S&P500 Index

The S&P 500 Index is trading 1.2% above its 20-day moving average and 6% above its 100-day moving average.

As of July 26, about 37% or ten out of 27 analysts had a “buy” rating for Coca-Cola’s (KO) stock. The stock was rated “hold” by 59% or 16 analysts.

ConocoPhillips’s 1Q17 crude oil realized prices In 1Q17, excluding the effect of hedges, ConocoPhillips’s average realized crude oil price in the Lower 48 region was $45.89 per barrel, up ~70% from its price of $27.04 per barrel in 1Q16. Sequentially, ConocoPhillips’s 1Q17 price is ~4% higher than it was in 4Q16. Crude oil prices versus […]

In this series, we’ll take a look at the global final manufacturing PMIs and services PMIs for March 2017. These indicators help us understand the business condition of an economy.

ONEOK (OKE) stock is currently trading at a forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 14.3x.

NRG Energy (NRG) has risen 23.1% in the past year, the most among high-volatility utility stocks.

In March 2018, President Donald Trump imposed a tariff of 25% on steel imports. What’s happened since?

Suncor Energy (SU) is the only losing stock in the current week from the integrated energy sector. It fell from last week’s close of $34.67 to $34.52 on October 11, 2017.

Time Warner announced at its fiscal 1Q17 earnings call that it most likely won’t extend its agreement with Amazon beyond 2018.

J.M. Smucker (SJM) expects its fiscal 2Q18 adjusted EPS to fall by high single digits.

On June 8–15, Whiting Petroleum (WLL) and California Resources (CRC) fell the most on our list of energy stocks.

Notably, Conagra Brands generated an improvement of more than 300 basis points in its operating margins in the first three quarters of fiscal 2017.

Campbell Soup (CPB) has been disappointing investors with its sales and has missed the analysts’ consensus estimates in the past three quarters.

Wall Street expects Sprint’s (S) total revenues to rise ~3.0% YoY (year-over-year) to ~$8.25 billion in fiscal 1Q17 (ended June 2017).

US crude oil April futures rose 0.4% in the week ending on February 24, 2017. WTI crude oil April futures closed at $53.99 per barrel on February 24.

Netflix (NFLX) is expected to announce its 1Q17 results on April 17, 2017. In its 4Q16 results, Netflix had total streaming revenues of $2.4 billion, up 41% year-over-year.

Net sales in North America fell 5.0% in 1Q17, reflecting a strong decline in volumes coupled with lower pricing.

Kinder Morgan stock has risen 44% in the past year, as compared to Enterprise Products Partners’ 32% rise and ONEOK’s 162% rise.

As of October 5, 2017, PepsiCo stock was rated a “buy” by 55.0% (12 of 22) analysts. The stock is rated a “hold” by ten analysts.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) has managed to increase its EPS (earnings per share) despite volume deleveraging.

The Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) fell ~2.6% on March 22, 2018.

Conagra Brands’ (CAG) fiscal 1Q18 sales of $1.8 billion came in ahead of analysts’ estimate but fell 4.8% YoY (year-over-year).

Procter & Gamble (PG) has managed to increase its earnings despite weak sales. It has surpassed analysts’ EPS expectations for ten consecutive quarters.

In a recent interview with CNBC, Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock (BLK), shared his views on market movement, the US economy, and the dangerous impact of the lower interest rates.

The price of natural gas (UNG) rose ~5% last week. It rose from $2.92 per mmBtu (million British thermal units) to $3.07 per mmBtu. ConocoPhillips’s production volume mix contains ~40% natural gas.

Sprint’s earnings in the last few quarters Sprint’s (S) strong fiscal 1Q17 (ended June 2017) results indicate that a turnaround is on track. Sprint has begun to recover from years of customer losses and continues to make progress on customer retention, acquisition, and expense optimization initiatives. In fiscal 1Q17, Sprint’s earnings grew significantly YoY (year-over-year). Its […]

Campbell Soup (CPB) reported strong margin growth during the quarter. In fiscal 4Q17, the company’s adjusted gross margin rose by 80 basis points to 36.9%.

US crude oil (USO) (OIIL) (USL) (DBO) futures contracts for May delivery closed at $48.24 per barrel on March 21, 2017.

Last week, which ended October 13, 2017, Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) stock remained mixed and witnessed a minor rise of 0.90%.

The ADP National Employment Report for September 2017 showed some weaker improvement in private sector employment to 135,000 in September compared to the market’s expectation of 125,000.

Chesapeake Energy’s (CHK) 2016 debt management efforts included a combination of debt exchanges, open market repurchases, and equity-for-debt exchanges.

The trade war between the United States and China has shown no signs of abating.

On May 18, 2017, Devon Energy (DVN) had an implied volatility of ~33.9, which is ~14.9% below its 260-trading day historical price volatility of ~39.9%.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) produced 3.8 MMboepd in 1Q17 from its worldwide operations, compared to 3.7 MMboepd in 1Q16.

Approximately 90% of the analysts tracking Halliburton (HAL) recommended a “buy,” ~8% recommended a “hold,” and the rest recommended a “sell.”

Margins remained pressured Similar to peers, Costco Wholesale (COST) saw its margins pressured in fiscal 1Q18. Increased investments in growth initiatives and lower pricing to fend off competition from Amazon (AMZN) in the grocery space are taking a toll on the profitability of mass US (SPY) merchandisers. Whereas rising digital sales and fulfillment costs have […]

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) witnessed improved margins in 1Q17 despite soft sales thanks to its “Funding the Growth” initiative aimed at reducing costs and driving efficiency.

Micron stock has risen 154.0% in the last 12 months, hitting a new 52-week high of $32.93 in June 2017.

Implied volatility in Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) has fallen 4.9% since July 3, 2017, to the current level of 12.8%.

Analysts expect Clorox to report adjusted earnings of $1.23 per share, a YoY (year-over-year) decline of 1.6%.

Non-farm payrolls in April showed a marginal improvement compared to March.

NVIDIA’s profit margins  NVIDIA (NVDA) has been increasing its revenue while controlling its expenses, resulting in improved profitability and a high free cash flow of up to 20% of its total revenues. Gross margin NVIDIA’s non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) gross margin fell 90 basis points from 59.7% in fiscal 1Q18 to 58.6% in fiscal 2Q18 […]

With continued pressure on sales, several department stores like Kohl’s (KSS) are trying to mitigate the impact of weak top-line figures through increased productivity.

The CBOE Volatility Index rose 0.6% in March 2018.

Phillips 66’s stock price could close between $87.7 per share and $83.5 per share in the ten-day period after its earnings. The period ends on August 11.

Marathon Oil’s stock price fell from $15.91 to $15.16 last week, while crude oil prices fell from $53.18 per barrel to $49.62 per barrel.

In 9M17, Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) reported revenues of ~$1.4 billion, which is ~63.0% higher than its 9M16 revenues of ~$839.0 million.

Following its strong fiscal 1H17 results, Target’s management lifted its fiscal 2017 adjusted outlook during the fiscal 2Q17 conference call.

Growth opportunities in the gaming market NVIDIA’s (NVDA) GeForce business unit has a history of strong growth. The company expects the growth to continue in coming years as the gaming market evolves with the increasing popularity of eSports, AAA games, gaming notebooks, and VR (virtual reality). At NVIDIA’s 2017 Investor Day, GeForce senior vice president […]

On October 11, 2017, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey upgraded Colgate-Palmolive (CL) stock to a “buy” from “hold” and increased the target price.

Tax reform On December 2, 2017, the Senate passed Donald Trump’s tax reform bill, and on December 20, 2017, the House of Representatives passed the bill. Afterwards, the S&P 500 (SPX-INDEX) (SPY) rose to a record high. Richard Bernstein on tax reform In an interview with CNBC, prominent investor Richard Bernstein stated that tax reform could be very helpful for […]

Bank of America (BAC) is currently trading at $25.26. Its 52-week high is $25.80 and 52-week low is $12.05.

Short interest in Schlumberger (SLB) stock as a percentage of its float was ~1.2% on March 3, 2017, a marginal fall compared to December 30, 2016.

We know the nation is politically divided, and now the market is showing us its split personality as well.

MLPs saw a huge decline in prices during the first week of May driven by the sharp decline in crude oil prices.

Kinder Morgan (KMI) rose 2.9% in the week ended Monday, June 5, 2017, recovering from some of its previous losses.

Target (TGT) is expanding its small-format store base and expects to open 28 new small-format stores this year.

Disney has a MACD of -1.3, while Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA), Time Warner (TWX), and Comcast (CMCSA) have MACDs of -0.8, -0.2 and 0.3, respectively.

T-Mobile (TMUS) is continually investing in capex (capital expenditure) to improve its network. By deploying more low-band spectrum, it continues to enhance its network.

Facebook (FB) is building a paywall tool that would allow publishers to charge for access to stories they publish on Instant Articles, according to the Wall Street Journal.

On April 27, Phillips 66 opened at $110.8 per share—lower than the previous close of $112.5. Phillips 66 opened lower despite its 1Q18 earnings beat.

Nvidia (NVDA) was the second-fastest-growing semiconductor stock in 2017, returning more than 80%.

HP Inc. has valued its total available market (or TAM) at $560.0 billion.

Qualcomm (QCOM) reported its fiscal 4Q17 results on November 1, 2017. It easily beat revenue and earnings expectations despite the year-long legal battle with Apple (AAPL).

Kellogg’s (K) 3Q17 performance in North America continued to be soft, with net sales falling 1.6% YoY, reflecting a decline in volumes and pricing.

Analysts covering Clorox (CLX) have rated the stock a 2.9 on a scale of one (strong buy) to five (strong sell) and maintain a neutral outlook.

Kellogg’s (K) 1Q17 sales of $3.3 billion missed the Wall Street consensus estimate and fell 4.1% YoY (year-over-year).

Ford Motor Company (F) is set to release its 3Q17 earnings report on October 26. Ford is the second-largest US auto company by vehicle sales volume after General Motors (GM).

Despite a 40.0% YoY fall in sales in 1Q17, Fitbit stock rose 12.0% on May 4, 2017, since it beat analysts’ revenue estimate.

Most analysts providing recommendations for Mondelēz International (MDLZ) have maintained a positive outlook on its stock.

Conagra Brands (CAG) is expected to announce its fiscal 2Q18 earnings on Thursday, December 21, 2017. Analysts expect the company to continue to report higher EPS (earnings per share) despite the headwinds to its margins.

The US-based (SPY) Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced its fiscal 4Q17 results on November 21 and reported revenue of $7.8 billion for the quarter, which ended in October 2017.

Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google returned nearly 388%, 345%, 1,157%, and 217%, respectively, in the last five years.

Weak consumption in the US (SPY), challenges in Europe, and increased competition is expected to result in lower volumes. These trends could affect Kellogg’s bottom-line performance.

US crude oil (USO) (USL) April futures fell 6.3% between March 2, 2017, and March 9, 2017. The fall in XLE corresponded with weakness in crude oil prices.

According to the EIA’s (Energy Information Administration) report on February 15, 2017, US crude oil inventories rose 9.5 MMbbls (million barrels) in the week ended February 10, 2017.

On March 22, 2018, President Trump announced the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on up to $60 billion on China’s imports.

The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which tracks the performance of the utility sector, rose 2.7% in November 2017.

Harris Corporation was the S&P 500’s top gainer on January 30. On January 30, Harris Corporation gained 6.2% and closed the day at $156.31.

General Mills (GIS) expects its adjusted EPS to increase 1.0%–2.0% on a constant currency basis in fiscal 2018.

Key important US indicators released last week are US inflation and US retail sales.

Last week (ended May 26), crude oil prices fell from $50.67 per barrel to $49.80 per barrel.

Juniper Networks’ (JNPR) Services business segment generated revenues of $392 million in 2Q17, a rise of 9% year-over-year.

November US crude oil (DBO)(DWT)(SCO) futures contracts rose 3% to $52.22 per barrel on September 25—the highest level since April 2017.

In August 2019, Disney is set to expand its college sports programming by launching a successor to its SEC Network—the ACC Network.

Earlier this year, Apple said it will be spending a whopping $1 billion on original content over the next couple of years.

The majority of packaged food manufacturers continue to struggle in the domestic market owing to a fall in consumption. Kraft Heinz’s (KHC) net sales fell 3.5% in the United States.

Baidu’s (BIDU) expenses have risen steadily in recent years with notable increases in the cost of revenue and R&D (research and development) spending.

On March 28, 2017, Comcast’s (CMCSA) stock closed at $37.09. The company’s stock has risen 7.4% YTD (year-to-date).

In this series, we’ll perform a cross-sectional analysis of refining stocks. We’ll examine their moving averages and eight-day price forecasts based on implied volatility, and compare their leverage, liquidity, capex, and refining margins.

Campbell Soup marked a stark fall in its top line in February due to low consumer spending amid a shift towards healthier foods and a delay in tax returns.

Five Below (FIVE) has generated YTD (year-to-date) returns of 13.4% as of April 13, 2018.

The US economy has been improving gradually, but some businesses in the US have suffered a lot over the years.

Hershey (HSY) posted better-than-expected 2Q17 results, which it released on June 26. Hershey’s sales and earnings per share beat Wall Street’s expectations.

President Trump is expected to submit a tax reform and infrastructure spending package to Congress this year—all aimed at increasing business investments.

Time Warner (TWX) stated at its fiscal 1Q17 earnings call that there has been a moderation in advertising compared to fiscal 2Q16.

Biogen was the S&P 500’s top loser on January 8. Biogen regained strength last week and rose to ten-week high price levels.

In 3Q17, Charter Communications (CHTR) reported adjusted EBITDA of $3.8 billion, compared to $3.6 billion in 3Q16.

In the trailing-one-month period, Ericsson (ERIC) has generated returns of -1.1%. In the trailing-12-month period, the stock has fallen 2.4%.

Amazon’s (AMZN) Amazon Web Service (or AWS) announced on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, that media giant Comcast (CMCSA) has made AWS its preferred public cloud provider.