OppenheimerFunds Inc. Has $300.88 Million Position in Eastman Chemical (EMN)

OppenheimerFunds Inc. increased its stake in Eastman Chemical (NYSE:EMN) by 13.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,849,739 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 346,667 shares during the quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. owned approximately 2.00% of Eastman Chemical worth $300,875,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of EMN. Balter Liquid Alternatives LLC purchased a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $115,000. Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $120,000. NuWave Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $123,000. Vigilant Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $126,000. Finally, Avestar Capital LLC purchased a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth about $129,000. 83.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on EMN shares. Zacks Investment Research raised Eastman Chemical from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $114.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. ValuEngine cut Eastman Chemical from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 2nd. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Eastman Chemical from $118.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 30th. SunTrust Banks lifted their target price on Eastman Chemical to $105.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Eastman Chemical from $103.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $105.40.

Eastman Chemical opened at $104.84 on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.72. Eastman Chemical has a fifty-two week low of $78.59 and a fifty-two week high of $112.45. The stock has a market cap of $15.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.22.

Eastman Chemical (NYSE:EMN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The basic materials company reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.47 billion. Eastman Chemical had a return on equity of 22.14% and a net margin of 15.08%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. equities analysts forecast that Eastman Chemical will post 8.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 14th. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. Eastman Chemical’s dividend payout ratio is 29.43%.

In other news, CFO Curtis E. Espeland sold 47,000 shares of Eastman Chemical stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $4,700,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Brad A. Lich sold 12,066 shares of Eastman Chemical stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.75, for a total value of $1,275,979.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 18,997 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,008,932.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 94,649 shares of company stock valued at $9,656,641. 1.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Eastman Chemical Profile

Eastman Chemical Company manufactures and sells materials, specialty additives, chemicals, and fibers in the United States and internationally. The company's Additives & Functional Products segment offers specialty coalescents, specialty and commodity solvents, paint additives, and specialty polymers; hydrocarbon and rosin resins; insoluble sulfur and antidegradant rubber additives; performance resins and amine derivative-based building blocks; heat transfer and aviation fluids; formic acid-based solutions; and metam-based soil fumigants, thiram and ziram based fungicides, and plant growth regulators.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:VIVO,CLNE,HELE,MGIC,JBSS,LH,SONC,APU,PRXL,SRPT,

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John Doak, the Oklahoma insurance commissioner, today gave members of a Senate panel advice that would please many health insurance agents and brokers: He called for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to investigate the Affordable Care Act Navigator program.

"I would ask for the full Senate committee to do an audit of the Navigator program," Doak told Sen. Tammy Baldwin, R-Wis., a Senate HELP Committee member. "Are they doing the job they're supposed to be doing? Where's the checks and balance there?"

Doak was one of five state insurance commissioners who appeared as witnesses at a Senate HELP hearing on stabilizing the individual major medical insurance market. The hearing is one of four the committee has scheduled on the topic for this week and the next. The other witnesses at today's hearing were Mike Kreidler of Washington state; Julie Mix McPeak of Tennessee; Teresa Miller of Pennsylvania; and Lori Wing-Heier of Alaska.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Meridian Bioscience Inc.(VIVO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Meridian Bioscience (VIVO)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NTLA) and Meridian Bioscience (NASDAQ:VIVO) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and dividends.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  VIVO (CURRENCY:VIVO) traded down 0.1% against the dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM Eastern on May 8th. In the last seven days, VIVO has traded down 9.4% against the dollar. One VIVO coin can now be bought for about $0.77 or 0.00008506 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Cryptopia, CryptoBridge and Stocks.Exchange. VIVO has a market cap of $1.41 million and approximately $9,560.00 worth of VIVO was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.(CLNE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) dropped about 3.6% Wednesday to post a new 52-week low of $1.62 after closing at $1.68 on Tuesday. The stock’s 52-week high is $3.12. Volume was about 2 million, about 30% above the daily average of around 1.3 million. The company had no specific news.

• [By Jason Hall]

  Natural gas for transportation supplier�Clean Energy Fuels Corp�(NASDAQ:CLNE) reported earnings on May 10, and while the company was profitable on both a GAAP and adjusted basis, growth -- measured in gallons of natural gas delivered -- slowed to almost a trickle, even when adjusted for last year's sale of the biomethane business. At the same time, the cyclical nature of its station construction and expansion business also affected the results, playing a role in a big decline in revenue.�

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) surged 87.1 percent to $12.98 after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares jumped 66.8 percent to $49.735 after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) gained 34 percent to $2.2920 following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PBH) climbed 22.3 percent to $34.84 after the company posted upbeat Q4 earnings. Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: DEPO) shares jumped 22.2 percent to $7.28 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) gained 19.8 percent to $8.89 after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE: LXFR) surged 19.8 percent to $17.10 following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 18.3 percent to $2.26 after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Intelligent Systems Corporation (NYSE: INS) gained 17 percent to $7.116. Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT) surged 15.3 percent to $73.00 after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHEF) climbed 15 percent to $28.85. Chefs' Warehouse posted Q1 earnings of $0.03 per share on sales of $318.6 million. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: WPRT) rose 14.2 percent to $2.9701. Wright Medical Group N.V. (NASDAQ: WMGI) jumped 13.8 percent to $23.87 after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) gained 13.4 percent to $22.70. Diplomat named Brian Griffin as Chairman and CEO. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 13 percent to $27.97 after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ: PRTA) gained 12 percent to $15.19
• [By Jason Hall]

  Shares of�Clean Energy Fuels Corp.�(NASDAQ:CLNE) surged as much as 22.7% today, before losing a little steam in afternoon trading. As of 12:20 p.m. EDT, shares were up 13.6% in very heavy trading. At this writing, more than 5 million shares have traded hands, about five times the average volume for the company's stock.�

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) saw a drop of about 6.3% in short interest to 4.2 million shares. About 3.1% of the company’s float was short, and days to cover rose from six to nine. The share price fell by 1.8% in the short interest period. The stock closed at $1.91 on Wednesday, up about 2.1% for the day, in a 52-week range of $1.31 to $3.05.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Depending on how investors look at the situation, natural gas transportation fuels leader Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE) is either oh-so-close to finally cashing in on its long-term potential or on the doorstep of a much worse fate. Considering shares have fallen almost 80% in the last three years, it may seem difficult to remain optimistic. But there are some rays of sunshine piercing through the dark clouds.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Helen of Troy Limited(HELE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) was downgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Deer Consumer Products (OTCMKTS: DEER) and Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and risk.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Magic Software Enterprises Ltd.(MGIC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  HC Wainwright set a $10.00 target price on Magic Software Enterprises (NASDAQ:MGIC) in a research note released on Thursday morning. The firm currently has a buy rating on the software maker’s stock.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. (NASDAQ: MGIC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.14 per share on revenue of $67.07 million.

  Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.47 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine lowered shares of Magic Software Enterprises (NASDAQ:MGIC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday.

  Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on MGIC. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Magic Software Enterprises from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. BidaskClub cut shares of Magic Software Enterprises from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $10.00 target price on shares of Magic Software Enterprises and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, March 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $9.81.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Magic Software Enterprises (MGIC)

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

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.(JBSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  The Hershey (NYSE: HSY) and John B. Sanfilippo & Son (NASDAQ:JBSS) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation and profitability.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Envestnet Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of LabCorp (NYSE:LH) by 45.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 19,179 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 15,727 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in LabCorp were worth $3,116,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

  MUFG Americas Holdings Corp trimmed its stake in LabCorp (NYSE:LH) by 55.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,683 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 13,073 shares during the quarter. MUFG Americas Holdings Corp’s holdings in LabCorp were worth $1,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Here are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

  Get Laboratory Corp. of America alerts: Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Laboratory Corp. of America Put Options (LH) (americanbankingnews.com) Credit Suisse Group Lowers Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) to Hold (americanbankingnews.com) Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday (americanbankingnews.com) Can LaunchPad Aid LabCorp's (LH) Covance Arm in Q1 Earnings? (finance.yahoo.com) As Laboratory Corp Of America Holdings (LH) Shares Rose, Shareholder Veritas Investment Management Llp … (djzplanet.com)

  LH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and set a $204.00 price target (up from $180.00) on shares of Laboratory Corp. of America in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Laboratory Corp. of America from $182.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Laboratory Corp. of America from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Mizuho set a $178.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $183.00 target price on Laboratory Corp. of America and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.19.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Sonic Corp.(SONC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Sonic Drive-In (SONC)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sonic Drive-In (NASDAQ:SONC) was downgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap burger stock Sonic Corporation (NASDAQ: SONC) reported fiscal Q1 2018 earnings after the market closed Thursday that exceeded Wall Street expectations. Total revenues were $105.428 million versus $129.551 million as�system same-store sales declined 1.7% - consisting of a 1.6% same-store sales decrease at franchise drive-ins and a 3.2% decrease at company drive-in. Net income totaled $11.4 million versus net income of $13.1 million. The CEO commented:

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: AmeriGas Partners, L.P.(APU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Bromels]

  If you're like me, you probably use branded propane tanks from�AmeriGas Partners�(NYSE:APU) or�Blue Rhino, which is owned by�Ferrellgas Partners, L.P.�(NYSE:FGP)�(Full disclosure: Propane is propane. I use AmeriGas because it's what the local convenience store sells.) Either one will get your burgers cooked, but which one will keep your portfolio cooking along?�

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: PAREXEL International Corporation(PRXL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  News headlines about PAREXEL International (NASDAQ:PRXL) have trended somewhat positive on Tuesday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. PAREXEL International earned a news impact score of 0.18 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave press coverage about the medical research company an impact score of 49.4978250148766 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.(SRPT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT)’s share price reached a new 52-week high and low on Wednesday after Leerink Swann raised their price target on the stock from $88.00 to $121.00. Leerink Swann currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Sarepta Therapeutics traded as low as $95.67 and last traded at $94.81, with a volume of 42782 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $92.22.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT) had its target price increased by Morgan Stanley from $87.00 to $91.00 in a report issued on Friday. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.

Fitbit: Worth A Gamble At $5

After a lot of negativity surrounding the Q1 results of Fitbit (FIT), the stock interestingly held at $5. The fitness tracking maker is still important to watch from the point of reality and not for investors to get caught up in the momentum. A sector leader with a strong balance sheet provides a gamble worth taking as highlighted in previous research.

Source: Fitbit website

Watch For Momentum Swing

The market gets caught up on momentum on a regular basis. In the last quarter, revenues dipped by 17%, and despite maintaining full-year guidance, the stock took an initial hit. Seeing devices sold dip from 3.0 million to 2.2 million can be disconcerting to a long thesis.

Stepping back from the excitement of the quarterly results, investors can get a better view of the prospects. Fitbit has consistently held a theme of being worth the gamble around $5, but the stock really needs the revenue trend to reverse before shareholders will see any meaningful return.

FIT Revenue Estimates for Current Fiscal Year data by YCharts

The market won't reward a small company in a competitive sector until revenue momentum reverses. Despite maintaining full-year 2018 revenue guidance at $1.5 billion, analysts continue to reduce estimates below company forecasts.

The shift towards smartwatch revenues in the 2H isn't as set in stone for Fitbit due to bigger competitors in that category than their dominant category of fitness trackers. Market research firm Canalys estimates that Fitbit had an 11% market share of wearables in the quarter, but the company far trailed market leader Apple (AAPL) when it comes to actual smartwatches that are the revenue driver in the sector.

Better Operations

The sign of a good company is the ability to control what is possible and deal with the market environment as best as possible. Fitbit is working towards shifting the business towards more recurring revenues from subscriptions, but in the meantime, the operations provide an opportunity for drastic improvements.

The market valuation of Garmin (GRMN) at nearly $11.5 billion clearly points out the difference between how the market will value a slow growing business that generates lots of free cash flow and one with volatile revenues and consistent losses.

In the latest quarter, Fitbit produced a nearly similar gross profit on a $52 million decline in revenues. The 710 basis point improvement in gross margin is the type of operational improvement that will lead to predictable stock returns.

Source: Fitbit Q1'18 earnings release

With the worst quarter of the year out of the way, Fitbit will generate better results the rest of the year. The key though is figuring out how to turn the prospects of $1.5 billion annual revenues into profits to reward shareholders.

Garmin trails Fitbit in wearable sales, but the stock trades at a vastly higher EV/S multiple. Due to strong cash flows in other slow growing business units, the stock is worth nearly 10x more on only double the sales.

FIT EV to Revenues (Forward 1y) data by YCharts

Takeaway

The key investor takeaway is that Fitbit remains worth a gamble. The fitness tracker company still hasn't proven the ability to shift the momentum that will ultimately provide the catalyst for a higher stock price. The stock remains incredibly cheap, but the market will continue ignoring the value until revenue trends in a positive manner.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in FIT over the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities. Before buying or selling any stock, you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion or consult a financial advisor. Investing includes risks, including loss of principal.

DigiCube (CUBE) Trading Up 0.6% This Week

DigiCube (CURRENCY:CUBE) traded 0.4% lower against the US dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 13:00 PM E.T. on May 25th. DigiCube has a total market cap of $363,954.00 and approximately $783.00 worth of DigiCube was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, DigiCube has traded 0.6% higher against the US dollar. One DigiCube coin can currently be purchased for $0.0001 or 0.00000002 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here is how related cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get DigiCube alerts: OmiseGO (OMG) traded down 1.2% against the dollar and now trades at $10.85 or 0.00144820 BTC. Wanchain (WAN) traded up 3.4% against the dollar and now trades at $4.78 or 0.00063806 BTC. Ardor (ARDR) traded 0.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.26 or 0.00003409 BTC. Mithril (MITH) traded down 1.8% against the dollar and now trades at $0.60 or 0.00008045 BTC. Raiden Network Token (RDN) traded 3.9% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.40 or 0.00018650 BTC. Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) traded down 0.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.85 or 0.00011313 BTC. ION (ION) traded up 2.6% against the dollar and now trades at $1.63 or 0.00021752 BTC. DECENT (DCT) traded down 8.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.56 or 0.00007459 BTC. Fluz Fluz (FLUZ) traded down 3.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0466 or 0.00000622 BTC. ConnectJob (CJT) traded 6.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0599 or 0.00000799 BTC.

DigiCube Coin Profile

DigiCube uses the hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was March 12th, 2016. DigiCube’s total supply is 2,429,126,009 coins. DigiCube’s official Twitter account is @PurePoS. DigiCube’s official website is www.freestaking.com.

DigiCube Coin Trading

DigiCube can be traded on these cryptocurrency exchanges: CoinExchange. It is usually not presently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as DigiCube directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire DigiCube should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Coinbase, GDAX or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy DigiCube using one of the exchanges listed above.

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The ��Axis of Gold�� Will Drive Gold Higher by the End of 2018

A major blind spot in U.S. strategic economic doctrine is the increasing use of physical gold by China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and others both to avoid the impact of U.S. sanctions and create an offensive counterweight to U.S. dominance of dollar payment systems.

This is the Axis of Gold.

This gold-based payments system will dilute and ultimately eliminate the impact of U.S. dollar-based sanctions.

Gold offers adversaries significant defenses against these dollar-based sanctions. Gold is physical, not digital, so it cannot be hacked or frozen. Gold is easy to transport by air to settle balance of payments or other transactions between nations.

Gold flows cannot be interdicted at SWIFT, the international payment system. Gold is fungible and non-traceable (it is an element, atomic number 79), so its origin cannot be ascertained.

We have a lot of data to support the claim that the Axis of Gold exists and is gaining strength.

We know that for example, Russia has tripled its gold reserves in the last ten years. It��s gone from about 600 tons to over 1800 tons of physical gold, and is moving very quickly towards 2,000 tons. That��s an enormous amount of gold.

China is also amassing physical gold at an astounding rate. Like Russia, it has tripled its gold reserves, officially from 1,600 tons to 1,800 tons.

But we have very good reason to believe China actually has a lot more gold than that.

China might actually own up to 4,000 tons of physical gold. We don��t know the exact number because China is highly secretive about its gold acquisitions. But that��s a reasonable estimate. China is also the world��s largest gold producer with mining output of about 450 tons per year.

Iran also has an enormous amount of gold. Iran received billions of dollars in gold from the Obama administration as bribes to join in the now discredited nuclear deal (the ��JCPOA�� or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) to limit Iran��s nuclear weapons program.

Iran has also received gold imported from Europe via Turkey, but the exact amount is unknown.

We don��t have any insight into how much it has because it��s also highly nontransparent. But in the first quarter of 2018, Iranian gold bar and coin purchases more than tripled.

Turkey is also acquiring enormous amounts of gold, which should not be surprising given Turkish president Recep Erdogan’s recent comments questioning the role of the dollar in global trade.

The Turkish central bank has almost doubled its gold holdings since last May, according to the World Gold Council. And it was the second largest buyer of gold among central banks for the first quarter of 2018.

So that��s the Axis of Gold. Again, evidence for this Axis of Gold is overwhelming.

I have contacts in the national security industry community who have, in their own roundabout way, been able to confirm that to me, so it��s very clear that��s what��s happening.

This is the type of information you don��t see in the headlines. This is very granular, but it��s all going on behind the scenes.

I��ve explored the implications in many financial war games and other meetings as I��ve described in my books.

I��m also on the Board of Advisors of the Center for Sanctions and Illicit Finance, which is the leading think tank on this subject. I meet with others who are expert in this area, including current and former government officials.

I��ve warned the Pentagon and the Treasury Department about this threat for years. But the message has yet to sink in. The U.S. is still unprepared for this coming strategic alternative to dollar dominance.

Meanwhile, U.S. trade sanctions on China, Russia and Europe are just beginning to bite. Trump��s new sanctions on Iran may be the last straw in the world��s willingness to tolerate what is perceived as U.S. bullying through the use of dollar-based sanctions.

These headwinds are illustrated in the chart below. This shows the customers for oil exported by Iran. China is Iran��s largest oil customer by a wide margin. China��s need for imported oil is huge and Iran��s need for hard currency from its oil exports is existential.

If the U.S. makes it impossible for Iran to pay or receive dollars or other hard currencies for its oil exports and machinery imports, Iran will have to resort to other payment channels. China would be willing to pay Iran in yuan, but Iran��s appetite for yuan is limited.

As mentioned above, an obvious solution is for Iran and China to settle their balance of payments accounts in gold.

Trump��s sanctions on Iran are a double-whammy.

On the one hand, they impede global trade and growth; especially in Europe where growth was already slowing down before the sanctions. On the other hand, the Axis of Gold will create enormous demand for physical gold as an alternative to dollar payments vulnerable to U.S. sanctions.

At the same time, the Axis of Gold creates huge embedded demand for gold as the Axis nations build out an alternative to the dollar payments system.

But right now gold mining output is flat, western central bank sales of gold have ceased, and acquisition of gold by the Axis is increasing.

With limited output, limited western sales, and huge eastern purchases, it��s only a matter of time before a link in the physical gold delivery chain snaps and a full-scale buying panic erupts. Then the price of gold will soar regardless of paper gold manipulations.

Meanwhile, Fed tightening combined with weak growth will push the U.S. economy to the brink of recession later this year.

That will cause the Fed to reverse course and pause in their path of rate hikes. The pause will come possibly in September, and almost certainly by December. The perception of the Fed flipping from tightening to ease will remove a major headwind to higher gold prices and create a tailwind.

Future Fed ease combined with strong demand for physical gold will result in much higher gold prices by year end. The next few months could still be a bumpy ride for gold, but late summer and fall look promising for much a push to $1,400 per ounce or higher.

Last week��s drawdown in gold prices should be seen for what it is, a temporary reversal in a new bull market. The current gold price of about $1,300 per ounce is a classic ��buy-the-dips�� opportunity that won��t come again soon.

But before long it may be too late for investors to benefit because the ready supply of physical gold will be gone. The time to take a position is now.

The days of dollar dominance are numbered. The process won��t happen overnight, but the signs all point in one direction.

Got gold?

Regards,

Jim Rickards
for The Daily Reckoning

Frozen broccoli recalled due to listeria

East Coast supermarket chains Stop & Shop, Giant and Martin's are�recalling some of frozen broccoli due to listeria concerns.

At issue are the 16-ounce bags of�Private Brands Frozen Broccoli Cuts with a March 15, 2020, best-by date and a�068826700926 UPC.

A�store sample�the�Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection's Food and Standards Division pulled tested positive for listeria, according to Stop & Shop's website.

Customers may return the frozen broccoli�a full refund.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the�bacterium Listeria monocytogenes sickens about 1,600 people every year�and kills an estimated 260. Most at risk are pregnant women,�newborn babies, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

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Listeriosis symptoms depend�on the person and what body part has been affected. Among them are fever, diarrhea, aches. confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, the CDC said.

Stop & Shop, Giant and Martin's are�owned by the Dutch company�Ahold Delhaize, whose other U.S. holdings include�the supermarket chains�Food Lion and�Hannaford�and the�online grocery retailer Peapod.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Zlati Meyer on Twitter: @ZlatiMeyer

Global shares fall amid worries over U.S.-China…

TOKYO �� Shares were mostly lower in Europe and Asia on Wednesday after President Trump raised doubts that a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un planned for June 12 will take place as planned.

KEEPING SCORE: France��s CAC 40 dipped in early trading, down 1.2 percent to 5,573.71, while Germany��s DAX slipped 1.4 percent to 12,983.87. Britain��s FTSE 100 edged 0.6 percent lower to 7,832.24. U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 0.6 percent at 24,686. S&P 500 futures shed 0.7 percent to 2,706.70.

ASIA��S DAY: Japan��s benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 1.2 percent to finish at 22,689.74, while Australia��s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent at 6,032.50. South Korea��s Kospi gained nearly 0.3 percent to 2,471.91. Hong Kong��s Hang Seng lost 1.8 percent to 30,665.64, while the Shanghai Composite index shed 1.4 percent to 3,168.96.

NORTH KOREA: After meeting with South Korea��s president, President Donald Trump suggested that the highly anticipated June 12 U.S. summit with North Korea could be delayed. The summit, planned for Singapore, offers a historic chance for peace on the peninsula but also the risk of a diplomatic failure.

U.S.-CHINA TRADE: Trump said the United States and China are working toward an agreement that would ease U.S. sanctions that were imposed on ZTE Corp. and let the Chinese telecommunications giant stay in business. The deal might require ZTE to revamp its board and to pay a fine of $1 billion or more, Trump said. The talks follow an agreement by both sides to hold off on punitive tariffs they had threatened to impose on up to $200 billion of each other��s goods.

THE QUOTE: ��Equity markets can be seen continuing to sing to the tune of geopolitics with freshly brewed U.S.-China and U.S.-North Korean concerns,�� said Jingyi Pan, a market strategist at IG in Singapore.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude lost 31 cents to $71.89 per barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 52 cents to $79.05.

CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 109.92 yen from Tuesday��s 110.92 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1723 from $1.1826.

�

Mark Zuckerberg to apologize to Europe for data scandal, fake news

Mark Zuckerberg will once again have to answer questions from lawmakers. This time, he is headed to Brussels to face members of the European Parliament.

On Tuesday, the Facebook CEO will meet the leaders of the political groups and lawmakers from its justice committee.

Zuckerberg will apologize to the parliament over how Facebook (FB) handled issues related to fake news, foreign interference in elections and the personal information of its users, the company told CNNMoney ahead of the hearing.

He will meet with the parliament's president Antonio Tajani and then face a bigger group of lawmakers, known as the conference of presidents, to answer their questions.

They are likely to grill him over Facebook's recent Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Cambridge Analytica, a data firm connected to President Donald Trump's campaign, had access to information on up to 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge. As many as 2.7 million of these users were European residents, according to the European Commission.

Mark Zuckerberg to testify in Europe: What to watch for

Zuckerberg can expect tougher questioning than that he got in the Senate last month.

"Facebook, and Zuckerberg in particular, has been seen as uncooperative, even actively resistant towards European law and attitudes for a long time," said Paul Bernal, senior lecturer in IT and media law at the University of East Anglia. "If the authorities decide to play hard ball, Facebook could have a big fight on its hands."

-- Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Littelfuse (LFUS) Upgraded to Hold at BidaskClub

BidaskClub upgraded shares of Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on LFUS. ValuEngine raised Littelfuse from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Barrington Research reissued a hold rating on shares of Littelfuse in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered Littelfuse from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Littelfuse has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $212.75.

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Shares of Littelfuse traded down $6.11, hitting $210.85, during mid-day trading on Friday, according to MarketBeat. The company had a trading volume of 230,461 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,489. The stock has a market cap of $5.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.77, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 3.68, a quick ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Littelfuse has a 1-year low of $157.91 and a 1-year high of $226.33.

Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The technology company reported $2.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.58. The firm had revenue of $417.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $391.22 million. Littelfuse had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 8.62%. Littelfuse’s revenue for the quarter was up 46.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.69 earnings per share. equities analysts forecast that Littelfuse will post 9.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 24th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 23rd. Littelfuse’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.12%.

In other Littelfuse news, SVP Deepak Nayar sold 7,047 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.05, for a total transaction of $1,473,175.35. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,647,523.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Ryan K. Stafford sold 8,027 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.36, for a total value of $1,792,910.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 67,235 shares of company stock worth $14,429,816 in the last three months. 3.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LFUS. Intrust Bank NA purchased a new position in shares of Littelfuse during the first quarter worth about $203,000. Cigna Investments Inc. New purchased a new position in shares of Littelfuse during the first quarter worth about $205,000. Zeke Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Littelfuse during the fourth quarter worth about $210,000. Advisor Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Littelfuse during the fourth quarter worth about $212,000. Finally, Stone Ridge Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Littelfuse during the fourth quarter worth about $218,000. 94.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Littelfuse Company Profile

Littelfuse, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells circuit protection products worldwide. The company's Electronics segment offers fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, varistors, and gas discharge tubes; and semiconductor and power semiconductor products, such as discrete transient voltage suppressor (TVS) diodes, TVS diode arrays, protection and switching thyristors, silicon carbide, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, and silicon carbide diodes, as well as insulated gate bipolar transistors.