Wan Bridge CEO Ting Qiao said the investment will allow the company to build 30,000 homes in 50 Texas markets over the next five years.....»»

Glyn Kirk/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesSophisticated algorithms, based on 25 macro-economic drivers used to calculate appropriate fair values for asset prices, have identified the top five publicly traded companies for which inflation is turning into a significant headwind. The companies are Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. REGN; Centerspace CSR; SBA Communications Corp. SBAC; ResMed Inc. RMD; and DexCom Inc. DXCM, according to Colin Stewart, head of Americas for Quant Insight in New York, citing data as of Wednesday.The data incorporates moves in 2- to 10-year U.S. inflation expectations, using inflation swaps, to determine which companies stand the best chance of weathering a period of higher prices, by being able to pass that on to consumers. The five companies seen as getting helped the most by higher inflation acting as a tailwind are Endo International PLC ENDP; Boston Beer Co. SAM; Calavo Growers Inc. CVGW; Discovery Inc. DISCA; and SelectQuote Inc. SLQT, according to Quant Insight’s data.Higher inflation tends to provide a positive lift to stocks, until either it compresses profit margins and a company lacks the pricing power to make up for it, or markets expect interest-rate rises to put the brakes on economic growth. Bond markets worldwide are now factoring in the potential for a global rate-hiking cycle beginning next year, as evidenced by the pronounced flattening of curves across countries.“Markets, we feel, are hampered by the inability to mark to macro,” or trade at levels that accurately reflect the state of the economy, Stewart said by phone. “We put eyes on this very big blind spot for investors, by calculating all the factors that drive up asset prices across equities, ETFs, rates, commodities and crypto currencies.”A recent explosion of alternative data sources like Quant Insight, based in London and New York, is giving investors access to tools previously reserved for only hedge funds, with traditional money managers scouring the world for information that can give them an edge. Read: The explosion of ‘alternative’ data gives regular investors access to tools previously employed only by hedge fundsQuant Insight serves portfolio managers, traders, insurers and corporations. It was co-founded by former hedge-fund manager Mahmood Noorani and has a team of academic advisors that include astrophysics professor Michael Hobson of the University of Cambridge in the U.K. In March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic in the U.S., the firm predicted the S&P 500 Index SPX would bottom out on the 15th of that month — roughly a week sooner than the index actually did. Quant Insight isn’t currently giving a forecast for the S&P 500, saying the index is now trading “out of regime,” or for reasons that are outside of economic fundamentals, Stewart says. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 edged higher along with the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP as investors weighed earnings from tech stocks. Meanwhile, Dow industrials DJIA were under modest pressure in afternoon trade. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news......»»

Arhaus Inc. has set the terms for its initial public offering, in which the profitable Ohio-based premium home furnishings retailer could be valued at up to $2.38 billion. The company could raise up to $219.4 million, as it is offering 12.9 million Class A shares in the IPO, which is expected to price between $14 and $17 a share. Selling shareholders are offering 10.0 million shares in the IPO, as they look to raise up to $170.0 million. The company expects to have a total of 140.06 million shares outstanding after the IPO, including 57.34 million Class A shares and 82.72 million Class B shares. The Class A shares are expected to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ARHS." BofA Securities and Jefferies are the lead underwriters. The company recorded net income of $16.2 million on revenue of $355.4 million during the six months ended June 30, after income of $10.7 million on revenue of $224.1 million in the same period a year ago. The company is looking to go public at a time that the Renaissance IPO ETF has rallied 10.7% over the past three months while the S&P 500 has gained 4.0%.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news......»»

Exxon Mobil Corp. said Wednesday it will raise its quarterly dividend by a penny, to 88 cents a share from 87 cents. The new dividend will be payable Dec. 10 to shareholders of record on Nov. 12. The stock slumped 2.5% in afternoon trading, amid a broad slump in energy stocks as crude oil futures shed 2.3%. Based on current stock prices, Exxon Mobil's new annual dividend rate implies a dividend yield of 5.48%, which compares with the yield for the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF of 3.75% and the implied yield for the S&P 500 of 1.32%. Exxon Mobil's new implied yield would make it the eighth-highest yielding stock in the S&P 500. There had been some question as to whether Exxon Mobil would raise its dividend or not this year, with Chief Executive Darren Woods assuring investors in July that the oil giant feels a "very strong commitment" toward a reliable and growing dividend.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news......»»

The Dow and S&P 500 closed lower Wednesday, ending a string of gains for the equity benchmarks that have been mostly rising to all-time highs on the back of upbeat quarterly results from American corporations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 266 points, or 0.7%, at about 35,491, the S&P 500 index closed 0.5% lower at 4,552. The Nasdaq Composite Index finished the session nearly unchanged at 15,236, as a retreat in yields for the 10-year Treasury note and the 30-year Treasury bond hit lows not seen since July 19, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Lower yields can buoy yield-sensitive sectors like information technology and investment factors like growth. In corporate results, Microsoft Corp. reported quarterly earnings that shot over $20 billion for the first time, late Tuesday, which helped to limit declines in the broader market and supported the tech sector on Wednesday. Microsoft shares rose 4.2% to $323.17, notching a record close, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Meanwhile, in a surprise move Wednesday, the Bank of Canada said it would abruptly end its bond-buying program and warned of prolonged inflation through 2023, while also signaling it may hike interest rates sooner than expected, the second quarter of 2022. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news......»»

Shares of Align Technology Inc. rallied 10% in the extended session Wednesday after the maker of the Invisalign brand of plastic aligners and other orthodontics products reported third-quarter profit and sales above Wall Street expectations. The company said it earned $181 million, or $2.28 a share, in the quarter, compared with $139 million, or $1.76 a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for one-time items, Align earned $2.87 a share. Sales were up 38% to $1.02 billion, including revenue of $837.6 million for sales of Invisalign devices. Analysts polled by FactSet expected Align to report adjusted earnings of $2.60 a share on sales of $978 million. the stock ended the regular trading day up 1.8%. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news......»»

In bond markets across the world, yield curves are twisting and turning -- and flattening. The curve is a summary of the spreads between the yields on short-, medium- and long-term sovereign debt. In the second half of this year, from the U.S. to South Korea, gaps have been narrowing between long- and short-term rates as investors weigh the odds that the current surge of inflation will prompt central banks to move more quickly to dial back their massive pandemic-triggered monetary support of the.....»»

The history of private home ownership in Communist China is short, only a couple decades or so. But prices have skyrocketed so quickly that it now has some of the world’s most expensive housing markets. That’s widening the country’s wealth gap and leaving many people, particularly the young and poor, out in the cold. Now, amid a broad effort by President Xi Jinping to promote “common prosperity,” authorities are inching ahead with long-debated plans to start taxing some residential property owne.....»»

US Coal Stockpiles Slump To Two Decade Low As Power Plant Demand Surges  One of the biggest ironies this year is the transition from fossil fuel generation to green energy has created a global energy crisis that is forcing the U.S., among many other countries, to restart coal-fired power plants ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter. Coal is roaring back this fall but supplies are not catching up with demand.  According to Bloomberg, US coal supplies dropped to 84.3 million tons in August, the lowest level since 1997.  As of August, about a quarter of all US power generation was derived from coal. As winter approaches, coal-fired power plants will become a more significant percentage of all U.S. power generation.  Power plants are expected to burn 19% more coal this year because soaring natural gas prices have made it uneconomical to produce power. In return, this is forcing generators to burn through coal reserves much quicker and has caught coal producers off guard who cannot bring new coal to the market.  "The ability for the producers to respond is not what the utilities thought it was," Paul Lang, CEO at Arch Resources Inc., said during a conference call Tuesday. "It just doesn't exist anymore." Weeks ago, Ernie Thrasher, CEO of Xcoal Energy & Resources, the largest U.S. exporter of fuel, said demand for coal will remain robust well into 2022. He warned about domestic supply constraints and power companies already "discussing possible grid blackouts this winter."  He said, "They don't see where the fuel is coming from to meet demand," adding that 23% of utilities are switching away from gas to burn more coal. There are not enough coal miners to rapidly increase mining output.  Joe Craft, CEO for Oklahoma-based miner Alliance Resource Partners L.P., warned Monday, "coal stocks for customers are at critically low levels."  Inventory declines came on very quickly as the global energy crisis emerged this year. Stockpile trends were well in line for the first half of the year, but stockpiles began to drop as soon as July rolled around.  S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows Central Appalachia coal prices have surged 39% since the start of the year to $75.50 a ton due to supply constraints.  Matt Preston, director of North American coal markets research for Wood Mackenzie Ltd., said total U.S. inventories could slump by 50 million tons by the end of the year: "Stockpiles are coming down very rapidly," Preston said. "If we have a cold winter, and there has been lots of talk that there could be a cold winter, we could see some issues." With natgas, coal, and oil prices all soaring is a clear signal the green energy transition will take decades, not years. Walking back fossil fuels for unreliable clean energy has been a disaster in Asia and Europe. It could soon cause trouble in the U.S. These power-hungry continents are scrambling to source fossil fuel supplies as stockpiles are well below seasonal trends ahead of cooler weather.  Suppose La Niña conditions produce cooler weather trends in certain parts of the world. In that case, especially, Asia, Europe, and the U.S., coal demand could continue to increase, which would benefit Peabody Energy Corporation's share price.  So far, Peabody's earnings have tripled as coal roars back under a Biden administration.  Tyler Durden Wed, 10/27/2021 - 18:30.....»»

Environment, Social, Governance. These words have become rather ubiquitous in recent years, with just about every firm or financial institution touting their ESG practices. The United States ESG investment market alone grew 42% from 2018 to 2020, contributing $17.1 trillion of the $35.3 trillion total across five major investment markets. Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, […] Environment, Social, Governance. These words have become rather ubiquitous in recent years, with just about every firm or financial institution touting their ESG practices. The United States ESG investment market alone grew 42% from 2018 to 2020, contributing $17.1 trillion of the $35.3 trillion total across five major investment markets. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Henry Singleton Series in PDF Get the entire 4-part series on Henry Singleton in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Unfortunately, these claims of sustainability or social consciousness can be shallow at best, deliberately misleading at worst, and governing bodies are starting to intervene. In the EU, for example, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) went into effect in March, 2021, requiring more detailed data reporting to add clarity for inventors when assessing the sustainability of investments. The U.S. is also considering similar regulations and penalties for false or inaccurate claims. While many firms may initially look at such policies as an administrative burden, increased ESG regulation could have numerous benefits for firms, investors, and the communities they serve. We’ll take a look at the existing and forecasted regulations on ESG investing and how such policies can benefit the industry moving forward. What Is ESG Finance? Before we dive into the regulations and their impacts, a note on terminology. ESG may have become somewhat of a buzzword, but what does it actually mean? Or rather, what is it supposed to mean? ESG as a concept has been around since at least the 1960s, though the name was coined in the early 2000s as an umbrella term for socially responsible investing practices. The E, S, and G refer to the following: Environment: This area is concerned with resource usage, pollution, and climate change. For example, how do companies perform on things like greenhouse gas emissions and waste reduction across the supply chain. Social: This refers to how companies interact with and impact the communities in which they operate. It includes everything from the health and safety of their employees and their suppliers’ employees to involvement in conflict regions. Governance: By this, we mean corporate governance - how are companies investing in diversity, ethics, etc. through their internal decision making. For example, equal pay, diversity of board members, and auditing for corruption would all be necessary for strong corporate governance. Where Do ESG Regulations Currently Stand? The European Union has taken a number of concrete steps to regulate sustainable investing. The aforementioned SFDR imposes mandatory disclosure obligations for asset managers and investment firms. It introduces the term Principal Adverse Impacts (PAIs) as a unit of sorts, defined as the negative impacts on sustainability that an investment decision could have. In other words, if a firm advises a client to invest in a certain stock, how harmful could that decision be in terms of the environment, society, employees, human rights, corruption, etc. With that in mind, the regulation mandates data disclosures including: How an entity integrates sustainability risks into their investment decision‐making or advising A statement of their policies on PAIs Proof that remuneration policies are made with sustainability risks in mind Evidence of pre-contractual disclosures on sustainability risk integration The EU is also implementing the Sustainable Finance Action Plan, aiming to redirect capital towards sustainable companies and green bonds and away from sectors involved with fossil fuels and other unsustainable practices. Finally, there is the EU Taxonomy Regulation which went into force in July, 2020, providing a classification system of conditions companies must meet to be considered environmentally sustainable. From January, 2022 onward, companies will be required to report how their financial products align with the Taxonomy. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has committed to developing similar regulations in the future, though what exactly those will contain has not been formalized. All in all, these types of regulations formalize requirements for ESG finance much like GDPR’s impact on data collection and PCI-DSS’s impact on the payment card industry. Any future regulations will only add more nuance to these broad regulations, further holding firms accountable for proving sustainable practices. How ESG Regulations Can Help SFDR and similar policies are not the first example of increasing government oversight of industry giants in recent years, and it will not be the last. So, it’s in the best interest of stakeholders to consider how such regulations can benefit their companies and their customers. Decrease Greenwashing There is no doubt that erroneously claiming ESG practices is a form of greenwashing, a harmful practice of overestimating the sustainability or eco-friendliness of a product or company. The ethical implications of this are hopefully obvious, both in terms of misleading clients and of the environmental and societal determinants. Therefore, a cultural shift to decrease financial greenwashing is ultimately beneficial because it gives credit where credit is due. If firms who are inflating their ESG compliance are called out, it will highlight the ones who are taking legitimate efforts to consider PAIs in their financial advising and internal decision-making. Over the longer term, clients will recognize this differentiating factor and align themselves accordingly. Force Firms To Look Internally While mandated ESG reporting will require additional input at the outset, it can also help firms reevaluate some of their current practices. For example, some firms may realize that investor relations are not prioritized in their current operations. Similarly, preparing for ESG data reporting will highlight the importance of maintaining transparent, responsible accounting practices, including using software that comes with critical features such as transaction monitoring and comprehensive reporting. Without using the right tools, firms will have a more difficult time assessing and proving their ESG compliance. Take the new regulations as an opportunity to develop an in-depth roadmap of your business risks, opportunities, partners, etc. Look at who you work with and how it reflects on your business. By auditing yourself and your partners before regulations become fully mandatory, you will be better situated to meet industry standards and improve your reporting, data management, risk management, investor relations, and more. Improve Outlooks In The Long Run When it comes to the finance market, while there are some more consistent trends, there is also a lot of uncertainty. That’s because market fluctuations are largely based on future trends - in a sense, attempting to predict the future. And lately, it appears that one of those trends is an increasing push for making ESG mandatory. Over the past 50 years or so, it has been a voluntary action, but with regulations increasing, it is becoming less so. This means there will only be greater scrutiny towards unsustainable sectors moving forward, and companies will need to respond if they hope to survive. For example, the tech sector has been criticized by environmental groups and even their own customers and investors for high consumption levels due to the electricity needed for data storage and processing. This and other industries are now pushing to reduce their carbon emissions. Many companies are also making other ESG steps a priority, such as increasing the diversity of the still overwhelmingly white, male leadership of the sector. These efforts show that companies will respond to pressure, even if change can be slow. Reporting these efforts is important to encourage firms to factor in ESG risk as a determining factor in how investors can find value in a company. What’s more, firms should take note that younger generations - namely Millenials and Gen Z - are increasingly socially conscious consumers. According to industry expert Alex Williams of Hosting Data, savvy investors are now taking advantage of online trading to educate themselves and invest responsibility. “It's not possible to make a stock exchange without a broker,” says Williams. “There's nowhere to visit to make a trade yourself. Most trading is done this way, even though - on television - you see people making purchases in New York's financial district.” Younger generations are well aware of this, and they are starting to invest earlier in life than their parents and grandparents, aided by digital resources. Therefore, ESG reporting will encourage increased accountability, which could in turn reward sustainable companies with new customers and growth potential in the future. Conclusion What the EU has started will undoubtedly spread elsewhere. This means, along with recent trends like increased cryptocurrency regulation and similar government interventions, ESG regulations may be the next policy surge for firms to comply with. What began with data disclosure could end in even more significant policy shifts across the finance sector. Firms must be ready to adapt if they hope to be compliant and competitive in an increasingly socially conscious market. Updated on Oct 27, 2021, 5:17 pm (function() { var sc = document.createElement("script"); sc.type = "text/javascript"; sc.async = true;sc.src = "//mixi.media/data/js/95481.js"; sc.charset = "utf-8";var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sc, s); }()); window._F20 = window._F20 || []; _F20.push({container: 'F20WidgetContainer', placement: '', count: 3}); _F20.push({finish: true});.....»»

Investing in the stock indexes may sound boring, but it could be a winning ticket in a bull market. (1:00) - Are You Better Off Buying Index Funds vs. Individual Stocks?(7:20) - Breaking Down The Performance of Index ETFs: Which One Is Right For You?(17:10) - Episode Roundup: AMZN, AAPL, CMG, LULU, W, VOO, QQQ, QQQM                Podcast@Zacks.com Welcome to Episode #290 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast.Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life.This week, Tracey is going to solo to talk about investing in the basic stock index ETFs.Many investors get frustrated by their lack of investing choices in their 401ks, where there are usually basic stock index funds and ETFs. For some, investing in individual stocks are the only way to build wealth quickly.But can you get rich off of owning the basic stock index ETFs?Are You Beating the S&P 500? Over the last year, the S&P 500 has hit new highs and has gained 32%.That’s a pretty hefty return, for any investment. Are you sure your favorite growth stocks are out performing it?Amazon AMZN is up just 5.4% over the last year, even though it soared during the initial months of the pandemic.Even mighty Chipotle CMG, which has busted out to new all-time highs this year, is up “just” 31% in the last year.Similarly, one of the hottest retailers on the Street, Lululemon LULU has gained “only” 28.9% over the last year.Other hot stocks have certainly outperformed, including Tesla and Shopify, but it may not be as easy to “beat” the index as you think, especially when the index is seeing big gains.The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 ETFs: Boring? Investing in the S&P 500 may seem “boring” but during bull markets it can be anything but.The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO has a 10-year annualized return of 16.5%. $10,000 invested in Sep 2011 was $46,426 by Sep 2021.But the INVESCO QQQ ETF QQQ, which tracks the Nasdaq 100, is even hotter. This “boring” index ETF has a 10-year annualized return of 21.25%.$10,000 invested in Sep 2011 in the QQQ was $66,107 by Sep 2021.What else do you need to know about using the stock index ETFs to grow your wealth?Tune into this podcast to find out. Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $2.4 trillion by 2028 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases. Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Recommendations from previous editions of this report have produced gains of +205%, +258% and +477%. The stocks in this report could perform even better.See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>Want 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 Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG): Free Stock Analysis Report lululemon athletica inc. (LULU): Free Stock Analysis Report Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

October 2021 will be long-remembered in the investing world for the launch of bitcoin futures ETFs. October 2021 will be long-remembered in the investing world for the launch of bitcoin futures ETFs. ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF BITO, the first US listed bitcoin ETF has started trading on Oct 19, making the world’s biggest cryptocurrency available in a tax-efficient wrapper to investors via any brokerage account.VanEck will join ProShares in launching a bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (XBTF). Plus, Valkyrie Investments’s bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund also won the green signal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund (BTFD) started trading from Oct 22.These are great success from the issuers’ point of view. Despite the humongous success witnessed lately, regulatory concerns have always been a hurdle for bitcoin. There have been repeated attempts in the past by ETF issuers to bring an exchange-traded-product on the cryptocurrency. But none received the SEC nod up until October 2021. The SEC was seemingly looking for more proof of safety in this trade (read: Bitcoin Matches SPY ETF in 1H: What Lies in 2H of 2021?).More Futures-Based ETF Launches Ahead?SEC Chair Gary Gensler indicated his preference for futures tracking ETFs, created under the existing 1940 Investment Company Act, which provide considerable investor protection. Futures-based products are however not as efficient as physically-based products in general since derivatives add another layer of complexity, with the need to rollover. They also are not very good at tracking spot prices (read: Bitcoin & Blockchain ETFs: What Investors Should Know).The likelihood the ETF’s listing appeared to push up the price of bitcoin over the past week. Bitcoin hit a record level of $66K on ETF news. Several companies, including Invesco have applied to bring about similar ETFs that could follow ProShares into the market in the weeks ahead.In the absence of an ETF before, investors used to track products like the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) that can trade at a significant discount or premium to their NAV. But these are only available to qualified wealthy investors or in over-the-counter markets.Any More Downsides in the Cards?Environmental concerns may be a downside risk for the fund. Per a CNBC article, questions regarding the bitcoin’s impact on the environment could be another issue for the cryptocurrency. “Bitcoin mining equipment requires lots of electricity to run, and bitcoin’s energy consumption has risen considerably over the years in tandem with its price. While bitcoin’s critics have long warned of its huge carbon footprint, Tesla CEO Elon Musk brought the issue back to the fore this year,” the article noted.ETFs in Focus If you are still unsure about investing in BITO, XBTF and BTFD and want to wait for more futures-based ETF launches, stocks that are related to bitcoin mining or trading may entice you as they play an indirect role in betting on this crypto asset.Coinbase Global Inc. COIN is a U.S. company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform without an official physical headquarter. Coinbase has exposure to funds like VanEck Vectors Digital Transformation ETF DAPP, Simplify Volt Fintech Disruption ETF (VFIN) and Renaissance IPO ETF (IPO). Blockchain ETFs like Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF BLOK should also be watched by investors interested in bitcoin.Then there is crypto innovators ETF namely Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF BITQ. The underlying Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index measures the performance of companies involved in servicing the cryptocurrency markets, including crypto mining firms, crypto mining equipment suppliers, crypto financial services companies, or other financial institutions servicing primarily crypto-related clientele. Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox? Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want 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 Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (BLOK): ETF Research Reports Coinbase Global, Inc. (COIN): Free Stock Analysis Report VanEck Digital Transformation ETF (DAPP): ETF Research Reports Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ): ETF Research Reports ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

LHC (LHCG) doesn't possess the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations. The market expects LHC Group (LHCG) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended September 2021. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on November 3. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.Zacks Consensus EstimateThis entry-level homebuilder in the Texas, Arizona, Florida and Georgia markets is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.56 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -4.3%.Revenues are expected to be $565.29 million, up 6.5% from the year-ago quarter.Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 10.42% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseEarnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for LHC?For LHC, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -7%.On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #5.So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that LHC will beat the consensus EPS estimate.Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.For the last reported quarter, it was expected that LHC would post earnings of $1.55 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.62, delivering a surprise of +4.52%.Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.LHC doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $2.4 trillion by 2028 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases. Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Recommendations from previous editions of this report have produced gains of +205%, +258% and +477%. The stocks in this report could perform even better.See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>Want 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 LHC Group, Inc. (LHCG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here......»»

Billionaires To Fund "Anti-Disinformation" Media Companies To "Restore Social Trust" Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times, Billionaires Reid Hoffman and George Soros are backing a public benefit corporation that will provide funding to new media companies aimed at tackling disinformation online and restoring social trust. Good Information Inc. launched on Tuesday and is being led by former Democratic strategist Tara McGowan who previously ran a progressive non-profit called ACRONYM, which was backed by LinkedIn founder Hoffman. Others contributing to the multi-million seed effort include investors Ken and Jen Duda, and Incite Ventures. In a press release on Oct. 26, Good Information Inc said its aim is to “restore social trust” and “strengthen democracy” by “investing in solutions that counter disinformation and increase the flow of good information online.” “America is currently in the throes of a disinformation epidemic that is threatening public health, social trust, and democracy around the world. Good Information Inc. believes there is un-met audience demand for fact-based information, especially in local markets that have lost many of their legacy local news sources in recent years, and among audiences that are being left behind by evolving media business models,” the corporation said in a statement. Good Information Inc. will be investing in media outlets that provide customers with trusted and fact-based information, as well as local community news, particularly in markets where there are little to no local news outlets reaching online communities. The company said that an “increasingly decentralized media environment, anti-democracy forces, and networks of bad actors” have resulted in “dangerous consequences,” noting that 96 million Americans believe the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, while 89 million Americans believe voter fraud is a major problem. Trump has maintained that there was “massive voter fraud” in the 2020 elections. “Good information that upholds the truth, common sense, and shared values of a society is the lifeblood of democracy, and orchestrated disinformation—fueled and amplified by bias-driven algorithms—is its greatest threat. The disinformation crisis we are facing in America today is increasing polarization and eroding our trust in each other, which is having a corrosive effect on our democracy, jeopardizing public health, and destabilizing our economy,” founder and CEO McGowan said in a statement. “This is no longer a political dispute about the truth, but the direct result of unregulated business models that are putting whole communities around the world at risk, and putting democracy around the world in peril.” McGowan’s former progressive non-profit, ACRONYM, ran one of the biggest digital campaigns—costing $100 million—aimed at convincing millions of Americans to vote against Donald Trump in the 2020 elections, Fast Company reports. One of the companies ACRONYM invested in, called Shadow, produced the vote tabulation app used in the Iowa caucuses and contributed to the delayed reporting of the results following a string of technical issues. McGowan later apologized for the incident, telling Axios that the Shadow team, “made an enormous mistake that has dire consequences in this election and so we want to own that.” As its first major investment, Good Information Inc. has officially acquired Courier Newsroom, a civic media company composed of eight state-based news outlets. Pat Kreitlow, who co-founded Courier’s Wisconsin news outlet UpNorthNews, said in a statement that the company is “extremely happy to be the first investment of Good Information’s portfolio.” “We are seeing unparalleled threats to our country’s democracy and a free press today—threats so grave that the long-running fight against misinformation seems almost quaint as we confront outright disinformation from people preying upon Americans fears and anxieties to push their own agenda or profit margins,” Kreitlow said. Tyler Durden Wed, 10/27/2021 - 15:46.....»»

In his Daily Market Notes report to investors, while commenting on tech stocks, Louis Navellier wrote: Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Our survey this week showed that a majority of investors believe inflation will be a significant headwind for the markets by year-end. This is a notable difference from our survey in […] In his Daily Market Notes report to investors, while commenting on tech stocks, Louis Navellier wrote: 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 Walter Schloss Series in PDF Get the entire 10-part series on Walter Schloss 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); Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Our survey this week showed that a majority of investors believe inflation will be a significant headwind for the markets by year-end. This is a notable difference from our survey in August where 24% of investors thought inflation was "transitory." Janet Yellen’s most recent comments on the matter did a little to allay fears. Inflation may be the only thing standing in the way of a year-end rally. Growth stocks, as well as dividend growth stocks, are historically your best defense against rising inflation. Interest rates are also falling despite all the taper concerns. Tech Stocks Save The Day The US 30 year fell below 2% today, dropping over 9 basis points.  The 10-year yield dropped 5 basis points.  The US Treasury had a very strong 5-year auction today as well.  What can explain this move in the face of apparent inflation trends and near term expectation of the beginning of tapering of open market purchases by the Fed?  The outstanding performance of tech stocks in general and FANG stocks in particular this earnings season. Tech innovation succeeds in a big way by cutting costs from existing methodologies, along with adding new sources of revenues and profits. The unprecedented rise of technology in the current decade has resulted in very subdued inflation numbers. The massive government support payments and even bigger quantitative easing by the Fed in response to the Covid pandemic has brought concerns of the inflation risk of pumping so much liquidity into the economy. The spike in energy prices from reopening demand, logistics snafus in particular computer chips shortages, a spike in home prices from work at home demand, and labor dislocations were all feeding inflation expectations. These, however, are mostly short term reactions to the pandemic adjustments and recovery. Investors have been reminded of the long term deflationary trends brought by technology changes by the remarkable continued strong growth of even the trillion dollar sized tech giants.  Without a gap up in interest rates in the cards, equity valuations become even more reasonable, particularly growth stocks. There may be a bump in the road when the tapering actually begins, but long term trends win in the end and those appear to be on track for further gains in equities. The Commerce Department on Wednesday reported that durable goods orders declined 0.4% in September, which was substantially better than economists’ expectations of a 1% decline.  This was the first monthly decline in durable goods orders since last April and was largely caused by supply chain glitches and port bottlenecks.  Durable goods orders for August were also revised lower to a 1.3% gain.  Durable goods orders have risen for 15 of the past 17 months.  So far this year, overall new orders for durable goods numbers are up 23.4%, but shipments are up only 13.6%, due to order backlogs from the supply chain glitches. Heard & Notable German city Frankfurt was found to have the highest risk of a housing bubble developing in a recent survey released by investment bank UBS.  Other cities at high risk were Toronto, Hong Kong, Munich, Zurich, and Vancouver. New York City ranked 18th while San Francisco ranked 14th. Source: Statista Updated on Oct 27, 2021, 3:31 pm (function() { var sc = document.createElement("script"); sc.type = "text/javascript"; sc.async = true;sc.src = "//mixi.media/data/js/95481.js"; sc.charset = "utf-8";var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sc, s); }()); window._F20 = window._F20 || []; _F20.push({container: 'F20WidgetContainer', placement: '', count: 3}); _F20.push({finish: true});.....»»

The statement form the acting CFTC chairman is at odds with SEC chief Gary Gensler, who has said crypto is under his agency's purview. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Rostin Behnam REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz The acting chairman of the CFTC said the agency should be the primary regulator of crypto markets. "The CFTC has responsibly and aggressively been pursuing enforcement cases in the digital asset marketplace for a number of years now," Behnam said. His statement contradicts the view of SEC Chief Gary Gensler who has said crypto assets are securities. Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it should be the main agency to oversee cryptocurrencies, rather than the Securities and Exchange Commission. That's according to Rostin Behnam, acting chairman of the CFTC. "The CFTC has responsibly and aggressively been pursuing enforcement cases in the digital asset marketplace for a number of years now," Behnam said Wednesday, Coindesk reported. He also asked Congress to expand his agency's remit."I think it's important for this committee to reconsider and consider expanding authority for the CFTC," he said, noting that of the more than $2 trillion crypto industry, nearly 60% were commodities."Given the size, the scope and the scale of this emerging market, how its interfacing and affecting customers, retail customers, and then with the scale of the growth being so rapid, potential financial stability risks in the future, I think it's critically important to have a primary cop on the beat and certainly the CFTC is prepared to do that if this committee so wishes," Behnam added.Behnam, a Democratic commissioner at the CFTC since 2017, said regulating digital currencies would be a deviation from the agency's usual mandate, but emphasized that the rapidly evolving space might be enough to warrant a change in the agency's vision. "We really also need to have a conversation about market regulation and sort of the exchange, the purchase and sale of these coins in a regulatory structure for both securities and commodities," he said.SEC Chair Gary Gensler has maintained that many crypto assets are considered securities, a definition that would place hundreds of coins within the $1.6 trillion cryptocurrency market under the agency's jurisdiction. Bitcoin, for instance, is regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act, and is considered a commodity. But there are thousands of other coins in the industry, with many meme tokens sprouting up almost every day, that sit in a regulatory gray area. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Mortgage applications increased 0.3% from one week earlier for the week ending Oct. 22, 2021. According to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week. The details: – […] The post Mortgage Applications Up but Refinance Interest Waning appeared first on RISMedia. Mortgage applications increased 0.3% from one week earlier for the week ending Oct. 22, 2021. According to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, the Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week. The details: – Unadjusted, the Index increased 0.2%compared with the previous week. – The Refinance Index decreased 2% from the previous week—26% lower YoY. – The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 4% from one week earlier. – The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 3% from the previous week—9% lower YoY. – The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 62.2% of total. – The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity decreased to 3.1%. – The FHA share of total applications increased to 10.4%. – The VA share of total applications increased to 10.6%. – The USDA share of total applications remained unchanged from 0.5 percent the week prior. The takeaway: “Mortgage rates increased again last week, as the 30-year fixed rate reached 3.30% and the 15-year fixed rate rose to 2.59%—the highest for both in eight months. The increase in rates triggered the fifth straight decrease in refinance activity to the slowest weekly pace since January 2020. Higher rates continue to reduce borrowers’ incentive to refinance,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of Economic and Industry Forecasting, in a statement. “Purchase applications picked up slightly, and the average loan size rose to its highest level in three weeks, as growth in the higher price segments continues to dominate purchase activity,” added Kan. “Both new and existing-home sales last month were at their strongest sales pace since early 2021, but first-time homebuyers are accounting for a declining share of activity. Home prices are still growing at a rapid clip, even if monthly growth rates are showing signs of moderation, and this is constraining sales in many markets, and particularly for first-timers.” The post Mortgage Applications Up but Refinance Interest Waning appeared first on RISMedia......»»

Texas Instruments' (TXN) third-quarter 2021 results benefit from solid momentum across industrial, personal electronics and automotive markets. Texas Instruments TXN reported third-quarter 2021 earnings of $2.07 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.5%. The bottom line also came within management’s guidance of $1.87-$2.13 per share.The figure increased 43% year over year and 0.9% sequentially.The company reported revenues of $4.64 billion, which improved 22% from the year-ago quarter and 1.4% from the prior quarter. Further, the top line came within the management’s guidance of $4.40-$4.76 billion.Top-line growth was driven by a strong performance delivered by the Analog and Embedded Processing segments. Growing momentum across personal electronics, automotive and industrial end-markets, owing to solid demand environment, contributed well.However, softness in the communication equipment market was an overhang in the reported quarter.Notably, revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.69 billion.Coming to the price performance, Texas Instruments has returned 20% on a year-to-date basis compared with the industry’s rally of 41%.Nevertheless, the company’s efficient manufacturing strategies and continuous returns to shareholders are likely to instill investors’ optimism in the stock. Further, its substantial investments in growth avenues and competitive advantages are the tailwinds.The uptrend in personal electronics is likely to benefit the company in the days ahead, owing to the rising demand for electronic gadgets due to remote-working and entertainment amid the pandemic. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research End-Market in DetailRevenues in the industrial market grew 40% from the year-ago quarter, owing to a solid momentum across most sectors.Strong demand for mobile phones, tablets, notebooks and PCs led to year-over-year low-double-digit growth in revenues from the personal electronics market in the reported quarter.The company’s revenues generated from the automotive market grew more than 20% from the year-ago quarter. The continuous recovery in the automotive space remained a tailwind.Meanwhile, revenues in the communications equipment market declined year over year in the upper teens. Enterprise systems’ revenues witnessed year-over-year growth.Texas Instruments Incorporated Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise  Texas Instruments Incorporated price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Texas Instruments Incorporated QuoteSegments in DetailAnalog: The company generated $3.55 billion from the segment (76.4% of total revenues), which increased 24% from the year-ago quarter.Embedded Processing: The segment generated $738 million in revenues (15.9% of total revenues), up 13% year over year.Other: Revenues in the segment were $357 million (7.7% of total revenues). The figure was up 19% from the prior-year quarter.Operating DetailsTexas Instruments’ gross margin of 67.9% expanded 360 basis points (bps) from the year-ago quarter.As a percentage of revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses contracted 180 bps year over year to $412 million in the reported quarter.Research and development expenses of $388 million contracted 170 bps from the year-ago quarter as a percentage of revenues.The operating margin was 49.6%, which expanded 750 bps from the prior-year quarter.Balance Sheet & Cash FlowAs of Sep 30, 2021, the cash and short-term investment balance was $9.8 billion, which increased from $7.4 billion as of Jun 30, 2021.At the end of the reported quarter, the company had long-term debt of $7.2 billion, up from $5.7 billion in the prior quarter.Current debt was $500 million in the third quarter compared with $499 million in the second quarter.The company generated $2.4 billion of cash from operations, up from $2.1 billion in the previous quarter.Capex was $486 million in the reported quarter. Further, free cash flow stood at $1.9 billion.Texas Instruments paid out dividends worth $942 million in the reported quarter. The company repurchased shares worth $139 million.GuidanceFor third-quarter 2021, Texas Instruments expects revenues between $4.22 billion and $4.58 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $4.51 billion.Earnings are expected to be $1.83-$2.07 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $1.96 per share.Zacks Rank and Other Stocks to ConsiderCurrently, Texas Instruments carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are Lam Research LRCX, Coupa Software, Inc. COUP and Trimble Inc. TRMB. All three companies currently carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.    The long-term earnings growth rates of Lam Research, Coupa Software and Trimble are pegged at 17.01%, 24.28% and 10%, respectively. Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $2.4 trillion by 2028 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases. Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Recommendations from previous editions of this report have produced gains of +205%, +258% and +477%. The stocks in this report could perform even better.See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>Want 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 Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN): Free Stock Analysis Report Lam Research Corporation (LRCX): Free Stock Analysis Report Trimble Inc. (TRMB): Free Stock Analysis Report Coupa Software, Inc. (COUP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Sheraz Mian goes over the bullish and bearish arguments for how investors should respond to an economy that's rapidly recovering from the pandemic and hitting new highs. The stock market’s recent behavior has been nothing less than spectacular and one for the record books.The market rebound that got underway in March last year still continues, with the major indexes at or near record levels. Helping the stock market’s momentum is optimism about the economy, with the U.S. economy expected to achieve a growth pace of close to +6% this year, despite the growth pace moderating in Q3.But there are those with less optimism about the outlook given the ongoing resurgence in infection levels and slow-moving vaccination efforts in many parts of the world that are allowing new strains of the virus to take hold. There are worries about inflation as well, with a vocal segment of the market disagreeing with the Fed’s ‘inflation-pressures-are-transitory’ outlook.The interplay of these competing views will determine how the market performs in the coming months and quarters. To that end, let’s examine the landscape of bullish and bearish arguments to help you make up your own mind.Let's talk about the Bull case first.A Strong Economic Rebound: The Q3 GDP growth deceleration from the first half’s pace is only temporary and reflective of transitory factors like supply-chain bottlenecks and the Delta variant. The overall growth backdrop remains very strong, with the U.S. economy expected to expand by close to +6% this year and more than +4% next year.Driving this favorable growth outlook is the U.S. household sector that remains in excellent financial health. The unprecedented fiscal support was instrumental in helping keep household finances in good shape through the pandemic, with labor market gains expected to sustain the momentum going forward. In addition to the elevated consumer spending outlook, adding depth to the economic rebound is a strong housing sector and continued factory sector momentum.These positive growth projections do not include contribution from the new infrastructure plan and other spending measures currently being considered in Congress.  All in all, the growth outlook hasn’t looked this good in a long while.Continued . . .------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Notification of Release: 5 Stocks Set to Double Five Zacks' experts each revealed their single favorite stock with the best chance to gain +100% and more in the months ahead. One tech stock has skyrocketed +1,200% since late 2017 and experts predict more stratospheric gains.¹Today, you are invited to download the just-released Special Report that names these stocks and spotlights why their gain potential is so exceptional.See Stocks Now >>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Expansive Fiscal Measures: The Biden administration’s ambitious spending plan has not been passed yet, but it is in-line with the extraordinary fiscal measures that have been in place since the start of the pandemic.Beyond the visible fiscal relief measures, the government’s proactive vaccine investments, under the current and previous administrations, allowed the economy to reopen and successfully handle the Delta variant that remains a problem in many parts of the world. The current U.S. debate about booster shots and children’s vaccines spotlight the vaccine supply abundance in the country that even many rich countries don’t enjoy.These policy measures helped replace lost wages for workers, assisted small businesses in staying open and staved off solvency issues in industries hit hard by the pandemic. Importantly, these and the coming measures will ensure an extended period of above-trend growth for the U.S. economy for the next few years.Supportive Fed: While there is some uncertainty in the market about the timing of the central bank’s tactical decisions as it initiates ‘tapering’ the current QE program, the market has a roadmap in the way the Fed concluded its last bond-purchase program in 2014.Importantly, the Fed’s ‘transitory’ inflation explanation assures that it will be deliberate and patient as it handles this key part of its mandate.The Fed’s hard-won credibility on the inflation question is one of the biggest tools in its arsenal as it leads the market in the current environment of evolving inflation expectations. What this means is that the central bank will continue to keep interest rates and overall financial conditions supportive of stocks for the foreseeable future.Let's see what the Bears have to say in response.Market Complacency about Economic Growth: The U.S. economy has been unable to sustain the first half’s strong growth momentum, as this week’s Q3 GDP report will show. The market appears too sanguine about the growth deceleration, seeing the trend as resulting from temporary factors like Delta that will reverse from Q4 onwards.While Covid infection rates have thankfully come down, some of the other headwinds like supply-chain challenges that weighed on the economy in Q3 are still with us. As such, the growth deceleration in Q3 could very well continue in Q4 and beyond. This will be in contrast to current consensus estimates that suggest growth rebounding in the current period (2021 Q4) after losing steam in Q3.Tied to the growth question is the issue of inflation, which the market appears comfortable seeing from the Fed’s standpoint as ‘transitory’ in nature. The consensus view on growth and inflation could very well be on target, but it would nevertheless pay to be prepared for the dreaded scenario of low growth and high inflation as well.A Durable Hit to Confidence? The risk to human life, a function of the highly contagious pathogen, has been a unique aspect of this economic downturn. As a result, previously benign activities like eating out or taking a flight or any activity that involved physical interaction with others got weaponized.Public health officials keep emphasizing that the Covid vaccines provide sufficient immunity against Delta and other variants. This should help sustain the momentum towards increased reopening and social interactions that became the norm in the U.S. since the Summer.That said, the pathogen has a wide pool of unvaccinated population globally where it can thrive and morph into even deadlier variants. With the new vaccine technology, one would expect a quicker turnaround from the industry to counter any new strain that offers significant challenges to the existing vaccines. But the emergence of any such new strains will nevertheless be a hit to confidence that will have consequences for the markets. The Market’s Fed Addiction: The market’s Fed dependence has only increased as a result of this pandemic. The central bank not only cut interest rates to near-zero, but has been playing an active role in ensuring market liquidity and backstopping corporate balance sheets.In an ideal world, the central bank will gradually remove the market’s ‘training wheels’ without creating uncertainty and volatility. But we know that we don’t live in an ideal world, which guarantees the coming period of monetary policy transition to generate uncertainty.The markets responded calmly to the Fed announcement in July that opened the door for a ‘taper’ decision in one of the coming meetings this year. It is possible that the Fed seamlessly executes this policy change without any disturbance, but the more likely outcome is at least some level of uncertainty that disturbs the markets.Where Do I Stand? I don’t dismiss the bearish arguments entirely, but I don’t see them adding up to coming in the way of the U.S. economy’s rebound or reversing the spectacular rally in the market.With most of the U.S. at-risk population already vaccinated, the risks posed by the Delta variant should be manageable and offer no durable hindrance to economic reopening.The issue is with regions beyond the U.S. that have far smaller proportions of their populations immunized and are forced to institute fresh restrictions in the face of this outbreak. That said, the worst of the pandemic’s economic and corporate earnings impact is now behind us, with the picture getting clearer as we move forward.As regular readers of my earnings commentary know, the earnings picture has not been this good in a long time, with estimates for the current and coming quarters steadily going up. This is a trend that I strongly feel will only accelerate in the coming months as we put the pandemic behind us.Markets are forward-looking pricing mechanisms; they have already discounted the economic rebound and are looking forward to the aforementioned turnaround in earnings outlook. Continued confirmation of this favorable trend will further strengthen bullish sentiment in the market.These are historic times for the economy and the market. And historic times create historic opportunities.All in all, this is the best time to be fully invested in the market, particularly if you are investing for the long haul.And I would definitely be a buyer on any dip because with economic growth this year and next to be the strongest in years, it looks like there's a lot more upside to go. How to Make This Historic Growth Work for You  Today is the perfect time to take advantage of the current strength of our economic recovery. That's why I'm inviting you to look into our unique arrangement called Zacks Investor Collection.It gives you access to the picks and commentary from all our long-term portfolios in real time for the next 30 days. Plus, it includes Zacks Premium research so you can find winning stocks, ETFs and mutual funds on your own.In 2020, these portfolios closed 67 double- and triple-digit gains and there have already been 48 more in 2021. The gains reached as high as +251.1%, +386.8% and even +995.2%.¹Here's a Head Start To put the odds of success even more in your favor, you are also invited to download our just-released Special Report, 5 Stocks Set to Double. Each stock was handpicked by a Zacks expert as their personal favorite to have the best chance of gaining +100% and more in the months ahead:Previous editions of this report have racked up some huge gains. Examples include Boston Beer Co. +143.0%, NVIDIA +175.9%, Weight Watchers +498.3% and Tesla +673.0%.¹Stock #1: Earnings Jumping by 10,050%??? That’s what analysts are predicting through year’s end for this well-run oil mid-cap! It has one of the best balance sheets in the industry and is positioned to take advantage of high demand and rising prices.Stock #2: Profiting from Modern Medicine’s Great Discovery Gene editing aims to cure a multitude of diseases, and Zacks names one company to gain the most in months to come. Its upcoming data release and superior patent profile offers a huge opportunity for investors.Stock #3: Stunning Gap Between Earnings and Stock Price This divergence always presents an opportunity, and a small pop culture consumer company plans to “completely disrupt its space.” Already, over the past year, its earnings beats are averaging 160% per quarter.  Stock #4: Unheard of Record for New Product Launch   Audiophiles love this consumer electronics company that blasted past forecasts for 15 years straight. Now it’s coming off a patent win over a tech giant and a record week for new product registrations.Stock #5: Riding Not 1 but 2 Booming Industries An ascending star in streaming TV and digital advertising, this tech stock has skyrocketed +1,200% since late 2017. Experts believe that some recent profit taking has set the stage for more stratospheric gains.  The earlier you get into these stocks the higher their profit potential. Also, the opportunity to download this just-released Special Report, 5 Stocks Set to Double, ends on Saturday, October 30th.Look into Zacks Investor Collection and 5 Stocks Set to Double now >>Thanks and good trading,SherazSheraz Mian serves as the Director of Research and manages the entire research department. He also manages the Zacks Focus List and Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolios. He invites you to access Zacks Investor Collection.¹ The results listed above are not (or may not be) representative of the performance of all selections made by Zacks Investment Research's newsletter editors and may represent the partial close of a position.  Want 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 To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Shopify Inc. (SHOP), and PetroChina Company Limited (PTR). Wednesday, October 27, 2021The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Shopify Inc. (SHOP), and PetroChina Company Limited (PTR). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>Shares of JPMorgan have underperformed the Zacks Major Regional Banks industry over the past year (+79.5% vs. +92.3%), however, things seem to be improving for it. The Zacks analyst believes that business diversification efforts, strategic add-on acquisitions, a strong liquidity position, and initiatives to expand the branch network in new markets are some of the major tailwinds for the company.Such efforts are likely to enhance shareholder value. Lower interest rates and the Fed’s decision to keep rates unchanged in the near term, however, are expected to weigh on the company’s margins and interest income. Normalization of the trading business is another headwind for the company.(You can read the full research report on JPMorgan here >>>)Shopify shares have gained 19.1% in the year to date period against the Zacks Internet Services industry’s gain of +35.7%. The company is benefiting from an e-commerce boom induced growth in the merchant base. The Zacks analyst believes that focus on developing merchant base, international expansion, addition of fulfillment network functionalities, and rich partner ecosystem are the key catalysts for growth.Robust uptick in Shopify Shipping, Shopify Payments and Shopify Capital has been driving the top line as reflected by the second quarter results. Partnerships with Facebook and Google are expected to expand merchant base further. Steadily increasing operational expenses and stretched valuation are primary concerns for the company though.(You can read the full research report on Shopify here >>>)Shares of PetroChina have gained +48.3% over the past six months against the Zacks International Integrated Oil industry’s gain of +22.2%. The Zacks analyst believes that its natural gas business is poised to gain significantly in the coming years as China moves from coal to natural gas.Strong growth in China’s middle class, and consequently in automobile ownership, is expected to fuel consumption of refined petroleum products. PetroChina’s downstream division is set to gain from it. Higher oil prices are expected to support the company’s upstream unit too in the near-to-medium term. Volatility in commodity prices, stiff competition from domestic and international peers and regulatory constraints are likely to weigh on the margins though.(You can read the full research report on PetroChina here >>>)Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH), Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) and Moderna, Inc. (MRNA).Sheraz MianDirector of ResearchNote: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>> Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $2.4 trillion by 2028 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases. Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Recommendations from previous editions of this report have produced gains of +205%, +258% and +477%. The stocks in this report could perform even better.See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>Want 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 JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Free Stock Analysis Report UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): Free Stock Analysis Report Union Pacific Corporation (UNP): Free Stock Analysis Report PetroChina Company Limited (PTR): Free Stock Analysis Report Moderna, Inc. (MRNA): Free Stock Analysis Report Shopify Inc. (SHOP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research.....»»