The first woman to ever be a CEO, Katharine Meyer Graham of The Washington Post, was in 1972. To put this in perspective, the role of “Chief Executive Officer,” was used in an ordinance of United States Congress in 1782. It wasn’t until 1999 that a woman, Carly Fiorina, became the CEO of a Fortune-20 company. As time goes on, more and more female CEOs are popping up.

#7 Mary Barra

• Net Worth: $229 Million
• Company: General Motors
• Age: 62

Mary Barra became General Motors’ (NYSE:GM) CEO in 2014. She was the first woman to ever lead one of the “Big Three,” American automakers. She has focused on investing in self-driving and electric cars and has vowed to produce 1 million electric vehicles by the end of 2025. She is also the chair of a collection of America’s most powerful corporate CEOs called Business Roundtable.

#6 Gail Koziara Boudreaux

• Net Worth: $235 Million
• Company: Elevance Health
• Age: 64

Gail Bourdeaux was the CEO of United Healthcare until 2017 when she was named CEO of Elevance Health (previously known as Anthem). She has led Elevance Health through several acquisitions including HealthSun, Aspire Health, and America’s 1st Choice. In the first two years of her reign, Elevance’s stock increased by 20%. She also founded GKB Global Health, LLC. In 2023, she was ranked 10th on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women. one of the Most Powerful People in Healthcare by Modern Health in 2021 and is also the first female elected chair of The Business Council.

#5 Adena Friedman

• Net Worth: $170 Million
• Company: Nasdaq
• Age: 55

In addition to being the CEO of Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ), and a board member of the NY Federal Reserve, she is also the first female CEO in charge of an international stock exchange. Friedman refers to Nasdaq as an “engine for capitalism,” she is focused on diversifying Nasdaq to include technology, growth opportunities, data research services, and making the public market more accessible and helping companies more easily invest.

#4 Jane Fraser

• Net Worth: $13.6 Million
• Company: Citigroup
• Age: 57

Jane Fraser has been the CEO of Citigroup (NYSE:C) since March 2021. She is the company’s first CEO, as well as the first woman to lead a Wall Street Bank. Fraser was made CEO when Citigroup was in crisis after a billion-dollar error scandal. Since taking up, Citi’s stock has increased by over 50%, experienced two consecutive 5% earnings growth quarters, laid off 200,000 employees, and is still working to recover Citigroup.

#3 Abigail Johnson

• Net Worth: $30.4 Billion
• Company: Fidelity Investment
• Age: 62

After her father stepped down from the position of CEO in 2014, she took over as the company’s CEO and then also the Chairman in 2016. Her willingness to steer the company towards cryptocurrency led to the launch of a cryptocurrency platform in 2018 where investors can trade bitcoin, a move that paid off for Fidelity Investment (NYSE:FNF). She earned her M.B.A. from Harvard in 1988 and is the third CEO, as her grandfather founded the company in 1946. She personally manages discretionary assets that total an estimated $4.5 Trillion.

#2 Karen Lynch

• Net Worth: $70 Million
• Company: CVS Health
• Age: 60

Karen Lynch has been the CEO of CVS (NYSE:CVS) since February 2021. She started her career at Ernst & Young as a public accountant and is now the leader of a company with over 300,000 employees. Some of her greatest accomplishments in her CEO role so far have been acquiring Signify Health and Oak Street Health.

#1 Virginia Rometty

• Net Worth: $90 Million
• Company: IBM
• Age: 67

Virginia “Ginni” Rommetty is the first woman to hold the positions of President, Chair, and CEO of a company simultaneously. She has brought great success to IBM (NYSE:IBM) and led it through the transition to a data company. Her instincts led her to invest in blockchain and quantum computing to bring cognitive computing to the center of IBM. One of her crowning achievements at IBM so far was leading the purchase of Red Hat in 2018 which gave them the leg up to be a valid competitor to Microsoft and Amazon in the cloud computing market. Besides being a successful leader, she has also incorporated strategies to keep women at IBM by creating a breastmilk delivery program, extended paid parental leave, and a returnship program.

The post The Most Successful Female CEOs in the US Today appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Key Points:

• Annuities have high fees and low liquidity; they’re often better for brokers than investors.
• Consider low-cost mutual funds or treasury funds for more flexibility.
• Avoid annuities unless absolutely necessary.
• Instead, look at true income investments like these 2 dividend legends to buy and hold forever.

Lee and Doug discuss the pros and cons of annuities, particularly as a financial product targeted at retirees. They note that while annuities offer a degree of safety, being insurance products with state and corporate guarantees, they often come with high fees and commissions, making them more beneficial for the broker than the investor. They also highlight the lack of liquidity as a major drawback, as annuities can impose significant penalties for early withdrawal. Instead of investing in annuities, they recommend looking into low-cost mutual funds, index funds, or conservative treasury funds through reputable firms like Fidelity (NYSE: FNF) or Vanguard (NYSE ARCA: VTI). Their overall conclusion is that annuities are generally not a good investment option and should be avoided.

Transcript:

One of the things that people look at financially, particularly as they get towards retirement, is annuities.

Now, annuities advertise on network TV, which is median age of 70, and AARP.

So what’s the message from a company that wants to sell you an annuity?

Well, the message really is that they are high-commissioned products that often have pretty high fees.

I mean, for years, especially in the 90s, variable and fixed annuities were a real go-to product for retail stockbrokers.

And they’re pretty simple in that a fixed annuity obviously has fixed income with no stock exposure, whereas a variable annuity usually has an index like the S&P 500 or the Dow 30 or things of that nature.

Now, typically, and this is something that I wanted to research, is when you have money in a bank or at a brokerage firm, there’s some insurance by the FDIC in a bank, and there’s insurance for brokerage firms as well that’s up to $250,000.

With annuities, since they are insurance products, state guarantees, corporate entities cover the investor up to $250,000.

So there is a degree of safety in annuities.

But again, one of the problems for investors is the very high commissions, the high expenses.

There’s two kinds of annuities: one that when you die, it ends, and then the other kind of annuity, you can have an extension to your benefactor or the benefactor of your annuity, and they can take it longer.

So again, it was a huge product 30 years ago.

I don’t know if there’s a lot of use for them now.

So fundamentally, if somebody knocks on your door and says, “Gee, here’s an annuity, I want to sell it to you,” what’s the alternative investment for somebody, you know, who’s no longer young?

I mean, what would you say? No, don’t do that. Do this. What is the this?

Well, and one of the reasons to avoid them is sometimes there’s no liquidity.

What if you have an emergency and you have to get out, or you have to have a cash flow emergency, or you need money?

It’s not a good vehicle for that because you’re somewhat pinned in.

And in some cases, if you come out early, you pay huge charges to come out early.

The best advice is go to Fidelity, go to Vanguard, go to low-cost mutual fund giants, and, you know, put your money in an index fund, put your money in conservative treasury funds, but do something where if you need that money, you can get to it.

Well, so our conclusion is stay away from annuities.

If somebody knocks on your door or your broker, the chances it’s a good idea are really low.

Yeah, it’s nil.

The chances are it’s a better idea for the broker.

The post Retirees Should Run Away From These So-Called ‘Investments’ appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

To say that hedge fund and mutual fund managers tend to follow the herd is very much an understatement, and it always has been. While publicly they sometimes seem reluctant to discuss their holdings, especially stocks they short, the reality is that managers tend to talk among themselves, as they run in the same circles. Often those discussions are centered on their portfolios and what is in them.

A new Jefferies research report looks at the hedge fund holdings of the top industry players, since the releases of 13F filings are pretty much complete after the end of the first quarter. While the normal suspects and predictable holdings remained pretty much the same (and have for years), we were intrigued by the so-called Short to Long group. These are stocks that portfolio managers have turned positive on after, in many cases, having been short the stocks at some point.

The report noted this: “Our Short to Long portfolio showed more sector diversity compared to prior months, with 9 sectors represented, the most coming from Tech with 5 names, followed by Health Care and Discretionary with 3 names each.”

We screened this list looking for stocks that were Buy-rated across Wall Street and also paid solid and dependable dividends. We found five top companies that investors may want to consider now, as the opinion tide appears to have turned. It is important to remember that no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.
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Camden Property Trust

With rents trending higher, this real estate idea makes sense now for growth and income investors. Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT) is a real estate company primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition and construction of multifamily apartment communities.

Camden owns interests in and operates 167 properties containing 56,850 apartment homes across the United States. Upon completion of seven properties currently under development, the company’s portfolio will increase to 59,104 apartment homes in 174 properties.

Also note that the stock is moving into the S&P 500 and has had some very solid price action recently.

Camden Property Trust stock investors receive a 2.15% dividend. Barclays has a $193 target price on the shares, while the consensus target is $186.10. The closing share price on Thursday was $172.61.
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Dow

This stock certainly offers investors growth and income potential. Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW) is a leading materials science company and was formed from the merger of Dow and DuPont in 2017 and the subsequent spin-off 2019. The company is organized into three principal divisions: Performance Materials & Coatings (23% of EBITDA), Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure (27%) and Packaging & Specialty Plastics (51%).
Dow’s segments include Agricultural Sciences, which is engaged in providing crop protection and seed/plant biotechnology products and technologies, urban pest management solutions and healthy oils. The Consumer Solutions segment consists of Consumer Care, Dow Automotive Systems, Dow Electronic Materials and Consumer Solutions-Silicones businesses.

The Infrastructure Solutions segment consists of Dow Building & Construction, Dow Coating Materials, Energy & Water Solutions, Performance Monomers and Infrastructure Solutions-Silicones businesses. Performance Materials & Chemicals consists of Chlor-Alkali and Vinyl, Industrial Solutions and Polyurethanes businesses. The Performance Plastics unit consists of Dow Elastomers, Dow Electrical and Telecommunications, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, Energy and Hydrocarbons businesses.

Investors receive a 4.54% dividend. The Wells Fargo price target on Dow stock is $67. The consensus target is $65.43, and shares traded at $61.25 on Thursday’s close.

Entergy

This top utility stock always makes sense for conservative investors. Entergy Corp. (NYSE: ETR) engages in the production and distribution of electricity in the United States. Its Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, including the City of New Orleans. It also distributes natural gas.

The Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment is involved in the ownership, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants located in the northern United States. It also engages in sale of electric power to wholesale customers, provision of services to other nuclear power plant owners and ownership of interests in non-nuclear power plants that sell electric power to wholesale customers.

The company generates electricity through gas, nuclear, coal, hydro and solar power sources. It sells energy to retail power providers, utilities, electric power co-operatives, power trading organizations and other power generation companies. Its power plants have approximately 26,000 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity, which include 6,000 MW of nuclear power. The company delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers.

Many analysts like the position of the company’s plants, as they supply some of the petrochemical industry along the Gulf Coast. Petrochemical plants and liquefied natural gas export facilities are springing up across the region.

Investors receive a 3.27% dividend. The $125 Wells Fargo price target is higher than the $118.91 consensus target. Entergy stock closed on Thursday at $122.99.
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Fidelity National Financial

While a somewhat off-the-radar financial idea, this company has been around for years and its stock offers conservative investors some safety and growth potential. Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) provides various insurance products in the United States.
The company offers title insurance, escrow and other title-related services, including trust activities, trustee sales guarantees, recordings and reconveyances, and home warranty insurance. It also provides technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries, as well as mortgage transaction services, including title-related services and facilitation of production and management of mortgage loans. Further, the company engages in the real estate brokerage business.

The company also offers annuity and life insurance products, such as deferred annuities that include fixed indexed, fixed-rate and immediate annuities, as well as indexed universal life insurance products.

Shareholders receive a 3.88% dividend. Credit Suisse has set a $59 target price. The consensus target for Fidelity National Financial stock is higher at $66.20. The shares closed on Thursday at $44.15.

Intel

This legacy leader in semiconductors has continued working hard to focus more on Internet of Things and data center cloud spending. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) designs, manufactures and sells integrated digital technology platforms worldwide.

The platforms are used in various computing applications, comprising notebooks, two-in-one systems, desktops, servers, tablets, smartphones, wireless and wired connectivity products, wearables, retail devices and manufacturing devices, as well as for retail, transportation, industrial, buildings, home use and other market segments.

The company announced in January it would invest up to $100 billion to build potentially the world’s largest chip-making complex in Ohio, looking to boost capacity as a global shortage of semiconductors affects everything from smartphones to automobiles.

Shareholders receive a 3.07% dividend. The $70 Intel stock target price at Credit Suisse compares with a $54.19 consensus target and a closing share price on Thursday of $47.56.
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With institutional interest growing for these five companies, it makes sense for investors to consider whether they are good additions to current portfolios. With all paying solid dividends and having support from some of the top firms on Wall Street, they look like excellent ideas for what could be a turbulent rest of 2022.

The post Portfolio Managers Now Love These 5 Stocks With Big Dividends appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures traded higher on Monday, the first trading day of a new month. While earnings are still coming in, 60% of the S&P 500 earnings have been posted, with an incredible 85% of the companies beating analyst estimates. The biggest data point this week will be Friday’s release of the April payroll numbers, and estimates across Wall Street range from the 965,000 consensus estimate to some as high as 2.1 million. All the major indexes closed in the red Friday, so clearly many were selling the news last week.

Despite inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve vowed to keep interest rates contained, which could be one reason for the continued moves higher in the equity markets, even after sell-offs. It also should be noted that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.

With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength while repositioning portfolios for the second quarter and the rest of 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday, May 3, 2021.

Baker Hughes Co. (NYSE: BKR): Barclays upgraded the oilfield services giant to Overweight from Equal Weight and also raised the price target to $28. The consensus target is $27.48. The stock closed Friday at $20.08 a share.

Cactus Inc. (NYSE: WHD): Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised the price target to $37. The posted consensus target is $33.55, and the shares closed on Friday at $29.81.

Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA): BofA Securities raised its Neutral rating to Buy and has a $350 price target. The consensus target is $310.50, and Friday’s final trade was at $285.26.

Chewy Inc. (NYSE: CHWY): Guggenheim started coverage with a Buy rating and a $95 price target. The consensus target for the online pet food company is up at $101.15. Friday’s closing trade was reported at $79.72.

DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG): Cowen upgraded it to Outperform from Market Perform and has a $70 price target. The consensus price objective for the popular sports betting site is $73.50. The stock closed Friday at $56.66.

Empire States Realty Trust Inc. (NASDAQ: ESRT): Evercore ISI raised both the rating (to Outperform from Market Perform) and the price target (to $13). The consensus target is $11.93, and the shares ended trading on Friday at $11.39.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF): Credit Suisse started the insurance provider with an Outperform rating and a $56 price target. That compares with the lower $52 consensus and Friday’s last trade of $45.62.

Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (NYSE: GPK): Morgan Stanley’s downgrade to Equal Weight from Overweight came with a $20 price target. The consensus target is $21, and the stock closed Friday at $18.55.

Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL): Barclays upgraded the oilfield services leader to Overweight from Equal Weight. The firm also raised the price target to $29. The consensus price objective is just $22.62, and the stock closed on Friday at $19.56.
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Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG): BofA Securities resumed coverage with a Neutral rating and a $75 price objective. The consensus target is in line $75.08. Friday’s last trade came in at $65.96.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. (NYSE: MPW): RBC Capital Markets downgraded the stock to Sector Perform from Outperform and also lowered the price target to $23. The posted consensus target is $24.17, and the stock closed Friday at $22.05 a share.

Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX): Ladenburg Thalman’s Neutral rating on the aerospace and defense giant was raised to Buy, with a $100 price target. The lower $92 consensus also compares to Friday’s closing print of $83.24.

Tenet Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: THC): Goldman Sachs started coverage with a Buy rating and an $89 price target. The consensus price objective is just $64.54, and the stock closed at $59.26 on Friday.

U.S. Physical Therapy Inc. (NYSE: USPH): Jefferies raised the shares to Buy from Hold. Its $115 target price is lower than the consensus target of $118.33, and the stock closed trading Friday at $112.45.

VICI Properties Inc. (NASDAQ: VICI): Morgan Stanley downgraded the gambling real estate properties company to Equal Weight from Overweight. However, the firm raised its price target on the shares to $33. The consensus target is $32.16, and Friday’s closing print was $31.70. As shares are trading right below the 52-week high, this could be a valuation call.

Weyerhaeuser Co. (NYSE: WY): Stephens downgraded it to Equal Weight from Overweight and has a $35 price objective The consensus target is up at $38.72, and the last trade to hit the tape Friday came in at $38.77.

Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL): RBC Capital Markets upgraded the shares to Outperform from Sector Perform and raised the price target to $82. The consensus target is $72.67, and the last trade on Friday was posted at $75.03.

W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE: WPC): As Evercore ISI upgraded the stock to Outperform from In Line, it also lifted the price target to $80. The consensus target is $74.93, and the stock ended Friday’s trading session at $74.89.
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Aggressive investors may want to look at these four Buy-rated semiconductor stocks offering great entry points after the companies posted stellar numbers and the shares sold off.

Friday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included AvalonBay Communities, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Carrier, Comcast, CyrusOne, DraftKings, Nvidia and Textron. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Amazon.com, CME, Gilead Sciences, Twitter and more.
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The post Monday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Baker Hughes, Carvana, Chewy, DraftKings, Halliburton, Raytheon, Tenet Healthcare and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

[cnxvideo id=”625476″ placement=”ros”]The stock market hit a new high last week, and now the markets have to deal with a failed coup attempt in Turkey. The markets now are indicated higher, with the S&P 500 indicated up five points and with the Dow up about 30 points. We have moved past the Brexit uncertainty, and the market is not even bowing to high valuations. If one thing has been proven, it is that investors are willing and able to buy their favorite stocks on pullbacks.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning in an effort to find new investing and trading ideas for its readers. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports feature stocks to sell or to avoid.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday morning:

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight with an $11 price target (versus an $11.36 prior close) at Morgan Stanley. Shares were last seen indicated down 2% at $11.36, with a 52-week trading range of $6.30 to $12.46. The consensus analyst price target is $11.22.

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) was raised to Overweight from Neutral and the price target was raised to $6 from $4 (versus a $3.49 close) at Piper Jaffray. The consensus price target is $4.08, and the 52-week range is $2.15 to $5.28.

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Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $210 price target (versus a $158.89 close) at Jefferies. It has a consensus price target of $212.71 and a 52-week range of $151.30 to $192.49.

Infosys Ltd. (NYSE: INFY) saw its shares fall almost 9% on Friday to $16.81 on lowered sales expectations (with a Brexit blame). The stock was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse. It has a 52-week range of $15.71 to $20.47 and a consensus price target from analysts of $19.66.

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Wells Fargo. It closed down 2.1% at $12.15 on Friday and was indicated up at $12.22 on Monday, versus a 52-week range of $7.67 to $17.19. The consensus price target is under the current price, down at $9.01.

Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo. It has a 52-week range of $113.08 to $162.77 and a consensus price target of $163.93.

You can follow @Jonogg on Twitter if you want the daily analyst calls and research updates directly on your Twitter feed.

Other top analyst upgrades and downgrades were seen as follows:

Antero Resources Corp. (NASDAQ: AR) was raised to Hold from Underperform and the price target was raised to $27 from $24 (versus a $26.37 close) at Jefferies.

Apartment Investment and Management Co. (NYSE: AIV) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup.

Coach Inc. (NYSE: COH) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $50 from $45 (versus a $42.30 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $39 price target (versus a $37.30 close) at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

QEP Resources Inc. (NYSE: QEP) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform and the price target was raised to $24 from $18 (versus a $17.92 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform with a $23 price target (versus a $22.88 close) at RBC Capital Markets.

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ: SFM) was started with a Neutral rating and assigned a $24 price target (versus a $23.17 close) at JPMorgan.

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Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) is now off of its IPO quiet period and analyst have started it as follows:

• Neutral at Goldman Sachs
• Neutral at JPMorgan
• Market Perform at JMP Securities
• Outperform at William Blair
• Sector Weight at Pacific Crest
• Hold at Canaccord Genuity

Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: WAIR) was downgraded to Underperform from Hold and the price target was cut to $12 from $14 (versus a $14.03 close) at Jefferies.

In addition, Jefferies has AbbVie, Pfizer and Eli Lilly as top pharma stocks.

Four speculative biotech and biohealth stocks were given massive upside targets.

Nine analyst picks from last week in stocks trading under $10 were given very large upside target prices.

The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Cypress Semi, Groupon, Humana, Infosys, Monster Beverage, Transocean and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The dog days of August have typically meant slow volumes and vacations for the legions of traders and financial professionals that work on Wall Street. It also usually means that volumes in insider trading slow down as well. While that was not the case with the buyers this past week, it definitely was with the sellers. Yet it did not keep technology and financial services insiders from unloading shares.

We cover insider selling each week at 24/7 Wall St., and we like to remind our readers that if you see a stock you own on our lists, it is no cause for immediate concern. Many high level employees are paid and bonused with stock and stock options. Selling is a way to diversify and often invest in other assets. When we see suspicious selling, we point it out.

Here are the companies that reported notable insider selling this week.

Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AQXP) saw some major selling as two gigantic pharmaceutical companies that are 10% owners of the stock sold shares this past week as the stock spiked up huge. Pfizer sold 259,927 shares at prices that ranged from $21.45 to $41.24, for a total sale of $6.88 million. Not to be outdone, Johnson & Johnson sold 1.51 million shares at prices that ranged from $20.74 to $31.66, for a total sale of whopping $34 million. Aquinox posted positive mid-stage trial results for AQX-1125, its only clinical-stage drug candidate, for bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis. The stock shot up from under $3 on the August 7 to $55.75 on the 10th, so it is easy to see why the companies cashed out. We covered this amazing story in depth on Friday. The shares were trading on Friday’s close at $22.13.

ALSO READ: Key Insider Buying  in Twitter, Level 3, Sears, MBIA and More

WisdomTree Investments Inc. (NASDAQ: WETF) had a director at the company sell a ton of shares this past week. That director shed 628,571 shares of the stock at prices between $25.21 and $25.33. The total for the sale came to $15.9 million. The company, which is run by Jonathan Steinberg, the husband of well-known financial celebrity and anchor Maria Bartiromo, operates as an exchange traded funds (ETFs) sponsor and asset manager. The shares closed trading on Friday at $24.58, so a well-timed sale.
GoPro Inc. (NASDAQ; GPRO) continues to see insider selling, and last week was no different. A director at the company sold a block of 100,000 shares at $65.23 apiece. The total for the sale came to $6.5 million. The company was featured this week as a top technology stock to buy for the rest of 2015. The shares ended trading on Friday at $58.85, so a well-timed sale indeed.

F5 Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) also had a director at the company part with shares last week. That director disposed of 34,223 shares of the networking giant at $131.65 apiece. The total for the sale came to $4.5 million. The company helps organizations seamlessly scale cloud, data center, telecommunications and software defined networking (SDN) deployments to successfully deliver applications and services. The stock ended the week at $132.61.

NVIDIA Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDA) is a technology chip stock that saw selling this past week, yet again from a director. This time a total of 34,223 hit the sell tape at a price of $23.30 per share. The total for the sale came to $2.5 million. The company operates through two segments, GPU and Tegra Processors. The GPU segment offers processors, which include GeForce for PC gaming, and Quadro for design professionals working in computer-aided design, video editing, special effects and other creative applications. The shares changing hands on Friday’s close at $23.54.

These companies also reported insider selling this week: Avalon Bay Communities Inc. (NYSE: AVB), Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS), Dyax Corp. (NASDAQ: DYAX), Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) and Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF).

ALSO READ: Key Changes in Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Stock Holdings

While insiders were selling stock this past week, the volume was dwarfed by the insider buying. As the summer winds down, and the volume in the market starts to pick back up in September, it will be interesting to see if the selling volume doesn’t pick up as well.

The post Key Insider Selling in Aquinox, GoPro, Dyax, F5 and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Of the nine initial public offerings (IPO) on last week’s calendar, six made it out the door, and for the second week in a row the largest IPO was the general partner of a natural gas midstream master limited partnership (MLP).

EQP G.P. Holdings L.P. (NYSE: EQGP) displaced the previous week’s IPO of Tallgrass Energy G.P. L.P. (NYSE: TEGP) as the largest for the year to date as it sold 26.45 million common units at an IPO price of $27. The original plan called for 20 million shares in a price range of $20 to $24. The underwriters’ allotment of 3.45 million units was fully exercised at the IPO and those units are included in the total. EQT Corp. (NYSE: EQT) now owns about 90.1% of EQT G.P. Holdings and the public owns the rest.

In the week ahead there are six companies making a first run at an IPO. All three potential IPOs that did not price last week have been postponed: Anterios Inc., Gelesis Inc. and MultiVir Inc. Of the five biotechs on last week’s calendar, only two completed their IPOs: Galapagos N.V. (NASDAQ: GLPG) and Arcadia Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA).

IPO ETF manager Renaissance Capital reported that 63 IPOs have priced in the United States so far this year, down 42% from a year ago. Total proceeds raised through May 15 equaled $11.2 billion, down 45% compared with the same period in 2014. Of the 63 IPOs that have gone off this year, 30 have come from the health care sector. Last year’s IPO total came in at $85.2 billion, the highest total in the past 10 years. Renaissance Capital does not include “best efforts” or blank check companies in its totals.

ALSO READ: Major Portfolio Changes for Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway

Here are the seven IPOs scheduled for the week beginning May 18. No health care companies are among this week’s hopefuls.

Code Rebel Corp. is a software company that develops, markets, and licenses terminal services products that all users of Windows-based PCs or Apple Macs simultaneously to access programs to access programs on their PCs and Macs through a single device. The company plans to offer 2 million shares at an expected price of $5 per share to raise $10 million at a market cap of $63 million. The sole underwriter is Burnham Securities and this is a “best efforts” offering. Shares are expected to begin trading Tuesday on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol CDRB.

G.P. Investments Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company that plans to offer 15 million units at $10 per unit to raise $150 million against a market cap of $187.5 million. Each unit consists of one ordinary share and one-half of one warrant; one whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one ordinary share at a price of $11.50. Underwriter for the offering is Citigroup. The units will begin to trade Wednesday on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol GPIAU. Once the underlying securities begin trading they will be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol GPIA and the warrants will trade under the symbol GPIAW.

Black Knight Financial Services Inc. services provider to the mortgage industry and is being spun off from parent Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF). The company plans to offer 17 million shares in a price range of $22 to $25 to raise about $400 million at a market cap of around $3.5 billion. Joint bookrunners for the offering include J.P. Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Securities, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, and Suntrust Robinson Humphrey. Co-managers are Dowling & Partners, Keefe Bruyette Woods, and Mizuho Securities. Shares are scheduled to price on Tuesday and begin trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BKFS.

ALSO READ: 5 Analyst Stocks Under $10 With Massive Upside Targets

Baozun Inc. is a Shanghai-based e-commerce company that claims about 20% of the Chinese market. The company plans to offer 11 million shares in an IPO price range of $12 to $14 to raise $143 million at a market cap of about $632 million. Joint bookrunners for the offering are Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Shares are expected to price on Wednesday and begin trading Thursday on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol BZUN.

Community Healthcare Trust Inc. is a health care REIT that acquires and owns properties that are leased to healthcare services providers primarily outside of urban centers. The company plans to offer 6.3 million shares in an expected price range of $19 to $21, raising $125 million at a market cap of around $131 million. Joint bookrunners for the offering are Sandler O’Neill, Evercore Partners, and Suntrust Robinson Humphrey. Co-managers include Janney Montgomery Scott, Oppenheimer & Co., and BB&T Capital Markets. Shares are expected to price Wednesday and begin trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CHCT.

Press Ganey Holdings Inc. (formerly PGA Holdings Inc.) is a patient experience measurement, performance analytics and strategic advisory solutions for healthcare organizations. The company plans to offer 8.9 million shares in an expected price range of $22 to $24 to raise about $205 million at a market cap of $1.2 billion. Joint bookrunners for the offering include Barclays, Goldman Sachs, William Blair, and Wells Fargo Securities. Co-managers include Raymond James, Baird, BMO Capital Markets, and Avondale Partners. Shares are scheduled to price on Wednesday and begin trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PGND.

ALSO READ: The Most Popular Stores in America

Shopify Inc. is an Ottawa-based firm that provides a cloud-based commerce platform for small and medium-sized businesses. The company expects to offer 7.7 million shares in an IPO price range of $12 to $14, raising about $100 million at a market cap of around $968 million. Shares are expected to price on Wednesday and begin trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SHOP. Shares will also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SH.

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As the final month of the first quarter rolls along, many investors and portfolio managers are striving to come up with positive returns for the quarter. Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average is the only market down for the quarter so far, the extreme volatility has made the overall investment-making decision process a touch more dicey. Most of the political and financial pundits are hopeful that the geopolitical waves that have rocked the markets will start to calm down.

The Institutional Portfolio team at Oppenheimer has run their screens looking for the stocks that can outperform over the next 30 days. Technology, which is one of the firm’s favorites of the 10 sectors, was one of only two sectors to show an increase in positive ratings this month, a statistic noted by many firms that we cover recently.

Here are some of the best ideas for March from Oppenheimer.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) is a top technology name for March. The company only competes in a small part of the overall security market, but it has aspirations to expand to ancillary areas. The company sees the recent Prolexic acquisition as very different but adjacent to its Kona suite and could look at additional network-based security capabilities to address the area between the application and end user; technologies that cover DDoS appliances, app changes, identity management and analytics. Combined with the company’s huge server business, this could make it a top name for investors. The Thomson/First Call price target is posted at $62.59. Akamai closed Wednesday at $61.51.

Concho Resources Inc. (NYSE: CXO) is added to the list of top March names and is a top energy play in the Permian Basin in West Texas. It is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development and exploration of oil and natural gas properties. It also may be a possible takeover candidate. The consensus price target for the stock is $131.66. Concho closed Wednesday at $120.85.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) is a top financial stock to buy that shows up well on the Oppenheimer screens. Fidelity National has witnessed rising earnings estimates on the back of solid fourth-quarter 2013 results. Moreover, this well-known property and casualty insurer delivered positive earnings surprises in the past four quarters, with an average beat of 9.5%. The long-term expected earnings growth rate for this stock is 2%. Investors are paid a 2.2% dividend. The consensus price target is $34.75. Shares closed Wednesday at $32.52

Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. (NYSE: FSL) is another top technology name to buy. The company is a global leader in embedded processing solutions, providing industry leading products that are advancing the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets — from microprocessors and microcontrollers to sensors, analog integrated circuits and connectivity. The consensus price target is $22.12. The stock closed Wednesday $23.37.

Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST) is a top consumer discretionary name to buy this month. Net sales of $540.9 million surpassed the consensus estimates of $522 million by 3.6% and rose 14.7% year over year. Solid net sales in the quarter were driven by a robust 15.2% increase in sales in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, the successful launch of new Ultra Red energy drink and increased sales of Zero Ultra and Ultra Blue and new Muscle Monster products in the United States. While scrutiny over energy drinks as a whole will remain, this may be a solid add to any portfolio. The consensus price target is $77.60. Shares ended Wednesday at $73.44.

Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) makes the list of the top stocks to buy at Oppenheimer in the energy sector. Many banks on Wall Street have cited Nabors better-than-average fleet, including a large number of high-end rigs in the United States, and strong international business to drive growth. Investors are paid a 0.7% dividend. The consensus target is $23.40. Nabors closed Wednesday at $22.95.

While the market is starting to stabilize, it looks as though investors will have to keep a close eye on volatility for the foreseeable future. While first-quarter earnings may be more tepid than expected, a second-quarter catch-up may be in order after the bad weather slowed progress on many business fronts.

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Labor Day is behind us and attendance should be starting back with interest in the markets again. Each morning 24/7 Wall St. reviews literally dozens and dozens of Wall Street analyst research reports. The aim is to find fresh ideas for investors and traders, for stocks to buy and stocks to sell. These are this Tuesday’s top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) was raised to Buy at Mizuho Securities, and the price target was raised to $100 from $90. Its price target was raised to $113 from $106 at Canaccord Genuity. This was also named as a below book value stock in our recent screenings as well.

First American Financial Corp. (NYSE: FAF) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

Finish Line Inc. (NASDAQ: FINL) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Janney Capital Markets.

Intrexon Corp. (NYSE: XON) was started as Buy at Mizuho Securities, started as Equal Weight at Barclays and started as Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) was raised to Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank, raised to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse and
Canaccord Genuity raised its price target to $5.50 from $3.30.

Transocean Ltd. Co. (NYSE: RIG) was maintained as Buy but the price target was lowered by $6 to $56 at Argus.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at RBC Capital Markets.

Williams-Sonoma Inc. (NYSE: WSM) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Canaccord Genuity.

World Point Terminals L.P. (NYSE: WPT) was initiated as Outperform with a $23 price target at Credit Suisse.

See also more analyst upgrades and downgrades for Tuesday.

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The outcry about overpaid CEOs has gone on for years as the financial press combs SEC statements for outlandish pay packages that sometime run into the tens of millions of dollars. Often lost among the large sums paid out as salary, bonuses, and stock options are special compensations for valuable services that very few people can afford — what is most commonly known as perks. Many public companies provide services, at no charge, to their CEOs, ranging from the use of private corporate airplanes to accounting services and security details. The value of these perks can add well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for some chief executives.

Click here to see the eight outrageous CEO perks

24/7 looked through a large number of proxy statements, including those for the 50 companies that paid their CEOs the most last year, to find special benefits for which shareholders paid extraordinary amounts. The chief executive officers who received these perks almost all have one or two things in common. Most are wildly rich, or work for wildly rich people. This includes moguls such as Barry Diller. Many of the executives on this list are also the founders of their companies, such as Ralph Lauren and Martha Stewart. And many, like Las Vegas Sands casino boss Sheldon Adelson, have effective voting control over the public corporation they run.

It would be tempting to say, although it cannot be proven, that the most powerful CEOs and chairmen based on wealth, ownership, and founder’s privileges get the best perks. They are certainly in a position to control their compensation packages better than most public company leaders.

So, from among the most generous CEO perks, 24/7 Wall St. has picked several of the most extravagant ones.

1. Private Use of Corporate Aircraft
>2011 value: $913,966
>Chairman: Barry Diller
>Company: IAC/InterActiveCorp. (NASDAQ: IACI)

Barry Diller has been a senior executive in the entertainment industry for decades. Diller ran Paramount in the 1970s and 20th Century Fox in the 1980s. He is credited with starting the Fox Television Network. Diller is currently one of the wealthiest media Executives in the country. At 70, he is listed on the Forbes 400 with a net worth of $1.8 billion. IACI owns Ask.com, The Daily Beast, and CitySearch. The IACI proxy states: “Diller is required to travel, both for business and personal purposes, on corporate aircraft. In addition to serving general security interests, this means of travel permits him to travel non-stop and without delay, to remain in contact with the Company while he is traveling, to change his plans quickly in the event Company business requires, and to conduct confidential Company business while flying, be it telephonically, by email or in person.”

Also Read: The Cities Where Everyone Has a Job

2. Security
>2011 value: $2,611,873
>CEO: Sheldon Adelson
>Company: Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS)

Adelson became famous to the general public recently when he invested tens of millions of dollars into the campaigns of several presidential candidates. He helped keep Newt Gingrich financially alive in the Republican primaries, and funneled $95 million to the Republican party both directly and through PACs. Adelson is among the most wealthy people in America with a net worth of $20.5 billion, which puts him at the No. 12 position on the Forbes 400. The source of the 79-year-old’s wealth goes well beyond his compensation. According to the proxy, Adelson and his wife, Miriam Adelson, own roughly 52.4% of outstanding common shares of the company, either directly, or through trusts and other entities. Adelson has run the company since he started it in 1988. The Las Vegas Sands proxy also notes that the company provided security for Adelson and his family, with the full fiscal year 2011 bill coming to $2,611,873. Adelson also has extensive access to company-paid private air travel. Another famous billionaire executive whose company pays an extraordinary amount for security is Jeff Bezos. The founder of Amazon has a net worth of $23.2 billion.  Bezos’ security costs were an extraordinary $1.6 million last year.

3. Signing Bonus
>2011 value: $53 million
>CEO: Ron Johnson
>Company: J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP)

One of the most visible failed CEO appointments of recent years is that of former Apple retail chief, Ron Johnson, to run troubled retailer J.C. Penney. According to a J.C. Penney proxy, Johnson was granted $53 million in company stock as part of his initial compensation package. But the hopes Johnson would turn things around at the retailer quickly faded. Since he assumed the position on November 1, 2011, J.C. Penney shares have fallen roughly 40%. The company’s fortunes have deteriorated substantially since Johnson joined. In the most recent quarter Penney reported that same-store sales for Q3 2011 fell by 26.1%, while total sales fell by 26.6%. Sales through JCP.com were just $214 that quarter, down 37.3% from the same period last year.

 4. Use of Car and Driver
>2011 value: $572,596
>CEO: Ralph Lauren
>Company: Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL)

Ralph Lauren, who founded his empire in 1967, remains CEO of his company to this day. Holding a large amount of stock, the 73-year-old fashion great has become immensely wealthy with a net worth of $6.5 billion. He has control over the company through the ownership of 69.1% of the voting shares. Lauren gets a large sum for his car and driver, along with other lavish benefits. The company’s proxy says: “We believe that these benefits generally allow our executives to work more efficiently, promote our brand and are legitimate business expenses. The costs of these benefits constitute only a small percentage of each NEO’s total compensation.”

5. Personal Accounting
>2011 value: $250,000
>CEO: Aubrey McClendon
>Company: Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK)

Chesapeake Energy company CEO Aubrey McClendon has been in the press as much as any other CEO this year. He took out $1.1 billion in personal loans on wells that Chesapeake gave him. And then, Reuters reported, “McClendon also ran a $200 million hedge fund that was registered at Chesapeake’s Oklahoma City office from 2004 to 2008 and traded in the same commodities Chesapeake produces.” The trouble with the McClendon scandal and the departure of several board members at Chesapeake has pulled shares down more than 20% this year. McClendon has been on the board of Chesapeake for 23 years as of the last proxy, and is listed as a co-founder. Over the last three years, according to the same proxy, he had total compensation of over $57 million as the head of Chesapeake. According to company filings, the CEO’s 2011 benefits included “$250,000 for the costs related to personal accounting support provided to Mr. McClendon by our employees.”

Also Read: The 12 Companies Paying Americans the Least

6. Life Insurance
>2011 value: $131,280
>CEO: Leslie Moonves
>Company: CBS (NYSE: CBS)

Les Moonves is the chief executive of CBS, which is controlled by its largest shareholder and chairman Sumner Redstone. Redstone is among the richest people in America, with a net worth of $4.1 billion, according to Forbes. Redstone’s support of the CEO of the television network company has made Moonves wealthy as well. The former president of Warner Bros. Television has made over $170 million as CBS’s CEO in the last three years. CBS SEC filings show that part of Moonves pay package includes $131,280 in life insurance premiums paid by the company in 2011.

7. Vacation/Vacation Home
>2011 value: $453,382
>Chairman: William P. Foley II
>Company: Fidelity National Finance (NYSE: FNF)

William P. Foley II, the chief executive of Fidelity received one of the oddest benefits of any large public company executive. Fidelity paid him for the use of properties he owns. His list of perks is much longer than that. The firm’s proxy states that in 2011, the company paid $443,382 “to Rock Creek Cattle Company, Ltd. Which is owned by Foley. Those payments, according to the company were for “fees related to company meetings at the facility and membership dues for certain company officers, including $18,000 in dues for our named executive officers.” Other payouts by Fidelity to Foley-owned or controlled companies include “$13,249 to Hotel Les Mars, LLC, $25,974 to Foley Family Wines, $1,172 to Kuleto Estate, $57,946 to EOS Acquisition II, LLC, $1,985 to Glacier Jet Center, $1,171 to Mackenzie River Pizza Whitefish, $12,483 to Foley Estates Vineyards and Winery and $1,335 to Glacier Restaurant Group, LLC.”

8. Personnel Costs
>2011 value: $83,327
>Chairman: Martha Stewart
>Company: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO)

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia founder and chairman, Martha Stewart, is treated extremely well as head of a company that consistently loses money and had revenue of only $44 million in the last quarter. The tiny company has given her compensation of over $21 million during the last three years. Stewart has a great deal of control over her financial fate. She owns 100% Class B shares in the company, which gives her a majority vote on all matters regarding the corporation. Among her many, many benefits, according to the proxy is “$83,327 for the portion of personnel costs for individuals performing work for Ms. Stewart for which we were not reimbursed.”

– Douglas A. McIntyre

Also Read: America’s Most Valuable CEOs

The post Eight Outrageous CEO Perks appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

These are the top analyst calls of upgrades, downgrades and initiations we have seen from Wall St. research calls this Monday morning.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) reiterated Buy with $264 target at BofA/ML.

Annie’s Inc. (NYSE: BNNY) reinstated as Outperform with $48 target at Credit Suisse.

Autodesk Corp. (NASDAQ: ADSK) cut to Hold at Argus.

Best Buy Co. (NYSE: BBY) named Bear of the Day at Zacks.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank.

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD) maintained Buy with $7 target at BofA/ML.

Eli Lilly Co. (NYSE: LLY) raised to Outperform with $53 target at Credit Suisse.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) named Value Stock of the Day at Zacks.

Gentiva Health Services Inc. (NASDAQ: GTIV) named Bull of the Day at Zacks.

Treehouse Foods Inc. (NYSE: THS) raised to Buy at Citigroup.

As you can see, there are fewer calls than on most trading days. With this being the week ahead of Labor Day, we would expect that trend to remain in place between now and next Tuesday.

JON C. OGG

The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (AMZN, BNNY, ADSK, BBY, BMRN, BRCD, LLY, FNF, GTIV, THS) appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The three major US stock indexes opened lower this morning as markets have begun to reach the conclusion that this week’s Eurozone summit is not likely to resolve the continent’s financial crisis. Spain has formally requested €100 billion to recapitalize the nation’s banks (more coverage here). US new home sales continue to rise, but the better news did not offer a lot of encouragement to investors (our coverage here). Cyprus has also formally requested a bailout from its Eurozone partners, and while the amount is small, the potential ramifications are anything but (our coverage here).

The US dollar index rose today, now up 0.29% at 82.494. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.8% at 563.72, with commodities prices mostly higher today. WTI crude oil closed down -0.7% at $79.21/barrel. Brent crude trades up 0.03% at $91.01/barrel. Natural gas rose about 2.6% today to $2.694/thousand cubic feet. Gold settled up 1.4%, at $1,588.40/ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down nearly 138 points to 12,503.19 (-1.09%), the NASDAQ fell more than 56 points (-1.95%) to 2,836.16, and the S&P 500 fell -1.60% or more than 21 points to 1,313.71.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including AutoNation (NYSE: AN) cut to ‘sell’ at Deutsche Bank; Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) raised to ‘neutral’ at Janney; Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) reiterated ‘outperform’ and target price raised to $45 at Credit Suisse; Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) raised to ‘outperform’ at Oppenheimer; and Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) cut to ‘underweight’ at Morgan Stanley (more coverage here).

There have been no earnings reports of note since last Friday, but we’re scheduled to get earnings from Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) and Synnex Corp. (NYSE: SNX), among others after markets close today. Earnings are due tomorrow from H and R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), and Sealy Corp. (NYSE: ZZ), among others.

Other standouts from today include the following stocks:

J. Alexander’s Corp. (NASDAQ: JAX) is up 16.2% at $11.50 after posting a new 52-week high of $11.76 earlier today. The restaurant firm is being acquired by Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) in a cash and stock deal worth $72 million.

Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) is up 13% at $21.88. The beer and alcoholic beverage maker is expected to benefit from the rumored acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev AB (NYSE: BUD) of the remaining shares it doesn’t own in Mexico’s Grupo Modelo. More coverage here.

Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE: SAH) is down -14.3% at $11.97. The automobile retailer has announced a private offering of up to $200 million of senior subordinated notes.

Stay tuned for Tuesday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 9:00 a.m. – S&P Case-Shiller housing price index
• 10:00 a.m. – Conference board consumer confidence index
• 10:00 a.m. – Richmond Fed manufacturing survey
• 10:00 a.m. – State Street investor confidence survey
• 11:30 a.m. – 4- and 52-week bill auctions
• 1:00 p.m. – 2-year note auction

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Paul Ausick

The post 24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — June 25, 2012: Markets Crushed Nearly 2% appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this Tuesday morning.

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE: BHI) Started as Buy at Stern Agee.
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) Started as Buy at Societe Generale.
CareFusion Corporation (NYSE: CFN) Started as Market Perform at BMO.
Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) Started as Outperform with $60 target at Credit Suisse.
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) cut estimates and cut target to $45 from $50 at Credit Suisse’ Maintained Sell at Argus.
Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) named Value stock of the day at Zacks.
First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) Cut to Hold at S&P Equity Research (late-Monday call).
The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) Cut to Underperform as Bear of the Day at Zacks.
Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) Started as Buy at Stern Agee; Reiterated Buy at Canaccord Genuity.
Lulelemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) Started as Neutral at Macquarie.
Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) Started as Outperform at Macquarie.
Progressive Corp. (NYSE: PGR) Cut to Hold at Argus.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) Started as Hold at Societe Generale.
UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (NYSE: UNH) named Bull of the Day at Zacks.
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) Started as Underperform at Macquarie; Started as Outperform at FBR.
VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.

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JON C. OGG

The post Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AA, BHI, BRCM, CFN, CHTR, C, FNF, FSLR, GS, HAL, LULU, M, PGR, QCOM, UNH, URBN, VMW, WHR) appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

More than half of the American workforce is comprised of women. It is well-known that they are paid less than their male counterparts. Several studies show that female workers make about 77%  of the compensation paid to their male peers. The numbers are worse for women of color. This inequality hurts women at every level of the job market.

Women, who  make up about 40% of the students at elite business schools,  have an especially difficult time moving into the ranks of senior management at America’s largest public companies. New data from the research from the nonprofit Catalyst shows that 60 of the Fortune 500 corporations have no female directors. Out of the same group, 136 companies have no women among their top five executives.  Moreover, there are 26 Fortune 500 firms which have neither a female board member nor a woman in executive management. The data came from proxy statements filed as of June 30, 2010.  24/7 Wall St. research found that four companies have added a female director since then: Philip Morris, Blockbuster, Virgin Media, and Synnex.

After we reviewed the Catalyst data, the companies were categorized by industry, and 24/7 Wall St. examined their corporate websites to see whether they had any women in top management at all. When we did find someone, they were usually in human resources, public relations, investor relations, or accounting.

The figures are outrageous and point to lingering misogyny in the board rooms and executive suites of a number of America’s largest companies. It is incomprehensible how public companies in the 21st Century can manage to exclude women from such critical roles.

1) Autoliv (ALV)
Autoliv makes and distributes automotive safety products, such as airbags and seat belts.
-Company lists no women on management team.

2) Cameron International (CAM)
Cameron International is a global provider of flow equipment products, systems, and services to oil, gas, and process industries.
-Rozlin Larkey – Vice President of Human Resources
-Grace B. Holmes – Corporate Secretary

3.) CC Media Holdings (CCMO.PK)
CC Media Holdings, the parent company of Clear Channel Communications, is a media company that works in radio and advertising.
-Company lists no women on management team.

4.) CHS (CHSCP)
CHS, which occupies the 91st position on the Fortune 500, is a diversified energy, grains, and food company.
-Company lists no women on management team.

5.) Emcor Group (EME)
Emcor group designs and constructs electrical and mechanical systems, including transformers, generators, and power cables.
-Mava K. Heffler – Vice President of Marketing and Communications

6.) Energy Transfer Equity (ETE)
Energy Transfer Equity, which owns the general partner of Energy Transfer Partners, transports natural gas throughout the United States.
-Company lists no women on management team.

7.) EOG Resources (EOG)
EOG Resources is one of the largest independent natural gas and oil companies in the United States.  As of the end of 2009, it employed approximately 2,100 people.
-Maire Baldwin – Vice President of Investor Relations
-Patricia Edwards – Vice President of Human Resources
-Ann Janssen – Vice President of Accounting

8.) Fidelity National Financial (FNF)
Fidelity National Finance provides title insurance, escrow, and other title related services, including claims management services.
-Company lists no women on management team.

9.) General Cable (BGC)
General Cable provides assorted wire and cable products throughout the world.  It also provides products for the application of cables.
-Company lists no women on management team.

10.) Global Partners (GLP)
Global Partners distributes and stores refined petroleum products and natural gas throughout the United States and the world.
-Company lists no women on management team.

11.) Icahn Enterprises (IEP)
Icahn Enterprises, 87% of which is owned by famous financier Carl Icahn, is a diversified holding company.
-Company lists no women on management team.

12.) International Assets Holding (IAAC)
International Assets Holding, which is #49 on the Fortune 500 list, is a commodity risk management company based in Kansas City.
-Nance McMurtry – Chief Compliance Officer

13.) L-3 Communications (LLL)
L-3 Communications provides a number of communications-related systems, aircraft maintenance, and products and services related to homeland defense.
-Company lists no women on management team.

14.) Las Vegas Sands (LVS)
Las Vegas Sands, although based in Las Vegas, develops resorts and casinos throughout the world.
-Company lists no women on management team.

Read More: McDonald’s Fights The Fat Kid Tax.

15.) National Oilwell Varco (NOV)
National Oilwell Varco manufacturers oil drilling rigs, including the major parts for such rigs.  They are a world leader in the production of drilling equipment.
-Company lists no women on management team.

16.) Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC)
Pilgrim’s Pride produces and distribute poultry products throughout the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
-Company lists no women on management team.

17.) Republic Services (RSG)
Republic Services, based in Phoenix, collects, transfers, and disposes of nonhazardous, solid waste in the United States.
-Company lists no women on management team.

18.) Shaw Group (SHAW)
The Shaw Group is “a diverse engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, environmental and industrial services organization,” that currently employs approximately 27,000 employees around the world, according to the company.
-Company lists no women on management team.

19.) Sonic Automotive (SAH)
Sonic Automotive is an automobile retailer which operates numerous auto dealerships throughout the United States.
-Company lists no women on management team.

20.) Tesoro (TSO)
Tesoro is an oil company that markets and refines petroleum products, dividing the company into two segments: Refining and Retail.
-Susan A. Lerette – Senior VP of Human Resources

Read More: Apple and Lenovo Take PC Growth Lead.

21.) World Fuel Services (INT)
World Fuel Services sell marine, aviation, and land fuel products, along with related services, throughout the world.
-Company lists no women on management team

Methodology from Catalyst: The survey includes 497 of the fortune 500 companies. Among the companies, 14.4% of the executive officers were women based on the SEC proxy designation of “executive management”. Among the companies, 15.7% of the board members were women.

Douglas A. McIntyre, Charles Stockdale

The post The 21 Companies That Exclude Women From Leadership appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

This weekend’s edition of The Unusual Suspects is different.  While some earnings focus is made, there are several key events coming up that investors and traders alike will want to watch.  Don’t forget about Friday’s unemployment figure because that will potentially be the tide that raises or sinks all ships.  The cast of characters in this weekend’s Unusual Suspects is rather large and includes Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR), Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF), First American Financial Corp. (NYSE: FAF), Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN), Gymboree Corp. (NASDAQ: GYMB), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON), National Bank of Greece SA (NYSE: NBG), Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), Shengdatech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SDTH), SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI), Tesla Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX), and Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (NYSE: WDR).

We have compiled the news or events on each company here and we have offered color and handicapping figures on each if applicable for the week ahead or for longer-term developments in each.

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) has been stuck in a dead video game sector but it may have a new catalyst.  Rumors abound that its new World of Warcraft “Cataclysm” edition will be out in early December in time for the holidays.  Whether this will happen is unknown, but that might add a nice boost to end of year sales if it occurs.  For its part, the company is keeping quiet.  Speaking of video games, Barron’s called Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) a ‘bargain in the sagging video game sector’ and at $10.25 its 52-week range is $7.00 to $12.57.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) could see additional pressure as earnings season gets closer because even after a 2.1% drop to $153.71 Friday,  shares are almost 30% since before its last earnings.  A pair of analysts voiced concerns on high valuations and a 25% run in the last month.  As a reminder, Amazon.com has signaled in its prior quarter that margin issues are present and the competition for the eReader space is tight.  The 52-week trading range is $88.27 to $161.78.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is about to enter its second week after disclosing its accounting issues and SEC inquiry, and the damage could have more room to come as the class action suits are starting to come up.  Shares closed down again on Friday with a 5.2% drop to $29.57.  The stock was just under $30.00 as recently as late-July and the stock was at an adjusted $23+ handle when its 3 for 1 split went into effect in May.  With a $19.87 to $37.97 range over the last year, there could still be more weakness as a bear raid continues to gain strength.  Jim Cramer also added it to the SELL BLOCK this last week.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (NYSE: FNF) and First American Financial Corp. (NYSE: FAF) could face continued pressure as reports of bank foreclosure document errors could throw millions of property titles into question.  It will increase these firms’ operating costs to review each mortgage title and will bring down more scrutiny on their operations ahead.  FNF closed down over 4% Friday at $15.04 versus a 52-week range of $12.60 to $17.00 and FAF closed down 3.1% at $14.48 versus a 52-week range of $11.90 to $19.57.  Stewart Information Services Corp. (NYSE: STC), owner of Stewart Title, was only down 1.24% at $11.18.

• You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) could find itself back in favor now that the ban on stem cell funding has been lifted.  More importantly, its CEO is giving a keynote speech at the 2010 WORLD STEM CELL SUMMIT this week in Detroit.  What will be discussed is not known but chances are that the CEO won’t just say that stem cells offer a bright future to science.  At $5.45, the implied stem cell public company sector leader has a 52-week range of $4.37 to $7.18.

Gymboree Corp. (NASDAQ: GYMB) saw a huge surge on Friday of 20% on 10-times normal trading volume to $49.86 and the 52-week trading range is $37.26 to $55.27.  All of this was on a possibility that the firm was putting itself up for sale, and based upon the reaction it seems a safe bet that it could announce a formal exploration of a sale this coming week.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) was featured positively this weekend in Barron’s as Andrew Bary wrote, “Even under stricter regulation and tougher capital-adequacy rules, the bank should do well and be able to boost its dividend, says CEO Jamie Dimon.”  At $38.81, its 52-week range is $35.16 to $48.20.

Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) cannot win for losing when it comes to its share performance tied to issues over its new corn yields and over ongoing fears about Round-Up’s ties to health concerns.  At $48.26, its 52-week range is 44.61 to $87.06.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of -$0.06 EPS and $1.82 billion in revenue.  Just 90 and 60 days ago the company was expected to be profitable and now the questions looms over whether the forward $2.84 EPS for AUG-2011 has come down enough as the estimate was $3.02 just 90-days ago.

National Bank of Greece SA (NYSE: NBG) could be a secondary beneficiary of a Greek support mechanism from none other than the Chinese.  Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on a visit to Greece that China will continue to buy Greek bonds and that China will create a $5 billion fund to help Greek  shipping companies buy Chinese ships. At $2.25, the 52-week range is $2.11 to $8.37.  The question is whether Ireland’s woes bring down the rest of the PIIGS.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) may feel additional pressure this coming week as analysts continue to struggle with its valuation and as the stock is now about $20.00 off the high since Thursday.  Oddly enough, IBD kept it as the #1 stock chart on the IBD 100, which makes it one of the longest streaks we have seen with the same leader.

Shengdatech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SDTH) saw shares drop as much as 7% after its CFO resigned on Friday after the closing bell.  The company noted that Andrew Chen had no disagreements with Shengda and the chemical products company has already hired a search firm to find a replacement and it has named Chief Operating Officer Anhui Guo as the acting CFO until a replacement is found.

SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) raised its guidance again.  On Friday it gained more than 3% to $1.24 and it ended last week up 5%.  The more important issue here is that the $1.25 prints from early May is the 52-week high, so any additional gains would mark 52-week highs and take the stock back to where it was in September-2008 before the meltdown started.

Tesla Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) gets to join others in bad PR over RECALLS.  The company waited until Friday night to announce that it was launching a voluntary safety recall on Roadster models 2.0 and 2.5.  The company said that the 12v low voltage auxiliary cable from a redundant back up system for headlamps, taillights, turn signals and hazard lights, and airbags in the unlikely event the primary 12V power fails or drops below a minimum threshold value.  This is voluntary and not a game-changer and it is probably expected that a new technology for a new model might have issues here and there, but at $20.60 and a post-IPO range of $14.98 to $30.42 that this could add some weakness.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) began trading now as the unified result of the Continental-United merger.    The $24.70 price was given a surviving 52-week range of $6.23 to $25.45.  We gave a long synopsis of the airline sector on Friday showing how the fleets and operations compare to the rest of the airline sector.

United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX) was given the Barron’s cover story this weekend title The Quiet Giant where it said that United “has a lower profile than some other industrial titans, but its prospects look decidedly bright” and said its portfolio is better balanced than many conglomerates and an $88.00 target was mentioned from Jefferies.  After a $71.13 close on Friday and a 52-week range of $59.31, we’d look for up to a $1.00 higher open in a market-neutral stance on Monday.

Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (NYSE: WDR) rose 0.7% to $27.55 after the flash crash report tied an algorithm trade from the firm pushed through by the firm of about $4.1 billion in the futures market was the flash point  of the flash crash.  The company has denied ill intent and wrongdoing, but the public backlash here could lead to more pressure against the firm.  The 52-week trading range is $21.52 to $39.24.

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

• We also have a full earnings calendar (YUM, STZ, COST, MON, MAR, PEP, AA, MU) for the week ahead with previews and we also have an economic calendar as well.

JON C. OGG

The post The Unusual Suspects for the Week Ahead (ATVI, TTWO, AMZN, GMCR, FNF, FAF, GERN, GYMB, JPM, MON, NBG, NFLX, SDTH, SIRI, TSLA, UAL, UTX, WDR) appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) has priced its secondary offering this morning, and the result is that it ended up selling more stock than what it had originally planned.  The title insurance, specialty insurance, claims management services and information services provider sold some 15.8 million shares of its common stock at $19.00 per share.

J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs are the joint book-running managers.  Co-Managers are listed as Barclays, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Piper Jaffray, and Stephens Inc.  The underwriters have an overallotment option to sell 2.37 million additional shares at the offering price.

The company has said that the net proceeds are for general corporate purposes, including the potential repayment of indebtedness under its existing $1.1 billion credit agreement.

Shares closed down over $3.00 at $19.30 yesterday, and shares are trading at $18.80 in pre-market trading.  The 52-week trading range is $6.66 to $22.85.

JON C. OGG

The post Fidelity National Financial Ups The Offering Ante (FNF) appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

These are the top analyst upgrades we have seen this Monday morning ahead of the opening bell:

• Burger King (BKC) Raised to Buy at UBS.
• Credit Suisse (CS) Raised to Buy at Merrill Lynch.
• Fidelity National (FNF) Raised to Overweight at Barclays.
• Hess (HES) Raised to Outperform at Credit Suisse.
• Infineon (IFX) Raised to Neutral from Sell at Deutsche Bank.
• Nucor (NUE) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
• Overseas Shipholding (OSG) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.

Jon C. Ogg
December 22, 2008

The post Top Analyst Upgrades (BKC, CS, FNF, HES, IFX, NUE, OSG) appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..