Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Cramer: A new playbook for invetors now that the Fed ended rate hikes this year

Investors need not worry that the Federal Reserve induced a market "sea change" by calling off interest rate increases this year and adjust their game plan to make money, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday.

The major averages all rose higher during the session on the agency's monetary policy reversal, he said.

"This is a dramatic shift—we don't need to worry about more rate hikes—and that's why it's causing a sea change in the stock market right now because we're in a low growth environment again," the "Mad Money" host said.

Although Chairman Jerome Powell and the central bank reduced the forecast on GDP growth and inflation, there are more stocks that can perform well in low-growth rather than high-growth conditions, he added.

As a guideline, Cramer suggests picking stocks whose sales won't get knocked down by an easing economy, focusing on high-yielding dividend stocks, buying the fastest-growing names while inflation is near flat, and loading up on companies that do a lot of business overseas, including those impacted by the trade war with China, because the dollar is getting weaker.

The Fed's benchmark funds rate will remain in a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent.

"I'm not saying you should swap out of the losers and buy the winners immediately," Cramer said. "But the bottom line is that you need to be in the right frame of mind for this new market for this playbook" below.

Buy

Amazon: Amazon is nearly invincible to growth, both domestically and globally, Cramer said.

"It's got management that knows how to deal with the lower prices that may be needed to attract consumers who may not be doing as well as last year ... [and] it has Amazon Web Services," he said.

Apple: Cramer said he doesn't like that the stock rallied so high Thursday as analysts anticipate its product reveal, but the stock is "perfect for this kind of environment. The company is a lot less economically sensitive than most people think ... [and it] gets a huge boost from a weak dollar."

Cloud stocks: Cramer name dropped Salesforce.com, ServiceNow,and Twilio, the company that powers soon-to-be-public Lyft.

"Take your pick of the cloud kings. They're all expensive as all get out here, but they're also the fastest growers and they aren't particularly economically sensitive at all," he said.

Semiconductors: Cramer said he likes Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Micron Technology, and Lam Research.

The chipmakers "have long cycles and their customers are going to put in orders six months from now, which could make 2020 a good year," he said.

Pepsico: Cramer predicted that Pepsi will have good growth because of the products it has in the pipeline.

"If you want a safe growth stock with a dividend and some exposure to a weaker dollar, may I suggest you're describing Pepsico," he said. "I like the stock. I like the 3 percent yield. It's marvelous."

Johnson & Johnson: "I know a ton of people are worried about JNJ, Johnson & Johnson, over this talc situation ... I think JNJ's pipeline, that's what I'm focused on, is magnificent ... Plus, it's a fabulous weak-dollar play."

General Mills: "I also like General Mills [only on a pullback], which reported a better-than-expected quarter and sports a 4 percent yield. I think you gotta buy it on pullback..."

Don't buy

Banks: The banks still have a mound of challenges, Carmer said.

"The economy isn't strong enough to entertain big construction. The net interest margins aren't going anywhere, now that the Fed is not going to raise rates," the host said. "Bad loans should start showing up in the third quarter. It's just a suboptimal situation until their stocks give you higher yields, which means they have to go lower."

Big cyclicals: "The big cyclicals have historically been wrong in a worldwide slowdown."

Oil: "The oils are simply lame with few redeeming qualities in a low inflation environment."

WATCH: Cramer explains his playbook for a slow-growth economy show chapters Cramer: Investors need a new playbook now that the Fed ended rate hikes this year Cramer: Investors need a new playbook now that the Fed ended rate hikes this year    1 Hour Ago | 10:23

Disclosure: Cramer's charity trust owns shares of Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, Salesforce.com, and Lam Research.

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Sunday, March 24, 2019

Lyft to investors: We'll get to 20 percent margins...someday

Lyft is in the process of courting investors, but potential buyers still question how and when the company will make money.

The ride-hailing start-up is wrapping up the first week of its "roadshow," a series of presentations across major U.S. cities ahead of its highly-anticipated public offering. Multiple potential investors attending Thursday's lunch, hosted by Credit Suisse, told CNBC they were skeptical about profitability.

Lyft executives told hundreds of investors on the 20th floor of the St. Regis that the company will eventually reach 20 percent EBITDA margins, but gave no clear timeline for that watermark, according to three investors who asked not to be named because the meeting was private.

The San Francisco-based company also projected 70 percent long-term gross margins, also without a timeline. Media is not allowed in the presentations, but CNBC spoke to investors as they were walking out of the hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

Much like its rival Uber, Lyft is losing money. The second-largest ride-hailing company reported a $911 million loss on $2.1 billion in revenue last year, according to its IPO prospectus filed in early March. Lyft, which plans to list on the Nasdaq next week, said it expects sales to grow faster than its losses.

One attendee said executives "punted" to Wall Street research analysts on questions about specific growth numbers and financials, largely because executives are limited on what they can share due to disclosure rules for roadshows. When probed by an attendee, Lyft executives also declined to say whether there was a model city that shows how they can achieve profitability, one investor said.

The company told the group, over a lunch of Caesar salad with chicken, that it would keep spending this year before pulling back to focus on profits.

"They said 2019 would be the peak investment year," Gabelli research analyst Shawn Kim told CNBC outside of the St. Regis. "It was a measured approach but lacking on details on how they're going to get there."

Lyft IPO prospectus Kate Rooney | CNBC Lyft IPO prospectus

Other attendees echoed Kim's sentiment.

One potential investor from a hedge fund, who asked not to be named, called the strategy and timeline "loosey goosey." The deal was "not for him," but said there was strong interest from those willing to look 10 years to 15 years down the road and trust that Lyft can go the way of high-growth success stories like Amazon.

The room was "jam-packed," according to multiple attendees. One banker estimated as many as 400 people showed up. Anthony Kontoleon, global head of equity syndicate at Credit Suisse, kicked off the meeting, which lasted roughly an hour. There was also an "overflow" room with about 80 people who watched the presentation from television screens.

Multiple attendees praised Lyft's management team, which includes CEO Logan Green, President John Zimmer Roberts and CFO Brian Roberts. On attendee said said Roberts seemed "personable."

"They have a deep bench," Gabelli's Kim said. "There's a lot of talented people."

Potential investors highlighted the duopoly between Uber and Lyft comparing them to well-known rivals Coke and Pepsi, and AT&T and Verizon. Uber, which reportedly plans to unveil its IPO prospectus in April, was not mentioned by name in the presentations, according to multiple investors. But the competition did not go unnoticed.

"Uber was the elephant in the room" Kim said.

—CNBC's Ritika Shah contributed reporting.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Buy ITC; target of Rs 347: Sharekhan


Sharekhan's research report on ITC


ITC has undertaken price hike of 6-15% in some of its lower-end cigarette brands (contributing ~20% to cigarette sales volume). The average price hike (with no price increase in key brands) stood at 2%. The recent price hike will have initial reaction on sales, with sales volume expected to moderate in these brands for a short span. However, we believe this price increase will get absorbed in the market as the same was taken after a long gap in the domestic market. We have tweaked our earnings estimates for FY2020E/FY2021E by 1% each to factor in little lower-than-earlier expected volume growth. Discounted valuations of 25x its FY2021E earnings make it one of the important picks in the FMCG space.


Outlook


We retain our Buy with an unchanged price target of Rs. 347.


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 20, 2019 04:30 pm

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:MOBI,FCEL,PQ,ATAI,CNR,ACHN,

Small cap mobile gaming stock SPYR Inc (OTCMKTS: SPYR) has just signed a licensing agreement with CBS Consumer Products that will allow the incorporation of intellectual property (IP) from various Star Trek television series in future updates to and expansions of its game Pocket Starships. How much could that be worth to SPYR Inc? Consider the following net worth estimates published by Fortune last summer for the actors/actresses who were made famous by the original series (thus, guaranteed recurring income from the fan convention circuit) and just how much they have made mostly from having once been in the series:

William Shatner, $100 million Leonard Nimoy, $45 million DeForest Kelley ("Dr. McCoy"), $5 million James Doohan ("Lt. Commander Montgomery Scotty Scott"), $7 million Nichelle Nichols ("Uhura"), $8 million George Takei ("Hikaru Sulu"), $12 million Walter Koenig ("Ensign Pavel Chekov"), $8 million Majel Barrett ("Nurse Chapel" + computer voice), $60 million-plus (she was also wife of show creator Gene Roddenberry)

Creator Gene Roddenberry also made his estimated $500 million fortune off of his creation and its many spin-offs while Rick Berman, who was the executive producer of several later series, then made a comfortable living off the franchise.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: Sky-mobi Limited(MOBI)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Mobius (CURRENCY:MOBI) traded 12.4% lower against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 17:00 PM E.T. on September 25th. One Mobius token can now be bought for approximately $0.0265 or 0.00000414 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Gate.io, Kucoin, BitMart and GOPAX. Over the last week, Mobius has traded up 8.8% against the US dollar. Mobius has a market cap of $10.22 million and approximately $69,762.00 worth of Mobius was traded on exchanges in the last day.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Mobius (CURRENCY:MOBI) traded 1.2% lower against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 14:00 PM E.T. on August 21st. In the last week, Mobius has traded down 1.1% against the dollar. One Mobius token can now be bought for about $0.0291 or 0.00000452 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including GOPAX, BitMart, Gate.io and Stellar Decentralized Exchange. Mobius has a total market capitalization of $11.23 million and approximately $78,528.00 worth of Mobius was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Mobius (CURRENCY:MOBI) traded 5.5% higher against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 16:00 PM E.T. on February 21st. Mobius has a market cap of $6.06 million and $37,433.00 worth of Mobius was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Mobius token can now be purchased for $0.0118 or 0.00000298 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including GOPAX, Gate.io, BitMart and Stellarport. Over the last seven days, Mobius has traded up 22.4% against the dollar.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Media coverage about Sky-mobi (NASDAQ:MOBI) has trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. The research group ranks the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Sky-mobi earned a news impact score of 0.06 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the software maker an impact score of 45.6853785900783 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near term.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: FuelCell Energy Inc.(FCEL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted a decrease of 4% in short interest during the period. Some 7.42 million shares were short as of June 15. The stock closed at $1.37 on Tuesday, down about 1.4% for the day, in a 52-week range of $1.18 to $2.49. Shares traded down more than 10% in the short interest period, and days to cover dropped from 17 to six.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted a gain of 4.2% in short interest during the two-week period. Some 10.29 million shares were short as of September 14. The stock closed at $1.13 on Tuesday, up about 5.6% for the day, in a 52-week range of $1.00 to $2.49. Shares traded down about 7.6% in the short interest period, and days to cover fell from 12 to nine.

  • [By Scott Levine]

    One of the notable advantages of fuel cells is that they produce very little pollution. FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ:FCEL), however, believes that it could leverage the power of fuel cells in another way to fight pollution -- by capturing it. Partnering with ExxonMobil and Southern Company, FuelCell Energy is developing a carbon-capture solution to be used at gas-fired power plants. The pilot project is under development at a power plant in Alabama.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) and HRG Group (NYSE:HRG) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings and profitability.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted a decrease of 25.7% in short interest during the period. Some 5.86 million shares were short as of April 30. The stock closed at $1.93 on Wednesday, up about 1.6% for the day, in a 52-week range of $0.80 to $2.49. Shares traded down about 7.8% in the short interest period, and days to cover rose from six to eight.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    News headlines about Petroquest Energy (NYSE:PQ) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Petroquest Energy earned a coverage optimism score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the energy company an impact score of 47.638327846877 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    ATA Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAI) traded down about 14% Monday to set a new 52-week low of $0.82, based on revalued shares that closed at $0.72 on Friday but traded up about 250% on Monday at $2.53. Volume was more than 200 times the daily average of around 42,000. You’re on your own here to figure this one out.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) – Cormark raised their Q3 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Canadian National Railway in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, April 10th. Cormark analyst D. Tyerman now expects that the transportation company will post earnings per share of $1.15 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.14.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight 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 $93.33.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) had its target price upped by investment analysts at CIBC from C$116.00 to C$120.00 in a research report issued on Friday. CIBC’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 3.54% from the stock’s current price.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Shares of Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the twenty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $91.71.

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2019: Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    BidaskClub lowered shares of Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a report published on Tuesday morning.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

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

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

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

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

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

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $5.20.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

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

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:GBNK,ARQL,VRTU,WHF,CRVL,

Aerium (CURRENCY:AERM) traded 2.9% higher against the dollar during the one day period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on July 20th. One Aerium coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0033 or 0.00000053 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including CryptoBridge and Stocks.Exchange. During the last seven days, Aerium has traded 20.8% higher against the dollar. Aerium has a market capitalization of $371,632.00 and $0.00 worth of Aerium was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Here is how related cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:

Get Aerium alerts: Dash (DASH) traded 4.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $251.69 or 0.03459270 BTC. Decred (DCR) traded down 1.2% against the dollar and now trades at $71.79 or 0.00986744 BTC. Aeternity (AE) traded 6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.79 or 0.00024586 BTC. Bitcoin Diamond (BCD) traded down 5.2% against the dollar and now trades at $2.17 or 0.00029824 BTC. Stratis (STRAT) traded down 5.4% against the dollar and now trades at $2.72 or 0.00037441 BTC. Hshare (HSR) traded 5.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $5.40 or 0.00074223 BTC. Emercoin (EMC) traded 5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $2.90 or 0.00039855 BTC. ReddCoin (RDD) traded down 11.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0041 or 0.00000057 BTC. PIVX (PIVX) traded 8.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.86 or 0.00025538 BTC. Enigma (ENG) traded down 8.7% against the dollar and now trades at $1.26 or 0.00017339 BTC.

Aerium Coin Profile

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Guaranty Bancorp(GBNK)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Guaranty Bancorp (GBNK)

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

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Guaranty Bancorp (NASDAQ:GBNK) – Analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies lifted their Q3 2018 EPS estimates for shares of Guaranty Bancorp in a report released on Thursday, August 9th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst B. Rabatin now expects that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $0.48 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.46. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Hold” rating and a $32.50 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Guaranty Bancorp’s Q4 2018 earnings at $0.50 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $1.93 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.53 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.55 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.09 EPS.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Guaranty Bancorp (NASDAQ:GBNK) and County Bancorp (NASDAQ:ICBK) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk and institutional ownership.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    On Tuesday, the financial shares surged 0.71 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Guaranty Bancorp (NASDAQ: GBNK), up 5 percent, and Jupai Holdings Limited (NYSE: JP) up 5 percent.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Guaranty Bancorp (NASDAQ:GBNK) was downgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Friday.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Tuesday afternoon, the financial shares surged 1.13 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Guaranty Bancorp (NASDAQ: GBNK), up 6 percent, and Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. (NYSE: ITUB) up 4 percent.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    Shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) rose over 70% today after the company reported full-year 2018 operating results and provided full-year 2019 guidance. That said, investors are probably used to wild swings in the stock price by now. The development-stage pharma didn't turn in a particularly impressive performance last year. Management expects revenue to drop significantly in the year ahead as collaboration revenue dries up, which will also widen operating losses.

  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) rose 15.3 percent to $53.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter. Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVFM) rose 10.4 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading. Evofem Biosciences reported closing of public offering of common stock and warrants. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 7.3 percent to $4.88 in pre-market trading after declining 1.94 percent on Thursday. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) shares rose 5.7 percent to $59.65 in pre-market trading after falling 8.43 percent on Thursday. Yirendai Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) rose 5 percent to $30.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: DECK) rose 4.9 percent to $108.75 in pre-market trading after reporteingd better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter. Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: APRN) rose 4.2 percent to $3.21 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.70 percent on Thursday. Recro Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: REPH) rose 4 percent to $5.85 in pre-market trading after dropping 54.67 percent on Thursday. ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) rose 3.8 percent to $4.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 4.86 percent on Thursday. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) shares rose 2.9 percent to $2.85 in pre-market trading after climbing 7.78 percent on Thursday. Bilibili Inc. (NASDAQ: BILI) shares rose 2.5 percent to $14.20 in pre-market trading after surging 11.33 percent on Thursday.

    Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    ValuEngine upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

    Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on ARQL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $2.50 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. BidaskClub upgraded ArQule from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, March 24th. B. Riley set a $4.00 price objective on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Finally, Roth Capital boosted their price objective on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $5.35.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    BidaskClub upgraded shares of ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

    A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ARQL. Roth Capital upped their price target on ArQule from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Leerink Swann upgraded ArQule from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Zacks Investment Research lowered ArQule from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. ValuEngine upgraded ArQule from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley set a $4.00 price target on ArQule and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $4.69.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ArQule (ARQL)

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

  • [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

    Arqule Inc  (NASDAQ:ARQL)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallMarch 07, 2019, 9:00 a.m. ET

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

    Operator

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: Virtusa Corporation(VRTU)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Virtusa (VRTU)

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

  • [By Garrett Baldwin]

    Retail stocks are in focus after the U.S. Census Bureau released monthly sales figures before the bell Tuesday. The bureau said that retail sales increased by 0.3% in April, a figure that matched trade expectations. Markets had expected consumer spending to increase, however home improvement sales were not the major factor that most expected. This was evident from The Home Depot's earnings report. Markets are increasingly optimistic over U.S. trade negotiations with China. Chinese President Xi Jinping's No. 1 economic advisor will visit the United States this week to continue the nation's dialogue with America. In addition, roughly 100 companies and trade associations will be sounding off to the Trump administration about the potential impact of tariffs in the Chinese markets. Stocks to Watch Today: TSLA, AMZN, GS Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) is in focus thanks to tax policy in Seattle. On Monday, the Seattle's City Council passed a bill that will tax Amazon and 131 other companies $275 per employee each year in order to create a fund to address homelessness in the Seattle. The tax is half what was originally proposed and remains a contentious issue for Amazon, which is the city's biggest employer. Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) is sounding the alarm about the state of the markets. The company warned that the U.S. budget deficit is increasing while America's unemployment rate is falling. This hasn't occurred since the World War II. The bank believes that the combination of the two could cause the Fed to spike interest rates in the near future. This comes at a time when the Fed has already lost control of interest rates. Look for additional earnings reports from Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE: EXP), Bitauto Holding Ltd. (Nasdaq: BITA), Virtusa Corp. (Nasdaq: VRTU), Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: ENT), and Kamada Ltd. (Nasdaq: KMDA).

    Follow Money Morning on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Virtusa (NASDAQ:VRTU) – Equities research analysts at SunTrust Banks issued their Q1 2020 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Virtusa in a report released on Wednesday, May 16th. SunTrust Banks analyst F. Atkins expects that the information technology services provider will post earnings of $0.33 per share for the quarter. SunTrust Banks currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for Virtusa’s Q2 2020 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $0.56 EPS and Q4 2020 earnings at $0.60 EPS.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Voya Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Virtusa Co. (NASDAQ:VRTU) by 105.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 280,742 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 144,258 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Virtusa were worth $13,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $279.85 million.

    Kamada Ltd. (NASDAQ: KMDA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.02 per share on revenue of $24.02 million.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Virtusa (NASDAQ:VRTU) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at Wedbush from $60.00 to $70.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the information technology services provider’s stock. Wedbush’s price target suggests a potential upside of 23.09% from the company’s current price.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: WhiteHorse Finance, Inc.(WHF)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on WhiteHorse Finance (WHF)

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

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    WhiteHorse Finance Inc (NASDAQ:WHF) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, September 10th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 18th will be given a dividend of 0.355 per share by the investment management company on Wednesday, October 3rd. This represents a $1.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.82%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 17th.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on WhiteHorse Finance (WHF)

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

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2019: CorVel Corp.(CRVL)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    CorVel (NASDAQ: CRVL) and Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WLTW) are both business services companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and valuation.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    CorVel Co. (NASDAQ:CRVL) Chairman V Gordon Clemons sold 2,587 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.76, for a total value of $149,425.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Marketing Alliance (OTCMKTS:MAAL) and CorVel (NASDAQ:CRVL) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and analyst recommendations.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    CorVel Co. (NASDAQ:CRVL) Chairman V Gordon Clemons sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.59, for a total transaction of $257,950.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its holdings in CorVel Co. (NASDAQ:CRVL) by 145.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 13,494 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,997 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP’s holdings in CorVel were worth $682,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    CorVel (NASDAQ: CRVL) and AON (NYSE:AON) are both business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Hooker Furniture Co. (HOFT) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.15 on March 29th

Hooker Furniture Co. (NASDAQ:HOFT) announced a quarterly dividend on Sunday, March 3rd, NASDAQ reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.15 per share on Friday, March 29th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 15th.

Hooker Furniture has increased its dividend by an average of 12.5% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 3 consecutive years.

Get Hooker Furniture alerts:

Shares of HOFT stock opened at $30.36 on Thursday. Hooker Furniture has a 1 year low of $24.85 and a 1 year high of $49.85. The company has a current ratio of 3.46, a quick ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market cap of $357.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.98 and a beta of 0.58.

Separately, BidaskClub upgraded Hooker Furniture from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 4th.

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Hooker Furniture stock. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Hooker Furniture Co. (NASDAQ:HOFT) by 8.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 131,102 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,433 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.11% of Hooker Furniture worth $3,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.10% of the company’s stock.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Hooker Furniture Co. (HOFT) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.15 on March 29th” was first posted by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this article on another publication, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of US & international trademark and copyright legislation. The legal version of this article can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4220261/hooker-furniture-co-hoft-to-issue-quarterly-dividend-of-0-15-on-march-29th.html.

Hooker Furniture Company Profile

Hooker Furniture Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, imports, and markets residential household furniture products in the United States. It operates through Hooker Branded, Home Meridian, and All Other segments. The Hooker Branded segment offers a range of design categories, including home entertainment, home office, accent, dining, and bedroom furniture under the Hooker Furniture brand name; and imported upholstered furniture.

Read More: Purposes and Functions of the Federal Reserve

Dividend History for Hooker Furniture (NASDAQ:HOFT)

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Oracle (ORCL) Given a $60.00 Price Target at Credit Suisse Group

Credit Suisse Group set a $60.00 price target on Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) in a report issued on Monday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the enterprise software provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on ORCL. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Oracle from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, November 22nd. Nomura set a $53.00 price target on shares of Oracle and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 12th. Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Monday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $53.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, December 18th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, December 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Oracle currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $52.12.

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ORCL stock opened at $53.06 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. Oracle has a 12 month low of $42.40 and a 12 month high of $53.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 17th. The enterprise software provider reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.52 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 29.93%. The firm’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.70 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Oracle will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Hector Garcia-Molina sold 3,750 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.51, for a total value of $193,162.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 27,969 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,440,683.19. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Dorian Daley sold 25,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $1,125,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 102,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,631,355. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,552 shares of company stock worth $1,945,486 in the last three months. Insiders own 32.00% of the company’s stock.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ORCL. Csenge Advisory Group acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC boosted its stake in Oracle by 220.9% in the 4th quarter. Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC now owns 600 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Truehand Inc acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, ERTS Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 49.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Oracle

Oracle Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, sells, hosts, and supports application, platform, and infrastructure solutions for information technology (IT) environments worldwide. The company provides services in three primary layers of the cloud: Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Infrastructure as a Service.

See Also: Momentum Indicator: Relative Strength Index

Analyst Recommendations for Oracle (NYSE:ORCL)

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

The Best Way to File Your Taxes

When it comes to preparing your tax return, we've come a long way. It wasn't that long ago that you had to make sure you had all the right paper forms to complete your taxes, requesting them by mail from the IRS if you couldn't find one at the local library. Getting all the numbers right involved checking and double-checking your calculations, and you even had to figure out exactly how much postage you'd need in order to get the returns back to the right place.

Paper returns aren't yet a thing of the past, but they're increasingly giving way to an easier way to file your returns. Electronic filing has a number of benefits both for you and for the IRS, and according to the latest available statistics, about 90% of taxpayers have discovered the advantages of e-filing. Below, we'll go through some of the reasons why electronic filing has become so popular.

Pencil, tax returns, and money spread out on a flat surface.

Forget the pencil. Image source: Getty Images.

The advantages of electronic filing

There are several benefits that electronic filing gives taxpayers. They include the following:

Instantaneous transmission of your return information to the IRS ensures that it won't get lost or stolen in the mail. Processing of e-filed returns is faster than paper returns, allowing you to get any refund you're due more quickly. Greater accuracy in your return. You don't have to include copies of W-2s and other tax documents as part of your return. Forms are more readily available. Most tax preparation software packages offer electronic filing as part of their packages.

You don't have to use tax software in order to file electronically. The IRS Free File service is available to those who make $66,000 or less, and it includes not only the ability to e-file but also the fillable forms you'll need to do so. Moreover, if you get help from programs like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly, then they'll electronically file your return once it's prepared.

Dealing with rejection

There are a couple of situations in which you'll have to deal with an unexpected rejection of your electronic filing. However, in many cases, that'll actually be a good thing, because if you'd included the same mistake on a paper return, you might well have never known about it until you got a notice from the IRS informing you of an error.

For instance, the IRS might reject your e-filed return if your name is misspelled, you enter your Social Security number incorrectly, or you fail to include a required tax form or other documentation. If you've e-filed, then all you have to do in most cases is to fix whatever the problem was and then immediately resubmit your return. If you'd done a paper return, you might well have had to file a new amended return with all the hassles that entails.

Another common case of rejected returns comes up if two or more returns include the same dependent. This often happens with divorced spouses with children, and it can lead the IRS to contact the interested parties to figure out why they're claiming the same person as a dependent, urging them to figure out who's actually entitled to do so. Resolving the situation will often require you to file a paper return, especially if you can't come to an amicable resolution with an ex-spouse.

Some things to watch out for with e-filing

There are a couple things to bear in mind with electronic filing. First, there's a time limit for filing electronically, as the IRS stops accepting e-filed returns shortly after the mid-October deadline for extended returns. So if you miss both those deadlines, you might have to file a paper return. The same is true for certain special tax forms as well as returns for previous years.

In addition, if you're trying to amend a previously filed return, you won't have the option of filing it electronically. Only original returns can be e-filed.

Be smart about e-filing

Despite these limitations, e-filing is usually the best way to file your taxes. With a dwindling number of people holding out for paper filing, it's worth looking at how you can file electronically and reap the benefits that it brings.

Monday, March 11, 2019

Why Vertex's Dilemma Makes It the Best Biotech Stock to Buy Now

Right now, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) is a victim of its own success with a difficult decision to make. The company has two potential new blockbusters ready for an FDA review, but they're aimed at the same small group of patients.

It's hard to get one new drug this far, and two at the same time just never happens. Is the company's research and development engine incredibly effective, or just plain lucky? Here's what you need to know about Vertex's latest success and its road ahead. 

Person handing money to a doctor.

Image source: Getty Images.

A tough row to hoe

Around 75,000 people in the U.S., EU, and Australia have a hard time breathing because they inherited cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations from both parents. The CFTR protein helps cells that line the lungs regulate the consistency of mucus, which is a lot more important than it sounds. Some patients don't reach adulthood and among those who do, the average life span is just 37 years.

Cystic fibrosis severity varies from patient to patient depending on which mutations they inherit and there are hundreds of possibilities. Some mutations prevent CFTR from reaching the cell surface, and others make it impossible to do its job once it gets there. Since CFTR's a big complex protein that could be misfolded in hundreds of different places, developing new cystic fibrosis treatments is a dangerous endeavor most drugmakers back away from. That's why Vertex's closest potential competitors are in midstage testing, and they're not going anywhere fast.

Vertex's first cystic fibrosis treatment, Kalydeco (ivacaftor) helps mutated CFTR do its job at the cell surface, but 90% of patients have at least one F508del mutation that prevents CFTR from reaching the surface. Vertex's next treatment, Orkambi combined lumacaftor with ivacaftor to help patients with two copies of the F508del mutation.

In 2018 Vertex added Symdeko, a combination of tezacaftor and ivacaftor, that treats the same patients as Orkambi plus enough additional possibilities to expand the company's reach to around 44,000 cystic fibrosis patients. 

Three excited scientists with a pink test tube.

Image source: Getty Images.

This never happens 

The company's developing a pair of triple combinations intended to expand its reach to everyone with at least one F508del mutation, and they both work so well that it's hard to pick a winner. It's highly unusual for a company to begin clinical trials with two similar candidates aimed at the exact same patient group at the same time. You never see them perform equally well all the way through pivotal trials. 

During a study for patients with one F508del mutation, those treated with Symdeko plus experimental VX-659 could force 14% more air from their lungs after four weeks compared with the placebo group. Recently we learned that similar patients treated with Symdeko and the other new candidate, VX-445 could force 13.8% more air from their lungs.

Vertex also ran studies with CF patients that have two F508del mutations and the results were equally great. Last November, we learned that forced expiratory volume was 10% higher among patients that added VX-659 to Symdeko than patients given Symdeko on its own. More recently, we saw VX-445 added to Symdeko produce a 10% improvement.

Three scientists discussing a sample.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's next?

The four-week results are good enough to file applications for both drugs, but that would be ridiculous. Instead, Vertex has decided to wait until 24-week data for VX-445, and VX-659 becomes available in the second quarter.

That means the company will have to delay filing a new drug application in the U.S. until the third quarter and an EU filing should go out in the fourth quarter. Investors were expecting the first filings to go out by mid-year, but they gratefully accepted the best excuse a biopharmaceutical company has ever used to explain a timeline miscalculation. 

What makes Vertex the best       

Vertex's ability to come up with new molecules small enough to pass the stomach lining, and capable of interacting with a giant misshapen protein to get it working is amazing. More than a few biotechs have plodded along for decades without a single phase 3 success, but this company churns out new drugs that that perform seemingly impossible tasks like it's easy.

Few companies were even willing to tackle cystic fibrosis a decade ago, but Vertex's founders were convinced a better understanding of CFTR's three-dimensional structure would allow them to get it done. Repeated success tells us they aren't just getting lucky, which means the company probably won't stop with cystic fibrosis. 

On top of a first-rate discovery team, Vertex also has an uncanny ability to advance drugs through development stages at an unbelievable pace. The company created VX-659 in a lab in January of 2016, and within three years the candidate was ready to be submitted to the FDA. Most of Vertex's potential competitors have been in clinical-stage testing longer than that, and there aren't any threats in late-stage trials.

Happy person celebrating in front of an upward sloping chart.

Image source: Getty Images.

Growing fast enough

At the moment, Vertex doesn't look cheap at 39.1 times trailing free cash flow that reached $1.2 billion in 2018. That's a high multiple, but trailing sales have grown 385% to $3 billion since Orkambi earned approval in 2015. Over the same time frame, the company raised its substantial research and development budget just 70% to $1.4 billion.

With at least one new treatment on the way and a drug discovery team that's second to none, Vertex's bottom line will probably grow fast enough to provide a market-thumping gain over the long run. 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analysts Give Rio Tinto (RIO) a GBX 5,190 Price Target

JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a GBX 5,190 ($67.82) target price on Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) in a research note released on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on RIO. Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Rio Tinto to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from GBX 4,100 ($53.57) to GBX 5,000 ($65.33) in a research report on Tuesday, February 12th. UBS Group restated a buy rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research report on Friday, January 11th. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 3,100 ($40.51) price objective on shares of Rio Tinto and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Friday, January 25th. Deutsche Bank raised their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto from GBX 4,100 ($53.57) to GBX 4,250 ($55.53) and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 31st. Finally, Liberum Capital restated a hold rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research report on Wednesday, November 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 4,245.15 ($55.47).

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Shares of RIO stock opened at GBX 4,086 ($53.39) on Tuesday. Rio Tinto has a 12-month low of GBX 2,882.50 ($37.66) and a 12-month high of GBX 4,226.56 ($55.23).

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 7th will be given a dividend of GBX 319.51 ($4.17) per share. This is a boost from Rio Tinto’s previous dividend of $96.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a dividend yield of 7.28%.

In other news, insider Jean-Sébastien Jacques sold 13,090 shares of Rio Tinto stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 4,327 ($56.54), for a total transaction of £566,404.30 ($740,107.54).

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto plc, a mining and metals company, explores for, develops, produces, and processes minerals and metals worldwide. It finds, mines, and processes mineral resources, including aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, iron ore, thermal and metallurgical coal, and uranium, as well as industrial minerals, such as borates, titanium dioxide, and salt.

Featured Article: Diversification

Analyst Recommendations for Rio Tinto (LON:RIO)

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Could Disney Give New Life to Marvel Heroes Canceled by Netflix?

In the past several months, it seems the warm and friendly relationship between Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has gotten a bit chilly. The partnership that produced a number of fan-favorite Marvel series that have appeared on Netflix since 2015 has reached the end of the line.

Netflix announced that the last remaining shows wouldn't be renewed, leaving fans of Marvel's Defenders series wondering what will become of the heroes of Harlem and Hell's Kitchen. Let's take a look back and see what both Netflix and Disney are saying about the future of some of New York's greatest heroes.

Four people standing in an elevator.

Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones, Charlie Cox, and Mike Colter in a scene from Marvel's The Defenders. Image source: Netflix.

The first domino to fall

Iron Fist was the first of the Marvel/Netflix shows to be canceled. The first season was panned by critics and fans alike, and while the second season was an improvement, the program was widely regarded as the weakest of the series. This move also effectively ended The Defenders, the team-up show consisting of all four superheroes. Luke Cage was the next to get the ax.

The biggest surprise came with the cancellation of Daredevil, shortly after the release of the third season. It was particularly noteworthy in light of the critical praise and fan reception it received, including a 97% "Fresh" rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Shortly after Daredevil's ouster, the news broke that the two remaining shows, Jessica Jones and spinoff The Punisher, would not be renewed after their third and second seasons, respectively.

He said, he said...

The original deal between Netflix and Disney reportedly contained a clause that prevented any of the characters subject to the deal from appearing in any non-Netflix series or film for at least two years after cancellation, according to Variety. 

Netflix's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, seemed to confirm the company's control of the content. In an interview late last year, Sarandos was asked about the future of the Marvel shows on Netflix. "Those shows are for us to cancel," he said, "and we're super happy with their performance so far." 

However, in a statement concerning the cancellation of Daredevil, Netflix said, "While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel." This seems to indicate that some kind of amicable agreement may have been reached between the two companies regarding Daredevil's future. 

A unshaven man wearing a red mask with devil horns.

Charlie Cox in a scene from season two of Marvel's Daredevil. Image source: Netflix.

To further complicate matters, The Hollywood Reporter asked Kevin Mayer, who heads Disney's direct-to-consumer and international segment, whether the company would consider reviving the Marvel show that Netflix canceled. Mayer responded: "They are very high-quality shows. We haven't yet discussed that, but I would say that's a possibility." 

Finally, Marvel Television's Jeph Loeb posted an open letter to fans of the shows on Marvel's website. In part, Loeb said: "Our Network partner [Netflix] may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters ... but you know Marvel better than that ... To be continued...!" The letter was signed "Jeph Loeb and all of us at Marvel Television."

Competition looms

We may only be weeks, or potentially months, away from the completion of Disney's acquisition of the television and film studios of Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOX) (NASDAQ:FOXA). With the closing of that deal comes a controlling stake in Hulu, which will be part of Disney's trifecta of streaming services, with Disney+ and ESPN+ rounding out the three. With competition from Hulu set to ratchet up and the debut of Disney+ just months away, there were bound to be tensions between Netflix and the House of Mouse. This may be part of the reason Netflix canceled the Marvel shows.

Disney has a high hurdle to clear, as Netflix currently boasts about 139 million subscribers. Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during the company's first-quarter conference call that ESPN+ reached 2 million subscribers, less than five months after announcing 1 million back in September. Hulu announced that it topped 25 million subs to end 2018. Disney+ is scheduled to launch by year's end. 

With so many conflicting reports -- and given the growing competition between the two -- Disney might yet give new life to these Marvel characters, but given the circumstances, I would be surprised if it happens anytime soon.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:SVU,PMT,INUV,PNTR,ATVI,

In the tumultuous world of financial markets, it sometimes doesn't take long for the first to become the last. For the Japanese yen, which started out 2017 as the best-performing G-10 currency, the transition took about a month.

Between March 10 and April 11, the yen appreciated by 4.7% against the dollar, edging past the Mexican peso's 4.4% rise, as President Donald Trump's push to repeal and replace Obamacare resulted in a resounding defeat.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: SuperValu Inc.(SVU)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Steve Symington]

    Shares of SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE:SVU) soared 57.5% in the month of July, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the supermarket chain agreed to be acquired by United Natural Foods (NASDAQ:UNFI).

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Wednesday morning, the consumer staples shares fell by just 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE: SVU), up 4 percent, and Imperial Brands PLC (OTC: IMBBY), up 2 percent.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    SuperValu (NYSE:SVU) – Northcoast Research issued their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for SuperValu in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 9th. Northcoast Research analyst C. Cerankosky expects that the company will earn $0.65 per share for the quarter. Northcoast Research also issued estimates for SuperValu’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.55 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.54 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.04 EPS.

  • [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.51 per share on revenue of $14.62 billion. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $7.31 billion. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.07 per share on revenue of $11.93 billion. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.11 per share on revenue of $31.22 billion. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.42 per share on revenue of $11.28 billion. The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $3.15 per share on revenue of $3.94 billion. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $5.92 per share on revenue of $3.15 billion. 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.52 per share on revenue of $8.26 billion. JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.2 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $5.49 billion. Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $1.25 billion. Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.3 per share on revenue of $2.50 billion. Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.88 per share on revenue of $13.28 billion. The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.77 per share on revenue of $6.75 billion. Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $2.16 billion. PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ: PCAR) is projected to
  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Daré Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: DARE) shares jumped 56.69 percent to close at $1.27 on Wednesday on news that the company entered into worldwide license agreement for Juniper Pharmaceuticals' intravaginal ring technology platform. Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ: VICR) rose 26.84 percent to close at $37.10. Vicor posted Q1 earnings of $0.10 per share on sales of $65.2 million. AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) climbed 25.56 percent to close at $10.61. Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) gained 24.7 percent to close at $9.75 following strong Q1 results. Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI) shares climbed 19.24 percent to close at $4.71. China Customer Relations Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) rose 18.73 percent to close at $18.64. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) climbed 18.28 percent to close at $5.89. Genprex expanded its operations to Cambridge, Mass. Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) rose 13.92 percent to close at $2.70 following Q1 results. Rocky Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKY) shares surged 13.57 percent to close at $23.85 after reporting Q1 results. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) shares rose 12.5 percent to close at $4.14 on Wednesday. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA) jumped 11.24 percent to close at $106.85 following Q1 results. SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE: SVU) rose 11.16 percent to close at $16.24 after the company reported Q4 results and agreed to sell and leaseback eight distribution centers for an aggregate purchase price of $483 million. K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) shares gained 10.74 percent to close at $15.36 following Q3 results. Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) rose 9.15 percent to close at $46.28 as the company posted in-line quarterly earnings. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) shares climbed 8.49 percent to close at $64.18 as the company posted a narrower-than-expected loss for its first quarter. Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL) gained 8.2 percent to close at $107.94 af
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    For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

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  • [By Motley Fool Staff]

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  • [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

    And with just a few smart plays in today's classic stock picker's market, you can pull in triple-digit gains with just a small investment.

    Stocks to Watch Today: SBUX, BABA, DWDP Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX) is on the move. The coffee giant has announced that it will launch a trial project in China with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) to test the delivery of coffee. Shares of DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE: DWDP) pushed higher after the firm topped both earnings and revenue expectations before the bell. The firm also said that its merger of Dow and DuPont has produced cost savings of roughly $900 million. Look for additional earnings reports from GoPro Inc. (Nasdaq: GPRO), Activision Blizzard Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Tableau Software Inc. (NYSE: DATA), Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM), Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE: SHAK), and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM).

    Follow Money Morning on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

  • [By Keith Noonan]

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Friday, March 8, 2019

A vanishing breed: Men who dig graves by hand

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of one of the gravediggers.

AVOCA, Wis. – Eleven degrees above zero, light wind out of the west, bright sunshine — a good day to dig a grave.

By hand.

"I got here about 8:30 (a.m.)," Bill Jessen, 64, said between flinging shovels of dirt more than 6 feet in the air and onto the bed of a homemade dump truck. "And generally a grave like this, in the sand, if everything goes right, I could dig … in four hours."

It turns out that this one, the newest grave in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, will take a little longer. By the time it's done — 99 inches long, 43 inches wide, 55 inches deep and squared off neat as a gift box — about 14,000 pounds of damp Wisconsin River Valley sand will have been shoveled out.

It's not work for a weak back. Or for most anyone. In the United States, gravediggers who use shovels and picks rather than backhoes and other excavating machinery are a vanishing breed.

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"I'd say (it's) uncommon and becoming less common," said Glen Porter, president of Highland Memorial Park in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and a director of the Wisconsin Cemetery and Cremation Association. "It's becoming a lost technique."

"(This is the) first time I've heard about somebody digging graves by hand," said Larry Anspach, a consultant to cemeteries and funeral homes nationwide and a 45-year veteran of the industry.

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Kris Bloedow (from left), Bill Jessen and Ben Bloedow light a bed of charcoal that will burn overnight and thaw the ground at a grave in Avoca Cemetery. They will dig the grave by hand the following day. Frost at the cemetery, located in Iowa County near the Wisconsin River, was about 20 inches deep.Kris Bloedow (from left), Bill Jessen and Ben Bloedow light a bed of charcoal that will burn overnight and thaw the ground at a grave in Avoca Cemetery. They will dig the grave by hand the following day. Frost at the cemetery, located in Iowa County near the Wisconsin River, was about 20 inches deep. Rick Romell / Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenBill Jessen flings a shovel-full of dirt onto the bed of a home-made dump truck as he digs a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. Wooden cribbing keeps the sandy soil from caving in. Jessen will add three more layers of cribbing as he digs. It will take him and Ben Bloedow more than four hours to dig the grave. By the time they're done, they will have moved more than 13,000 pounds of sand.Bill Jessen flings a shovel-full of dirt onto the bed of a home-made dump truck as he digs a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. Wooden cribbing keeps the sandy soil from caving in. Jessen will add three more layers of cribbing as he digs. It will take him and Ben Bloedow more than four hours to dig the grave. By the time they're done, they will have moved more than 13,000 pounds of sand. Rick Romell/Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenBill Jessen finishes a hand-dug grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca by using a flat-bottom shovel to create two small mounds. The mounds will allow for removal of the straps that will be used to lower the burial vault into the grave.Bill Jessen finishes a hand-dug grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca by using a flat-bottom shovel to create two small mounds. The mounds will allow for removal of the straps that will be used to lower the burial vault into the grave. Rick Romell / Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenBill Jessen measures the depth of a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. He digs to 54 or 55 inches. That depth -- not the commonly thought-of six feet -- is enough to allow grass to grow atop the grave after the burial vault and casket have been lowered in.Bill Jessen measures the depth of a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. He digs to 54 or 55 inches. That depth -- not the commonly thought-of six feet -- is enough to allow grass to grow atop the grave after the burial vault and casket have been lowered in. Rick Romell / Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenThe gravediggers use a sod lifter both to cut turf and to shave the sides of the graves so they're straight and the cribbing can be put in place easily.The gravediggers use a sod lifter both to cut turf and to shave the sides of the graves so they're straight and the cribbing can be put in place easily. Rick Romell / Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenBill Jessen (left) pauses while digging at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca as Kris Bloedow stands near his homemade dump truck. Bloedow, 57, of Orion in nearby Richland County, has had a grave-digging business since the 1980s and digs at about a dozen cemeteries in the area. Jessen, 64, of Blue River, has helped Bloedow for nearly 20 years.Bill Jessen (left) pauses while digging at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca as Kris Bloedow stands near his homemade dump truck. Bloedow, 57, of Orion in nearby Richland County, has had a grave-digging business since the 1980s and digs at about a dozen cemeteries in the area. Jessen, 64, of Blue River, has helped Bloedow for nearly 20 years. Rick Romell / Milwaukee Journal SentinelFullscreenInterested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:ReplayKris Bloedow (from left), Bill Jessen and Ben Bloedow light a bed of charcoal that will burn overnight and thaw the ground at a grave in Avoca Cemetery. They will dig the grave by hand the following day. Frost at the cemetery, located in Iowa County near the Wisconsin River, was about 20 inches deep.1 of 6Bill Jessen flings a shovel-full of dirt onto the bed of a home-made dump truck as he digs a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. Wooden cribbing keeps the sandy soil from caving in. Jessen will add three more layers of cribbing as he digs. It will take him and Ben Bloedow more than four hours to dig the grave. By the time they're done, they will have moved more than 13,000 pounds of sand.2 of 6Bill Jessen finishes a hand-dug grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca by using a flat-bottom shovel to create two small mounds. The mounds will allow for removal of the straps that will be used to lower the burial vault into the grave.3 of 6Bill Jessen measures the depth of a grave at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca. He digs to 54 or 55 inches. That depth -- not the commonly thought-of six feet -- is enough to allow grass to grow atop the grave after the burial vault and casket have been lowered in.4 of 6The gravediggers use a sod lifter both to cut turf and to shave the sides of the graves so they're straight and the cribbing can be put in place easily.5 of 6Bill Jessen (left) pauses while digging at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Avoca as Kris Bloedow stands near his homemade dump truck. Bloedow, 57, of Orion in nearby Richland County, has had a grave-digging business since the 1980s and digs at about a dozen cemeteries in the area. Jessen, 64, of Blue River, has helped Bloedow for nearly 20 years.6 of 6AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide

But in southwestern Wisconsin, and probably in other rural areas as well, there are still people who do the work basically as it's been done for thousands of years — spadeful by spadeful.

There's Mike Beers, who was 10 or 11 when he started helping his grandfather in cemeteries around Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and now, at 31, digs about 60 graves a year with thin-bladed, steel-shank shovels he finds at garage sales.

"I guess I was just born into it," Beers said.

There's Robert Kapke, age 70 and still digging — mostly in tough clay — after more than 50 years in the business. He started at 16, and on his first job helped clear 2 feet of snow from a gravesite, then chop through 35 inches of frozen soil. He still remembers where it was — on the lower end of Graceland Cemetery in Blanchardville, Wisconsin.

"You don't ever forget that," Kapke said.

And there's Jessen and the man he helps, Kris Bloedow, who figures he has dug about 1,000 graves, pushing down on the shovel blade with his left leg so many times that a few years ago he had to have that hip replaced.

"I'm not as chipper as I once was, but I'm not quitting," Bloedow, 57, said. "Three years ago the critics had me, 'Well, that Kris is never going to dig any more graves, now (that) he's getting that new hip.'

"And I proved 'em wrong — although I don't do as much as I used to, and I've got good helpers."

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Truth to tell, Bloedow now does little actual digging, but he has the accounts with 11 cemeteries in the area around his home in southern Richland County, and he directs the work of helpers such as his son, Ben, and Jessen.

On this mid-February day, dressed in long underwear and jeans, multiple work shirts, an orange knit cap and well-worn cotton gloves, he was on hand as Jessen dug in St. Joseph's, and as all three men began preparing another gravesite in adjacent Avoca Cemetery.

They spread out 65 pounds of charcoal — half Kingsford, half a cheaper brand — that Bloedow had purchased at Walmart, mixed in old issues of the Dodgeville Chronicle for kindling, squirted on a quart of lighter fluid and set the site ablaze.

As the coals started to glow, they covered the future grave with a metal hood fashioned by Bloedow's late uncle and original grave-digging partner, then laid on a blanket of insulation.

The plan: Let the ground cook overnight, melting the 20 inches of frost and allowing the crew to dig the next morning, in plenty of time for a scheduled early-afternoon burial.

Bloedow has seen frost as deep as 40 inches (2003) and filled in a grave when it was 20 below (1989).

"I had ice coming out of my nose freezing," he said. "That's the coldest day I ever had, 1989, and then in the '90s I think I had a couple days where we buried somebody and it was 96 degrees hot out."

Almost all his cemeteries have sandy soil, which is easier to scoop than clay but can be heavier. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, dry sand weighs 90 to 110 pounds per cubic foot, and wet sand weighs 110 to 130 pounds.

So even at 100 pounds per foot, Bloedow probably has shoveled something like 13 million pounds of soil over his grave-digging career.

Which raises a question: Why?

Beers said some cemeteries prefer hand-digging. Quarters can be tight, and "when you get an excavator in there, it's pretty easy to bump into stuff," he said.

But Bloedow and Kapke said it comes down to a financial calculation — forgoing the expense of excavating machinery and a trailer to move it leaves more profit for those willing to put their back into the work.

Bloedow said the 30 graves a year he typically digs aren't enough to justify the cost of a backhoe.

Both he and Kapke get $550 per grave. Bloedow gets an extra $50 in winter, for charcoal. Beers declined to disclose his fee.

None of the men dig full time. Beers farms and Bloedow works at a glass factory. Kapke is retired.

None plans to quit soon.

"It's good exercise," Kapke said.

At St. Joseph's cemetery, Jessem wasn't quite done digging at 12:30 p.m., his four-hour mark.

He'd run into a bit of frozen ground — the charcoal probably hadn't been spread evenly — and had a little trouble fitting his cribbing framework together.

Because the soil near the Wisconsin River is so sandy, Bloedow and whoever is helping him typically build what amounts to an open-ended wooden box as they dig. That prevents cave-ins.

After digging down about a foot, Jessen used a sod-cutting tool with a curved handle to shave the sides of the grave evenly so he could fit the first layer of cribbing — four pieces of 2-by-8 boards joined at the corners with brackets.

"You get a nice clean cut and then your boards will drop down uniformly," he said.

When he had dug out another foot of dirt, he again shaved the walls, tamped down the first layer of cribbing and added another on top.

With four layers of boards in place and the grave 55 inches deep, Jessen finished by smoothing the bottom with a flat shovel, then building two mounds of packed sand, each about the size of a wall clock, on either end of the grave. That would provide clearance on the bottom so the straps used the next day to lower the burial vault could be removed.

The cribbing would be removed too, along with pretty much all evidence, Jessen said, of the gravediggers' work.

"We try to make it look like we weren't even there," he said. "That's our objective, and we hit it, too. We're pretty good at that. We square off the sod so everything's nice and level so when the guy comes in springtime to mow it or when they come to visit it, there's not a mound of dirt and there's nothing erratic and nothing's left.

"We try to take a little pride in a job."

Contact Rick Romell at (414) 224-2130 or rick.romell@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RickRomell