CarMax stock is dropping sharply after reporting a steep drop in profits. Consumers are voting with their wallets, which is consistent with the current monetary policy. If the worst is baked in, KMX stock is starting to look properly valued  The used car dealership CarMax (NYSE:KMX) disappointed investors with a lemon of an earnings report. […] CarMax stock is dropping sharply after reporting a steep drop in profits. Consumers are voting with their wallets, which is consistent with the current monetary policy. If the worst is baked in, KMX stock is starting to look properly valued  The used car dealership CarMax (NYSE:KMX) disappointed investors with a lemon of an earnings report. The company showed softer revenue than expected. But the headline number was the company’s profit decline. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Henry Singleton Series in PDF Get the entire 4-part series on Henry Singleton in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);   Find A Qualified Financial Advisor Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you're ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of 79 cents, nearly 50% below the average analyst estimate for $1.40 per share.   Not surprisingly, shares of KMX stock are down 23% in mid-day trading following the report. That brings the year-to-date loss down to almost 50% for the stock. This is particularly troublesome because the stock was already performing worse than the broader market.  But this isn’t a surprise to most investors, and certainly not to most consumers. Used car prices were one of the first indicators of rising inflation. And with inflation likely to remain sticky for some time, consumers are taking matters into their own hands.   This Could Take Awhile  Since the earnings report, some analysts are proclaiming the used car boom is over. That may be true. But I’m not sure if that’s going to be much relief for used-car buyers in the near term. Like inflation itself, prices of used cars may not be increasing, but it’s not the same thing as having prices go down. That’s not likely to happen right away. And there are two significant reasons for that.   First, the auto industry still faces a supply-demand imbalance. Therefore, in situations where buying a new car is a necessity instead of a nice-to-have, consumers are likely to be facing elevated prices for some time to come.   Second, if you take the Federal Reserve at its word, interest rates are going to continue to rise into 2023. That means that many consumers who are priced out of the market will remain priced out of the market. And unfortunately, it may mean that more consumers will be priced out.  I’ll offer a bonus reason as well. Individuals who are planning to finance a vehicle may find that, if they can afford it, the difference between a new and a used vehicle (in terms of monthly payments) may make it more cost-effective to buy a new vehicle.   Is The Worst Over for KMX Stock?  Investors and consumers need to be careful not to miss the point of CarMax’s earnings. The company has created a more efficient way to sell cars. That’s not going away. But efficiency can’t overcome every purchase obstacle.   And that efficiency comes at a cost. The company said that its general and administrative expenses increased by 18% in the quarter due, in part, to investments in technology. While those are likely to pay for themselves, the company’s results show that it doesn’t matter how easy it is to buy a car if demand is not there. And price is still the most significant factor.  That being said, CarMax is still expected to grow revenue over the next five years, albeit at a much slower pace than in the past couple of years. But that is likely to be a drag on earnings which are forecast to have an average decline of around 3% in the next five years.   I don’t own or plan to own KMX stock. But if I was considering it, that would be the question I’d be asking. If it is, then you could point to an appealing price-to-earnings ratio of around 11x earnings as a reason to look at the stock. However, that’s still higher than AutoNation (NYSE:AN) which has a P/E ratio of around 4x earnings and just saw its quarterly earnings make an all-time high.   Should you invest $1,000 in CarMax right now? Before you consider CarMax, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and CarMax wasn't on the list. While CarMax currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. View The Five Stocks Here Article by Chris Markoch, MarketBeat.....»»

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear expert at the Federation of American Scientists, said he's increasingly concerned that Vladimir Putin could go nuclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen set at Red Square as he addresses a rally and a concert marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine Russian troops occupy - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in central Moscow on September 30, 2022.ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images Nuclear expert Hans Kristensen said he's "extraordinarily concerned" Putin could use nukes in Ukraine. In an interview, Kristensen said he is alarmed by Putin's increasingly threatening rhetoric. Kristensen is director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. In a speech on Friday, an increasingly unhinged Vladimir Putin, facing battlefield setbacks abroad and growing dissent at home, railed against what he portrayed as a hypocritical and gender-mad West — his address included a transphobic rant about sex-change operations and "outright Satanism" — as he announced the formal annexation of occupied eastern Ukraine, territory he said that Russia would defend with "all the means at our disposal."The Russian president is no stranger to colorful attacks on liberalism and, indeed, nuclear threats. Days after he ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, Putin tried to intimidate Ukraine's allies by announcing that he was putting his country's nuclear forces on a heightened state of alert and warning that those who continued supporting Ukrainian armed resistance would face "consequences they have never seen."But that threat was almost subtle compared to those made in the months since. Earlier this week, Putin warned that Russia's potential use of nuclear weapons was "not a bluff."Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council and always eager to demonstrate his loyalty to Putin and his "special military operation," echoed the remarks days later, saying that Russia could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine — "without asking anyone's permission, without long consolations" — if it felt "the very existence of our state," now expanded to include the Donbas region, were threatened.NATO would not dare respond, Medvedev added, and risk a broader nuclear conflagration over "a dying Ukraine that no one needs."The rhetoric could be dismissed as simple tough-guy posturing from a country that's current at risk of losing a war of choice. But long-time observers are alarmed, with Russia's long-time reliance on nuclear blackmail to get its way now more explicit than ever. Putin, indeed, on Friday pointed to the United States' dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II as "setting a precedent" for the use of nuclear arms in a conflict.Hans Kristensen is director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists who has been monitoring Russia's nuclear rhetoric. In an interview, he spoke to Insider about signs the US and others are looking for that might point to Putin pulling the trigger on a battlefield nuke — and why his latest speech is cause for alarm. Some questions and answers have been edited for brevity.Q. President Putin gave a speech just today marking the annexation of occupied eastern Ukraine. And in it he reiterated that he would use "all the means at our disposal" to defend Russian territory. Does that, to you, imply nuclear weapons? Did anything he say diverge from what we understand to be Russian nuclear doctrine? Anything alarming?A. Yeah, it confirms, what he said, earlier, last week, where he was more explicit. It's his style, if you will — he likes to rattle this sword and be very dramatic, but of course, the generic term, "all means at our disposal," could also mean many other things. It remains to be seen. I think the key here is that obviously he's trying to create a new condition, in Russian declaratory nuclear policy, where just someone upsetting the integrity of Russian territory somehow, potentially, is a recipient of a nuclear attack. And that goes beyond anything that is in the current declaratory policy. That certainly requires much more significant steps here. Obviously he's trying to create a situation where there's additional coercion — pressure — on Ukraine and the West to stop fighting and seek some kind of negotiated settlement here.Q. As you said, his rhetoric goes beyond Russian doctrine, which is, as I understand it, not so dissimilar to US doctrine: if there's an existential threat to the state, they might resort to nuclear weapons. So when you see Putin going a little bit more inflammatory, do you, as an expert, see that as just playing politics and — despite his protests that he isn't in fact bluffing — playing tough guy? Or do you think that does reflect a change in their doctrine?A. It reflects a change in the way that the president of Russia talks about this; whether it reflects an actual change in Russia's planning for these scenarios is another matter. Frankly, I think the Russian military is probably a little less excited about throwing nuclear weapons around because they know full well what the consequences of doing that will be.I think one could read it to sort of say this is what Putin does. This is his chest-thumping style — he likes to use big words to scare other people. But whether it's reflected in the actual planning they're doing is another matter and I think that'll take some time actually before we see that. But there are a number of steps they would have to take before they could use a tactical nuclear weapon in the Ukraine conflict. It's not like he has a red button on his desk and he could just press that when he feels like it. Q. I'm curious if there was anything that Putin could say that you would interpret as more alarming than just rhetoric? Whether there are kind of code words that, if you saw the introduction of them into Putin's speeches, you would take that as more than just posturing.A. Well, I thought I heard that. One of the lines in his speech was that the United States had already set a precedent for the use of nuclear weapons in war by referring to the use of nuclear weapons against Japan in World War II. I would say that's a new signal where he could begin to sort of argue, "We're not the first doing this, the Americans have already done this kind of stuff." And that could add another level of indicator that he's thinking about this in a new way.Q. Max Seddon, the Moscow bureau chief for the Financial Times, was commenting on this speech today and he was just saying, in general, it's the most blistering attack on the West as a whole that he's ever heard from Putin. And he said that, if he were a Western policymaker wondering if Putin would really use nuclear weapons, "I'd be very concerned."Do you share that concern or should we kind of take a step back and not get wrapped up in hysteria over nuclear weapons?A. No, I think we should be extraordinarily concerned. And I think that concern has to translate into very deliberate efforts to convince Putin and the Russian leadership that this would take the conflict to a whole new level. We've heard some statements from US officials, of course, that they've been trying to convey that for a long time and that urgency seems to have been deepened by Putin's latest speeches and his annexation of these territories into Russia.Q. As you probably saw, Dmitry Medvedev was basically saying that "the degenerate west" — they're not gonna want to get in a war of annihilation. That Ukraine doesn't matter, it's a failing state, if we use a tactical nuclear weapon, they're not going to risk the existence of London, Brussels, New York City over poor little Ukraine. How could the West respond to that, without laying all its cards out, to say that, "Well, no, we're not gonna tolerate that."A. Well, Medvedev might be right about that — that the West would not want to use nuclear weapons even if Putin used a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The point is, the use of a nuclear weapon by Russia and Ukraine is not an attack on NATO. It is not an attack on the United States. Can NATO — can the United States — decide suddenly to attack Russia with nuclear weapons if they have not been attacked first? And that's a real tough issue and I don't think that is a likely outcome.I think the outcome is much more some intensifying of sanctions and diplomatic isolation, political isolation, maybe some cyber attacks, and in the most extreme form, probably some kind of military action. But again here, even that is hard to think about because, again, NATO has not been attacked. The United States has not been attacked. So can you start attacking Russia? That is a real hard dilemma here. So I think Medvedev, to some extent, is correct when he's saying that. Of course, the danger is that suppose Russia really thinks that it can just pop a nuke there — or several — and the West really is sort of armstrung; it can't really act, certainly not at the nuclear level.Q. I'm certainly not chomping at the bit myself to see a war between two nuclear-armed powers. But when you talk about things like sanctions and diplomatic isolation, it's hard not to roll one's eyes and be like, okay, so essentially what you are saying is that, "Yes, they could get away with using a nuclear weapon."A. One wildcard scenario you can imagine, of course, is that if he did do it that NATO would then — or the United States, more likely — would conduct strikes against Russian forces inside Ukraine. And that would be sort of, not quite be an attack on Russia — but of course it would be considered an attack on Russia because they are Russian forces — but it would be sort of at a half step, if you will. You could still say to the Russians, "We're doing this not to threaten Russia, as such, but to tell you that if you continue to do this then the next phase would be a lot more serious."Q. Just to get into the more nitty gritty here, when you used the term "tactical" nuclear weapon earlier, what is the difference between a tactical nuclear weapon and a non-tactical nuke?A. Well, tactical, or non-strategic — these are terms from the Cold War, where tactical to a large extent referred to battlefield weapons, where they were developed for wars involving nuclear weapons in a small region. Those were the type of scenarios that were very much at the center of planning during the Cold War and also because arms control treaties have looked at long-range strategic offensive forces, and never — except for the INF Treaty — looked at sort of medium- or shorter-range systems.Today, tactical nuclear weapons are essentially anything that's not covered by the strategic arms control treaties. It tends to generally just be shorter-range systems, most of which are also dual capable: they serve both conventional and nuclear roles. They tend to be shorter range, have a wider spectrum of explosive yield options, ranging all the way from one kiloton, perhaps even less, but certainly from one kiloton to tens of kilotons even up to 100, 150, 200 kilotons in some tactical systems.A Russian Tu-95 bear bomber and its escort fighter during an event in Russia.Photo by Elizaveta Becker/ullstein bild via Getty ImagesQ. When people talk about nuclear weapons, and the treaties that you're talking about that govern them, we tend to think about something that would trigger an existential war — the destruction of Earth as we know it — whereas these are to gain, to be obvious, a tactical advantage on the battlefield by hitting, say, a bunker that's deep underground. Or perhaps the reason Russia would be thinking about it is just simply the message that it would send, right?A. Yeah, I mean all of those missions could be accomplished with strategic weapons as well. It's more about what kind of attack are you doing. What's the intensity of the attack? And here the Russians, because of their geographic position. They're surrounded by potential adversaries in their near region, right? They have the Brits, they have the French, and of course NATO forces, and then they have the Chinese. So they need, in their military planning, they need sort of regional nuclear forces, to engage those adversaries in those regions.We could really think about them as strategic, because any use of a nuclear weapon would be strategic in nature. The "tactical" just comes in in the sense about the range of it and the intensity of the attack.The United States does not rely on tactical nuclear weapons as much as Russia does and that's partly because the United States doesn't have regions rights next to it where it has to fight nuclear wars. It used to have more tactical nuclear weapons when it had a lot of them deployed in Europe and in South Korea, but most of those were retired and pulled out after the Cold War. It has a few hundred nuclear tactical bombs left for fighter jets, and some of them are in Europe right now, but it's not something it relies heavily on for its nuclear war planning. So the US would choose instead, if it had to respond lightly — so like a small strike in response to something — they would rely more on strategic, for example, most prominently in that scenario, strategic bombers with either gravity bombs or long-range cruise missiles.Q. What would be the thinking behind using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine? Is it kind of a situation where the worse Russia is doing on the battlefield increases the likelihood that they would use a nuclear weapon to say, "Look, just back off, NATO, stop arming this force that we're considering a proxy army against Russia"? What would be the strategic thinking — getting into the Russian mindset — of potentially using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine?A. Well, there could be several, or a combination of them. One, for example, could be to try to turn the the tide of the war — to try to knock out some Ukrainian forces or key military facilities that they need to sustain their offensive. That would be a real battlefield use, if you could say that, but that takes more than probably one weapon because you would have to hit a number of areas and a number of facilities to have a real impact on the battle, if you will. And that's also a little complicating because if you start detonating nuclear weapons in the area you potentially get radioactive fallout that you can't control — it could rain over your own troops as well, so it might not be an advantage to do that in the field.Before the Gulf War in 1991, the Pentagon did a study on whether the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Saddam Hussein's forces there in the desert was an option. But they discovered that they would have to use a large number of tactical nuclear weapons to have a real impact — a real effect — on those forces. "Tactical" nuclear use is not as necessarily as limited and benign as some people sometimes think.That's one option, battlefield interest. The other one is of course related, in terms of psychological effect, but it would be more sort of a more clean terror attack where they use it against, for example, Kyiv — or a couple of cities — just to break the Ukrainian will to resist. But that would also be considered a much more significant attack — much more significant use — because of the human casualties involved.That could backfire in another way, politically, by motivating the West go in much more directly, so they really have to be careful about how they think about this. I think the big problem is with people both inside the Russian system, but also in the public in general, if they think about tactical nuclear weapons as something small; something less severe or something almost okay. That's the big danger here — that to treat that as sort of something that is doable.Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), accompanied by Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, oversees the 'Vostok-2022' military exercises at the Sergeevskyi training ground outside the city of Ussuriysk on the Russian Far East on September 6, 2022.MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty ImagesQ. There's been a lot of talk of concern among US officials that Russia could potentially use nuclear weapons, and the US has been at least talking about stepping up its surveillance of Russian forces. What exactly does that mean? What are the US and its allies looking for that would signal a potential use of a tactical nuclear weapon?A. Well, there are several steps that the Russians have to go through that they will be looking for. One has to do with the process of the decision itself. Putin would be involved in a conversation with his military leadership about this and they will have to agree. That's the most common theory about how the command decision will be made. It's not just that Putin has a red button on his desk. There are thought to be three people involved in this: Putin, the minister of defense, and the chief of the armed forces, and each of them has a vote. Presumably, if just one of them doesn't agree, then it can't happen. But it's very iffy if that is indeed the case. We don't quite know the details of this, but even if they make a decision, that decision has to be communicated down through the command and control system to the units that have to carry it out. That traffic is potentially detectable. And then you get to the units that are then activated. So for example, before you can even fire a tactical nuclear weapons system, you have to bring the warhead for it out of central storage. So that would be activity at the bunkers — the special units that are the custodial units and the security units, they would be activated. And then they would have to either transport it by truck or fly by helicopter out to the front line to the units that would actually have to launch it. And there you would have another team that would have to install it.So there are a number of these steps that would have to be sort of set in motion that would give away that something is happening. Whether the US is turning up its surveillance of this? I think it's been pretty busy surveilling this for a long time, actually. Satellite observations, both the visible spectrum of satellites, like normal images we can find on Google Earth, but also infrared and signal detection and then, of course, also intel. You see these spy planes that are flying along the borders all the time. They've been busy. They've been busy for a long, long time. This is a normal level of activity, I would say. And then there's spies on the ground. You have people in the system or maybe even out with some of the units that will relay information.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Opioids At Work: Hidden Scourge Sapping The Economy Authored by James Varney via RealClear Wire, Strung out on drugs half her life, Brandi Edwards, 29, said the longest she held a job before getting sober four years ago was “about two and a half months.” “I worked at an AT&T call center, a day-care center for a month, fast food places, but I had to take drugs to get out of bed in the morning and when I did show up, I wasn’t productive,” the West Virginia mother of three told RealClearInvestigations. “The first paycheck came along and I was out of there.” Fentanyl. Image 4 of 17. United States Drug Enforcement Administration In jail for the ninth time on drug-related charges, and separated from her children, Edwards had an awakening in “looking hard at what I’d lost.” Now clean for four years after rehab, she is married and back in her children’s lives with a home in Princeton, W. Va., and a steady job. But such success stories are too infrequent to offset the massive cost of the opioid epidemic to the American workforce. Only a couple of people in her former addict circle have returned to productive life, she says, while most are dead or incarcerated. That toll on labor, haunting America’s working present and future probably for years -- if not decades -- to come, is largely invisible and underreported because it is difficult to measure, according to physicians, counselors, economists, workers and public officials. But its staying power is suggested by other lasting national challenges, including the porous southern border -- a major conduit for smuggled, Chinese-made fentanyl -- and economic and social traumas set in motion by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to untold years of productivity lost from fatal overdoses, the nation’s labor participation rate has shrunk steadily since 2000. Precise correlation is elusive, but any graph of that decline would stand in sharp contrast to the rise of opioid addiction in the U.S. And while it is difficult to calculate just how much drug use has caused absenteeism, tardiness and stretches of disability, the connection is strong, as Brandi Edwards’ experience suggests. “We’ve been writing about this for years but it doesn’t seem to get a lot of traction,” said Dr. Gary Franklin, a research professor at the University of Washington who served as the medical director of the state’s Department of Labor and Industries. “People have not realized how much opioids contribute to disability and lost productivity, and I don’t know if anyone has been able to put a number on that.”  Headline figures on lives lost in the opioid epidemic have been fairly clear for years. In 2021, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses, a nearly 15% increase from the year before and more than double the grim tally recorded in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control. All told, overdose deaths are seven times higher than they were in 1999. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which law enforcement has tracked from labs in China along trafficking routes through Mexico on the southern border, are now driving the overdose epidemic. The CDC attributed 69,000 overdose deaths to synthetic opioids in 2020, 82% of the nation's total that year. Heroin overdoses, meanwhile, went up 7% in 2020 to 13,000, according to CDC figures. That means synthetic opioids and heroin dwarf cocaine and methamphetamines, although totals for both of those have been rising for a decade and often cause overdose deaths in combination with opioids. The National Institutes of Health shows fewer than 5,000 people killed by cocaine alone and fewer than 10,000 by what it dubs "psychostimulants," which includes methamphetamines, in 2020.  Less precisely, economists since at least 2017 have pegged at over $1 trillion the epidemic’s annual dollar cost in terms of deaths, law enforcement and “lost productivity.”  But the amount attributable to deaths - $550 billion of the $1 trillion - is largely conjecture because it is derived from actuarial estimates for lost years; for example, the decades cut from what would have been a normal working life for someone who fatally overdoses at age 45. Then there is the less lethal side of the equation -- one that workers and employers grapple with daily. Roughly 8% of workplace fatalities in 2020 - 388 of 4,786 - were attributed to "unintentional overdose from nonmedical use of drugs," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the agency said it is unclear "how many of these deaths involved opioids specifically."  A post on a neighborhood social media platform asking about opioids’ dire impact in the workforce unleashes a barrage of firsthand horror stories. Homeowners speak of an inability to hire handymen, painters, landscape workers and the like. “If I’m lucky enough to have an employee that can pass a [urine analysis] the chances of them doing so after the first check is slim,” wrote a tree surgeon in suburban New Orleans. “Tree men get a terrible rap. People think we are all crazy, wild, no fear having, hard working dopeheads.” But he acknowledged some truth to the stories of workplace abuse of prescription opioids, mentioning laborers’ common habit of relying on increasingly higher-milligram dosages of pain pills like Percocet. Workers “didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Hmmm, great day to go down a road that will cost me it all,’ " he wrote. "Then it’s inevitable. We get hurt. Usually pretty badly. So we start out getting a few .5 [mg] maybe 7.5. Later, as our careers go so does the pain, so do the amounts needed to consume to keep it at bay.” A National Safety Council study reported that more than 75% of U.S. employers have been affected by employees’ prescription drug use, according to congressional testimony, and the National Institutes of Health estimates some 3 million Americans, including workers, are addicted to opioids.  Edwards managed to break her addiction and return to the workforce with the help of Jobs & Hope, a statewide West Virginia placement initiative launched in 2019 that claims more than 1,500 success stories. But with a budget of $3.1 million it cannot handle all of the 200-250 addicts referred to it each month, said Deb Harris, the group’s lead transition agent.  Businesses have been largely receptive to such programs, but the state is still trying to regain its footing from the “flood of pills” that hit it early in the 21st century, according to Dr. Matthew Christiansen, director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control in the Department of Health and Human Services. “We don’t keep a running tally at the state level, but the numbers have probably stayed pretty consistent or maybe gotten a little bit worse because of an increase in overdose deaths due to fentanyl,” Christiansen said. The Centers for Disease Control does keep a tally, although it hasn’t publicly updated the grim numbers on its “opioid dashboard” since 2017. The figures from that year show that the biggest economic hit has come in the Appalachian states around the Ohio Valley and in New England, two regions where opioids and synthetics have torn a hole through the workforce. For example, West Virginia, long considered ground zero in the opioid epidemic, had the biggest annual per capita loss due to opioids at $7,247, according to the CDC figures that include overdose deaths. That tops Ohio, where the per capita cost in 2017 was $6,226, and New Hampshire at $5,953. Ohio saw the highest overall economic cost, at $72.58 billion, followed by Massachusetts at $36.91 billion, according to the CDC.  Fixing opioid disorder costs is complicated by the fact much of it is now driven by black-market synthetic drugs like fentanyl and thus can no longer be tracked through prescriptions. Nor is substance abuse a topic that workers - or many employers - are comfortable quantifying. All those involved in coping with the epidemic, however, peg the cost as staggering. “It’s difficult to measure these things but it’s likely a substantial part of the labor decline,” said Michael Betz, an economist at The Ohio State University who researches opioid disorder issues. “You’re piecing together different pieces of evidence, but when you look at the decline in labor participation rates and opioid disorder figures, they match up pretty similarly.” Franklin’s team did calculate the odds opioids influenced the disability bills Washington state taxpayers foot each year for roughly 100,000 workers, a relatively uncomplicated tally since Washington is one of four states with a centralized government system and not a private workers’ compensation insurance market. “We found that two prescriptions of opioids for more than 7 days in the first six weeks after an injury doubled the risk of a worker being on disability one year later,” he said. Answers to broader questions on opioids’ baleful economic impact, however, are scarce. “Productivity losses due to anything is an extremely complex analysis and is not routinely tracked,” Franklin said. To date, the nation's prime age labor workforce has not recovered to where it was at the beginning of 2020 and is now the lowest it has been in 45 years. The hit has been especially pronounced among older adults, according to the Government Accountability Office. Between 2015 and 2019, adults 50 years old or older "were an estimated 22 percent less likely to be in the labor force (either employed or actively seeking work),” a GAO report found. In addition, people in that age group "were an estimated 40 percent less likely to be employed; and employed older workers who misused opioids were twice as likely to have experienced periods of unemployment."  Once again, however, pinpointing the precise connection between opioids and lost productivity remained elusive, as "the data did not allow GAO to determine causality." Middle-aged white men have long comprised the single biggest group of annual overdose deaths, but between 2015 and 2020 the rate among black men skyrocketed to 54.1 per 100,000, topping white men’s 44.2 per 100,000, according to the Pew Research Center.  “Local economic conditions play some part in all this but they aren’t the key role; the main driver is the increase in supply,” Betz said. That leads some experts on the topic to conclude that opioids’ catastrophic hit to the United States’ workforce has been misconstrued. For a time, as deaths rose early on, particularly among middle-aged white men, and labor participation rates began their decline, the phrase “deaths of despair” took hold among some researchers. Under this theory, the opioid epidemic fed on declining economic prospects, particularly for middle-aged white men facing unemployment or shrinking incomes. But the “deaths of despair” theory reverses cause and effect, according to some physicians and people dealing with the fallout from opioids, including their more deadly synthetic cousin fentanyl. “We’ve debunked that,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a faculty member at Brandeis University whose practice has specialized in opioid addiction. “Rather than economic conditions leading to overdose deaths it’s really the other way around - it’s not the economy driving them to death, it’s the opioid crisis affecting the economy.” Tyler Durden Fri, 09/30/2022 - 19:00.....»»

Crown Holdings (CCK) will benefit from expanding its capacity to meet solid global beverage-can demand and strategic acquisitions despite inflationary cost pressures. Crown Holdings, Inc.  CCK has been witnessing strong demand across all product lines with demand for beverage cans being particularly strong, courtesy of consumers’ growing preference for the same. CCK’s investments in the construction of new plants, addition of production lines to existing facilities and strategic acquisitions to make the most of this trend will act as a key catalyst. Inflated raw material and freight costs, and supply-chain issues remain headwinds.Upbeat Guidance for 2022Backed by strong demand, Crown Holdings expects adjusted earnings per share in 2022 between $7.65 and $7.85. In 2021, CCK reported adjusted earnings per share of $7.66.Efforts to Tap Beverage Can DemandOver the past few years, demand for beverage cans has been growing as it is the world’s most sustainable and recycled beverage packaging. An estimated 75% of new beverage product launches are now packaged in cans. Crown Holdings continues to implement several projects, including both construction of new plants and the addition of production lines to the existing facilities to meet this demand.To this end, by the close of 2023, Crown Holdings expects to commercialize new production capacity at new plants in Martinsville, VA , Mesquite, NV, Uberaba, Brazil and Peterborough, the United Kingdom. Additional production lines are also being installed at the existing plants in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Monterrey, Mexico and Agoncillo, Spain and Parma, Italy.Other Vital DriversCrown Holdings is focused on disciplined pricing, cost control and capital allocation. CCK's primary capital-allocation focus will be to reduce leverage while still investing in its business. In addition to capacity expansion, CCK continues to make strategic acquisitions in geographic areas and product lines.Cost Inflation & Supply Issues: A BaneCrown Holdings is incurring higher raw material costs as well as increased labor and freight costs. This will weigh on its margins this year. CCK’s equipment business continues to face supply-chain delays and disruptions. The company is also bearing the brunt of escalating European energy prices and currency translation headwinds.Price PerformanceImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchShares of Crown Holdings have fallen 19% in the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 34.7%.Zacks Rank and Stocks to ConsiderCrown Holdings currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Some better-ranked stocks in the Industrial Products sector are Tenaris TS, CECO Environmental CECE and W.W. Grainger Inc. GWW. While TS flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), CECE and GWW carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Tenaris delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 34%, on average. Earnings estimates have increased 8% for fiscal 2022 in the past 60 days. The TS stock has risen 18% in the past year.CECO Environmental delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 29.1%, on average. Earnings estimates have increased 17% for fiscal 2022 in the past 60 days. The CECE stock has gained 23% in the past year.Grainger’s earnings surprise in the last four quarters was 7.9%, on average. In the past 60 days, its earnings estimates have increased 4% for 2022. The GWW stock has gained 22% in the past year. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW): Free Stock Analysis Report Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK): Free Stock Analysis Report CECO Environmental Corp. (CECE): Free Stock Analysis Report Tenaris S.A. (TS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Many could see small-caps as a double-edged sword; the growth potential is substantial but so is the downside risk. Still, the negative sentiment is overdone. Many investors enjoy parking cash in small-cap stocks (under $1 billion market-cap), and for an easy-to-understand reason – their growth potential is very enticing.After all, we all dream of getting in early on the next big thing.Unfortunately, there is a lot of negative sentiment surrounding the stocks.Why?Small-cap stocks are typically seen as more volatile investments, can carry a higher risk of going bankrupt, and many believe fraudulent activity is widespread.While all the above reasons are more than valid, the negative sentiment seems to be a bit overdone.Plenty of small-caps turn into major long-term winners. Further, they typically have less analyst coverage, allowing investors a window to get in “early” before the crowd catches on.And, of course, as mentioned above, the growth potential is incredible.Still, small-caps may not suit more conservative investors, as their price swings can sometimes be spooky.In 2022, there are several currently top-ranked stocks shrugging off the broader market’s woes, including TravelCenters of America LLC TA, Designer Brands DBI, and Modine Manufacturing Company MOD.Below is a year-to-date chart illustrating the performance of all three stocks with the S&P 500 blended in as a benchmark.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFor those interested in small-caps, let’s dive deeper into each one.TravelCenters of AmericaTravelCenters Of America is a full-service national travel center chain in the U.S.In addition, TA has nationwide locations serving hundreds of thousands of professional drivers and other highway travelers each month, including virtually all major trucking fleets.TA’s earnings outlook has turned visibly bright across the board over the last several months, helping push it into a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchTA is forecasted to grow at a breakneck pace; the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $8.08 for FY22 pencils in a steep 96% year-over-year uptick in earnings.Revenue projections are also commendable, with estimates calling for 43% Y/Y top-line growth in FY22.TravelCenters Of America’s earnings track record is undoubtedly a major highlight as well. In its latest quarter, TA reported EPS of $4.34, crushing the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate by a triple-digit 290%.In fact, the company carries a four-quarter trailing average EPS surprise of a spectacular 1700%.Travel has been hot.Designer Brands Designer Brands is a retailer with a focus on apparel, such as shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers, socks, handbags, and other accessories. DBI sports a favorable Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Analysts have raised their bottom-line outlook across nearly all timeframes over the last 60 days.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchSimilar to TA, DBI carries a rock-solid growth profile, with estimates calling for 23% and 10% bottom-line growth in the current and next fiscal year, respectively.Top-line estimates are also inspiring, with the Zacks Consensus Sales estimate of $3.4 billion for DBI’s current fiscal year (FY23) suggesting Y/Y revenue growth of 7%. And in FY24, revenue looks to expand an additional 3.4%.In addition, shares are more than reasonably priced, further reinforced by its Style Score of an A for Value.DBI’s 0.3X forward price-to-sales ratio is just a tick below its five-year median of 0.4X, representing a sizable 75% discount relative to its Zacks Retail & Wholesale Sector.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchModine Manufacturing Company Modine Manufacturing Company operates primarily in a single industry consisting of manufacturing and selling heat transfer equipment, including heat exchangers for cooling all types of engines. Currently, MOD rocks a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Analysts have primarily been bullish across nearly all timeframes as of late.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchLook out for MOD’s upcoming quarter – the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $0.37 reflects Y/Y earnings growth of a massive 150%. And for the company’s FY23 and FY24, the bottom-line is projected to expand by 40% and 30%, respectively.MOD’s top-line is also in good health; revenue is projected to climb 12% in FY23 and a further 2% in FY24.Further, Modine Manufacturing Company shares sit at enticing valuation levels, bolstered by its Style Score of an A for Value.The company’s 0.3X forward P/S ratio sits just at its five-year median, representing a steep 67% discount relative to its Zacks Sector.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchBottom LineMany could see small-caps as a double-edged sword; the growth potential is substantial but so is the downside risk.However, the negative sentiment these stocks carry feels a bit overdone.There are many examples of small-caps turning into big-time winners. Plus, fewer analysts cover them, causing them to fly under many investors’ radars.  All three small-cap stocks above – TravelCenters of America LLC TA, Designer Brands DBI, and Modine Manufacturing Company MOD – have crushed the general market in 2022 and carry a favorable Zacks Rank, telling us their near-term earnings outlook is bright.For those with higher risk tolerance, all three deserve a watchlist spot. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report TravelCenters of America LLC (TA): Free Stock Analysis Report Modine Manufacturing Company (MOD): Free Stock Analysis Report Designer Brands Inc. (DBI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Allegiant (ALGT) expects third-quarter revenues to increase 27.5% from the third-quarter 2019 actuals. Even though the final impact of Hurricane Ian is yet to be determined, Allegiant Travel ALGT updated its projections for the third quarter in anticipation. ALGT, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), now expects third-quarter operating revenues toincrease 27.5% from the third-quarter 2019 actuals (earlier outlook hinted at growth of 29%).Per Drew Wells, senior vice president, revenues at Allegiant, "” The impacts from Hurricane Ian have resulted in the cancellation of the majority of our flights touching Florida over the course of the next few days. Although the situation is still developing, we believe the impacts from Ian will bring down our revenue guide by 1.5 percentage points."Total system capacity (measured in available seat miles) for the September quarter is anticipated to rise 14.5% from the level reported three years ago (earlier outlook hinted at 16% approximate growth). Scheduled service capacity for the September quarter is now anticipated to rise roughly 17% from third-quarter 2019 actuals (earlier outlook hinted at growth of nearly 18%).Due to anticipation of higher costs, the guidance for cost per available seat miles (excluding fuel) was raised. The metric is now expected to increase in the 13-14% range from third-quarter 2019 actuals (earlier guidance called for a 10% increase). Fuel cost per gallon is now expected to be $3.87 per gallon (earlier guidance: $3.80). Interest expenses for the full year are now projected in the $95-$100 million band (earlier view : $85-$95 million).The above projections were made by ALGT while releasing its August traffic report. In August 2022, traffic (measured in revenue passenger miles) for scheduled service increased 16.8% to 1.22 billion from August 2019 levels. Capacity for scheduled service increased 14.6% from August 2019 levels to 1.41 billion. With traffic growth outpacing capacity expansion, scheduled service load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) for the month increased to 86.9% from 85.2% in August 2019. Reflecting the buoyancy in air-travel demand, ALGT flew 1.38 million passengers (scheduled service) last month, up 11.3% from August 2019 actuals.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the Zacks  Transportation   sector are GATX Corporation  GATX and Ryder System R.Based in Chicago, IL, GATX is a global railcar lessor with owned fleets in North America, Europe and Asia. Continued recovery in the North American railcar leasing market is expected to support GATX’s growth. Efforts to reward its shareholders also bode well.Shares of GATX, presently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), have inched up 1% in a year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 earnings has been revised 2.1% upward over the past 60 days.Miami, FL-based Ryder provides integrated logistics and transportation solutions. With improved economic and freight market conditions, R is benefiting from higher rental revenues owing to strong demand and favorable pricing. Ryder’s acquisitions of Whiplash and Midwest Warehouse & Distribution System expand its e-commerce fulfillment network and boost multi-client warehousing capabilities. The transactions are expected to drive growth in the supply-chain solutions segment.Ryder currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for R’s 2022 earnings has been revised 1% upward in the past 60 days. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT): Free Stock Analysis Report Ryder System, Inc. (R): Free Stock Analysis Report GATX Corporation (GATX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Foot Locker's (FL) robust strategic efforts and the digital business are boosting results. Also, management is focused on enhancing presence internationally. Foot Locker, Inc. FL seems to be a good pick, thanks to its robust business strategies. Management has been investing significantly in reinforcing its digital presence and the direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations. FL is focused on improving performance through its operational and financial initiatives. Shares of this athletic footwear and apparel company have appreciated 30.3% over the past three months against the industry’s 2.1% decline.Let’s Delve DeeperFoot Locker is effectively managing inventory, investing in digital platforms and improving supply-chain efficiencies. The retailer has been augmenting its e-commerce platform, growing DTC operations, tapping into underpenetrated markets and opening Power Stores for a while. Management remains committed to the omni-channel progress.In second-quarter fiscal 2022, FL’s digital sales penetration rate was 16.9%, up from 14.3% seen in fiscal 2019. In the first week of the fiscal third quarter, Foot Locker completed the global rollout of its new e-commerce platform via implementations in Singapore and Malaysia. Management had earlier activated a Shop My Store feature on its website. It also added Apple Pay and Google Pay to digital payment options for providing greater flexibility, and convenience to customers. FL’s buy online and pickup in-store capabilities along with an updated mobile-app experience appear encouraging.Foot Locker is constantly accelerating its efforts, including greater diversification of merchandise and vendor mix, rollout of the important growth banners, advancement of omnichannel endeavors and implementation of the cost-savings program. FL announced a cost-optimization initiative, expecting the program to deliver $200 million of annual savings after being completely executed with the benefits starting in the fiscal third quarter and building into the fourth quarter.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchInternational expansion is another major catalyst. Foot Locker continues to progress with its expansion strategy within Asia by penetrating the untapped markets via licensing arrangements. It is also advancing well with the membership program FLX, inspiring customers to remain within the Foot Locker portfolio of banners.During the fiscal second quarter, the FLX program continues exhibiting momentum and helping Foot Locker serve customers efficiently. It has six key countries in Europe on the FLX platform. On its last earnings call, management informed that it captured above 70% of sales through its members in the United States, comparing favorably with the 50% witnessed two years ago.Foot Locker anticipates capital expenditures of approximately $275 during fiscal 2022, directed toward store openings as well as technology and omnichannel investments. In fiscal 2022, management expects to open roughly 100 stores, including 40 community and power outlets, plus 20 WSS stores and two atmos stores, while shutting down nearly 190 stores.Wrapping up, Foot Locker appears to be well-poised well for growth, based on all the aforementioned strengths. An impressive long-term expected earnings growth rate of 32.3% coupled with a Value Score of A shows the potential of this current Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock.Solid Picks in RetailSome better-ranked stocks are Designer Brands DBI, Buckle BKE and Capri Holdings CPRI.Designer Brands, the leading footwear and accessories designer, presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Designer Brands’ fiscal 2022 sales and earnings per share (EPS) suggests growth of 6.9% and 23.5%, respectively, from the corresponding year-ago levels. DBI has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 55.1%, on average.Buckle, a leading retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. BKE has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.3%, on average.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Buckle’s fiscal 2022 sales and EPS suggests growth of 6.8% and 4.5%, respectively, from the year-ago corresponding figures.Capri Holdings, a global fashion luxury group of iconic brands like Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors, carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Capri Holdings’ current financial-year sales and EPS suggests growth of 3.3% and 10.1%, respectively, from the corresponding year-ago tallies. CPRI has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 32.4%, on average. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Foot Locker, Inc. (FL): Free Stock Analysis Report Buckle, Inc. The (BKE): Free Stock Analysis Report Capri Holdings Limited (CPRI): Free Stock Analysis Report Designer Brands Inc. (DBI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Cigna (CI) is aided by powerful segmental performances, solid demand for its Medicare plans, divestitures and solid cash-generating abilities. Cigna Corporation CI continues to benefit from sustained top-line growth, contract wins or relationship renewals with renowned healthcare systems, medical membership growth and a solid financial position. An optimistic 2022 earnings per share (EPS) outlook instills further confidence in the stock.Zacks Rank & Price PerformanceCigna carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.The stock has gained 38.5% in a year compared with the industry’s rally of 28.6%. Meanwhile, the Medical sector and the S&P Index has declined 22% and 15.7%, respectively, in the same time frame.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFavorable Style ScoreCI is well-poised for progress, as is evident from its impressive VGM Score of B. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum, with the score being a weighted combination of all three factors.Robust ProspectsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for CI’s 2022 earnings is pegged at $22.98 per share, indicating an increase of 12.3% from the year-earlier reading, while the same for revenues stands at $180.3 billion, implying a 3.6% improvement from the prior-year actuals.The consensus mark for 2023 earnings stands at $25.34 per share, suggesting growth of 10.3% from the year-ago reported figure, while the same for revenues stands at $189.1 billion, indicating a rise of 4.9% from the year-ago reported number.Stellar Surprise HistoryCI’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average being 10.74%.Northbound Estimate RevisionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 and 2023 earnings has been revised 1.3% and 0.5% upward, respectively, in the past 60 days.Upbeat EPS View for 2022This year, Cigna anticipates adjusted revenues to be at a minimum of $178 billion, implying growth of at least 2.2% from the 2021 reported figure.Adjusted EPS are forecast at a minimum of $22.90. The guidance suggests minimum growth of 11.9% from the 2021 reported figure.Business TailwindsRevenues of Cigna continue to benefit from the robust performances of its two well-positioned growth platforms, namely Evernorth and Cigna Healthcare. Solid contribution from these businesses backed CI to witness a 15% CAGR of adjusted EPS over the 2010-2021 period. For more than a decade, CI has maintained a track record of reporting average annual adjusted EPS growth, higher than the long-term target of 6-8%.Evernorth devises flexible home delivery, virtual and in-person care, and specialty customer-centric solutions that can be customized to address the specific needs of clients. This health services arm of CI makes concerted efforts to extend new and cost-effective solutions, which its clients can easily incorporate into their health plans. In the ongoing month, Evernorth added five digital solutions on its clinical platform, Digital Health Formulary.Cigna continues to benefit from a well-performing Government business, which in turn, is driven by continuous product expansions, rising membership and new collaborations or contract extensions with renowned healthcare systems. As of Jun 30, 2022, total medical customers of CI grew 5.2% year over year. An aging U.S. population is expected to place Cigna’s Medicare plans in solid demand during the days ahead.Considering the promising prospects of its growth platforms, Cigna intends to intensify its focus on the core units, thereby continually divesting non-health units. The deal to divest its life, accident and supplemental benefits businesses to insurer Chubb CB — inked in October 2021 — was completed in less than a year.Additionally, the sell-off provided Cigna with net proceeds to comfortably undertake share repurchases. This seems in sync with management’s announcement to prioritize share buybacks over large-scale mergers or acquisitions this year.An adequate cash balance and robust cash-generating abilities will continue to empower Cigna in prudently deploying its capital not only through share repurchases but also by hiking dividends. The last raise was approved by CI’s board in February 2022. Its dividend yield of 1.6% is higher than the industry’s average of 1.1%.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the Medical space are Lantheus Holdings, Inc. LNTH and Assertio Holdings, Inc. ASRT. While Lantheus flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Assertio carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Lantheus’ earnings surpassed estimates in each of the last four quarters, the average being 54.60%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNTH’s 2022 earnings is pegged at $3.57 per share, which indicates an increase of more than seven-fold from the prior year reading. The consensus mark for LNTH’s 2022 earnings has moved 15.9% north in the past 60 days.The bottom line of Assertio outpaced estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark once, the average being 126.39%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASRT’s 2022 earnings is pegged at 51 cents per share. The year-ago figure was reported to be a loss of 3 cents per share. The consensus mark for ASRT’s 2022 earnings has moved 27.5% north in the past 60 days.Shares of Lantheus and Assertio have gained 176.7% and 157.7%, respectively, in a year. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chubb Limited (CB): Free Stock Analysis Report Cigna Corporation (CI): Free Stock Analysis Report Lantheus Holdings, Inc. (LNTH): Free Stock Analysis Report Assertio Holdings, Inc. (ASRT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

In the latest trading session, Plug Power (PLUG) closed at $21.01, marking a -0.14% move from the previous day. Plug Power (PLUG) closed the most recent trading day at $21.01, moving -0.14% from the previous trading session. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.71%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Prior to today's trading, shares of the alternative energy company had lost 21.9% over the past month. This has lagged the Industrial Products sector's loss of 10.71% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Investors will be hoping for strength from Plug Power as it approaches its next earnings release. On that day, Plug Power is projected to report earnings of -$0.24 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 26.32%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $265.85 million, up 84.72% from the year-ago period.For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of -$0.99 per share and revenue of $910.96 million, which would represent changes of -23.75% and +81.34%, respectively, from the prior year.Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Plug Power. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.2% higher within the past month. Plug Power is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).The Manufacturing - Electronics industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 142, putting it in the bottom 44% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.To follow PLUG in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Plug Power, Inc. (PLUG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Golar LNG (GLNG) closed at $24.92 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.05% move from the prior day. In the latest trading session, Golar LNG (GLNG) closed at $24.92, marking a +1.05% move from the previous day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Coming into today, shares of the operator of carriers for natural gas shipping had lost 5.26% in the past month. In that same time, the Transportation sector lost 13.7%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.52%.Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Golar LNG as it approaches its next earnings report date. In that report, analysts expect Golar LNG to post earnings of $0.24 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 2500%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $64.95 million, down 38.37% from the year-ago period.GLNG's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $0.99 per share and revenue of $270.88 million. These results would represent year-over-year changes of -40% and -38.62%, respectively.Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Golar LNG. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Golar LNG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).Looking at its valuation, Golar LNG is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 24.91. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 2.86, which means Golar LNG is trading at a premium to the group.The Transportation - Shipping industry is part of the Transportation sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 46, which puts it in the top 19% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Golar LNG Limited (GLNG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Mosaic (MOS) closed at $48.33 in the latest trading session, marking a -0.12% move from the prior day. Mosaic (MOS) closed the most recent trading day at $48.33, moving -0.12% from the previous trading session. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Heading into today, shares of the fertilizer maker had lost 8.42% over the past month, outpacing the Basic Materials sector's loss of 10.7% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Investors will be hoping for strength from Mosaic as it approaches its next earnings release. On that day, Mosaic is projected to report earnings of $3.68 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 172.59%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.21 billion, up 81.54% from the year-ago period.MOS's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $13.46 per share and revenue of $21.13 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +167.06% and +71.02%, respectively.Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Mosaic should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 1.22% lower within the past month. Mosaic is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Looking at its valuation, Mosaic is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 3.6. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 5.05, so we one might conclude that Mosaic is trading at a discount comparatively.We can also see that MOS currently has a PEG ratio of 0.51. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. Fertilizers stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 0.57 based on yesterday's closing prices.The Fertilizers industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 158, putting it in the bottom 38% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Mosaic Company (MOS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Nutrien (NTR) closed the most recent trading day at $83.38, moving -0.24% from the previous trading session. In the latest trading session, Nutrien (NTR) closed at $83.38, marking a -0.24% move from the previous day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.51%. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Prior to today's trading, shares of the producer of potash and other fertilizers had lost 6.89% over the past month. This has was narrower than the Basic Materials sector's loss of 10.7% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Nutrien will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. In that report, analysts expect Nutrien to post earnings of $4.20 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 204.35%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $9.06 billion, up 50.35% from the year-ago period.NTR's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $16.55 per share and revenue of $39.61 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +165.65% and +42.93%, respectively.Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Nutrien should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Nutrien currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).Digging into valuation, Nutrien currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 5.05. This represents a no noticeable deviation compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 5.05.It is also worth noting that NTR currently has a PEG ratio of 0.63. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Fertilizers stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 0.57 based on yesterday's closing prices.The Fertilizers industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 158, which puts it in the bottom 38% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nutrien Ltd. (NTR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Enphase Energy (ENPH) closed the most recent trading day at $277.47, moving -0.13% from the previous trading session. In the latest trading session, Enphase Energy (ENPH) closed at $277.47, marking a -0.13% move from the previous day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.51%. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Prior to today's trading, shares of the solar technology company had lost 1.43% over the past month. This has was narrower than the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 13.2% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Enphase Energy will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. In that report, analysts expect Enphase Energy to post earnings of $1.07 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 78.33%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $615.95 million, up 75.22% from the year-ago period.ENPH's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $4.09 per share and revenue of $2.25 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +69.71% and +63%, respectively.Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Enphase Energy should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Enphase Energy currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Digging into valuation, Enphase Energy currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 67.94. This represents a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 48.78.It is also worth noting that ENPH currently has a PEG ratio of 1.44. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Solar stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.44 based on yesterday's closing prices.The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, which puts it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Enphase Energy, Inc. (ENPH): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Livent (LTHM) closed the most recent trading day at $30.65, moving -0.2% from the previous trading session. Livent (LTHM) closed the most recent trading day at $30.65, moving -0.2% from the previous trading session. This move was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.51%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.71%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Coming into today, shares of the supplier of performance lithium compounds had gained 0.2% in the past month. In that same time, the Basic Materials sector lost 10.7%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.52%.Investors will be hoping for strength from Livent as it approaches its next earnings release. On that day, Livent is projected to report earnings of $0.39 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 1200%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $244.26 million, up 135.78% from the year-ago period.For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.38 per share and revenue of $854.9 million, which would represent changes of +666.67% and +103.35%, respectively, from the prior year.Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Livent. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.22% higher within the past month. Livent is currently a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Livent has a Forward P/E ratio of 22.29 right now. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 12.27, which means Livent is trading at a premium to the group.The Chemical - Specialty industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 57, which puts it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.To follow LTHM in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Livent Corporation (LTHM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

In the latest trading session, SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) closed at $4.88, marking a +0.83% move from the previous day. SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) closed the most recent trading day at $4.88, moving +0.83% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Coming into today, shares of the company had lost 17.27% in the past month. In that same time, the Business Services sector lost 11.92%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.52%.Wall Street will be looking for positivity from SoFi Technologies, Inc. as it approaches its next earnings report date. In that report, analysts expect SoFi Technologies, Inc. to post earnings of -$0.10 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 100%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $391.84 million, up 41.36% from the prior-year quarter.Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of -$0.45 per share and revenue of $1.5 billion. These totals would mark changes of +55% and +52.3%, respectively, from last year.Any recent changes to analyst estimates for SoFi Technologies, Inc. should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.05% higher. SoFi Technologies, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).The Technology Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 169, which puts it in the bottom 33% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.To follow SOFI in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

In the latest trading session, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) closed at $80.45, marking a -0.2% move from the previous day. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) closed the most recent trading day at $80.45, moving -0.2% from the previous trading session. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Coming into today, shares of the agribusiness giant had lost 7.96% in the past month. In that same time, the Consumer Staples sector lost 8.44%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.52%.Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Archer Daniels Midland as it approaches its next earnings report date. In that report, analysts expect Archer Daniels Midland to post earnings of $1.37 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 41.24%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $23.03 billion, up 13.22% from the prior-year quarter.Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $6.84 per share and revenue of $98.51 billion. These totals would mark changes of +31.79% and +15.56%, respectively, from last year.Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Archer Daniels Midland should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.05% higher. Archer Daniels Midland is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).In terms of valuation, Archer Daniels Midland is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 11.79. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 22.16.Meanwhile, ADM's PEG ratio is currently 1.69. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. ADM's industry had an average PEG ratio of 3.03 as of yesterday's close.The Agriculture - Operations industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 232, which puts it in the bottom 8% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Macy's (M) closed at $15.67 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.07% move from the prior day. Macy's (M) closed at $15.67 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.07% move from the prior day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.02%.Coming into today, shares of the department store operator had lost 7.15% in the past month. In that same time, the Retail-Wholesale sector lost 8.68%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.52%.Macy's will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Macy's is projected to report earnings of $0.18 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 85.37%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $5.17 billion, down 4.92% from the year-ago period.Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $4.13 per share and revenue of $24.46 billion. These totals would mark changes of -22.22% and +0.02%, respectively, from last year.Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Macy's. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Macy's is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.Investors should also note Macy's's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 3.84. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 7.24.We can also see that M currently has a PEG ratio of 0.32. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. M's industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.66 as of yesterday's close.The Retail - Regional Department Stores industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, which puts it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Macy's, Inc. (M): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Nvidia (NVDA) closed at $121.39 in the latest trading session, marking a -0.66% move from the prior day. Nvidia (NVDA) closed the most recent trading day at $121.39, moving -0.66% from the previous trading session. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.71%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Heading into today, shares of the maker of graphics chips for gaming and artificial intelligence had lost 12.32% over the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 11.76% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Nvidia will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Nvidia is projected to report earnings of $0.74 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 36.75%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $5.99 billion, down 15.73% from the prior-year quarter.For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $3.50 per share and revenue of $27.46 billion, which would represent changes of -21.17% and +2.03%, respectively, from the prior year.It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Nvidia. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 1.31% higher. Nvidia is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).In terms of valuation, Nvidia is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 34.95. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 10.53, so we one might conclude that Nvidia is trading at a premium comparatively.Also, we should mention that NVDA has a PEG ratio of 2.85. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. NVDA's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.72 as of yesterday's close.The Semiconductor - General industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 187, putting it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Canadian Solar (CSIQ) closed at $37.25 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.03% move from the prior day. Canadian Solar (CSIQ) closed the most recent trading day at $37.25, moving +0.03% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 1.51% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.71%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Heading into today, shares of the solar wafers manufacturer had lost 17.17% over the past month, lagging the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 13.2% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Canadian Solar will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Canadian Solar is projected to report earnings of $0.58 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 38.1%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $2.04 billion, up 66.11% from the prior-year quarter.For the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $2.66 per share and revenue of $7.7 billion, which would represent changes of +135.4% and +45.87%, respectively, from the prior year.It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Canadian Solar. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Canadian Solar is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).In terms of valuation, Canadian Solar is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 13.98. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 48.78, so we one might conclude that Canadian Solar is trading at a discount comparatively.The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, putting it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.To follow CSIQ in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Lowe's (LOW) closed the most recent trading day at $187.81, moving -1.39% from the previous trading session. In the latest trading session, Lowe's (LOW) closed at $187.81, marking a -1.39% move from the previous day. This change was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.51%. At the same time, the Dow lost 1.71%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.02%.Heading into today, shares of the home improvement retailer had lost 2.71% over the past month, outpacing the Retail-Wholesale sector's loss of 8.68% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.52% in that time.Investors will be hoping for strength from Lowe's as it approaches its next earnings release. On that day, Lowe's is projected to report earnings of $3.10 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 13.55%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $23.08 billion, up 0.72% from the year-ago period.LOW's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $13.52 per share and revenue of $96.89 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +12.29% and +0.66%, respectively.Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Lowe's. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.04% higher. Lowe's is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).In terms of valuation, Lowe's is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 14.09. This represents a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 8.14.Investors should also note that LOW has a PEG ratio of 1.08 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. Building Products - Retail stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.49 based on yesterday's closing prices.The Building Products - Retail industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, putting it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.To follow LOW in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. This Little-Known Semiconductor Stock Could Be Your Portfolio’s Hedge Against Inflation Everyone uses semiconductors. But only a small number of people know what they are and what they do. If you use a smartphone, computer, microwave, digital camera or refrigerator (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg), you have a need for semiconductors. That’s why their importance can’t be overstated and their disruption in the supply chain has such a global effect. But every cloud has a silver lining. Shockwaves to the international supply chain from the global pandemic have unearthed a tremendous opportunity for investors. And today, Zacks' leading stock strategist is revealing the one semiconductor stock that stands to gain the most in a new FREE report. It's yours at no cost and with no obligation.>>Yes, I Want to Help Protect My Portfolio During the RecessionWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»