Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:INSM,HIIQ,SUM,ITT,ZAIS,BELFB,NG,LSI,XCRA,GDV,

At first, the gifts seemed innocent enough: a free dinner and a private helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon. By the end of it, though, the Polish official was standing in a Warsaw parking lot, accepting $100,000 in bags of cash, given to him in exchange for multi-million-dollar government contracts.

You might be thinking that this government employee was being paid off by the mafia or some shadowy military contractor, but think again: According to the SEC and Polish prosecutors, the official was allegedly bribed by white-collar executives within Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ) and IBM (NYSE:IBM), the American blue chip technology firms.

In 2014, the SEC charged HP with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Poland. At the time, the agency explained HP executives "provided gifts and cash bribes worth more than $600,000 to a Polish government official to obtain contracts with the national police agency."

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Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Insmed, Inc.(INSM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Insmed Inc. (NASDAQ: INSM) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

  Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Needham, based on the run-up in shares and on a harder earnings comparison that will be harder to beat. Lululemon was up 1% at $96.31 but was down 2% at $94.30 on Monday. It had a consensus target price of $89.93.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares rose 78.82 percent to close at $7.26 on Monday. GEE Group, Inc. (NYSE: JOB) shares jumped 18 percent to close at $2.36. McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR) climbed 15.7 percent to close at $7.00 after the UK-based offshore oil service company Subsea 7 made an unsolicited bid to buy McDermott for $7 per share. However, the acquisition offer is contingent on McDermot terminating its pending merger with Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) gained 17.21 percent to close at $3.61. Stars Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TSG) rose 14.16 percent to close at $33.45. Stars Group Inc (NASDAQ: TSG) announced plans to acquire Sky Betting & Gaming for $4.7 billion. China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc. (NASDAQ: CIFS) shares jumped 12.79 percent to close at $25.58. Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) shares gained 11.52 percent to close at $15.00. Nautilus is expected to release Q1 results on May 7, 2018. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Nautilus with a Buy rating and a $19.00 price target. Box, Inc. (NYSE: BOX) rose 10.94 percent to close at $22.91. Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ: INSM) shares rose 10.76 percent to close at $26.05. Credit Suisse upgraded Insmed from Neutral to Outperform. NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ: NEXT) shares rose 10.02 percent to close at $6.48. Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (NASDAQ: HMNY) shares gained 8.37 percent to close at $2.46 on Monday after falling 10.98 percent on Friday. Cambium Learning Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABCD) shares gained 7.81 percent to close at $11.11. Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) shares rose 7.26 percent to close at $70.31. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) announced plans to acquire Vectren for $72 per share in cash. Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) rose 6.66 percent to close at $74.45 after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and raised its FY18 earnings outlook. Hanesbrands Inc.
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ: INSM) shares were also up, gaining 9 percent to $25.57. Credit Suisse upgraded Insmed from Neutral to Outperform.

  Equities Trading DOWN

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Health Insurance Innovations, Inc.(HIIQ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Health Insurance Innovations (NASDAQ:HIIQ) saw unusually-high trading volume on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. Approximately 2,255,517 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 457% from the previous session’s volume of 404,884 shares.The stock last traded at $28.70 and had previously closed at $27.65.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Health Insurance Innovations (NASDAQ: HIIQ) and Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.B) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  These are some of the headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment’s scoring:

  Get Health Insurance Innovations alerts: Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ) and Brown & Brown (BRO) Critical Survey (americanbankingnews.com) Founder of Tampa health insurance company is out (finance.yahoo.com) Cantor Fitzgerald Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ) (americanbankingnews.com) Health Insurance Innovations founder out (seekingalpha.com) Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ) Insider Michael W. Kosloske Sells 1,300,000 Shares (americanbankingnews.com)

  Shares of Health Insurance Innovations opened at $34.35 on Tuesday, according to Marketbeat.com. Health Insurance Innovations has a 1 year low of $12.65 and a 1 year high of $37.38. The stock has a market cap of $559.65 million, a PE ratio of 24.20 and a beta of 0.55.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Summit Materials, Inc.(SUM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Summit Materials Inc. (NYSE: SUM) traded down more than 18% Wednesday to set a new 52-week low of $20.50. Shares closed at $25.10 on Tuesday, and the 52-week high is $34.06. Volume was more than six times the daily average of around 1.5 million. The company missed earnings and revenue expectations this morning.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Princeton Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Summit Materials (NYSE:SUM) by 9.7% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 30,269 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,687 shares during the period. Princeton Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Summit Materials were worth $917,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Solium Capital Inc. (TSE:SUM) Director Marcos Lopez sold 2,148 shares of Solium Capital stock in a transaction on Friday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$11.13, for a total value of C$23,907.24.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: ITT Corporation(ITT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Intelligent Trading Foundation (CURRENCY:ITT) traded 1.1% higher against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 8:00 AM ET on April 18th. In the last week, Intelligent Trading Foundation has traded up 19.5% against the US dollar. One Intelligent Trading Foundation token can currently be purchased for about $0.0764 or 0.00000942 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including COSS, EtherDelta (ForkDelta), IDEX and Mercatox. Intelligent Trading Foundation has a total market cap of $749,032.00 and approximately $863.00 worth of Intelligent Trading Foundation was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Intelligent Trading Foundation (CURRENCY:ITT) traded down 96.4% against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 12:00 PM Eastern on July 4th. During the last seven days, Intelligent Trading Foundation has traded up 9.8% against the US dollar. One Intelligent Trading Foundation token can currently be bought for approximately $0.0502 or 0.00000754 BTC on exchanges including Mercatox, IDEX and COSS. Intelligent Trading Foundation has a market capitalization of $492,213.00 and approximately $1,654.00 worth of Intelligent Trading Foundation was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc.(ZAIS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Gp Zgp (NASDAQ:ZAIS) major shareholder Z Acquisition Llc bought 6,500,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $4.10 per share, with a total value of $26,650,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 6,500,000 shares in the company, valued at $26,650,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Bel Fuse Inc.(BELFB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Bel Fuse, Inc. Class B (NASDAQ:BELFB) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Sunday.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine cut shares of Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Wednesday.

  Separately, BidaskClub lowered shares of Bel Fuse from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Saturday, January 6th.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Media coverage about Bel Fuse, Inc. Class B (NASDAQ:BELFB) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group rates the sentiment of media coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Bel Fuse, Inc. Class B earned a coverage optimism score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the electronics maker an impact score of 45.9775371402704 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Natural Gas(NG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  JPMorgan Chase set a GBX 870 ($11.80) target price on National Grid (LON:NG) in a research note released on Monday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN lowered its stake in shares of NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NG) (TSE:NG) by 5.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,071,600 shares of the mining company’s stock after selling 57,571 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN’s holdings in NovaGold Resources were worth $4,640,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Money Morning News Team]

  Canadian gold mining company NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSE: NG) shows an even starker change in sentiment. In the last six months, the volume of short bets on the stock declined 32.75%, from 19.05 million shares to 12.81 million.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Canadian gold mining company NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSE: NG) shows an even starker change in sentiment. In the last 12 months, the volume of short bets on the stock declined 79%, to 522,400.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Life Storage, Inc. (LSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Life Storage (NYSE: LSI) is one of 233 public companies in the “Real estate investment trusts” industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Life Storage to similar businesses based on the strength of its profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk and earnings.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Life Storage (NYSE:LSI)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by investment analysts at BMO Capital Markets in a report released on Wednesday. They currently have a $87.00 target price on the real estate investment trust’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would suggest a potential downside of 8.83% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Life Storage Inc (NYSE:LSI) – Investment analysts at Jefferies Group lifted their FY2018 EPS estimates for shares of Life Storage in a note issued to investors on Monday, June 4th. Jefferies Group analyst G. Hoglund now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will earn $5.38 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $5.34. Jefferies Group has a “Hold” rating and a $82.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Group also issued estimates for Life Storage’s FY2019 earnings at $5.57 EPS.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Life Storage (LSI)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Life Storage, Inc. (NYSE:LSI) President Kenneth F. Myszka sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.02, for a total value of $910,200.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Xcerra Corporation(XCRA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in LTX-Credence Co. common stock (NASDAQ:XCRA) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 12,132 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $141,000.

• [By Max Byerly]

  LTX-Credence Co. common stock (NASDAQ:XCRA) – Analysts at B. Riley increased their FY2018 earnings per share estimates for LTX-Credence Co. common stock in a research note issued on Tuesday, May 29th. B. Riley analyst C. Ellis now forecasts that the semiconductor company will post earnings of $1.03 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $0.99. B. Riley has a “Neutral” rating and a $14.00 price objective on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for LTX-Credence Co. common stock’s Q4 2018 earnings at $0.27 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.27 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.23 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.28 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.32 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $1.09 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $1.30 EPS.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Buy For 2019: Gabelli Dividend(GDV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Media headlines about Gabelli Dividend & Income (NYSE:GDV) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Gabelli Dividend & Income earned a news impact score of 0.18 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 48.1795768072103 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.

KAZ Mineral shares fall on Russian copper deal

Shares in KAZ Minerals PLC (KAZ.LN) fell Thursday after the company said it will buy the Baimskaya copper project in Russia for $900 million from Aristus Holdings Ltd., a company partly owned by Russian billionaires Roman Abramovich and Alexander Abramov.

KAZ said it will pay an initial $675 million for a 75% stake in Baimskaya, located in the Chukotka region in the far east of Russia. The first payment will consist of $436 million in cash, and 22.3 million new KAZ shares, valued at $239 million.

Deferred consideration of $225 million in cash or shares for the remaining 25% interest will be paid either on the achievement of commercial production, or March 31, 2029, according to KAZ.

KAZ said Baimskaya is one of the world's most significant undeveloped copper assets, with resources of 9.5 million tons of copper, and 16.5 million ounces of gold. The company forecasts average annual production of 250,000 copper tons and 400,000 gold ounces over the first ten years of operations.

The capital expenditure required to develop the mine is estimated at $5.5 billion said KAZ, which said it will finalize the development strategy and financing during a feasibility study. KAZ said Aristus won't contribute to the development spending, but has a "strong incentive" to assist the delivery of the project due to the deferred consideration. Mr. Abramov, one of Aristus's owners, is chairman of London-listed steel producer Evraz PLC (EVR.LN).

Shares at 0805 GMT were down 111.20 pence, or 14%, at 708.60 pence.

What's the Difference Between a Credit Card and a Charge Card?

Charge cards and credit cards both enable you to buy items now and pay later, and they both offer rewards to cardholders. But there are a few key differences between the two that could trip you up (and cost you a lot of money) if you're not aware of them. I've outlined the key differences between credit and charge cards below so you can decide which one is right for you.

Image source: Getty Images.

Spending limits

When you're approved for a credit card, you're given a monthly credit limit based on your credit score. You can apply for credit limit increases, but you cannot exceed your credit limit, or else your card will be declined, or you'll be charged costly overdraft fees.

Charge cards work a little differently. They come with no pre-set spending limit. But this shouldn't be confused with no spending limit. Instead, it means your card issuer re-evaluates your limit each month based on your credit score, payment history, income, and other factors. You can check your credit limit at any time by logging into your online account or calling the number on the back of your card.

Some of the newer credit scoring models don't consider charge-card balances when calculating your credit utilization ratio�(the proportion of your available credit that you're using), because that limit varies from month to month. A high credit utilization ratio tends to lower your credit score. So one of the perks of using a charge card is that you can spend a lot and, provided you pay it off in full when you get your next bill, it shouldn't have a significant impact on your credit score.

Carrying a balance

Ideally, you'll be able to pay your credit card balance in full each month. But if you can't, your credit score won't take much of a hit if you make the minimum payment. However, you will begin incurring interest charges, and these can be as high as a 25% annual percentage rate (APR).

Charge cards are designed to be paid in full each month. If you fail to do so, the card issuer will report it to the credit bureaus, and your credit score will drop. You'll also be charged a late fee, usually around 3% of the balance. That may not seem like much, but this interest is charged monthly. A 3% monthly interest rate adds up to a 36% APR, which is much higher than most credit cards.

Say you have a $5,000 balance, but you can only afford to pay $1,000 when your bill comes due. If you have a credit card with a 20% APR, it'll take you six months to pay it off at $1,000 per month, and you'll end up paying $265.68 in interest. In that same scenario with a charge card, you'll now have to pay 3% interest every month. You'll still pay it back within six months, but you'll pay $501.68 in interest.

Annual fees

Some credit cards charge annual fees. They're most common with secured credit cards and top-rated travel cards that offer generous rewards. But if you're just interested in a traditional cash-back rewards card, you shouldn't have any trouble finding one that doesn't charge you for the privilege of owning the card.

The same can't be said for charge cards. Each one charges an annual fee, and it's not uncommon for that fee to exceed $100 -- and some go as high as $500. These fees may be worth it if the card offers decent rewards, but you'll have to do the math to determine whether it's actually a good value for you.

Availability and acceptance

Charge cards are less popular than credit cards, so there are fewer choices available to you. They're also much more difficult to get because they require an excellent credit score -- usually 740 or above. No pre-set spending limit means an increased risk for creditors if you fail to pay back the debt, so only applicants who have demonstrated a long history of financial responsibility are eligible for these cards.

Which type is better for me?

A credit card is generally the better choice for most people. If you pay your balance in full each month, it works essentially the same as a charge card. But if you need to carry a balance, you can do so without damaging your credit score. Plus, you'll have a lot more choices in terms of rewards, interest rates, and annual fees.

A charge card may be a good fit for you, however, as long as you have excellent credit and you're sure you can pay your balance in full each month. Having no pre-set spending limit gives you the freedom to make larger purchases that a credit card may not allow, without hurting your credit utilization ratio.

If you're still unsure which type of card you should choose, look at some of the cardholder agreements and compare the perks and fees to figure out which one best fits in with your spending habits.