Year: 2018

Following its purchase of a portion of Milipede earlier in 2018, Boston Scientific BSX has been exercising its option to buy the remaining stakes of this privately-held developer of IRIS Transcatheter Annuloplasty Ring System for the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation (MR). This decision comes close on the heels of the recent successful completion of a first-in-human clinical study.The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. Notably, in January 2018, Boston Scientific purchased $90 million of existing and newly-issued Millipede shares […]

The apparel category takes up a large share of the retailing cart. The Zacks Retail – Apparel and Shoes industry mostly includes specialty retailers offering apparel, activewear, footwear, accessories, electronics, fitness and lifestyle products, both in-stores and on websites. […]

Equinor ASA EQNR has concluded the sales of two non-core discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) that were announced in October 2018. The first sale comprises 77.8% operated interest in the King Lear discovery to Aker BP for a total consideration of $250 million. King Lear, a gas/condensate discovery made in 1989, is located in PL 146 and PL 333 blocks in the Ekofisk area of the NCS. […]

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. HLT recently announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Taipei Zhongshan hotel in downtown Taipei. […]

Ashland Global Holdings Inc. ASH provided fiscal 2019 financial view and reaffirmed business outlook. […]

Shares of Novartis AG NVS have gained 14.1% in the past six months compared with the industry ’s growth of 10.3%. The company’s efforts to turnaround its business in 2018 has been impressive, given the loss of exclusivity for key drugs. […]

The U.S. stock market has been combating deterrents like the U.S.-China trade dispute, multiple Fed rate hikes, global political spasms, volatile oil prices and others through 2018. Things deteriorated at the tail end of the year, thanks to the latest Treasury yield anxiety and increase in federal funds rates. […]

On Dec 31, we issued an updated research report on United Technologies Corporation UTX . This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock is poised to grow on the back of ongoing portfolio restructuring moves and stronger end-market sales. However, rising costs are a major concern. […]

MGIC Investment Corporation MTG , which boasts being the largest private mortgage insurer in the United States, has been experiencing a sustained improvement in new business written for a considerable period of time. The company expects this momentum to continue on the back of a solid purchase market and a probable share gain from The Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In fact, the company estimates writing $50 billion in new insurance during 2018. […]

Utilities provide basic services and are not affected by the vagaries of the economy. These are preferred by investors due to stability of operations and their capability to reward shareholders with regular dividend payments. Utility operation is capital intensive as consistent investment is required to upgrade, maintain and replace older wires and electric poles, as well as power stations. […]

Volatility staged a formidable comeback to the bourses to spook investors this year. The Dow is no exception to this phenomenon, with the index currently down 7.1% year to date. Trade tensions were a major headwind for investors, followed by the Fed’s consistent policy tightening […]

In the current volatile markets, it’s not easy to select stocks that generate solid returns. One has to understand the fundamentals of every company and try to place them against the present economic background to pick the winners. Since the operating environment doesn’t look attractive, one may find it difficult choose stocks on their own […]

Prospect Capital Corporation PSEC appears to be a profitable investment option, driven by steady earnings growth and solid prospects. Also, strong economic growth is expected to support the top line. Prospect Capital is also witnessing upward estimate revisions, reflecting analysts’ optimism about its growth prospects. […]

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. LW is slated to release second-quarter fiscal 2019 results on Jan 4, 2019. This provider of frozen potato products flaunts a splendid surprise history […]

One of the most profitable areas of the equity market remains energy. As demand for oil continues to scale upward, topping 100 million barrels per day this year, the energy sector is positioned to boost your portfolio in the New Year. Thus, zeroing down on the oil stocks poised to stand out as top investments for next year seems judicious. […]

Wells Fargo & Company WFC has finally settled numerous investigations and legal cases it had been involved in since the fake account scandal came into light. The bank will be paying about $575 million in order to clear the claims made by 50 states. Earlier in December, Wells Fargo received the final court approval for $480 million settlement of the class action lawsuit that was filed by shareholders, claiming to be harmed by the bank’s false statements about its misdeeds […]