Today In Cryptocurrency: EOS ICO Raises $4 Billion, Wikipedia Founder Calls Cryptos 'Absolutely

After a brutal couple of weeks, the cryptocurrency market bounced back a bit on Tuesday, with most major cryptocurrencies trading higher by more than 3 percent. Here’s a look at some of the headlines that were moving the cryptocurrency market today — and which currencies were on the move.

Headlines

According to the Wall Street Journal, the ICO for blockchain project EOS has now raised nearly $4 billion. Surprisingly, EOS creator Block.one has revealed very little about what the company plans to do with all the funds it has raised and has even said it will not be developing or maintaining EOS software.

Allianz chief economic advisor Mohamed El-Erian said global governments may eventually issue their own cryptocurrencies as society continues its transition away from traditional cash. El-Erian said the transition from government currency to government cryptocurrency will likely not happen within the next three to five years because it will take people a long time to trust digital currencies enough to use them.

At the Blockshow conference in Berlin, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said the cryptocurrency market is “absolutely, definitely in a bubble.” Wales also said the cryptocurrency industry needs some “real journalism.” Last year, Wales warned ICO investors that many offerings are “absolute scams.”

Price Action

The Bitcoin Investment Trust GBTC (OTC: GBTC) traded at $11.92, down 1.8 percent.

Here’s how several top crypto investments fared Tuesday. Prices are as of 3:45 p.m. ET and reflect the previous 24 hours.

Bitcoin gained 3.2 percent to $7,481; Ethereum gained 7.0 percent to $566; Ripple gained 5.6 percent to 60 cents; Bitcoin Cash gained 6.3 percent to $984; EOS gained 0.8 percent to $12.31.

The three cryptocurrencies with at least $1-million market caps that have made the biggest gains over the past 24 hours are:

Version: $1.3-million market cap, 81.3-percent gain. Anoncoin: $4.7-million market cap, 46.8-percent gain. Universe: $1.4-million market cap, 40.0-percent gain.

The three cryptocurrencies hit hardest in the past 24 hours were:

BunnyCoin: $1.1-million market cap, 72.3-percent decline. Obsidian: $1.1-million market cap, 20.5-percent decline. Photon: $2.7-million market cap, 19.6-percent decline.

Related Links:

Today In Cryptocurrency: UK Regulators Confirm Investigation of 24 Crypto Businesses; Crypto Publicity Stunt Turns Deadly

Riot Blockchain's 10-Q Sheds Light On Crypto Mining Operation

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019

tags:ALB,CAJ,NKTR,WGO,WYNN,

Change is scary, but it is good. For First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), the company knows it must change and adapt its business to the increasing competition coming from China. If it does not develop new products, low panel prices and excess supply will leave First Solar unable to compete. The fourth-quarter results give investors reasons for optimism: R&D spend, operating expenditures, project successes, and steady management are a list of just a few reasons the company's turnaround is underway.

1/ Strong balance sheet

First Solar lost a massive $3.48 per share (GAAP accounting) but earned $1.24 per share (non-GAAP). The difference is due to the $729 million restructuring charge. The company ended the year with $2 billion, down from $2.1B Q/Q. First Solar used its funds to repay its revolving credit facility. With cash making up one-half of its market capitalization (~$20/share), shareholders have plenty of cushion.

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019: Albemarle Corporation(ALB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 9th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.10. Albemarle had a net margin of 4.27% and a return on equity of 13.80%. The firm had revenue of $821.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $798.20 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.05 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. analysts expect that Albemarle Co. will post 5.26 EPS for the current year.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $10.67 per share on revenue of $2.87 billion. CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $6.00 billion. Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.21 per share on revenue of $803.36 million. Spectra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: SEP) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $751.57 million. IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IAC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.8 per share on revenue of $923.80 million. Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ: OTEX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.62 per share on revenue of $691.75 million. Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.29 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.54 per share on revenue of $7.41 billion. ICU Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICUI) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.84 per share on revenue of $346.28 million. TechnipFMC plc (NYSE: FTI) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.33 per share on revenue of $3.13 billion. Synaptics Incorporated (NASDAQ: SYNA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.91 per share on revenue of $401.76 million. The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (NYSE: DNB) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $1.07 per share on revenue of $386.91 million. Matrix Service Company (NASDAQ: MTRX) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $285.16 million. Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MHLD) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.21 per share on revenue of $739.31 million. tronc, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRNC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $428.25 million. Copa Holdings,
• [By ]

  2. Albemarle (NYSE: ALB)
  This specialty chemical company, best known as a lithium producer, has seen its shares fall over 23% this year. This has been despite Albemarle consistently beating analyst estimates and posting solid results.

• [By Jim Robertson]

  It should be noted that FMC Corp together with Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) and Chile��s Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) form�a so-called ��lithium oligopoly�� that tends to dominate global production. A recent Bloomberg article noted that Albemarle Chief Executive Officer Luke Kissam had said in March that he��s also eager to see how the value settles for the FMC lithium spinoff. If�the�price-to-earnings ratio is high enough,�then they would look to create a pure-play lithium business by�selling off non-lithium units. If FMC Corp and Albemarle Corporation do end up�completing�these spin-offs, that�will be good news for the valuations of all lithium players as the market will put clear valuation numbers on�these larger pure play lithium businesses which will help provide valuation benchmarks for other small cap lithium players.

• [By ]

  Cramer was bearish on Newtek Business Services (NEWT) and Albemarle (ALB) .

  Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019: Canon, Inc.(CAJ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ricoh (OTCMKTS: RICOY) and Canon (NYSE:CAJ) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and valuation.

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019: Nektar Therapeutics(NKTR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) was down 0% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $76.25 and last traded at $79.23. Approximately 5,387,528 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 84% from the average daily volume of 2,935,124 shares. The stock had previously closed at $79.23.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Friday was a relatively quiet day on Wall Street, with a split among the most widely followed market benchmarks that sent some up and others down. Slight downticks in oil prices and bond yields marked minor reversals from upward trends earlier in the week, but investors are still watching both energy and bonds closely to see what long-term impact they might have on the stock market. Most attention centered on individual companies, some of which reported good news that sent their shares higher. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DVMT), Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR), and Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Nektar Therapeutics�(NASDAQ:NKTR) released updated data from a phase 1/2 trial testing its cancer drug NKTR-214 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb's�Opdivo. Investors were disappointed that the ORRs for patients with melanoma, kidney cancer, and NSCLC were headed in the wrong direction.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of biopharma Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) dropped over 11% today after the company released an abstract to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting next month that contained a disappointing update for an ongoing clinical trial.

• [By Cory Renauer]

  Even though it's been a rough few years for many of the industry's larger players, some smaller upstarts have produced stunning gains lately. Shares of�Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR), BeiGene Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE), and AveXis Inc. (NASDAQ:AVXS) have risen at least 500% in less than three years.�

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: “Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) Trading Down 7%” was originally reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this piece of content on another site, it was stolen and republished in violation of US & international trademark and copyright law. The original version of this piece of content can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3362849/nektar-therapeutics-nktr-trading-down-7.html.

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019: Winnebago Industries Inc.(WGO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Cramer was bearish on Grubhub (GRUB) , Sprint (S) , LG Homes (LGIH) , Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) , Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) , Opko Health (OPK) , Alaska Air Group (ALK) and Winnebago Industries (WGO) .

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  WavesGo (CURRENCY:WGO) traded down 23.9% against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 9:00 AM E.T. on April 21st. WavesGo has a total market capitalization of $305,137.00 and $39.00 worth of WavesGo was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One WavesGo token can currently be purchased for about $0.0328 or 0.00000376 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Waves Decentralized Exchange and Tidex. During the last seven days, WavesGo has traded down 12.5% against the U.S. dollar.

• [By ]

  Winnebago Industries (WGO) : "This group trades badly. All we hear about is an inventory glut. We need someone to tell us otherwise."

  Cramer and the AAP team say today's weakness is the opportunity they have been patiently waiting for. Their target? Nordstrom (JWN) . Find out what they're telling their investment club members and get in on the conversation with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.

Top 5 China Stocks For 2019: Wynn Resorts, Limited(WYNN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:WYNN) has typically had one of the more eventful conference calls each earnings season, but often, that was because of things like Steve Wynn's comments on the state of politics, or his dog barking in the background.�

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Markets are keeping a close eye on the 10-year bond, which is hovering near 3% – an important psychological level that is likely to influence future price movements. On Monday, Fox Business Network's "Varney & Co." asked Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald if investors should be worried. Here's what Keith had to say about the 10-year Treasury yield… and how it will affect your stocks and bonds in the future. The price of Brent crude oil topped $75.00 and hit its highest level since November 2014. Oil traders were eyeing the ongoing efforts of OPEC and Russia to reduce excessive production around the globe, rising demand ahead of peak driving season, and the possibility that the Trump administration will slap Iran with a new round of sanctions. Three Stocks to Watch Today: KO, GOOGL, SLM Shares of The Coca-Cola Co.�(NYSE: KO) added 1.2% after the firm easily beat earnings and revenue expectations. The firm cited strong demand for its new flavors of Diet Coke and its Coke Zero Sugar. Demand was so strong for the quarter that the firm reported organic sales growth of 5%. The company reported earnings per share of $0.47, topping estimates by a penny. Revenue of $7.6 billion easily beat Wall Street estimates. Shares of Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) seesawed in pre-market hours. The online search giant topped Wall Street earnings and revenue expectations after the bell Monday. However, shares were off 0.5% after executives announced that its business costs were on the rise. The firm's real estate and computer purchases tripled in one year, to $7.3 billion. About one-third of that total came from its $2.4 billion purchase of the Chelsea Market building in New York City. Good news for SLM Corp.�(NYSE: SLM) investors, but bad news for indebted college students and graduates. The firm – also known as Sallie Mae – topped Wall Street earnings expectations on Monday. The firm said that it increased its loan o
• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Park+Avenue+Institutional+Advisers+LLC

  These are the top 5 holdings of Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLCAMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (AMC) - 60,000 shares, 25.7% of the total portfolio. A V Homes Inc (AVHI) - 35,000 shares, 19.79% of the total portfolio. Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN) - 3,000 shares, 16.68% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 28.57%Advanced Energy Industries Inc (AEIS) - 8,230 shares, 16.04% of the total portfolio. New PositionAMC Networks Inc (AMCX) - 9,000 shares, 14.18% of the t
• [By Travis Hoium]

  Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) may have finally found a way out of the biggest regulatory headache left behind by Steve Wynn. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that MGM Resorts (NYSE:MGM) is in early discussions about buying the Wynn Boston Harbor development just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.�

Rainey & Randall Investment Management Inc. Purchases Shares of 4,468 Facebook, Inc. (FB)

Rainey & Randall Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 4,468 shares of the social networking company’s stock, valued at approximately $788,000. Facebook makes up 0.7% of Rainey & Randall Investment Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FB. Santori & Peters Inc. acquired a new position in Facebook during the fourth quarter worth $116,000. Navellier & Associates Inc boosted its holdings in Facebook by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc now owns 2,805 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $495,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Facebook by 13.0% during the fourth quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 19,824 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $3,498,000 after purchasing an additional 2,284 shares during the last quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Facebook during the fourth quarter worth $257,000. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Facebook during the fourth quarter worth $1,755,000. Institutional investors own 59.34% of the company’s stock.

Get Facebook alerts:

In related news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sold 677,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.43, for a total transaction of $124,859,110.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jan Koum sold 10,695 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.01, for a total transaction of $2,000,071.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,119,208 shares of company stock worth $2,142,892,497. 17.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A number of brokerages have commented on FB. Morningstar set a $198.00 price target on shares of Facebook and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Goldman Sachs Group set a $225.00 price target on shares of Facebook and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Facebook from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Facebook in a research note on Monday, April 30th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on shares of Facebook from $214.00 to $237.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, forty have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $217.37.

Shares of Facebook opened at $186.90 on Thursday, according to MarketBeat.com. The stock has a market capitalization of $533.94 billion, a PE ratio of 30.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.78. Facebook, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $144.56 and a fifty-two week high of $195.32.

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The social networking company reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.44. Facebook had a net margin of 40.03% and a return on equity of 27.74%. The business had revenue of $11.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.41 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.04 earnings per share. Facebook’s revenue for the quarter was up 49.0% compared to the same quarter last year. sell-side analysts predict that Facebook, Inc. will post 7.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Facebook

Facebook, Inc provides various products to connect and share through mobile devices, personal computers, and other surfaces worldwide. Its products include Facebook Website and mobile application that enables people to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other on mobile devices and personal computers; Instagram, a community for sharing visual stories through photos, videos, and direct messages; Messenger, a messaging application to communicate with other people, groups, and businesses across various platforms and devices; and WhatsApp, a mobile messaging application.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB).

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:AON,PRU,AIG,PFG, �

With an "above average" hurricane season just weeks away, now is the time to go over your homeowners policy and ensure that your coverage is watertight.

This year we can expect to see 14 named storms, according to�forecasts from the Colorado State University. That includes seven that could become hurricanes �� three of which will be major or at least register a Category 3 on the�Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The�2017 season�(which forecasters had also pegged as above average) proved devastating for the Caribbean and the southeastern part of the U.S, as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused a combined $92 billion in insured losses, according to insurer�Swiss Re.

More: Hurricanes are strengthening faster than they did 30 years ago

Hurricane season runs from June 1 until Nov. 30, so you have about three weeks to review the insurance policy covering your dwelling and belongings.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Own For 2019: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  AON (NYSE:AON) had its price target hoisted by Citigroup from $160.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P
• [By Max Byerly]

  State of Wisconsin Investment Board decreased its holdings in shares of Aon (NYSE:AON) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 384,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 38,942 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in AON were worth $53,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Own For 2019: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,363 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Jason Hall, Chuck Saletta, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  But that doesn't mean you need to make risky bets to capture solid returns, either, and buying solid companies at reasonable prices can help create a margin of safety and improve your returns, while also decreasing your risk of permanent losses. Three stocks that meet these criteria are small healthcare real-estate specialist�Caretrust REIT Inc�(NASDAQ:CTRE), financial services giant�Prudential Financial Inc�(NYSE:PRU), and energy behemoth�ExxonMobil Corporation�(NYSE:XOM).�

• [By Zacks]

  Well, given the growing demand for securitized mortgage deals, Barclays plans to package and sell these Irish loans over the next two months. The group of investors that has shown interest in buying residential mortgage backed securities includes M&G Investments, the investment management division of British insurer Prudential Plc (NYSE: PRU) and Pacific Investment Management Co. ("PIMCO").

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Own For 2019: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on American International Group (AIG)

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

• [By ]

  Insurance company American International Group Inc. (AIG) stock fell 5.3% as harsh winter weather weighed on profits. But the company's long-term care exposure is relatively minimal.

• [By Max Byerly]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s rankings:

  Get American International Group alerts: AIG’s loss for European business worsens in 2017 (businessinsurance.com) $1.26 EPS Expected for American International Group (AIG) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com) UBS: Buy AIG After Earnings Estimates ‘Bottom Out’ (finance.yahoo.com) American International Group (AIG) Stock Rating Upgraded by UBS (americanbankingnews.com) American International Group (AIG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com)

  American International Group traded up $0.36, hitting $55.15, during mid-day trading on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 9,821,608 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,828,715. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. American International Group has a 1-year low of $49.57 and a 1-year high of $67.30. The firm has a market cap of $49.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.98, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.24.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares tumbled 48.59 percent to close at $1.275 on Thursday after the company priced its $18,000,000 public offering. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NVIV) fell 38.77 percent to close at $8.26 on Thursday. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares tumbled 27.43 percent to close at $8.81. Achaogen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAO) dropped 24.76 percent to close at $11.06 in reaction to a disappointing update from an FDA AdCom panel. The FDA panel voted favorably for the company's Plazcomicin for treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections, but also voted against the therapy to be used as a treatment for bloodstream infections. Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK) shares declined 24.68 percent to close at $34.80 after the company posted downbeat quarterly results. LSC Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LKSD) shares fell 24.22 percent to close at $12.64 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) fell 21.42 percent to close at $50.80 following downbeat quarterly profit. Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) dropped 20.42 percent to close at $6.00 following downbeat quarterly earnings. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) slipped 20.11 percent to close at $2.90 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) fell 19.28 percent to close at $36.93. Esperion Therapeutics stock lost roughly a third of its value Wednesday after the company reported mixed Phase III results for its leading drug candidate, bempedoic acid. JP Morgan downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from Neutral to Underweight. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) declined 17.77 percent to close at $8.98 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings. The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: HABT) dipped 16.1 percent to close at $8.60 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (N
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sentry Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in American International Group (NYSE:AIG) by 8.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,968 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,147 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Own For 2019: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ING Groep NV boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 7.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern’s scoring:

  Get Principal Financial Group alerts: Principal Financial Group (PFG) Approves New $300M Buyback (streetinsider.com) Principal Financial Group (PFG) Announces Share Repurchase Plan (americanbankingnews.com) Is Principal Large Cap Growth I Institutional (PLGIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? (finance.yahoo.com) Principal Financial Group is Oversold (nasdaq.com) Principal Names New Chief Human Resources Officer (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several equities analysts have recently commented on PFG shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Principal Financial Group from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $76.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, March 26th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Friday, March 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.18.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Stilwell Value LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Stilwell+Value+LLC

  These are the top 5 holdings of Stilwell Value LLCOFG Bancorp (OFG) - 1,614,868 shares, 14.1% of the total portfolio. Kingsway Financial Services Inc (KFS) - 3,780,889 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. HopFed Bancorp Inc (HFBC) - 627,128 shares, 7.62% of the total portfolio. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - 1,251,324 shares, 7.27% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 20.66%Sound Financial Bancorp Inc (SFBC) - 228,600 shares, 7.02% of th

A Familiar Problem For Emerging Market Bond ETFs

The iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (NASDAQ: EMB), the largest exchange-traded fund tracking developing world debt, is down about 5.6 percent this year and it's not hard to explain why.

EMB tracks the JPMorgan EMBI Global Core Index. As the fund's name implies, its holdings are comprised of dollar-denominated debt. In previous eras of dollar strength, the stronger greenback has pinched emerging markets debt, a scenario that appears to be at play again this year.

What Happened

Catalysts that previously lifted emerging markets debt are ebbing. EMB rose 10.3 percent last year even as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates three times. The emerging markets bond fund was able to weather that rate storm because the greenback was weak and commodities prices firmed.

“The benefits of a weak dollar and rising commodity prices, which supported strong emerging-market (EM) growth in 2017, are now beginning to fade,” said Fitch Ratings. “This will leave EM issuers facing more challenging economic and financial conditions as interest rates rise and central bank monetary policy becomes less accommodative.”

Why It's Important

A stronger dollar usually weighs on commodities prices, which is problematic for many developing economies because many are major commodities producers. At least seven of EMB's top 10 country weights can be considered major commodities producing nations. That group includes Mexico, Russia, Brazil and Colombia.

A stronger greenback also means higher external financing costs for emerging markets that issued dollar-denominated debt. If the dollar remains strong for an extended period of time, some developing economies could be vulnerable to sovereign credit rating downgrades.

“EM debt securities outstanding have ballooned to USD19.3 trillion, up from USD5 trillion a decade ago. China accounts for more than half (USD11 trillion), up sharply from only USD1.5 trillion in 2007,” said Fitch.

What's Next

There are no guarantees of this scenario repeating, but there have been times when EMB and the U.S. Dollar Index have declined or risen in the same year. That happened from 2013 through 2016, but that trend ended last year as the dollar plunged.

"The US dollar had remained surprisingly weak after the Fed began its rate rise cycle in December 2015 but it has recently started to rise as Treasury yields hit 3 percent at the end of April,” said Fitch. “Some countries have therefore felt increasing pressure on their currencies, notably Argentina, Turkey and Brazil.”

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