Sport at a charging station in Portland, Ore. May 27, 2011. Rick Bowmer, APFullscreenVisitors to the Capitol had the opportunity to inspect the Tesla Motors Model S electric sedan on display in Sacramento, Calif., June 18, 2013. Built in Fremont, the Model S has a seating capacity for five adults and can travel up to 300 miles per charge, depending on which battery package purchased. The starting price for the base Model S is $69,900. Rich Pedroncelli, APFullscreen"Starman" sitting in SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster after a Falcon Heavy rocket delivered it into orbit around the Earth on Feb. 6, 2018. AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreenA Tesla Model 3 is on display in Los Angeles at Automobility LA, Nov. 29, 2019. FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreenElon Musk, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives in a modified Tesla Model X electric vehicle during an unveiling event for the Boring Co. Hawthorne test tunnel in Hawthorne, Calif., Dec. 18, 2018. Robyn Beck, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreenTwo people inspect the rear boot of Tesla's latest car "Model 3" during its first exhibition day in Spain, at the Tesla's store in Barcelona Nov. 14, 2018. JOSEP LAGO, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreenElon Musk CEO, Cofounder, Chief Product Architect for Tesla with a new Model S car outside the Tesla customer deliver area at the Tesla Fremont factory, June 21, 2012. Jessica Brandi Lifland, USA TODAYFullscreenPeople walk past a Tesla dealership on Jan. 4, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Tesla is expected to soon begin deliveries of the Model 3 in Europe even though the car has not yet been officially approved by European authorities. Sean Gallup, Getty ImagesFullscreenInterested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:Replay1 of 212 of 213 of 214 of 215 of 216 of 217 of 218 of 219 of 2110 of 2111 of 2112 of 2113 of 2114 of 2115 of 2116 of 2117 of 2118 of 2119 of 2120 of 2121 of 21AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide

Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said "the clock is ticking" for Tesla to deliver a compelling product because competitors are rapidly catching up. That makes it critical for the company to pull off the Model Y launch without a hitch.

"Every day that goes by, it's less interesting for any single (electric) SUV to hit the market than what was a day before, and that include Teslas," Brauer said. 

Tesla's Model Y is coming: But has this Model 3 owner's yearning been fulfilled?

Here are five key things to expect from the Model Y:

It could be Tesla's best-seller yet

Americans are having a love affair with SUVs and crossovers, and the Model Y size is expected to line up with the popular compact SUV subsegment.

Compact passenger cars are actually declining in popularity, which is partly why it was surprising that Musk chose the category for the automaker's first mass-market vehicle, the Model 3.

Musk has estimated that Model Y demand could be anywhere from 50 percent more or even double that of the Model 3.

Brauer agreed that Model Y sales will likely eventually top the Model 3.

Tesla's next mass-market vehicle will be the Model Y, a crossover based on the Model 3's architecture. It could arrive in 2020. (Photo: Tesla, Inc)

Higher cost, less battery range

"Model Y, being an SUV, is about 10% bigger than Model 3, so will cost about 10% more & have slightly less range for same battery," Musk said on Twitter on March 3.

The basic version of the Model 3 starts at $35,000, but most buyers have paid well over $40,000 and some have paid more than $50,000 for vehicles with more options.

The starting price for the Model Y likely will approach $40,000, Brauer and Caldwell said. And many buyers will likely pay $50,000 or more, they predicted.

"There will be a lot of questions about the price," Caldwell said. "Not only are we looking for a pricing announcement but some assurance that they're actually going to offer that vehicle at that price."

The Tesla Model 3. (Photo: Tesla)

You won't be able to get one for a while

If history is any guide, Tesla will likely begin accepting online orders soon after Thursday night's event, if not immediately after. But that doesn't mean you should expect to drive one anytime soon.

Musk has said that production will begin slowly in early 2020 and hit high volumes by late 2020. But Tesla has repeatedly missed production goals in the past.

"They need to confirm that the car has a realistic timeline that they can meet," Brauer said. "This would be a good time to not overpromise and underdeliver."

It's a lot like the Model 3

The Model Y is based on the same architectural platform as the Model 3.

That allows Tesla to save costs by using about 75 percent of the same parts, Musk told investors in January.

Assembled in Reno?

That's an unusual place to manufacture vehicles. Most U.S.-assembled cars are made in the Midwest or the South, with the notable exception of the Tesla Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles made in Fremont, California.

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The automaker has said it will likely make the Model Y at its battery factory in Nevada, where it continues to expand production. But that will require a major investment in assembly line equipment and employee training to get started.

"Batteries and powertrains will come out and go straight into the vehicle," Musk said in January. "So that also reduces our risk of execution and reduces the cost of having to transfer parts from California to Nevada. It's not a for-sure thing, but it's quite likely, and it's our default plan."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.

FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedInTeslas through the eyes of their drivers FullscreenPost to FacebookPosted!

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Tesla owners love sharing photos of their cars. We invited drivers across social media to send us their favorite shots. Tom Moloughney, who runs a Tesla Model 3 Facebook group with nearly 41,000 members, shared a shot of the car he test drove. He was a first-day reservation holder. Tom MoloughneyFullscreenMin and Chad Hurin figured out a way to afford to buy their Teslas -- rent them out, airbnb style. Their company, Frunk Yea, has a fleet -- an S, a 3 and an X -- and are based in San Diego and Tampa. Min HurinFullscreenA Model 3 trickle charging in the North Woods of Minnesota. Bryce PierFullscreenAlong with Models S, 3 and X come a couple of babies. The shot features a 2016 Model S 70D, a 2018 Performance Model 3 and a 2016 Model X 90D with a couple of Radio Flyer Tesla Model S's for the kids. Among the long list of Rema Shalan's favorite things about her Model X are the self-presenting doors, summon feature and Bioweapon Defense Mode. Rema ShalanFullscreenChristopher Chan says that before the Tesla, "my favorite car was the BMW 328i 2012, which I loved driving until the kids were born." (He had to swap it for the popular parent-mobile, the Honda Odyssey.) While he said he "missed that 'ultimate driving machine' feeling" of the BMW, "the Model 3 is the BMW experience plus more." This was taken Dec. 8, 2018, at Santana Row in San Jose, California. https://www.christopher-chan.com Christopher ChanFullscreenKarina's Model X sports custom wheels, tinted windows and a satin metallic purple wrap. Karina WuFullscreenThis is "Marvin," a Model S that Kristy Eisele bought in 2016 and drove from New York to California and back to take her son to college. This shot was taken in Reno, Nevada. "[B]eing able to put the car in Autopilot takes away a lot of stress of driving long distances," she says. "At the end of the day, I can arrive at my destination and not be exhausted." Kristy Eisele (@razemfrazem)FullscreenRyan's Model 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida, October 2018. He's had the car since June and says it's his "favorite thing." "The car is constantly evolving and they provide the updated features for free. Not even the iPhone gives you that much with an update without purchasing a new model." He's a big fan of the self-driving capabilities: "I don't know how I drove before without it. I used to dread long drives or driving in traffic, but this makes it so simple and easy." Ryan TickleFullscreen"Ruby Rose" is Adam Etkin's 2018 long-range, rear wheel drive Tesla Model 3, with chrome delete and custom Aero wheel covers. Adam EtkinFullscreenClay Whitely, from Sacramento, says driving his Model 3 "puts a smile on my face every time I sit down in the drivers seat. No car has ever done that before, for me." Clay WhiteleyFullscreenRick Teremi says he and his partner, Michelle Leale, were among the first to pre-order in 2016. The car arrived Oct. 1, 2018, in Chicago. "[S]pending $60k for a car sight unseen was quite the plunge." This one's Michelle's. Rick is planning to buy one for himself next month. They will have his-and-hers both in white -- but his will have the white interior. Hers sports the black. Rick TeremiFullscreenBehold "Purple Reign." Some details about the customization of the Model 3 sporting the white vegan leather interior: The vinyl wrap color is Black Rose Metallic. The 20-inch sport wheels are powder coated in gray metallic. "I've had some nice cars before, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, etc., but there has never been a community amongst the owners like Tesla," says owner Scott Berland. "Sometimes it's members argue (like a family) but it's still a far more communal experience than any of the others." Scott BerlandFullscreenRodney Bailey, at the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey, credits his Model 3 "Tess" with making him a better driver "even though I thought I was pretty good prior to ownership." Rodney BaileyFullscreenNotice the customized red Tesla T on the frunk, or front trunk. "The instant torque and sporty handling really make the Model 3 a fun car to drive," says owner Allen Lau. "The functionality of the touchscreen console and Auto Pilot are just some of the features that really makes driving a pleasant experience in the Model 3." Allen LauFullscreenGaurav Mahendru shared his picture of "Pearl," a Tesla Model 3 in Pearl White with 18-inch Aero Wheels, outside the iconic Milwaukee Art Museum. His family got the car last September after waiting 17 months. They were among those who reserved the car before it was in production. "We have already done 5,000 miles on it! We had a 2004 Toyota Camry before this and we were past due for an upgrade....We are so much in love with this car that we are never going back to gas cars ever again." Aside, from the car being electric, its safety record, design and being a tech gadget "built around a computer," he feels a part of something bigger: "The feeling of being a part of a movement!" Gaurav MahendruFullscreenKristy Eisele says she loved her Model S experience so much, she bought a Model 3 last November in Deep Blue Metallic with 19-inch Sport wheels and black and white interior. Kristy Eisele (@razemfrazem)FullscreenAlyson Vogel's car family includes two Model 3s. The second they bought on New Year's Eve, ahead of the tax credit partially expiring. "We bought it in 4 hours from California, and they delivered it to our garage in N.Y. while we signed the paperwork in California!" Alyson VogelFullscreenElaine Borseth, vice president of the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego, says she's done a couple of San Diego to Maine roundtrips and a 16,000-mile trek that took her all over North America in her P85D. "I've charged my car everywhere from Superchargers to 110 outlets at homes, businesses and hotels, RV parks, a 240 outlet on the side of an unoccupied cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (all with the owners' permission via plugshare) to my own garage." #CoastToCoastTeslaFullscreenInterested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:Replay1 of 182 of 183 of 184 of 185 of 186 of 187 of 188 of 189 of 1810 of 1811 of 1812 of 18BlogThis!