Top Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2018

tags:NSM,DJCO,TZOO,CCM, What happened

Shares of Box Inc. (NYSE:BOX) popped 11.6% on Monday after the cloud content management specialist received a vote of confidence from a hedge fund manager.

Speaking the Sohn Investment Conference today, Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya argued that Box is a "really interesting disruptive company," calling the stock "incredibly cheap and undervalued."

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

So what

Palihapitiya explained that Box "sits on top of an enormous amount of R&D," particularly in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.

For perspective, last October, Box unveiled an AI toolkit dubbed Box Skills, enabling customers to use AI and machine-learning tools from companies like Google, Microsoft, and IBM�to better manage and extract data from multimedia files -- for example, the ability to automatically tag photos, or to transcribe audio and identify topics and people from video files.

Top Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2018: Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc.(NSM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  LSV Asset Management raised its stake in shares of Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE:NSM) by 28.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 282,100 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 62,900 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned approximately 0.29% of Nationstar Mortgage worth $5,066,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2018: Daily Journal Corp. (S.C.)(DJCO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  BidaskClub downgraded shares of Daily Journal (NASDAQ:DJCO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

  Separately, TheStreet raised shares of Daily Journal from a c- rating to a b rating in a report on Monday, February 12th.

Top Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2018: Travelzoo Inc.(TZOO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Daré Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: DARE) shares jumped 56.69 percent to close at $1.27 on Wednesday on news that the company entered into worldwide license agreement for Juniper Pharmaceuticals' intravaginal ring technology platform. Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ: VICR) rose 26.84 percent to close at $37.10. Vicor posted Q1 earnings of $0.10 per share on sales of $65.2 million. AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) climbed 25.56 percent to close at $10.61. Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) gained 24.7 percent to close at $9.75 following strong Q1 results. Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI) shares climbed 19.24 percent to close at $4.71. China Customer Relations Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) rose 18.73 percent to close at $18.64. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) climbed 18.28 percent to close at $5.89. Genprex expanded its operations to Cambridge, Mass. Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) rose 13.92 percent to close at $2.70 following Q1 results. Rocky Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCKY) shares surged 13.57 percent to close at $23.85 after reporting Q1 results. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) shares rose 12.5 percent to close at $4.14 on Wednesday. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA) jumped 11.24 percent to close at $106.85 following Q1 results. SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE: SVU) rose 11.16 percent to close at $16.24 after the company reported Q4 results and agreed to sell and leaseback eight distribution centers for an aggregate purchase price of $483 million. K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) shares gained 10.74 percent to close at $15.36 following Q3 results. Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) rose 9.15 percent to close at $46.28 as the company posted in-line quarterly earnings. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) shares climbed 8.49 percent to close at $64.18 as the company posted a narrower-than-expected loss for its first quarter. Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL) gained 8.2 percent to close at $107.94 af
• [By Max Byerly]

  Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) and CACI (NYSE:CACI) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) got a boost, shooting up 25 percent to $9.70 following strong Q1 results.

  Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) shares were also up, gaining 9 percent to $64.54 as the company posted a narrower-than-expected loss for its first quarter.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) got a boost, shooting up 30 percent to $10.16 following strong Q1 results.

  Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) shares were also up, gaining 8 percent to $64.01 as the company posted a narrower-than-expected loss for its first quarter.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Daré Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: DARE) shares climbed 54.2 percent to $1.25 on news that the company entered into worldwide license agreement for Juniper Pharmaceuticals' intravaginal ring technology platform. Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) climbed 21.3 percent to $9.40 following strong Q1 results. Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI) gained 16.5 percent to $4.60. K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) shares rose 11.2 percent to $15.4206 following Q3 results. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE: CBI) shares rose 11 percent to $15.3289. McDermott issued a release reiterating rejection of Subsea 7's offer. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX) shares gained 9.2 percent to $64.61 as the company posted a narrower-than-expected loss for its first quarter. Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) surged 8.5 percent to $46.00 as the company posted in-line quarterly earnings. Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL) climbed 7.5 percent to $107.22 after reporting Q1 results. Allena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALNA) rose 6.1 percent to $14.78. B. Riley initiated coverage on Allena Pharmaceuticals with a Buy rating. Texas Instruments Incorporated (NASDAQ: TXN) rose 4.6 percent to $102.90 after the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its first quarter on Tuesday. Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) rose 4.5 percent to $17.03 following strong Q1 results. STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE: STM) rose 4.2 percent to $22.20 after reporting Q1 results.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

Top Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2018: Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited(CCM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CRK) shares shot up 52 percent to $7.235 after the company disclosed a deal with Arkoma Drilling L.P. and Williston Drilling, L.P. to buy oil & gas properties in North Dakota. Comstock announced withdrawal of tender offers for outstanding secured notes. MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares gained 24.2 percent to $21.80 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook. Mattersight Corporation (NASDAQ: MATR) shares rose 22 percent to $2.625 after the company agreed to be purchased by NICE Ltd. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) jumped 21.3 percent to $411.871 as the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM) rose 17 percent to $3.10 after the company disclosed a positive outcome of the interim analysis of STRIDE-1 Phase 3 trial of AXS-05 in treatment resistant depression. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) rose 15.9 percent to $18.34 following upbeat Q1 earnings. PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI) gained 15.6 percent to $12.20 following Q1 results. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) surged 14.4 percent to $260.3901 following upbeat Q1 profit. Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (NYSE: CCM) gained 13.8 percent to $3.70. Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) rose 13.5 percent to $29.815 after reporting strong Q1 results. BioTelemetry, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT) rose 13.5 percent to $38.30 as the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares rose 13.1 percent to $10.985 as the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. SJW Group (NYSE: SJW) shares gained 11.8 percent to $63.59 following Q1 results. California Water Service Group made an offer for SJW. Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) climbed 9.8 percent to $278.40 following Q1 results. CYS Investments, Inc. (NYSE: CYS)
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) shares gained 86.76 percent to close at $11.00 on Thursday. Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CRK) shares climbed 47.06 percent to close at $7.00 after the company disclosed a deal with Arkoma Drilling L.P. and Williston Drilling, L.P. to buy oil & gas properties in North Dakota. Comstock announced withdrawal of tender offers for outstanding secured notes. Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: CDAY) gained 41.86 percent to close at $31.21. MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares rose 26.5 percent to close at $22.20 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook. Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (NYSE: CCM) jumped 24.92 percent to close at $4.06. Mattersight Corporation (NASDAQ: MATR) shares climbed 23.26 percent to close at $2.65 after the company agreed to be purchased by NICE Ltd. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) rose 24.44 percent to close at $422.50 as the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) gained 17.75 percent to close at $18.64 following upbeat Q1 earnings. PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI) rose 16.59 percent to close at $12.30 following Q1 results. Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) rose 16.06 percent to close at $15.25. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) shares climbed 14.5 percent to close at $121.42 as the company posted reported Q1 beat And raised FY18 outlook. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares gained 13.7 percent to close at $11.04 as the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM) rose 13.21 percent to close at $3.00 after the company disclosed a positive outcome of the interim analysis of STRIDE-1 Phase 3 trial of AXS-05 in treatment resistant depression. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) jumped 13.06 percent to close at $257.40 following upbeat Q1 profit. BioTelemetry,

Crusader Energy Group (JONE) Reaches New 52-Week High and Low at $0.44

Crusader Energy Group, LLC (NYSE:JONE)’s share price hit a new 52-week high and low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $0.44 and last traded at $0.50, with a volume of 22608 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $0.52.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Investment Research lowered Crusader Energy Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. ValuEngine lowered Crusader Energy Group from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $1.00 price target on shares of Crusader Energy Group in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1.21.

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The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a current ratio of 1.69.

Crusader Energy Group (NYSE:JONE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.32) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.24) by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $57.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $54.23 million. Crusader Energy Group had a negative return on equity of 9.77% and a negative net margin of 64.68%. equities research analysts forecast that Crusader Energy Group, LLC will post -1.12 EPS for the current year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JONE. Marathon Asset Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Crusader Energy Group during the 1st quarter worth $1,430,000. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Crusader Energy Group by 57.6% during the 4th quarter. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,400,000 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,640,000 after acquiring an additional 877,268 shares in the last quarter. Cambrian Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of Crusader Energy Group during the 4th quarter worth $714,000. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Crusader Energy Group by 46.1% during the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 790,881 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $870,000 after acquiring an additional 249,561 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Crusader Energy Group by 8,977.4% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 232,562 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $256,000 after acquiring an additional 230,000 shares in the last quarter. 59.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Crusader Energy Group Company Profile

Jones Energy, Inc, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the mid-continent United States. It owns leasehold interests in oil and natural gas producing properties, as well as in undeveloped acreage located in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma and Texas.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NWBI) Expected to Announce Earnings of $0.26 Per Share

Brokerages forecast that Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI) will announce earnings per share (EPS) of $0.26 for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Two analysts have issued estimates for Northwest Bancshares’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.25 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.26. Northwest Bancshares posted earnings of $0.22 per share in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 18.2%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Monday, July 23rd.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Northwest Bancshares will report full year earnings of $1.00 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.99 to $1.00. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the firm will report earnings of $1.02 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.00 to $1.03. Zacks’ earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of research firms that follow Northwest Bancshares.

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Northwest Bancshares (NASDAQ:NWBI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 23rd. The savings and loans company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24. Northwest Bancshares had a net margin of 21.53% and a return on equity of 7.78%. The company had revenue of $103.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.47 million.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NWBI. BidaskClub downgraded shares of Northwest Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of Northwest Bancshares in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Northwest Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 21st.

Shares of Northwest Bancshares traded up $0.04, reaching $17.24, during midday trading on Friday, according to Marketbeat Ratings. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 243,376 shares, compared to its average volume of 325,486. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Northwest Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $14.95 and a fifty-two week high of $17.78. The company has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.64.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 3rd were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 2nd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.94%. Northwest Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.95%.

In related news, Director Philip M. Tredway sold 5,714 shares of Northwest Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.18, for a total value of $98,166.52. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $376,035.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Koch Industries Inc. increased its stake in Northwest Bancshares by 16.0% in the first quarter. Koch Industries Inc. now owns 22,288 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 3,081 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank grew its stake in shares of Northwest Bancshares by 1.9% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 169,100 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $2,800,000 after buying an additional 3,200 shares during the last quarter. Tyers Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Northwest Bancshares by 22.2% during the first quarter. Tyers Asset Management LLC now owns 19,404 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 3,520 shares during the last quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB grew its stake in shares of Northwest Bancshares by 27.6% during the first quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB now owns 19,904 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $330,000 after buying an additional 4,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Northwest Bancshares by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,886 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $1,186,000 after buying an additional 4,301 shares during the last quarter. 68.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northwest Bancshares Company Profile

Northwest Bancshares, Inc operates as a bank holding company for Northwest Savings Bank that offers various personal and business banking solutions in the United States. The company offers personal and business deposits, such as checking, savings, money market deposit, term certificate, and individual retirement accounts.

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Amgen (AMGN) Holdings Increased by Intact Investment Management Inc.

Intact Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 2,737.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 45,400 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,800 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Amgen were worth $7,739,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC increased its stake in shares of Amgen by 110.7% during the fourth quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 647 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $113,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. Taylor Hoffman Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Amgen during the fourth quarter valued at $127,000. Welch Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Amgen during the fourth quarter valued at $148,000. Watermark Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Amgen by 8,481.8% during the fourth quarter. Watermark Asset Management Inc. now owns 944 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $164,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the period. Finally, Trustcore Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Amgen during the fourth quarter valued at $183,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.43% of the company’s stock.

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Shares of Amgen opened at $178.24 on Friday, according to MarketBeat. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 3.88 and a quick ratio of 3.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $117.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.36. Amgen has a fifty-two week low of $153.56 and a fifty-two week high of $201.23.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 24th. The medical research company reported $3.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.24 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $5.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.44 billion. Amgen had a return on equity of 35.80% and a net margin of 9.67%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.15 earnings per share. equities analysts anticipate that Amgen will post 13.63 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 17th will be issued a $1.32 dividend. This represents a $5.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 16th. Amgen’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.97%.

Amgen announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 1st that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical research company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

AMGN has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer restated a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Amgen in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Mizuho restated a “buy” rating and set a $192.00 price target on shares of Amgen in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Piper Jaffray Companies cut their price target on Amgen from $194.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Amgen from $204.00 to $196.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Amgen from $192.00 to $202.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Amgen presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $191.70.

In other Amgen news, EVP Sean E. Harper sold 1,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.68, for a total value of $263,337.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,575 shares of company stock valued at $818,208. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Amgen Company Profile

Amgen Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers human therapeutics worldwide. It offers products for the treatment of oncology/hematology, cardiovascular, inflammation, bone health, nephrology, and neuroscience. The company's products include Evenity to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women; Prolia to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; Xgeva for skeletal-related events prevention; Repatha to treat coronary diseases; Enbrel to treat plaque psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis; Parsabiv to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT); and Aimovig for the prevention of migraine.

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German Ifo Business Gauge Halts Slide in Sign of Stabilization

German business confidence halted a five-month slide as companies took stock after a temporary slowdown in Europe’s largest economy at the start of the year.

The Ifo institute’s gauge of business climate held at 102.2 in May, with indexes measuring current conditions and expectations little changed. Economists predicted a drop to 102 from an original April reading of 102.1.

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The euro pared some of its losses after the report. The single currency traded at $1.1702 at 10:18 a.m. Frankfurt time, still down 0.2 percent.

Germany’s most-watched sentiment survey signals the economy is stabilizing after a quarter in which exports fell the most in more than five years and a range of indicators showed flagging growth. The Bundesbank reiterated this week that it still expects German momentum to pick up in the second quarter, with investments projected to improve after bad weather and a flu epidemic damped output.

European Central Bank chief economist Peter Praet has also put a brave face on recent developments, saying Thursday that the euro-zone economy was “doing good.” He pointed to stretched capacity at the region’s companies as one reason for weaker growth.

But clouds are gathering on the horizon. President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration is investigating import tariffs on cars and truck could hit the German economy hard -- the U.S. is the country’s largest export market for luxury vehicles. A report from Ifo on Thursday showed tariffs on cars could subtract 5 billion euros ($6 billion), or 0.16 percent from German economic output.

ECB officials flagged protectionism and mounting global risks as potential threats to the euro area at their April 25-26 Governing Council meeting, arguing that close monitoring is warranted to judge implications for growth and inflation. They hold their next policy session on June 14.

— With assistance by Kristian Siedenburg, and Andre Tartar

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Comcast preparing to top Disney's bid for Fox

Comcast says it's getting ready to top Disney's bid for some of 21st Century Fox's assets.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Comcast (CCV) says it is preparing to make an all-cash bid that will be "a premium to the value of the current all-share offer from Disney (DIS)." Although Comcast called its plans "well advanced," it cautioned that no final decision has been made.

The cable operator, which owns NBCUniversal, said it is working to arrange financing for the deal. It promised Fox (FOX) shareholders that its offer would have a termination fee that "would be at least as favorable to Fox shareholders as the Disney offer."

Disney reached a $52.4 billion deal in December to buy Fox's movie studio and regional sports networks, as well as cable channels FX and National Geographic. The company used stock rather than cash for its bid.

Although this was the first time Comcast has spoken publicly about its plans, its intentions have been rumored for weeks. News that the company was talking to investment banks about usurping Disney's bid was first reported early this month.

Comcast did not detail the exact value of its bid Wednesday, though sources have previously told CNN that the offer would be worth about $60 billion.

Fox declined to comment Wednesday. During an earnings call two weeks ago, executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch said the company would not "engage in a lot of speculation around this," though he added that Fox is "committed to our agreement with Disney."

"In addition, our directors, though, of course are aware of their fiduciary duties on behalf of all shareholders," he said.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The battle over Fox is emblematic of how rapidly the media industry is changing. American consumers are cutting their cable subscriptions and spending more time with online services like Netflix, (NFLX) so legacy companies are looking for ways to scale their business and build influence.

The battle between Comcast and Disney isn't just limited to the Fox assets either. The two have also been competing to buy the European broadcaster Sky, which operates pay-TV services in the UK and other regional markets like Germany and Italy.

Disney is essentially using Fox as a surrogate in that fight. Fox, which already owns a minority stake in Sky, is attempting to purchase the rest and has agreed to sell any Sky stake to Disney as part of its acquisition.

However, Comcast formalized a bid for a majority stake last month as a challenge to Fox, leaving Sky's fate uncertain.

--CNNMoney's Alanna Petroff contributed to this report.

Piermont Capital Management Inc. Has $604,000 Stake in Faro Technologies (FARO)

Piermont Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Faro Technologies (NASDAQ:FARO) by 13.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,350 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 1,620 shares during the period. Piermont Capital Management Inc. owned 0.06% of Faro Technologies worth $604,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in shares of Faro Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $272,000. Advisory Research Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Faro Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $354,000. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Faro Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $402,000. BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Faro Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $481,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of Faro Technologies by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 13,692 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $524,000 after acquiring an additional 1,156 shares during the last quarter. 90.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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In other news, insider Simon Raab sold 11,700 shares of Faro Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.93, for a total transaction of $701,181.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 38,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,305,986.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jody Storm Gale sold 10,666 shares of Faro Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.77, for a total value of $637,506.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on FARO. Zacks Investment Research raised Faro Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $69.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, February 26th. BidaskClub raised Faro Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 14th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on Faro Technologies to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (up previously from $60.00) on shares of Faro Technologies in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Noble Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Faro Technologies in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.67.

FARO opened at $53.95 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $904.87 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 186.03 and a beta of 1.48. Faro Technologies has a 12-month low of $32.25 and a 12-month high of $65.35.

Faro Technologies (NASDAQ:FARO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $92.83 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $92.92 million. Faro Technologies had a negative net margin of 3.39% and a positive return on equity of 1.91%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.09) EPS. equities research analysts forecast that Faro Technologies will post 0.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Faro Technologies Profile

FARO Technologies, Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and supports software driven, three-dimensional (3D) measurement, imaging, and realization systems. The company offers FaroArm, a combination of six or seven-axis, articulated measurement arm, a computer, and CAM2 software programs; and FARO ScanArm, a FaroArm equipped with a hard probe and non-contact laser line probe to measure products.

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