Analyzing HollyFrontier’s Refining Margin in 2018
HollyFrontier’s refining segment is critical for its overall earnings. The refining segment’s adjusted EBITDA rose 127% to $1.7 billion in 2018.
Company & Industry Overviews
Verizon Aims Higher with Yahoo Acquisition
After 11 long months of uncertainty and many negotiations, Verizon (VZ) has completed its $4.5 billion acquisition of Yahoo’s core Internet assets. Let’s look at what’s in store for the US telecom space.
Why BTIG Is Bullish on PayPal
PayPal (PYPL) could have bright prospects despite the competitive threat it faces from Square and Apple in the online payment market, according to equity research firm BTIG.
Can GM’s Stock Sustain Its Year-to-Date Rise in December?
General Motors has delivered a return of 6.9% year-to-date as of December 16, 2016. This return was much lower than the 10.5% return of the S&P 500 Index.
US Stock Indices Plunge after Oil Prices Rebound
The three US equity indices that we review in this weekly series fell from December 8 to December 15, 2015, after a rebound in oil prices.
Dish Network Can’t Complain about Sling TV
Dish Network’s (DISH) streaming television service, Sling TV, turned three on January 5.
Morgan Stanley’s Strong Revenue Model
Morgan Stanley charges fixed fees and performance fees for asset management services, products and services, and administration of accounts.
Chevron’s 3.6% Dividend Yield Ranks Sixth with High Valuations
Chevron (CVX) is the sixth stock on our list of the top eight dividend-yielding stocks.
A Look at Time Warner’s Key Metrics
In fiscal 1Q16, Time Warner bought back $700 million worth of shares. Including dividends, it has returned around $1.3 billion to its shareholders year-to-date.
Are US Utilities Both Safe Havens and Overvalued?
The rush to US utilities despite their already stretched valuations indicates their safe-haven appeal amid global turmoil.
Will a Partnership with GE Improve BHI’s Returns?
Between December 2014 and December 2016, Baker Hughes (BHI) stock hit its peak in April 2015. It troughed at ~$39 in January 2016.
Buckingham Research Downgrades Netflix due to Competition Fears
On March 8, Netflix (NFLX) stock fell 0.9% to $349.60 after Buckingham Research downgraded its rating from “buy” to “neutral.”
W.R. Grace Signs a Spree of New Contracts
On November 27 and 28, 2017, W.R. Grace (GRA) signed a spree of new contracts for its Unipol license.
Why Twitter Closed Its TV Apps
Twitter (TWTR) announced it will be closing its TV apps on streaming devices Roku (ROKU), Xbox, and Android TV as of May 24.
What Is Dish Network’s Wireless Spectrum Strategy ?
Dish Network (DISH) has filed an application with the FCC to participate as a potential spectrum bidder.
Why Google Can’t Take Any Chances with YouTube
It comes as no surprise that Google is spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year to review content on its platforms such as YouTube.
Music-Label Deals Could Also Help Facebook’s Video Ambitions
Facebook has been concentrating its efforts on video for a long time now. It has ambitions of becoming the number one player in the video ad market.
Is It Time to Invest in International Funds?
2016 has mostly been about macro trends, thus presenting a different set of challenges for active fund managers who mostly focus on companies rather than economic and sector trends.
Will Kinder Morgan Stock Continue to Surge in 2017?
Kinder Morgan stock has risen 44% in the past year, as compared to Enterprise Products Partners’ 32% rise and ONEOK’s 162% rise.
Potential Dangers: Twitter and Fake News
Twitter (TWTR) is considering rolling out a feature that could empower its users to report misleading or deceitful news stories, according to a Washington Post report.
Why Netflix Is Streaming Low-Quality Video on AT&T and Verizon
Netflix has been streaming low-quality videos for subscribers on AT&T and Verizon Communications’ (VZ) wireless networks. Here’s why.
Twitter Ending Support for Its Apple Computers App
Twitter (TWTR) announced in mid-February that it would be dismantling its app for Apple desktop computers.
5G Technology: The Main Driver of Qualcomm and Apple’s Settlement
Apple (AAPL) is the second-largest handset maker in the world after Samsung (SSNLF), and it earns more than 60% of its revenue from iPhones.
How BP’s Debt Position Compares
In this part, we’ll review whether BP’s (BP) debt position has improved. Let’s begin by comparing BP’s debt position with peers’.
Eyes Are on Instagram as Facebook Reports 4Q16 Earnings
As Facebook (FB) reports its 4Q16 results, all eyes are on the company’s mobile revenue. FB has begun taking steps to monetize its other mobile properties such as Instagram.
How Sensitive Is PotashCorp’s Dividend to Potash Prices?
In the last 12 months, PotashCorp (POT) has earned about 36% of its total sales from its Potash segment.
Alibaba and Tencent Should Watch Out for Baidu
Baidu is selling a majority stake in its financial services unit as it seeks to raise funds to bolster its competition in China’s digital financial services market.
What’s All the Fuss about Apple’s iPhone 8?
Since 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, analysts and customers are expecting significant technology improvements in the iPhone 8.
Will Amazon’s Dominance in Cloud Affect Oracle’s Lead in Database?
Amazon Neptune marked the company’s entry into the graph database market.
How Facebook Plans to Address Content Disputes
Facebook (FB) has once again reiterated its ambitions to become the leading content supplier in the social media space.
What Are Analysts’ Recommendations for Merck in 2017?
For 2016, Merck & Co. (MRK) reported revenue close to $39.8 billion, a year-over-year (or YoY) rise of ~1%. New product launches have played major roles in boosting Merck’s 2016 revenue.
Slowing PC Shipments Hit Intel’s Earnings
As the PC demand slowed, Intel started reducing its exposure in the CCG segment.
Why Have Analysts Raised their Revenue Estimates for Papa John’s?
In 1Q16, PZZA’s domestic company-owned restaurants generated nearly 48% of Papa John’s revenue, while domestic commissaries and others generated 39.4%.
Has Europe’s GDPR Law Affected Google’s Ad Business?
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) came into force on May 25.
Why Waymo Is Retiring Google’s Pod Cars
Waymo, the self-driving unit of Alphabet (GOOGL), is phasing out the pod-like cars it has long used to test its autonomous driving technology.
Valero Ranks 2nd in Dividend Yield and Market Capitalization
Valero Energy (VLO) is the second-highest dividend-yielding stock among the seven refining stocks we’re looking at in this series.
Celgene’s Revlimid Expected to Post Strong Revenue in 2017
According to unaudited financial results published by Celgene (CELG) on January 9, 2017, Revlimid sales for 2016 are about $7.0 billion, a YoY rise of about 20.0%.
What Facebook Was Aiming for with Its Stock Reclassification
In this series, we’ll review updates in the US Internet space and discuss some of the current issues faced by companies in the industry.
What Are Broadcom’s Plans for Its Enterprise Storage Business?
Broadcom’s latest acquisition of Brocade should double the size of its Enterprise Storage segment, which currently accounts for 13% of its revenue.
These Gold Miners Surprised Us with Unit Costs in 3Q17
AISC (all-in sustaining costs) are an encompassing measure that helps compare miners’ performance—a vital metric for investors. They show the company’s margin cushion at prevailing gold prices (GLD)(IAU).
21st Century Fox’s Rising STAR in India
21st Century Fox owns STAR India, India’s largest media network. STAR India develops, broadcasts, and produces programming for 51 channels in its portfolio.
Can Union Pacific’s Free Cash Flows Support Its Higher Dividend?
Union Pacific had FCF of $3.02 billion in the first nine months of 2017, compared with $2.86 billion in the corresponding period of 2016.
Lack of Rate Hike in September Leads US Stocks Down
The US Federal Reserve met on September 16 and 17 in one of the most anticipated monetary policy meetings in recent memory.
Why User Revolt over Snapchat’s Redesign May Not Be a Negative
Snapchat recently rolled out the biggest update to its app in more than three years. However, the update is facing a massive revolt by many users.
Credit Suisse and Barclays Are Bullish on European Equity for 2016
Credit Suisse (CS) strategists forecast 10% earnings growth in Europe versus a 6.8% growth expected from the US.
Will Oracle Continue to Outperform the S&P 500 Index?
Earlier in this series, we discussed the factors that might impede Oracle’s (ORCL) dominance in the database space, which is also the company’s cash cow.
Could Norfolk Southern Increase Its Dividend in 2018?
On a long-term basis, NSC aims for a dividend payout ratio of 33.3%.
Snap May Challenge Sony In This $125 Billion Market
Snap (SNAP) is poised to release its second-quarter results amid speculations of the company taking a deeper plunge into gaming.
Shell’s Upstream Portfolio: Is it Poised to Grow?
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) produced 3.8 MMboepd in 1Q17 from its worldwide operations, compared to 3.7 MMboepd in 1Q16.
Twitter Works to Ban Abusive Speech
Twitter (TWTR) is gearing up to tighten rules to foster healthier conversations on its platform and curb toxic speech.