Aging Baby Boomers

UnitedHealth Group Updates on Annual Shareholder Meeting, Board Actions

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) provided updates on its 2020 annual shareholder meeting and actions by its Board of Directors at its regular quarterly meeting.

Why Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Stocks Rose Today

Cruise ship stocks rallied on Monday, as optimism for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments rose. A flurry of encouraging coronavirus-related developments in recent days likely contributed to the gains in cruise ship stock prices. On Friday, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) announced the commencement of its phase 2 study for its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273.

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  Can Cruise Line Stocks Bounce Back in June?

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  Near Its All-Time Low, Is Norwegian Cruise Line Stock a Buy?

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Can Cruise Line Stocks Bounce Back in June?

Just one cruise line moved higher in May. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line need to get back on course this month.

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  Why Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Stocks Rose Today

  Motley Fool
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  Near Its All-Time Low, Is Norwegian Cruise Line Stock a Buy?

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Invacare Corporation Announces Private Exchange to Retire Approximately $33 Million Principal Amount of Its 5.0% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2021 and Approximately $39 Million Principal Amount of Its 4.5% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2022

Invacare Corporation (NYSE: IVC) (the "Company") entered into separate, privately negotiated agreements with certain holders of its 5.0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2021 (the "2021 Notes") and certain holders of its 4.5% Convertible Senior Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Notes") to exchange approximately $32.9 million in aggregate principal amount of 2021 Notes and $38.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 2022 Notes, for aggregate consideration of approximately $71.4 million in aggregate principal amount of new 5.0% Series II Convertible Senior Exchange Notes due 2024 (the "New Notes"). Exchanging holders of the 2021 Notes received an equal principal amount of New Notes, plus an amount of cash equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on the exchanged 2021 Notes up to, but excluding the closing date and approximately $3.9 million in cash. Exchanging holders of the 2022 Notes received an equal principal amount of New Notes, plus an amount of cash equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on the exchanged 2022 Notes up to, but excluding the closing date and approximately $1.3 million in cash. Following the closing of these transactions, $28.2 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2021 Notes and $81.5 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2022 Notes will remain outstanding with terms unchanged. The exchange is expected to close on June 4, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

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  UB Bancorp Announces Completion of $25.0 Million Subordinated Notes Offering

  Business Wire
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  American Tower Corporation Prices Senior Notes Offering

  Business Wire

AbbVie Wrapped Its $63 Billion Allergan Buyout — Is AbbVie Stock A Buy?

AbbVie stock recently broke out and the pharmaceutical company just wrapped its acquisition of Allergan. Is AbbVie stock a buy now?

Dow Jones Futures: Tesla Leads 5 Stocks Looking To Break Out Decisively In Coronavirus Market Rally

Futures were little changed following a weekend of unrest in many U.S. cities. Don't forget to game plan for the coronavirus stock market rally. Tesla, Apple look to break out decisively.

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  Dow Jones Futures: Coronavirus Stock Market Rally Awaits Trump China News; Twitter Feud Escalates; Salesforce, Zscaler Lead Earnings Movers

  Investor's Business Daily
• Dow, S&P 500 rally again, but NYSE Arms suggests panic-like selling behavior

  MarketWatch

Chevron Stock’s Fundamental Issues Outweigh Its Upside Potential

Investors fortunate enough to have bought Chevron (NYSE:CVX) stock at its March 23 low of $54.22 per share have made a very nice return. Since then, Chevron stock rebounded nicely to trade in the low-$90s for the past month. At $91.70, there's a lot of upside between here and $120, which is where CVX traded for basically all of 2019.Source: Jeff Whyte / Shutterstock.com Share prices may very well rise to meet those pre-pandemic levels. And investors will continue to pile on considering its potential upside. But even if they do, I'd stay away from Chevron for several reasons.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Chevron Stock Revenue Per Share Continues SlidingInvestors like to see revenue per share within a given company rise. After all, they give their money to companies for shares of stock. The underlying premise is that companies will invest it wisely, producing increasing revenue, and ultimately, rising stock prices.But Chevron stock's revenue per share has been doing the opposite for the past five years. And that should make investors think twice. Chevron does not have the ability to make money as easily as it did in the past. The dual shocks of recent oil price wars and coronavirus put that truth in stark contrast for the entire oil industry. Not just Chevron. But even before the recent shocks, signs like Chevron's sliding revenue per share year-after-year pointed to the same conclusion … Oil's heyday has likely passed. * 10 Penny Stocks to Buy Under $5 That Might Be Worth the Risk Fossil fuel pundits will point to alternative energy, and its inability to thus far supplant oil, to counteract the idea that oil is on the decline. They'll also project that oil will have a resurgence in the coming years because crude prices are near decade lows. And while oil may rise again, the trend toward a more varied energy landscape is an irreversible one. Chevron's stock will feature heavily in this conversation. Gross Margins Are SlippingTo be fair, oil has been having a rough go of it over the last several years. So, Chevron does deserve some leeway in that its industry faces strong external headwinds. But gross margins have been decreasing 5.7% long-term. That means the cost of goods sold has increased relative to revenue. Put another way, it has cost Chevron more and more to make a dollar, each of the past five years. Investors want to buy shares in companies that adapt efficiently, finding new revenue in changing times. Chevron hasn't been able to do that. Being an Aristocrat Isn't Always GreatThe company is a member of the so-called dividend aristocrats. As per Investopedia, the dividend aristocrats are companies distinguished by having paid increasing annual dividends for the past 25 years.>Being a dividend aristocrat is viewed positively by the market. The expectation is that these companies will continue to do what they have done for such a long period of time -- consistently increase their dividends.Part of the reason such established companies pay dividends is as an enticement to investors. Dividend aristocrats are not companies that are going to grow at a fast pace. Such days are well behind these companies. Investors do not purchase a Chevron or a Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) with the expectation of making a significant return on investment via stock price appreciation. Rather, investors purchase these companies under the assumption that dividend income will flow therefrom. And it does -- but this predictability comes at a cost. Chevron Stock's Payout Ratio Is UnhealthyChevron's dividend payout ratio is among the weakest in the oil and gas industry over the past decade-plus. This puts Chevron's management between a rock and a hard place. Investors love Chevron's dividends, but management is hamstrung by them. InvestorPlace's Thomas Neil sees the same inherent dividend problem facing Chevron, adding that recent stock gains are likely to taper off.The problem for Chevron and the other dividend aristocrats is simple. These companies must prioritize dividends each quarter, no matter the circumstances. That gets expensive, and it means that Chevron has to sacrifice that cash for the dividend even when there are other needs within the company. Because the market will react swiftly to punish dividend stocks that unexpectedly miss a dividend payout.There's little risk of Chevron reducing or missing a dividend soon. But that's not really what's important. The more cash Chevron has to earmark quarter after quarter to pay ever increasing dividends, the less it has to reinvest in the company. For Chevron (a company in a changing industry), such cash could otherwise be directed toward investments that improve efficiency, gross margin and revenue per share. Bottom Line on ChevronFundamental stock analysis views all of the problems listed above as red flags. These warning signs don't bode well for Chevron in the medium to long term. As an investor, such factors should give you pause when deciding whether to add Chevron to your portfolio.Technical analysts will view Chevron based much more on the movement of stock's recent price with less regard for underlying financial indicators. And neither school of thought is inherently wrong or right. Each investor views the market through their own particular lens.Personally though, in judging a mature stock like Chevron, I like to first see fundamentally sound financials, and then positive technical indicators. In this case, I see little of the former, giving me no reason to search for any of the latter.As of this writing, Alex Sirois did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * The Huge Story for 2020 & Beyond That You Aren't Hearing About * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post Chevron Stock's Fundamental Issues Outweigh Its Upside Potential appeared first on InvestorPlace.

3 “Strong Buy” Value Stocks Gearing up for Gains

Investors are always ready to buy into a good value, and in today’s markets – with their combination of bear cycle and bull rally – those value stocks are more appealing than ever. Using TipRanks’ database, which features extensive market data collated in real time, we’ve pulled up the details on three great stock market values. All three of these stocks offer investors a solid package: a one-year upside potential of at least 10%, a dividend over 2%, and a history of long-term share appreciation. While all three are down in the current market cycle, Wall Street’s analyst corps sees each of them as a Strong Buy. Even the economic shutdowns, which forced so many companies into losses for Q1, couldn’t derail these three – each showed profits in the quarter, and beat the earnings forecasts. Let’s dive into the details, and find out what makes these three stocks so valuable. Procter & Gamble Company (PG) We’ll start with one of the blue-chip staples of the Dow Jones average. Procter & Gamble showed steady earnings growth through 2019, beating estimates in every quarter, before recording a sharp drop in Q1. That drop, however, needs to be put into context – the company’s calendar first quarter is historically its lowest of the year. Not to mention Q1 2020 reflected both a fifth consecutive earnings beat and a modest year-over-year gain of 4.4%, despite the economic shutdowns. In an odd way, the coronavirus crisis may have even helped PG – the company’s strong presence in the home & consumer health, personal care, and hygiene niches meant that demand for PG products remained strong, even as overall consumer activity declined. In the company’s Q1 earnings release (PG’s fiscal Q3), the company reported 4.2% year-over-year revenue growth. In addition to its solid position in the current environment, Procter & Gamble is also one of the market’s true dividend champs. The company has a 16-year history of steady dividend growth and reliable payments. The current payment is 79 cents, the company raised it by 4 cents in Q1, annualizing to $3.16 per quarter and giving a yield of 2.7%. While that is only slightly higher than the consumer goods sector average of 2.5%, Procter’s dividend is backed by that long history – and it has a payout ratio of 64%, indicating that the payment is easily sustainable with current income levels. Covering PG stock for Evercore ISI, Robert Ottenstein headlines his note “Better, More Resilient, Wiser.” As for forward prospects, Ottenstein writes, “We see Procter as a reliable 6-8% EPS grower, as underscored by the firm’s confidence to raise the dividend by 6% in the face of unprecedented challenges…” Ottenstein keeps his Buy rating on PG shares, and raises his price target from $130 to $140. This implies 21% upside potential for the stock in the coming 12 months. (To watch Ottenstein’s track record, click here) Overall, PG’s Strong Buy analyst consensus rating is based on 10 reviews, which include 9 Buys against a single Hold. Wall Street is slightly less aggressive here than Ottenstein, but the $133 average price target still suggests an upside potential of 15%. (See Procter & Gamble stock analysis on TipRanks) Linde PLC (LIN) Next up is Linde, an important player in the industrial gas industry. This is not a consumer utility; rather, Linde dominates the market for pure gasses such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and argon, along with compound gasses such as carbon monoxide. All have important uses in industry, especially within the medical and HVAC sectors – which have been deemed essential even during the public health crisis. Like PG above, Linde has a secure niche and product line-up despite the recessionary pressures. The quality of Linde’s market position is demonstrated by the quarterly performance. Where most companies registered declines or even losses, Linde reported Q1 EPS level with Q4. At $1.89, the quarterly earnings beat the forecast by 3.2%, and was the fifth quarter in a row to top the estimates. In another similarity to PG, Linde’s continued profitability is directly related to its strong presence in the healthcare industry. Some 20% of company revenues come from sales in the medical field (oxygen, for example, is a vital item in treating respiratory ailments), and Linde has been able to successfully absorb losses in other segments. With revenues secure, Linde was not shy about declaring its dividend going forward. The company announced that it will pay out 96 cents per share in Q2. That annualizes to $3.85, and gives a yield almost exactly at the S&P average: 2%. Michael Sison, 5-star analyst with Well Fargo, makes the simple case for LIN shares, “[We] believe this stable cash flow business and strong balance sheet make LIN an attractive story in the current uncertain environment. We also view LIN as a growth story, with the $9.5B project backlog as the pipeline for future earnings growth. Finally, we continue to expect the company to deliver on additional merger cost and revenue synergies once the recovery starts to take shape, likely before 2021.” To this end, Sison puts a $235 price target on the stock, showing his confidence in a 16% one-year upside potential. With this positive outlook, Sison rates the stock a Buy. (To watch Sison’s track record, click here) LIN is another stock with a Strong Buy analyst consensus rating. The shares have 22 reviews on record, breaking down into 17 Buys and 5 Holds. The current trading price is $202.34, and the average price target of $216 implies room for 7% growth this year. (See Linde stock analysis on TipRanks) Raytheon Technologies (RTX) Last on our list is Raytheon, a staple in the aerospace and defense industries, as well as a major contractor for the Pentagon. Raytheon’s better-known products include radars for the Air Force’s front line fighter aircraft and many of the military’s front line air-to-air and air-to-surface guided missiles. No one ever went broke selling weapons, and Raytheon is a good example of that old saw. The company’s $1.78 Q1 EPS was 60% higher than the estimates. Even more impressive, it was the eighth quarter in a row that RTX beat the earnings estimates. The solid EPS was derived from $18.2 billion in revenues, a figure in-line with both the estimates and the year-ago figure. Raytheon management declared a 47.5 cent quarterly dividend, to be paid out in June. In deference to the difficult economic times, and the possibility of reduced defense contracts as budgets contract, this dividend was a sharp decline from the 74 cents paid out in Q4. The important point for investors, however, is that Raytheon remains committed to maintaining its dividend, with the yield at 2.8%, which is above the industrial goods sector average of 2%. In his note on RTX for Credit Suisse, 5-star analyst Robert Spingarn states, “[We] assume that RTX defense can sustain a 2019-2022 sales CAGR of 6%+ (consistent with its record backlog), and that improving trends for defense margins, working capital, and capex can offset pension headwinds, then RTX defense likely stands to generate ~$5.3 billion of FCF in 2022…” This solid outlook contributes to his Buy rating and $81 price target on the stock. At current prices, this target implies a 26% potential upside to RTX. (To watch Spingarn’s track record, click here) With a share price of $64.52, and an average price target of $75.25, RTX boasts a 17% upside potential for the next 12 months. The consensus on the Street here is a Strong Buy, with 11 Buy reviews and 3 Holds. (See Raytheon stock analysis on TipRanks)

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  Are Investors Undervaluing Aegon NV (AEG) Right Now?

  Zacks
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  Should Value Investors Buy Perdoceo Education (PRDO) Stock?

  Zacks

These Are The 5 Best Stocks To Buy And Watch Now

Buying a stock is easy, but buying the right stock without a time-tested strategy is incredibly hard. So what are the best stocks to buy now or put on a watchlist?

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  Stocks To Watch: Builders Firstsource Sees Relative Strength Rating Rise To 83

  Investor's Business Daily
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  IBD 50 Growth Stocks To Watch: Netflix Stock Hits A Buy Zone

  Investor's Business Daily

Royal Caribbean (RCL) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

Royal Caribbean (RCL) closed the most recent trading day at $51.87, moving +0.33% from the previous trading session.

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  Dollar Tree Up More Than 15% in 3 Months: What Lies Ahead?

  Zacks
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  Mesa Labs (MLAB) Misses Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

  Zacks

Don’t Miss the RCL Stock Rally

Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) just got its head back above water. In fact, since May 11, RCL stock has exploded from $37.78 to about $52. Even now, it's still a very solid opportunity. And if it can stay afloat, as the economy recovers, I strongly believe it can refill its gap around $108.Source: Laszlo Halasi / Shutterstock.com The last time I weighed in on oversold cruise stocks, I said Carnival (NYSE:CCL) was a solid blood-in-the-street opportunity. That was May 11, as the CCL stock traded at $14.21. It rose to about $18 and is trading at about $15.However, it's not the only sunken cruise stock to consider. Plenty of patience will be required, of course.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips RCL Stock Losses Were ExpectedAt the moment, there's still a no-sail order still on the books from the U.S. CDC effective through July 24. However, there's hope that will not be extended and that Royal Caribbean can resume operations by Aug. 1. * 7 Red-Hot Biotech Stocks Racing to Develop a Coronavirus VaccineIf the cruise lines can get back to sea, and the economy can successfully reopen, I strongly believe RCL stock could do well this year.It wasn't a shock that Royal Caribbean posted a sizable first-quarter loss. After all, the novel coronavirus ground the cruise industry to a halt.The company posted a loss of $6.91 a share in the quarter, as compared to EPS of $1.31 year over year. Adjusted, the company lost $1.49 a share after earning $1.31 a year prior. Revenue fell 17% to about $2 billion. "The magnitude, duration and speed of COVID-19 remains uncertain," and it "can't estimate the impact of COVID-19 on its business, financial condition or near or longer-term financial or operational results with reasonable certainty."However, I believe that bad news is priced in, and that it may be smoother sailing from here. Time to Consider Cruise StocksCredit Suisse's Benjamin Chaiken just initiated coverage of the RCL stock with an "Outperform" rating, giving it a price target of $67. None of the major cruise lines, he argues are at risk of running out of cash."[Cruise stocks] are at all-time lows, and all three operators are now in cash preservation mode, having entered into liquidity enhancing credit agreements. With the risk of a liquidity crunch partially priced in, we think current levels offer an attractive entry point."Wedbush analyst James Hardiman says the RCL stock is in good financial position, too."RCL seems to have given itself maximum flexibility/optionality with respect to its capital needs, and may yet avoid the significant amount of equity dilution that has befallen its two peers. Additionally, we would argue that RCL had the best momentum headed into the pandemic and see no reason this will not be the case coming out of the pandemic."Hardiman has a "Outperform" rating on the stock with a target price of $63 a share.At the same time, cruise bookings are soaring. Carnival, for example, says bookings are up 200% year over year with travelers seemingly desperate to take a vacation. Fear Is Priced Into Cruise SharesWhile the cruise industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, much of that fear has been priced into oversold cruise stocks. Most will survive, and have become buying opportunities. In fact, the time to buy stocks like RCL is when they're the most hated.Some of the best investors have said the same. As we've learned from Baron Rothschild, who would tell investors, "The time to buy is when there's blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own." Even Sir John Templeton would tell investors to buy excessive pessimism, which we see now.If you wait too long, you'll miss the recovery rally.Ian Cooper, an InvestorPlace.com contributor, has been analyzing stocks and options for web-based advisories since 1999. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * The Huge Story for 2020 & Beyond That You Aren't Hearing About * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post Don't Miss the RCL Stock Rally appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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  Why Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Stocks Rose Today

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  Near Its All-Time Low, Is Norwegian Cruise Line Stock a Buy?

  Motley Fool

Dow Jones Slides After Strong Week Of Gains Ahead Of Trump Comments On China

The Dow Jones fell on Friday. Though U.S. indexes are mixed, stocks are holding weekly gains as investors remain bullish on the current economic recovery.

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  Asian shares mostly higher following Wall Street gains

  Associated Press
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  Wall Street closes higher as recovery signs soothe protest, pandemic worries

  Reuters

Long-Term Leaders Welcomes Unitedhealth Group And Lowe's Companies

IBD's Long-Term Leaders Watchlist member Unitedhealth Group joins Long-term Leaders Portfolio. LOW stock joins the Watchlist.

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  IBD 50 Growth Stocks To Watch: Netflix Stock Hits A Buy Zone

  Investor's Business Daily
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  IBD Live Q&A And Two Key Stock Lists For May 29, 2020

  Investor's Business Daily

Why Is Service Corp. (SCI) Up 8.3% Since Last Earnings Report?

Service Corp. (SCI) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.

Wall Street Has Given Up on These 3 Stocks, and That's a Huge Mistake

There are hundreds of stocks that would have to more than double to revisit their 52-week highs. Let's check out three out-of-favor stocks that are ready to prove the naysayers wrong.

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  Don’t Miss the RCL Stock Rally

  InvestorPlace
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  Continue Avoiding Carnival Cruise Stock for Now

  InvestorPlace

Why Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Stocks Sank Today

Cruise-ship stocks gave up some of their recent gains on Thursday. Shares of Carnival (NYSE: CCL), Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE: NCLH) fell 7.6%, 4.8%, and 8.6%, respectively. Many travel-related companies saw their stock prices rally as the markets resumed trading after Memorial Day weekend.

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  Can Cruise Line Stocks Bounce Back in June?

  Motley Fool
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  Near Its All-Time Low, Is Norwegian Cruise Line Stock a Buy?

  Motley Fool

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) closed at $303.97 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.07% move from the prior day.

UnitedHealth, IBD Stock Of The Day, Hits Buy Zone; Dow Giant Tops Pre-Coronavirus Peak

IBD Stock Of The Day: UnitedHealth broke out into a buy zone, topping its pre-coronavirus peak as managed care stocks rally. The Dow giant offers balance for a portfolio of growth stocks.

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  Small Caps, IBD 50 Lead Stocks; These Leaders Break Out Past Buy Points

  Investor's Business Daily
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  These Are The 5 Best Stocks To Buy And Watch Now

  Investor's Business Daily

Stocks Reverse Lower In Late Dive; 2 Health Care Stocks Top Buy Points

The stock market slid in afternoon trading Thursday, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close with a loss.

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  Dow Jones Slightly Higher In Uneven Trading; Snap Stock In Buy Zone

  Investor's Business Daily
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  Dow Jones Today, Stocks Up-And-Down Amid Unrest; Tesla, Zoom Video Jump; Pfizer Tumbles On Trial Fail

  Investor's Business Daily

Dow Cools On Trump News After Rising 1,293 Points In 3 Days; Will These 7 Stocks Double?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to flex newfound strength. These leading growth stocks are outperforming lately since an April 2 follow-through.

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  Stock Market Wrap-Up: Why These 2 Under-the-Radar Stocks Jumped Monday

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  Dow Jones Rises Despite Civil Unrest; Walmart and Apple Close Stores Over Weekend; Microsoft Replaces Editors With AI

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U.S. Stocks Modestly Higher, Heading For Fourth Straight Day Of Gains

The Dow Jones traded higher Thursday as stocks continue to extend the current rally. Bullishness was influenced by a drop in unemployment filings this week

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  Asian shares mostly higher following Wall Street gains

  Associated Press
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  Wall Street closes higher as recovery signs soothe protest, pandemic worries

  Reuters