Waste Management, Inc. (WM) Shares Sold by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lessened its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 4.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,400 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,903,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Gables Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the first quarter worth $102,000. Bruderman Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the first quarter worth $127,000. Rainier Group Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the first quarter worth $135,000. Trust Department MB Financial Bank N A purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the second quarter worth $138,000. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waste Management by 8,276.6% during the first quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 152,621 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $153,000 after acquiring an additional 150,799 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.99% of the company’s stock.

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Several research firms have issued reports on WM. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Waste Management from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 30th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Waste Management from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Waste Management presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $90.89.

Waste Management stock opened at $82.69 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.65 billion, a PE ratio of 25.68, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.69. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.48 and a fifty-two week high of $89.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 20th. The business services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.57 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 14.06% and a return on equity of 26.73%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. sell-side analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 8th were issued a $0.465 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 7th. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 57.76%.

In related news, Director Patrick W. Gross sold 406 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.22, for a total value of $33,787.32. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,149 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,009,679.78. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Barry H. Caldwell sold 10,844 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.00, for a total value of $910,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,641,548. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides waste management environmental services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It provides collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns, develops, and operates landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States, as well as owns and operates transfer stations.

See Also: What does RSI mean?

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

Microsoft Earnings Preview, & Trending Stocks: DPZ, CMCSA, SQ | Free Lunch

On today’s episode of Free Lunch, Associate Stock Strategist Ryan McQueeney discusses what’s causing stocks like Domino’s (DPZ ) , Comcast (CMCSA ) , and Square (SQ ) to move this morning.

Later, he is joined by Dave Bartosiak to preview the upcoming earnings report from Microsoft (MSFT ) , which is due out this afternoon.

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Free Lunch is the newest show from Zacks Investment Research. It is streamed live, four times per week, and features breaking news and analysis from Zacks strategists. Free Lunch is available on YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, Ustream, and more.

Pizza behemoth Domino’s posted its latest quarterly earnings report before the bell today, tallying its 29th straight quarter of positive domestic same-store sales results. Revenue disappointed investors a bit, sending shares down a bit at the open, but earnings growth was solid, and Domino’s—once again—displayed its restaurant industry dominance.

Meanwhile, investors were also reacting to the news that Comcast has dropped its bid to buy 21st Century Fox (FOXA ) assets, effectively handing the deal to rival Disney (DIS ) . Comcast will now focus its efforts on completing its deal to buy Sky.

Wall Street was also talking about Square this morning, with one key analyst firm upgrading the stock on the back of expanded product offerings for merchants. Investors are starting to notice that Square is doing much more than its core payment solutions business, and that is paying off for the firm.

Ryan recaps these stories, giving investors the key facts and his own perspective, on the first half of today’s show!

Later, he is joined by Zacks Strategist Dave Bartosiak to preview Microsoft’s upcoming earnings report. How important is Microsoft’s cloud business to today’s results? What the heck is Azure, anyway? Is the tech behemoth gaining on Amazon (AMZN ) in the public cloud market?

Hear Ryan and Dave’s answers to all of these questions, and more, only on today’s episode of Free Lunch!

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Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:PCAR,BCO,RBA,GES,MSON, &l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-41903517&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/41903517/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;1390&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; A rainbow arcs over wind turbines at a wind farm in Scotland. Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg

As the amount of renewable energy in global electricity networks continues to surge, a new question arises &a;ndash; when will renewables become the dominant source of energy?

A new report, the &l;a href=&q;https://www.lr.org/techradar&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Lloyd&a;rsquo;s Register 2018 Technology Radar&l;/a&g;, examines this issue and also looks at which technologies are likely to have the biggest impact in different countries and what are the key drivers and barriers to success.

A survey of 800 key industry figures found that China would be the first country to achieve grid parity, in 2022, followed by Spain and the United Arab Emirates two years later in 2024. This is the same year that Germany and the UK are expected to see grid parity for wind power, followed a year later by Denmark and the USA. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) &l;a href=&q;http://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2018/Jan/Onshore-Wind-Power-Now-as-Affordable-as-Any-Other-Source&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;said recently&l;/a&g; that clean energy sources will be cheaper than fossil fuels by 2020.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: PACCAR Inc.(PCAR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BidaskClub downgraded shares of PACCAR (NASDAQ:PCAR) from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

  Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on PACCAR from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank downgraded PACCAR from a hold rating to a sell rating and set a $77.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, March 19th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded PACCAR from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 3rd. ValuEngine upgraded PACCAR from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird reiterated a hold rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of PACCAR in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.30.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Hudson Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ:PCAR) by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,965 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,798 shares during the quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in PACCAR were worth $1,423,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Brink's Company (BCO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Thursday was a largely down day for the stock market, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average�taking the biggest hit of the major benchmarks. The global turmoil over trade got a lot closer to home as the U.S. imposed new restrictions that led the Canadian government to issue retaliatory tariffs in response. Yet many broader-based measures of the market fell only slightly, showing that much of what drives the economy isn't as dependent on trade as traditional industrial giants. Good news also sent some key stocks higher. Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MDGL), Brink's (NYSE:BCO), and Applied Optoelectronics (NASDAQ:AAOI) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BridgeCoin (CURRENCY:BCO) traded 6.3% lower against the dollar during the one day period ending at 7:00 AM ET on June 26th. During the last week, BridgeCoin has traded down 27.1% against the dollar. One BridgeCoin coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.86 or 0.00013872 BTC on major exchanges. BridgeCoin has a total market capitalization of $23.29 million and approximately $23,296.00 worth of BridgeCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Brink’s (NYSE:BCO) shares shot up 16.2% on Thursday after Buckingham Research raised their price target on the stock from $5.14 to $110.00. Buckingham Research currently has a buy rating on the stock. Brink’s traded as high as $82.45 and last traded at $79.25. 2,991,171 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 539% from the average session volume of 467,825 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.20.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wall Street brokerages predict that Brink’s (NYSE:BCO) will post earnings per share (EPS) of $0.76 for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Two analysts have provided estimates for Brink’s’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.74 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.77. Brink’s reported earnings per share of $0.64 in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 18.8%. The company is expected to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 25th.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) jumped 124.8 percent to $243.725 in reaction to an encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial update. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said its liver-directed, thyroid hormone receptor called MGL-3196 showed a statistical significance in the primary endpoint of lowering liver fat at 12 weeks and also 36 weeks. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VKTX) gained 63.4 percent to $8.12 after falling 4.42 percent on Wednesday. Takung Art Co., Ltd. (NYSE: TKAT) rose 43.3 percent to $2.9094 vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) shares climbed 29.7 percent to $2.16 after the company reported a licensing deal with Newsoara Biopharma to rights for vTv's PDE4 Inhibitor in China and other Pacific Rim territories. Akers Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKER) gained 26.2 percent to $0.4109. The developer of rapid health information technologies said Wednesday afternoon it was granted a 180-day extension from the Nasdaq Stock Market to meet the requirement of a minimum $1.00 per share closing bid price for 10 straight days. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) rose 22.2 percent to $11.6254. Genprex reported engagement of WIRB-Copernicus Group to provide clinical trial services to support Oncoprex clinical trial program. J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE: JILL) gained 21 percent to $7.506 after the company posted upbeat quarterly earnings. Urban One, Inc. (NASDAQ: UONE) gained 19.7 percent to $3.95 after rising 78.38 percent on Wednesday. TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) shares gained 18.5 percent to $6.03 after climbing 24.15 percent on Wednesday. Kirkland's, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIRK) rose 17.3 percent to $12.95 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY) shares gained 15.1 percent to $13.210. The Brink's Company (NYSE: BCO) climbed 14.2 percent to $77.875 as the company announced plans to acquire Dunbar Armored for $520 million in cash. Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEY
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BridgeCoin (CURRENCY:BCO) traded 7.5% lower against the US dollar during the one day period ending at 17:00 PM Eastern on June 15th. One BridgeCoin coin can currently be bought for $1.24 or 0.00019057 BTC on major exchanges. In the last week, BridgeCoin has traded down 33.1% against the US dollar. BridgeCoin has a market cap of $33.52 million and approximately $15,787.00 worth of BridgeCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated(RBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Inc (NYSE:RBA) (TSE:RBA) – Analysts at Jefferies Group boosted their Q2 2018 earnings estimates for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers in a report issued on Monday, April 9th. Jefferies Group analyst S. Volkmann now expects that the business services provider will earn $0.39 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.37. Jefferies Group has a “Hold” rating and a $30.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Group also issued estimates for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers’ Q3 2018 earnings at $0.16 EPS.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Total System Services (NYSE: TSS) and Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE:RBA) are both business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation and dividends.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE:RBA) (TSE:RBA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 10th. The business services provider reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.01). Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers had a net margin of 10.96% and a return on equity of 12.50%. The business had revenue of $169.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $153.56 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.12 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 36.4% on a year-over-year basis. equities research analysts forecast that Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers will post 1.06 EPS for the current year.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.45 per share on revenue of $2.89 billion. News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWSA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.19 billion. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (NASDAQ: PPC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.54 per share on revenue of $2.65 billion. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.38 per share on revenue of $556.81 million. Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.01 per share on revenue of $383.37 million. Flowserve Corporation (NYSE: FLS) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.27 per share on revenue of $880.89 million. Civitas Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: CIVI) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.12 per share on revenue of $396.25 million. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.1 per share on revenue of $73.23 million. Amdocs Limited (NYSE: DOX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.95 per share on revenue of $980.50 million. Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) is estimated to post quarterly loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $220.14 million. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.43 per share on revenue of $210.01 million. TiVo Corporation (NASDAQ: TIVO) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.37 per share on revenue of $198.62 million. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $153.87 million. Uniti Group Inc. (NASDAQ: UNIT) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.01 per share on revenue of $247.16 million. Jagged Peak En

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Guess?, Inc.(GES)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:

  Wall Street expects Michael Kors Holdings Limited (NYSE: KORS) to report its quarterly earnings at $0.59 per share on revenue of $1.15 billion before the opening bell. Michael Kors shares rose 2.61 percent to $70.00 in pre-market trading. Analysts expect Guess?, Inc. (NYSE: GES) to post its quarterly loss at $0.23 per share on revenue of $508.02 million after the closing bell. Guess dropped 0.36 percent to close at $24.59 on Tuesday. HP Inc (NYSE: HPQ) reported upbeat revenue for its second quarter and raised its profit outlook for the full year. The company named Steve Fieler as its CFO. HP shares rose 0.61 percent to $21.43 in pre-market trading. Before the markets open, Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) is projected to report its quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $552.31 million. Chico's FAS shares declined 1.67 percent to close at $9.99 on Tuesday.

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Guess (NYSE:GES) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.27-0.30 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.30. The company issued revenue guidance of $654-663 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $621.68 million.Guess also updated its FY19 guidance to $0.88-0.99 EPS.

• [By Lisa Levin]

    

  Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLSD) shares declined 32.19 percent to close at $9.86 on Thursday. Clearside Biomedical disclosed that its Phase 2 trial of CLS-TA met primary and secondary endpoints met in 6-month trial. scPharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SCPH) shares dipped 30.1 percent to close at $9.94 on Thursday after the FDA identified deficiencies in the company’s New Drug Application for FUROSCIX. However, the FDA letter did not specify deficiencies identified and notification does not reflect final decision on information under review. Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA) fell 24.08 percent to close at $1.86. Euroseas announced completion of the spin-off of its drybulk fleet into EuroDry Ltd. Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ: GLNG) fell 25.09 percent to close at $25.98 following Q1 results. Oragenics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGEN) shares dropped 25 percent to close at $1.50 on Thursday. Guess', Inc. (NYSE: GES) dropped 19.44 percent to close at $19.60 following Q1 results. Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMD) dropped 15.94 percent to close at $109.09 on Thursday following FQ3 results. Fusion Connect, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSNN) shares fell 15.55 percent to close at $3.91. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) dropped 14.44 percent to close at $8.00 after reporting Q1 results. Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) shares declined 14.28 percent to close at $82.59 after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and lowered its FY2018 earnings guidance. Titan Machinery Inc. (NASDAQ: TITN) dropped 13.94 percent to close at $18.09 after reporting Q1 results. Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CODX) declined 13.17 percent to close at $2.90 after declining 5.65 percent on Wednesday. Concordia International Corp. (NASDAQ: CXRX) fell 12.89 percent to close at $0.2440 after the company announced that it would be delisted from the Nasdaq. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) slipped 12.46 percent
• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Wall Street had a down day on Thursday, with the trade-sensitive industrial side of the market seeing the largest declines on news that the U.S. and Canada had imposed a set of matching tariffs on each other. The Dow lost more than 200 points, but declines were somewhat less extensive on a percentage basis for other parts of the market. Crude oil prices also moved lower, and the general sense among investors was one of uncertainty about how these initial disputes would evolve over time. Moreover, some bad news from key sectors of the economy weighed on individual stocks. Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR), Guess? (NYSE:GES), and Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) were among the worst performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so poorly.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it would press ahead with 25% tariffs on roughly $50 billion in Chinese goods. As U.S. Trade Secretary Wilbur Ross prepares to head to Beijing to discuss trade this week, the Trump administration is demanding that China address ongoing theft of U.S. intellectual property. Ahead of Friday's jobs report, Automatic Data Processing (NYSE: ADP) reported that private jobs increased by 178,000 during May. That figure was actually 12,000 behind what the markets were anticipating. Job growth appears to be slowing down as the firm also revised its jobs figure for April downward, from 204,000 new positions to 163,000. Three Stocks to Watch Today: KORS, HP, KMI Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.�(NYSE: KORS) stock was off 3.2% in pre-market hours after the company reported earnings before the bell. The luxury retailer reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.63, a figure that topped Wall Street expectations of $0.60. The firm also beat revenue expectations and reported an increase in same-store sales. However, the firm's earnings forecast for the year ahead came in lower than expectations, a factor that pushed its stock lower on Wednesday morning. Shares of HP Inc. (NYSE: HP) were up slightly after the company raised its full-year outlook and topped Wall Street earnings expectations on Tuesday. The company cited stronger demand in desktops and notebooks for its financial performance. The firm matched EPS expectations of $0.48. However, revenue came in at $14.0 billion, a figure that easily beat forecasts of $13.59. The Canadian government announced plans to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline from Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. (NYSE: KML) for $3.5 billion. The Canadian government said that the deal was the only way to ensure that the long-awaited project could proceed. The pipeline runs from the Alberta oil sands to a port all the way in British Columbia along the Pacific Ocean. The pipeline is designed to give Canadian crude grea

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: MISONIX Inc.(MSON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  MISONIX (NASDAQ:MSON) posted its earnings results on Monday. The medical equipment provider reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, Bloomberg Earnings reports. The company had revenue of $12.44 million during the quarter. MISONIX had a negative net margin of 28.12% and a negative return on equity of 11.13%.

Investigating Cisco's (CSCO) Quest to Bring India Online

The fastest-growing economy in the world, India is projected to see a GDP increase of 7.8% in 2018. The nation is rapidly industrializing, yet still only a third of its population currently resides in an urban environment. There is plenty of opportunity in this region, and Cisco is in an interesting position to capitalize.

The Big Picture

IP-based networking giant Cisco (CSCO ) is based in the US and operates under five main segments: infrastructure platform, applications, security, services, and other. It is the largest player in the networking space and has inked partnerships with a large list of global enterprises including Apple (AAPL ) , IBM (IBM ) and Alibaba (BABA ) .

Cisco India began operations in 1984, and has since filed over a thousand patents and issued 600 for what it calls “innovations across all technologies.” It works with over 2,500 partners in the country and operates 176 networking academies with an overall enrollment of 24,138 active students.

Cisco India works with key domestic firms including Tata Group, Bharti Artel, and multiple provincial government offices. The company’s second largest Global Development Center is based in Bangalore, and houses its research and development, IT, services, and customer support teams, where it develops new business models and technologies for emerging markets, including India.

One key reason why Cisco’s infrastructure platforms are so important to India is because it is still in its infancy. The country boasts a population of 1.32 billion, yet according to data from Statista, only 369 million are connected to the internet. The Indian government is trying to change this through an initiative known as Digital India, a program started in 2015 that seeks to transition the country into a knowledge economy comprised of a digitally literate workforce.

Cisco is one of multiple firms working towards making that a reality. It is leveraging a partnership with telecom giant to power the world’s largest all-IP network.  It includes over 250,000 Cisco routers and will allow Jio to cover 99% of India’s population, laying the basic groundwork to bring the nation online. Cisco began its manufacturing operations in Pune in 2016, and unveiled its first Made-in-India product the following year, predecessor to current routers.

By the Numbers

While this is a worthy cause, what does it mean for the company’s bottom line? In its most recent earnings report, Cisco posted revenues of $12.5 billion on $0.66 in earnings per share, both of which narrowly beat our Zacks Consensus Estimates. While this represents a year-over-year revenue decrease of 4%, EPS still surged 10%.

Cisco noted that its product revenue in India grew by 11% overall in 2017. While Cisco saw declines in other segments, initiatives in India are bearing fruit. The company is aggressively expanding its small business client portfolio, aiming to triple its customer base to 75,000 by 2020. A growing Indian economy includes an increasing number of small businesses, and Cisco has laid the groundwork to capture this opportunity.

Cisco expects the number of internet users in India to reach 829 million by as early as 2021, with the company set to play a major role in the process. The nation still has a long road ahead of it in terms of economic development, but according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report titled “The World in 2050,” it could surpass the US in GDP by 2050.

Outlook

In recent news, the firm announced plans to acquire July Systems, a private cloud-based mobile application platform. The month before the announcement, it completed the buyout of an AI-based relationship intelligence platform provider, Accompany.

These moves are part of its shift from hardware to software-based products. It is a solid futureproofing method that could increase margins and give the firm a flexible market position. Cisco’s solid net-cash balance of $37.63 billion gives it the ability to pursue various growth initiatives alongside its stock repurchases and dividend hike. The company has raised its buyback program from $25 billion to $31 billion and returned $9.22 billion to shareholders through dividends in fiscal year 2017.

Cisco is a company with a compelling short and long-term investment outlook India. On top of India, it is also collaborating with Open Transit Internet (OTI) firm Orange to expand its network to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.  Although the acquisition of multiple new firms carries integration risks, and deep macro exposure could make Cisco vulnerable, it is still operating in an overall position of strength, which is reflected in recent earnings estimate revisions.   

In the last 60 days, Cisco has seen six upward and no downward earnings estimate revisions for the current quarter, and nine upward estimates for the current fiscal year compared to one downward estimate. Four analysts have revised estimates downward for the following fiscal year, but twice analysts as many have moved them upward.

Overall, this mixed estimate activity currently leaves Cisco at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, investors should keep in mind that the Zacks Rank performs strongest over a 3-6 month timeframe. Initiatives in India may take years to continue developing, but hold a lot of potential. As such, investors should put the sleeping giant on their radar if they haven’t already.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>

U.S. Companies In China Losing Patience, Tell Trump 'Enough Is Enough'

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-42261718&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/42261718/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Peter Navarro, director of the National Trade Council, and President Trump&a;rsquo;s biggest anti-China guru in the White House. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

&a;ldquo;Enough is enough!&a;rdquo;

That&a;rsquo;s what U.S. corporations are telling the Trump administration on Wednesday following a proposed 10% tariff on $200 billion of Made in China goods.

&a;ldquo;The cumulative tariffs that both countries are beginning to implement will harm each other&a;rsquo;s economies and jobs,&a;rdquo; says John Frisbee, president of the U.S. China Business Council, a lobbying firm representing U.S. multinationals in China. &a;ldquo;No one wins in that scenario.&a;rdquo;

Trump slapped $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods last week with another $16 billion coming later this month. China retaliated with equal tariffs. The U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the additional threat of $200 billion, announced after market hours Tuesday, was to punish China for its retaliatory tariffs. China could not even impose an equal value of tariffs on the U.S. if it wanted to. Beijing would have to be more creative. Last year, the U.S. exports to China were valued at $129.8 billion, &l;a href=&q;https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;according to Census data&l;/a&g;.

&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-42104907&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/42104907/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Robert Lighthizer, U.S. trade representative&a;nbsp;(left) speaks with Peter Navarro. Both men see China the same way Trump does: as a threat to U.S. manufacturing and as an unfair competitor in Asian markets. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg.)

On Wednesday, the market was full of headlines speculating on what Xi Jinping could do to retaliate. One way is to attack U.S. services trade&a;mdash;think banks, recently allowed to own mainland broker/dealers outright&a;mdash;and tech companies like Apple. Apple&a;rsquo;s share price fell 1.25% today, worse than the S&a;amp;P 500 and Nasdaq.

&l;p class=&q;tweet_line&q;&g;The U.S. has 6,031 products targeted to hit the $200 billion in new tariffs , according to numbers crunched by Chris Rogers, a research analyst from Panjiva, part of S&a;amp;P Global Market Intelligence. The new proposal is subject to consultation through the end of August. The U.S. China Business Council will have its hands full.

For now, the list is dominated by chemicals, though the products covered are relatively small by value ($7.1 billion, or 3.4% of the $200 billion of imports targeted). Other major categories targeted include textiles (935 lines but notably excluding apparel) and food (925 lines led by fish and vegetables).

By value, the leading categories include electronics ($50.1 billion with 218 tariff lines), capital equipment ($42.0 billion with 200 lines), furniture ($29.7 billion from just 77 lines) and the automotive industry ($12.4 billion with 125 products targeted). The new list comes at the expense of a deeper reliance on China as a supplier for the products concerned, says Rogers.

&a;ldquo;That reduces the options for American buyers to replace Chinese supplies with other overseas providers and increases the risk of supply chain disruptions and higher costs,&a;rdquo; he says.

In the most recent $34 billion list, China accounted for 7.1% of those imports. That rises to 13.3% for the $16 billion list and hits nearly 21% for the $200 billion hit list proposed last night.

For some of the largest products, China&s;s importance as a trade partner is even higher, rising to 49% for IT network gear and a whopping 69.5% for metal furniture.

The tech component &a;ldquo;will likely lead to significant lobbying by IT service companies including Google and Facebook as well as retailers such as Ikea for exclusion of their products,&a;rdquo; Rogers says.

&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-916059180&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/916059180/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; An investor watches the electronic board at a stock exchange hall in Fuyang, China. The Shanghai 50 Index is in bear territory, down over 20% since January 26. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

&l;p class=&q;tweet_line&q;&g;The U.S. under Trump is currently fighting a multi-theater trade war. Trump has gone after Europe, Mexico and Canada. But he and his two trade sidekicks, Peter Navarro and Robert Lighthizer, are true believers in China mercantilism being bad for U.S. labor. China is the main target.

While China has been good for U.S. consumers, keeping sneakers and toys cheap, it&a;rsquo;s hurt blue-collar labor, which cannot compete in an outsourced economy against the Chinese on an hourly wage and social benefits basis. Many leading Democrats also believe this, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Read the headlines about surging Democrats, and besides being soft on immigration, they are also in favor of tariffs and protecting American workers. The Hillary Clinton wing of the Democratic Party has no argument for the economy, and the free traders in the Republican party will have to turn to think tanks for work. Unless this whole trade-war business blows up in everyone&a;rsquo;s face.

To some, by going after China and other trading partners jointly, Trump makes it harder for countries like Germany or Mexico to side with China because it hurts their own, separate trade talks with the U.S.

&a;ldquo;Trump believes that the best way forward is not to avoid a trade war, but to welcome, embrace, and glorify one because he is firm in his belief that&a;mdash;even though there will be economic contraction and institutional ruin&a;mdash;the United States will emerge better off than Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and&a;mdash;most importantly&a;mdash;China,&a;rdquo; says Daniel J. Ikenson, director of Cato&a;rsquo;s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. Ikenson does not advocate for Trump&a;rsquo;s position.

Meanwhile, the U.S. China Business Council, which has been patient for the last 18 months, is now worried about a more severe Chinese retaliation.

&a;ldquo;Enough is enough. We need to stop the needless escalation of a tariff war and start working on solutions that will address the real concerns that American companies have about China&a;rsquo;s intellectual property protection and technology transfer policies,&a;rdquo; says Frisbee. &a;ldquo;Those are the right issues to focus on, but tariffs are the wrong way to solve them.&a;rdquo;

For Trump, tariffs are the only way to bring people to the table. Only then, if all goes well, will problems get solved.

On Wednesday, famed investor Mark Mobius said a trade war marked the beginning of the global economy&a;rsquo;s march towards financial crisis. He predicted a 10% drop in emerging market equities this year, led by further deterioration out of China.

China&a;rsquo;s mainland equity markets are already down over 20% from their January 26 highs. Investors are likely to pile into the A-shares if Shanghai and Shenzhen fall another 20%. If another $200 billion worth of tariffs are imposed by September, an additional decline of that magnitude is not that hard to imagine.

&a;nbsp;&l;/p&g;

Pepsi stock pops on strong snack sales

Pepsi kicked off second quarter earnings season in refreshing style.

The soda and snacks giant reported profits that topped Wall Street's forecasts because of solid sales from its Frito-Lay unit and healthy demand from China and other overseas markets.

Shares of Pepsi (PEP) popped more than 3% on the news Tuesday. Rival Coca-Cola (KO), which will report quarterly results on July 25, was up 1%.

The better-than-expected results helped push the broader market higher Tuesday. And it set a positive tone as investors prepare for a deluge of earnings reports in the coming days and weeks.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) will report its results Thursday morning while big banks JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citigroup (C) release earnings Friday.

Investors are eager to hear about what impact, if any, a new round of global tariffs could have on sales and profits.

But Pepsi Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said in an interview with CNNMoney that worries about a global trade war have not hurt sales in international markets so far.

"We haven't seen any material or notable impact from all the dialogue about trade and tariffs that is happening," he said, before adding that it's tough to predict what might come next.

Still, Pepsi is benefiting from strong sales in most emerging markets including China, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Bonnie Herzog, an analyst with Wells Fargo, noted in a report Tuesday morning that the "solid results in emerging markets" is the biggest plus for Pepsi right now.

But the biggest challenge for Pepsi remains its domestic beverage unit. Sales were down slightly from a year ago.

Johnston said there was improvement in sales at the company's Gatorade and Mountain Dew businesses -- because of new product launches like the zero-sugar Gatorade, the lemon-lime Ice flavor of Mountain Dew and the limited edition Mountain Dew Baja Blast.

But getting the core Pepsi product back on track is still a work in progress. The turnaround is at the early stages, and includes a new ad campaign geared toward younger consumers, featuring New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.

Pepsi's beverage business isn't just facing a demand issue in the US, though. Operating profits took a sizable hit, falling 16%, because of an increase in commodity prices squeezing margins and increased transportation costs.

A shortage of qualified truckers in the US has been an issue for many food and beverage companies.

Johnston said the problem will continue for Pepsi for the next few quarters and that ultimately, the company will probably need to raise wages further to induce people to take trucking jobs.

Wall Street didn't seem too worried. The continued strength in the Frito-Lay division, which includes the popular Doritos and Cheetos brands, is helping to offset the slumps in soft drinks and at the Quaker Foods unit, which also posted a drop in sales.

Pablo Zuanic of Susquehanna Financial Group said in a report after the earnings were released Tuesday that the accelerated growth at Frito-Lay is the main reason he continues to like Pepsi stock.

Still, shares of Pepsi -- as well as Coke and many other supermarket staples -- are in the red for 2018 as investors worry about how Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT)and Kroger (KR) are squeezing prices.

PACIFIC �� HBO and Chill

What's Next: Richard Plepler's Last Dance: AT&T wants HBO to transform itself from a boutique for smart, high-minded shows into a 24/7 operation like Netflix that produces more content and drives more user engagement, sources at HBO and AT&T's WarnerMedia confirm. It is a sea-change moment for Plepler, the affable HBO chief and Manhattan-Hollywood socialite who has long enjoyed the luxury of prioritizing a few quality shows on Sunday nights.

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HBO's future now depends on two things:

1. Whether AT&T will give it enough money to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Apple for the best shows, showrunners and talent.

2. Whether Plepler can bring premium content to scale -- which is going to be really hard for a guy who has spent years stressing that the strength of HBO's brand depends on not throwing a hundred things against the wall to see what sticks, a la Netflix.

More on all that, including the the awkward town hall conversation between Plepler and his new AT&T boss John Stankey, below ... Plus: LeBron in Hollywood, Netflix in India, and Les Moonves vs. Shari Redstone in Idaho ...

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Welcome back to PACIFIC

It's Allen & Co. Week. We're in Sun Valley starting Tuesday, along with Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Rupert Murdoch & Sons, Randall Stephenson, Reed Hastings, Moonves and Redstone, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Barry Diller, Jimmy Pitaro and Adam Silver, all of whom are among the invited guests at the annual summit of media moguls. This highly private event can only be covered from the sidelines, but we'll do our best.

The Latest in M&A: Comcast is expected to make a $31 billion bid for Sky, just as the UK is giving 21st Century Fox the green light to acquire the company itself. How to read it: Comcast's Brian Roberts is forcing the Murdochs (and thus, Disney) to pay more for Sky, just as he forced Disney to pay more for Fox.

There is no thicker thorn in Bob Iger's side than Brian Roberts.

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Talk of Tinseltown: Can HBO scale?

For years, Richard Plepler has said that HBO's edge on Netflix is the power of its brand, which is synonymous with quality, and its ability to care for and cultivate every project it invests in. Netflix, by contrast, seems to release dozens of projects at once and pay special attention to only a few guaranteed successes.

Tough luck ... Plepler's new boss John Stankey, the head of AT&T's WarnerMedia, now says HBO must become more like Netflix.

The two men appeared together at a recent town hall meeting at HBO's New York offices. Stankey's remarks, obtained by NYT's Ed Lee and John Koblin, tell you everything you need to know:

�� "I want more hours of engagement. Why are more hours of engagement important? Because you get more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions, which I think is very important to play in tomorrow's world."

�� "'We need hours a day. It's not hours a week, and it's not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in people's hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.'"

�� "We've got to make money at the end of the day, right?" [Plepler: "We do that"]. "Yes, you do. Just not enough."

What Plepler says now:

�� "I've said, 'More is not better, only better is better,' because that was the hand we had ... I've switched that now ... to: 'More isn't better, only better is better �� but we need a lot more to be even better.'"

Do not underestimate how hard this will be. One Hollywood executive emails: "Quality does not necessarily increase with quantity." If there are 7 great shows out of 10 on HBO today, he said, it doesn't mean there will be 14 great shows if you make 20.

Moreover ... the more shows you have to produce and market, the less time you have to dedicate to each one ... to wit ...

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Cautionary Tales: What's eating Netflix creators

Netflix spends billions on content and marketing, but only the most high-profile shows get big ad budgets, while others seem to disappear into a void.

The Information's Beejoli Shah goes inside Netflix's marketing machine:

�� "When Netflix debuted 'Stranger Things' in 2016, it was so optimistic ... that it poured $50 million into promoting the show, much of it on Facebook. Yet when it came to the reboot last year of classic sitcom 'One Day at a Time,' the marketing team didn't even create a Facebook page until the show's second season."

�� "Netflix plans to boost its marketing spending more than 50% to $2 billion this year. But most of the money is going to promote shows seen as most likely to become hits ... And that is frustrating many television producers who complain their shows are getting ignored amid a glut of shows on the service."

�� "'The most common complaint I hear from fellow Netflix showrunners is that they would make a great show, and no one would know that it was on,' said a creator whose show is currently being produced by Netflix."

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Netflix in Bollywood

"Netflix Wants The Whole World To Binge Its First Indian TV Series" by BuzzFeed's Pranav Dixit: "'Sacred Games,' Netflix's newest original show and the company's first original series produced in India, debuted in 190 countries [and] has been dubbed into four international languages, including English ... 'We want to make Sacred Games a great, global success like Narcos,' Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told reporters during his first visit to India."

Bonus: If Disney lands Fox, and Fox lands Sky, it will give Disney access to 700 million new viewers in India.

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Rules of the Game: What Amazon is watching

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is eyeing a rule change that would make companies treat production costs for television the same way they do for movies, potentially opening up a new avenue for profits.

The Details, via WSJ's Michael Rapoport:

�� "If the change is ultimately enacted by the full FASB, TV producers could record profits more quickly than they do now."

�� "In a market where TV producers are in an arms race, spending billions of dollars on original content, any additional lift to their profits could be important."

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---

Sun Valley: Moonves-Redstone on tour

The Les Moonves vs. Shari Redstone saga will be on tour in Sun Valley this week, which could make for an awkward encounter given that Moonves' CBS and Redstone's National Amusements are suing one another:

�� Redstone has been pushing for a CBS-Viacom merger, which Moonves opposes. His lawsuit aims to dilute Redstone's voting shares so she can't force the merger.

�� Redstone's lawsuit accused Moonves and the CBS board of "extraordinary, unjustified and unlawful actions."

�� Resisting Redstone would make CBS available for other potential suitors, including tech giants like Amazon.

Other potentially awkward encounters:

�� Bob Iger and Brian Roberts, obviously. As we've noted before, the two execs have a deep animus toward one another that goes far beyond business rivalries.

---

Off The Dribble: LeBron goes Hollywood

While we were on vacation, LeBron James signed a $154 million four-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, hastening his off-court transition to Hollywood star/producer:

�� SpringHill Entertainment, run by James and Maverick Carter and housed on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, already has "House Party" and "Space Jam" reboots in the works, as well as a slate of TV projects and documentaries.

�� Adam Mendelsohn, James' media advisor, tells me the two men started SpringHill "to create great television and films and tell the stories they believed in," noting that the company was running strong even before James made the move to L.A.

�� Uninterrupted, LeBron's digital media venture based in Hollywood at Sunset & Gower, is ramping up production of its web series and podcasts with athletes.

Sound Smart: LeBron James is to Hollywood what Kevin Durant is to Silicon Valley: An NBA star capitalizing on the hometown industry.

What Bill Plaschke and the rest of the Southland cares about: "If LeBron James is indeed going to be The King of L.A., sometime in his potentially four seasons here, he must lead the Lakers to at least one championship."

Bonus: Scoop: LeBron is slated to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair's 2018 New Establishment issue coming out this fall, per a source familiar.

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What Next: Something else that happened while we were on vacation ... Facebook is in talks with Ronaldo to acquire a 13-episode reality series about the Real Madrid star that would air on Facebook Watch. What's in it for Ronaldo: $10 million.

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