Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:LWAY,BGG,DORM,PK,DLX,

Cardinal Health (CAH) tumbled to the bottom of the S&P 500 today after agreeing to buy Medtronic’s (MDT) medical supplies business for $6.1 billion and offering disappointing guidance.

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Cardinal Health�dropped 12% to $72.39 at 4:30 p.m. today, while the S&P 500 declined 0.3% to 2,342.19. Medtronic finished little changed at $80.33.

Leerink’s David Larsen and Matt Dellelo argue that a “great” deal couldn’t offset the dreary guidance:

This morning CAH lowered FY17 expectations saying EPS is now expected to be at the low end of the guided range and the company announced an acquisition of Medtronic’s Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutruitional Insufficiency businesses for $6.1B. Management also gave preliminary FY18 and FY19 guidance, where EPS is expected to be flat to down mid-single digits and up high single digits, respectively, both of which are below Street expectations. While the deal looks strategically and financially sensible, it is likely not enough to offset the ongoing generic deflation headwinds in Pharmaceutical.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Lifeway Foods, Inc.(LWAY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) was downgraded by equities research analysts at TheStreet from a “c-” rating to a “d” rating in a report released on Friday.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Lifeway Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:LWAY) COO Edward Smolyansky sold 4,890 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.41, for a total value of $31,344.90. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 993,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,369,065.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Briggs & Stratton Corporation(BGG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  For his "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer spoke with Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO of Briggs & Stratton (BGG) , the small-engine maker that posted a penny-a-share earnings beat on Wednesday, but saw shares fall 11% on lighter-than-expected revenues and a cut in the company's full-year guidance.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) fell 23.3 percent to $9.87 in pre-market trading after declining 13.45 percent on Wednesday. SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SXCP) fell 12.8 percent to $16.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG) fell 11 percent to $17.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted mixed Q3 results and lowered its FY18 guidance. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.4 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading following downbeat Q1 results. Quality Care Properties, Inc. (NYSE: QCP) fell 8.2 percent to $20.85 in pre-market trading. Welltower announced plans to acquire QCP for $20.75 per share in cash. China Customer Relations Centers Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) shares fell 7.5 percent to $17.25 in pre-market trading after climbing 18.73 percent on Wednesday. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) shares fell 5.7 percent to $5.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) fell 5.6 percent to $38.66 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Southw

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Dorman Products, Inc.(DORM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Dorman Products (DORM)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Dorman Products (DORM)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Dorman Products (NASDAQ:DORM) are both multi-sector conglomerates companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (PK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Park Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:PK)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at Boenning Scattergood in a research note issued on Monday.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Park Hotels and Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PK) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs. The 52-week trading range for the shares is $23.91 to $32.92. The consensus price target is $30.96. The stock closed Friday at $31.60.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PK) fell about 2.7% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $23.91 after closing at $24.42 on Friday. The 52-week high is $29.93. Volume of more than 4.1million was more than double the daily average. The company announced a secondary offering of nearly 33 million shares along with an additional 4.94 million as an underwriter’s option and a private transaction involving another 15.75 million shares. All shares in the offering are being sold by HNA HLT Holdco I LLC, and none of the proceeds go to Park.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Park Hotels & Resorts (PK)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in Park Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:PK) by 745.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,425 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,771 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Park Hotels & Resorts were worth $607,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

  Get Park Hotels & Resorts alerts: HNA Group secures potential bidders for NH Hotel Group stake (hotelmanagement.net) Reliant Investment Management, LLC Buys Palo Alto Networks Inc, Sells Facebook Inc, Park Hotels & Resorts Inc … (gurufocus.com) Park Hotels & Resorts (PK) Price Target Raised to $34.00 at Barclays (americanbankingnews.com) Park Hotels & Resorts (PK) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Jefferies Group (americanbankingnews.com) Park Hotels & Resorts (PK) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $694.44 Million (americanbankingnews.com)

  Several brokerages have weighed in on PK. ValuEngine downgraded Park Hotels & Resorts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Barclays increased their price target on Park Hotels & Resorts from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Group began coverage on Park Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $37.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised Park Hotels & Resorts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Saturday, May 12th. Finally, Boenning Scattergood reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Park Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Monday, May 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.85.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Deluxe Corporation(DLX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Skyline Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 242,100 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $17,918,000. Skyline Asset Management LP owned approximately 0.51% of Deluxe as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) hit a new 52-week high and low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $66.95 and last traded at $66.64, with a volume of 9122 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $67.67.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) CEO Lee J. Schram sold 6,309 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.07, for a total transaction of $429,453.63. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 268,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,255,080.67. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) CEO Lee J. Schram sold 691 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.12, for a total value of $47,070.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 268,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,268,489.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Zacks: Analysts Expect CTI BioPharma Corp (CTIC) to Announce -$0.25 EPS

Brokerages expect CTI BioPharma Corp (NASDAQ:CTIC) to announce ($0.25) earnings per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Two analysts have provided estimates for CTI BioPharma’s earnings, with estimates ranging from ($0.27) to ($0.22). CTI BioPharma posted earnings of $0.06 per share in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year over year growth rate of 516.7%. The firm is scheduled to announce its next earnings results on Thursday, August 2nd.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that CTI BioPharma will report full year earnings of ($0.95) per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($1.19) to ($0.71). For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the business will post earnings of ($0.81) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.82) to ($0.80). Zacks’ EPS averages are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for CTI BioPharma.

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CTI BioPharma (NASDAQ:CTIC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $10.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.30 million. CTI BioPharma had a negative net margin of 71.30% and a negative return on equity of 63.27%.

Several research firms have weighed in on CTIC. BidaskClub raised shares of CTI BioPharma from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 16th. JMP Securities set a $8.00 price target on shares of CTI BioPharma and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 10th. ValuEngine raised shares of CTI BioPharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 2nd. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of CTI BioPharma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC began coverage on shares of CTI BioPharma in a research note on Monday, March 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $10.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $5.83.

CTI BioPharma opened at $2.35 on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 5.30 and a current ratio of 5.32. CTI BioPharma has a twelve month low of $2.17 and a twelve month high of $5.36.

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CTIC. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of CTI BioPharma by 48.3% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 609,849 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,634,000 after acquiring an additional 198,700 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of CTI BioPharma during the fourth quarter valued at about $472,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of CTI BioPharma by 181.5% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 109,024 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $425,000 after acquiring an additional 70,299 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of CTI BioPharma by 4.5% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 433,784 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,691,000 after acquiring an additional 18,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spark Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of CTI BioPharma by 241.9% during the first quarter. Spark Investment Management LLC now owns 40,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $156,000 after acquiring an additional 28,300 shares during the last quarter. 62.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CTI BioPharma

CTI BioPharma Corp., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of novel targeted therapies for blood-related cancers in the United States and internationally. It develops PIXUVRI, a novel aza-anthracenedione for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and pacritinib, an investigational oral kinase inhibitor with specificity for JAK2, FLT3, IRAK1, and CSF1R, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis.

Featured Article: Price to Earnings Ratio (PE) Basics

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Nuance Communications Inc. (NUAN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NUAN) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $20.25.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on NUAN. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Nuance Communications from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 11th. ValuEngine upgraded Nuance Communications from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 5th. BidaskClub upgraded Nuance Communications from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 15th. Craig Hallum lowered their target price on Nuance Communications from $24.00 to $17.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $15.00 target price (down from $18.00) on shares of Nuance Communications in a research report on Thursday, May 10th.

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Shares of Nuance Communications traded down $0.04, reaching $15.45, on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The stock had a trading volume of 43,316 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,032,853. The company has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.63. Nuance Communications has a 1 year low of $12.18 and a 1 year high of $18.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

Nuance Communications (NASDAQ:NUAN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The software maker reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $518.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $516.43 million. Nuance Communications had a positive return on equity of 9.42% and a negative net margin of 10.32%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.32 earnings per share. analysts expect that Nuance Communications will post 0.7 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, Director Mark R. Laret sold 15,000 shares of Nuance Communications stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.98, for a total transaction of $209,700.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 79,047 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,077.06. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.67% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Nuance Communications by 52.4% during the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 10,267,513 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $161,714,000 after acquiring an additional 3,530,349 shares during the period. Fairpointe Capital LLC raised its holdings in Nuance Communications by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Fairpointe Capital LLC now owns 5,219,722 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $85,343,000 after acquiring an additional 85,412 shares during the period. FIL Ltd raised its holdings in Nuance Communications by 5.6% during the first quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 4,609,355 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $72,597,000 after acquiring an additional 243,866 shares during the period. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Nuance Communications during the first quarter valued at about $50,579,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Nuance Communications during the first quarter valued at about $42,208,000. Institutional investors own 85.61% of the company’s stock.

About Nuance Communications

Nuance Communications, Inc provides voice recognition and natural language understanding solutions worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Mobile, Enterprise, and Imaging. The Healthcare segment offers transcription solutions, which enable physicians to streamline clinical documentation with medical transcription platform; Dragon Medical, a dictation software that empowers physicians to capture and document patient care on various devices; clinical document improvement and coding solutions that ensure patient health information; diagnostic solutions that allow radiologists to document, collaborate, and share medical images and reports; and professional and personal productivity solutions to business users and consumers.

See Also: What do investors mean by earnings per share?

Hot Financial Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:MET,NEO,OFC, America's biggest bank is taking another shot at China's huge financial markets.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is seeking approval from the Chinese government to launch a new brokerage in the world's second biggest economy, just weeks after Beijing relaxed restrictions on foreign ownership of financial companies.

This will be the second attempt by the Wall Street giant to gain a serious foothold in China. In late 2016, it pulled out of a joint venture in which it had a 33% stake.

China's securities regulator said Thursday it had received an application from JPMorgan seeking to establish a joint venture in which the bank would hold a controlling 51% stake. It didn't say how long the approval process would take.

China pledged last November to allow foreign companies to own Chinese banks and investment firms for the first time. It followed through on part of that promise at the end of April, announcing new rules for foreign investment in securities firms and fund managers.

Hot Financial Stocks To Own For 2019: MetLife, Inc.(MET)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Tuesday was MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) which traded down roughly 9% at $49.74. The stock��s 52-week range is $44.18 to $55.91. Volume was 28.5 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.6 million.

• [By ]

  The Evercore analysts also said that Metlife Inc. (MET) and CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO) have "sizable exposure" to long-term care from a reserve standpoint, "but our analysis indicates that their blocks have below average risk and/or more robust reserves versus peers, implying a lower risk of charges over the next few years."

• [By Logan Wallace]

  State Treasurer State of Michigan lessened its stake in shares of MetLife (NYSE:MET) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 305,185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,300 shares during the period. State Treasurer State of Michigan’s holdings in MetLife were worth $14,005,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. grew its position in MetLife (NYSE:MET) by 1.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 191,498 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,568 shares during the quarter. MetLife accounts for 1.9% of Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in MetLife were worth $8,788,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Freestone Capital Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Metlife Inc (NYSE:MET) by 6.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,824 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,648 shares during the period. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC’s holdings in Metlife were worth $1,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Hot Financial Stocks To Own For 2019: NeoGenomics, Inc.(NEO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NeoGenomics (NEO)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s analysis:

  Get NeoGenomics alerts: NeoGenomics (NEO) Receives Buy Rating from Stephens (americanbankingnews.com) NeoGenomics Redeems 100% of Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock (finance.yahoo.com) Q2 2018 EPS Estimates for NeoGenomics, Inc. Cut by William Blair (NEO) (americanbankingnews.com) NeoGenomics (NEO) Receives Buy Rating from BTIG Research (americanbankingnews.com) Steven C. Jones Sells 2,000 Shares of NeoGenomics, Inc. (NEO) Stock (americanbankingnews.com)

  NeoGenomics traded up $0.40, hitting $13.90, during trading on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 6,150 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 498,468. NeoGenomics has a 52 week low of $7.08 and a 52 week high of $14.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 231.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.69 and a beta of 0.48.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NEO (CURRENCY:NEO) traded up 6.9% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 7:00 AM Eastern on April 15th. NEO has a total market cap of $4.40 billion and $88.39 million worth of NEO was traded on exchanges in the last day. One NEO coin can now be purchased for about $67.68 or 0.00809123 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including HitBTC, OKEx, Exrates and Upbit. During the last seven days, NEO has traded up 42.9% against the US dollar.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NeoGenomics (NASDAQ:NEO) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.29.

Hot Financial Stocks To Own For 2019: Corporate Office Properties Trust(OFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  A.R.T. Advisors LLC cut its position in Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE:OFC) by 30.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 95,700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 41,800 shares during the quarter. A.R.T. Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Corporate Office Properties Trust worth $2,471,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Media headlines about Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE:OFC) have been trending somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern scores the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Corporate Office Properties Trust earned a news sentiment score of 0.12 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the real estate investment trust an impact score of 45.8310227240563 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE:OFC) by 20.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 244,725 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 41,577 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.24% of Corporate Office Properties Trust worth $6,321,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019

tags:ANTX,CFR,JCI,RAIL,NEO,MBI,

Chris Johnson

My Best in Breed (BIB) system I showed you last week is as simple as it is elegant and powerful.

I look at sectors that are outperforming and then find the high-flyer stocks within those sectors. In short, I find the strongest stocks in the strongest sectors.

The inevitable result: total market outperformance. All four of my "Best in Breed" picks so far have beaten the markets' gains since I recommended them, and all four are on track to hit my targets.

Of course, I'm doing this to help you make money, so I want stocks that I feel will continue to outperform.

That's where the BIB system shines: I've developed a unique set of indicators – including technicals, short interest, and other proprietary indicators – that tell me which stocks are more likely to break out and maintain their momentum.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: Anthem, Inc.(ANTX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Antimatter (CURRENCY:ANTX) traded 10.9% lower against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 19:00 PM E.T. on June 10th. One Antimatter coin can now be purchased for approximately $0.0001 or 0.00000002 BTC on exchanges. During the last seven days, Antimatter has traded 12.5% lower against the US dollar. Antimatter has a market cap of $0.00 and $7.00 worth of Antimatter was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.(CFR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,251,719 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 140,956 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. owned about 8.23% of Cullen/Frost Bankers worth $557,051,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR)

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

• [By Anders Bylund, Jason Hall, Danny Vena, Jordan Wathen, and Brian Feroldi]

  In that spirit, we asked a few of our Motley Fool investors what they see as the best investment ideas at the start of July, 2018. They were quick to suggest Chinese e-commerce giant�Baidu�(NASDAQ:BIDU), coffee giant Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), clean energy specialist TerraForm Power (NASDAQ:TERP), semiconductor veteran Intel, (NASDAQ:INTC), and Texan bank�Cullen/Frost Bankers�(NYSE:CFR).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  News articles about Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE:CFR) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm ranks the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Cullen/Frost Bankers earned a news sentiment score of 0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the bank an impact score of 46.1866283388257 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR)

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

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: Johnson Controls Inc.(JCI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Friday was Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE: JCI) which traded down nearly 4% at $38.37. The stock��s 52-week range is $34.51 to $44.70. Volume was 8.6 million versus the daily average of 5.5 million shares.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  10 15 Associates Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:JCI) by 5.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 249,674 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,946 shares during the period. Johnson Controls International makes up about 2.1% of 10 15 Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. 10 15 Associates Inc.’s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $8,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By ]

  Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) yields 2.6% annually and has grown its dividend by 6.8% annually over the last five years. The 2016 merger with Tyco International has transitioned the business to less cyclical segments, including safety systems, and away from automotive manufacturing products.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP lessened its position in Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:JCI) by 10.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 209,742 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 25,067 shares during the quarter. Johnson Controls International comprises 0.9% of River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP’s holdings in Johnson Controls International were worth $7,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: Freightcar America, Inc.(RAIL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  FreightCar America (NASDAQ:RAIL) Director Thomas A. Madden sold 7,506 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.69, for a total value of $117,769.14. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 20,224 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $317,314.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Friday afternoon, the industrial shares rose 0.64 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Deere & Company (NYSE: DE), up 7 percent, and FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) up 6 percent.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ:RAIL) by 95.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 730,734 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 357,670 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned about 5.87% of FreightCar America worth $9,790,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: NeoGenomics, Inc.(NEO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on NeoGenomics (NEO)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NEO (CURRENCY:NEO) traded up 6.9% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 7:00 AM Eastern on April 15th. NEO has a total market cap of $4.40 billion and $88.39 million worth of NEO was traded on exchanges in the last day. One NEO coin can now be purchased for about $67.68 or 0.00809123 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including HitBTC, OKEx, Exrates and Upbit. During the last seven days, NEO has traded up 42.9% against the US dollar.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s analysis:

  Get NeoGenomics alerts: NeoGenomics (NEO) Receives Buy Rating from Stephens (americanbankingnews.com) NeoGenomics Redeems 100% of Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock (finance.yahoo.com) Q2 2018 EPS Estimates for NeoGenomics, Inc. Cut by William Blair (NEO) (americanbankingnews.com) NeoGenomics (NEO) Receives Buy Rating from BTIG Research (americanbankingnews.com) Steven C. Jones Sells 2,000 Shares of NeoGenomics, Inc. (NEO) Stock (americanbankingnews.com)

  NeoGenomics traded up $0.40, hitting $13.90, during trading on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 6,150 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 498,468. NeoGenomics has a 52 week low of $7.08 and a 52 week high of $14.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 231.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.69 and a beta of 0.48.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  NeoGenomics (NASDAQ:NEO) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.29.

Hot Performing Stocks For 2019: MBIA, Inc.(MBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  MBIA Inc. (NYSE:MBI) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 13,349 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,714% compared to the average daily volume of 736 call options.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market finished lower on Friday, with triple-digit losses for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and modest declines of as much as half a percent for other major benchmarks. A mix of economic and political news kept investors on their toes to end the week, as fears of a possible attack on Syria watered down some of the potential upside that could have stemmed from solid earnings results from the banking sector during the morning. Even though many investors have pretty positive expectations going into earnings season, some companies suffered from disappointing news that sent their shares lower. Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET), Dropbox (NASDAQ:DBX), and MBIA (NYSE:MBI) were among the worst performers on the day. Here's why they did so poorly.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Monster Byte (CURRENCY:MBI) traded up 32.2% against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 8:00 AM E.T. on June 8th. Monster Byte has a market cap of $851,113.00 and $940.00 worth of Monster Byte was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Monster Byte token can now be purchased for about $0.0506 or 0.00000668 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges. In the last week, Monster Byte has traded flat against the dollar.

Capital City Bank Group (CCBG) Upgraded by BidaskClub to Buy

BidaskClub upgraded shares of Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on CCBG. Sandler O’Neill set a $26.00 price target on shares of Capital City Bank Group and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. FIG Partners reaffirmed a market-perform rating on shares of Capital City Bank Group in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Capital City Bank Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 26th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Capital City Bank Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, May 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $26.63.

Get Capital City Bank Group alerts:

Capital City Bank Group opened at $24.54 on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm has a market cap of $416.39 million, a P/E ratio of 25.19 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Capital City Bank Group has a 52-week low of $19.76 and a 52-week high of $26.50.

Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $34.24 million for the quarter. Capital City Bank Group had a net margin of 9.84% and a return on equity of 5.77%. equities research analysts predict that Capital City Bank Group will post 1.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 11th were given a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 8th. Capital City Bank Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.82%.

In other Capital City Bank Group news, Treasurer Thomas A. Barron sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.27, for a total transaction of $116,350.00. Following the transaction, the treasurer now owns 131,507 shares in the company, valued at $3,060,167.89. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 24.31% of the company’s stock.

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in Capital City Bank Group by 2.5% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 134,690 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,333,000 after acquiring an additional 3,300 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Capital City Bank Group by 3.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 816,412 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $20,206,000 after acquiring an additional 26,860 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in Capital City Bank Group by 8.1% during the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 39,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $968,000 after acquiring an additional 2,915 shares during the last quarter. Teton Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Capital City Bank Group during the first quarter valued at $2,044,000. Finally, Boston Partners increased its position in Capital City Bank Group by 1.8% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 161,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,997,000 after acquiring an additional 2,900 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 37.20% of the company’s stock.

Capital City Bank Group Company Profile

Capital City Bank Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Capital City Bank that provides a range of banking and banking-related services to individual and corporate clients in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. It offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as commercial leasing and letters of credit; treasury management services; and merchant credit card transaction processing services.

Bitcoin Bottom Or Just A Bitcoin Bounce?

&l;p&g;At the end of March, the large number of articles suggesting that Bitcoin would reach $20,000 or even a $100,000 in 2018 caught my interest, leading me to write &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspray/2018/03/27/a-technical-lesson-in-bitcoin/&q;&g;&a;ldquo;A Technical Lesson In Bitcoin.&a;rdquo;&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;Since I consider Bitcoin an unsuitable investment or trading vehicle, I was concerned that the financial media&s;s excessive bullishness might encourage buying by those who did not understand the risk.

&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-959188968&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/959188968/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;657&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Chesnot/Getty Images)

My analysis in March indicated that the daily and weekly trend for the NYSE Bitcoin Index (NYXBT) was negative. In particular, I was watching the key 61.8% Fibonacci support at $7326 because, if it was broken, then a decline to $5,500-$6,000 and potentially the $4,874-area was possible. NYXBT dropped to a low of $6,589 in the first week of April, which confirmed my negative outlook.

Just a week ago, NYXBT hit a low of $5,883. With lower and lower price levels, it is no surprise that the sentiment has seen a dramatic turn in the past three months. The bullish hype in the financial press has all but evaporated. The only Wall Street strategist to issue price targets for Bitcoin, Tom Lee from Fundstrat Global Advisors, has lowered his 2018 target &l;a href=&q;https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/05/fundstrats-tom-lee-cuts-his-year-end-bitcoin-forecast-to-20000.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;from 25,000 to 20,000&l;/a&g;. Since the low, the NYXBT has rallied back to $6,585, but is this just an oversold bounce or could a bottom be forming?

With no volume data available for NYXBT, I rely on momentum indicators like the MACD-His, pivot point analysis, and Fibonacci support/resistance levels. As I pointed out in March and also in &l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspray/2018/05/31/what-does-bitcoins-rally-failure-mean/#4cb87411ec32&q;&g;my May update&l;/a&g;, the weekly MACD turned negative the week ending February 2, 2018 (point c) and was still clearly negative at the end of May.

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-20466&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/tomaspray/files/2018/07/Fig1bitcoin75.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;767&q; data-width=&q;1239&q;&g;

The current weekly chart shows that the MACD line is well below the Signal line and the MACD-His (in red) is still below the zero line, both of which indicate negative price momentum. The MACD-His has formed a potentially bullish divergence, as it has formed higher lows (line d) while the NYXBT has formed lower lows.

For a number of years, I have been using quarterly pivot (QPivot) levels for trend analysis.&a;nbsp; This is calculated by plugging in the prior quarter&s;s high, low, and close into the standard pivot point formula P = (H + L + C)/3. A pivot acts as a key level of support or resistance, and the longer the time period, the more important it becomes. As such, the QPivot can generate more reliable signals than monthly or weekly pivots.

One thing I have observed about QPivots is that you come up with levels that are generally not derived from other technical methods. They also can give you a basis for three months of trading. When a market starts off a quarter above its QPivot, it is positive, or if it opens the quarter below it, there is a negative for the market you are analyzing. Each Friday, I then compare the weekly closing price to the QPivot for signs that the trend has changed.

On January 19, 2017, (line a) NYXBT closed at $898, which was above 2018&s;s first QPivot of $842 that was calculated from the price data from the last quarter of 2016.&a;nbsp; For the next year, NYXBT never had a weekly close below its QPivot. For the first quarter of 2018, the QPivot stood at $12,748, and Friday January 19, 2018 (line b) NYXBT closed at $9517, which was well below the QPivot.

The second QPivot of 2018 was at $10,161, and the May high was $9593, with May&s;s rally failing below the QPivot. Now that a new quarter has started, the new third QPivot can be calculated, which is $7119. A weekly close above this level would be a sign that the rally from the recent low is more than just a bounce. It would be further validated if the weekly MACD analysis also turned positive, which would likely take a few weeks. This would be a sign that this is not just an oversold rally.

Looking at the decline from the NYXBT high at $18,723 in December 2017 to the recent low at $5883, the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement stands at $10,787. A move above this level is needed to signal a rally to the 50% resistance at $12,303. There is currently no technical support for a move to the $20,000 level.

If Bitcoin does form a bottom in the coming weeks, I still would not recommend it for trading or investing. Among cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin appears to be the safest and most regulated, but the risk in even trading Bitcoin far exceeds the potential reward. For those of you considering buying Bitcoin, my analysis is that it&s;s only suitable for capital that you can afford to lose.

I use similar analysis in both my &l;a href=&q;http://guides.viperreport.com/viper-etf/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Viper ETF Report&l;/a&g; and the &l;a href=&q;http://guides.viperreport.com/viper-hot-stocks/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Viper Hot Stocks Report&l;/a&g;.

&l;!--donotpaginate--&g;&l;/p&g;

Why Acxiom Corporation Stock Popped (Again) Today

What happened

Shares of Acxiom Corporation (NASDAQ:ACXM) were up 15.3% as of 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday after the database marketing company confirmed it will sell its Acxiom Marketing Solutions (AMS) business to Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG) for $2.3 billion in cash.�

So what

The formal agreement extends�Acxiom's�14.2% pop�on Monday, which was spurred by a Reuters report early in the day that Interpublic was�close�to a deal to buy the division for around $2.2 billion.

Image source: Getty Images.

For perspective, just last week Acxiom's entire market capitalization stood at around $2.3 billion. And one separate report�(link may require subscription) from The Wall Street Journal�previously suggested that AMS -- which contributes around three-fourths to Acxiom's total sales -- would command a price between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion.�

"The successful completion of this transaction represents yet another milestone in the Company's transformation," stated Axciom CFO Warren Jenson. "This deal returns significant capital to shareholders, and at the same time, allows us to invest in LiveRamp's industry-leading capabilities, technology and market opportunities."

Now what

Acxiom expects the sale to close by the end of 2018, at which time the Acxiom brand name and associated trade marks will be transferred to IPG. Acxiom will also rename itself to "LiveRamp" -- a reflection of its focus on the remaining data onboarding business unit -- and will trade under the new ticker symbol "RAMP."

The company will also repay its entire $230 million debt balance, initiate a $500 million cash tender offer for its common stock, and increase its current share-repurchase authorization by up to $500 million.

In the end, between the significantly higher-than-expected sale price of AMS, boosted capital return initiatives, and the company's new focus on its faster-growing subsidiary, it's hardly surprising to see Acxiom stock soaring again today.

3 Top Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

Finding the best dividend stocks involves selecting companies that have the financial stability to continue paying dividends for years to come, a healthy yield, and a solid business that can weather the inevitable tides of the stock market.

To help you track down a few such companies, we asked a few Motley Fool contributors for some to dividend stocks you should consider adding to your portfolio right now. Here's why Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) made it on to their list.

Image source: Getty Images.

Adjusting to a changing market

Reuben Gregg Brewer (The Procter & Gamble Company): Consumer tastes are changing, and that's having a negative impact on Procter & Gamble, whose stock is down around 15% so far this year. But the consumer products giant hasn't been sitting still; it's adjusting to better serve customers.

The biggest change was the decision to slim down, getting rid of smaller and unprofitable brands. That effort is complete, allowing P&G to focus on its largest and most important businesses, including iconic brands like Gillette, Bounty, and Pampers. Procter & Gamble's core strengths are in research & development, marketing, and distribution, so putting more of its money and time behind a smaller portfolio of brands makes complete sense.

It's also been augmenting its product lineup by introducing "natural" versions of its iconic brands to better align with current consumer demand. In addition, it has been more aggressively taking on internet-based competitors. These are all hard choices that require near-term sacrifices for a long-term benefit. Fiscal 2017 revenues, for example, fell about 0.5%.�

Image source: PG Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts.

However, nine months into fiscal 2018, we're starting to see improved results as P&G's top line advanced 3% year over year. So, the combination of its efforts appear to be taking hold. That, however, is being obscured somewhat today by rising costs, notably for transportation. While investors are worrying about the current headwind (which will eventually get resolved by price increases), you can buy P&G with a yield of nearly 4% and pay more attention to the improving big picture.� �

A great software company

Ashraf Eassa (Microsoft): Software giant Microsoft isn't the highest-yielding stock on the market -- its dividend yield is just 1.7% as of writing -- but it's a phenomenal business that should continue to do well over the long term.

Microsoft's growth, despite the fact that it's already a huge business, continues to be impressive. Last quarter, the company reported that its revenue surged 16% to an eye-popping $26.8 billion, with operating income -- my favorite measure of a business's financial health -- growing 23% to $8.3 billion.

The company isn't a one-trick pony, either, with its growth being relatively broad-based. For example, last quarter, Microsoft's Productivity and Business Process segment enjoyed 17% revenue growth, its Intelligent Cloud business unit saw sales grow by 15%, and its More Personal Computing segment saw revenue rise by 11%.

Microsoft has a lot of great product franchises and business units that have delivered and could continue to deliver excellent, highly profitable growth. So, if you're looking for a solid business that, in addition to offering investors a real opportunity for significant share price appreciation, also pays a reasonable dividend, Microsoft is definitely worth a look.

A bet on emerging wireless tech

Chris Neiger (Verizon): Verizon hardly needs an introduction, but it's worth taking a second to consider the company's position in the mobile wireless market. Even with increased competition in the cellular space over the past few years from AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon still remains the biggest carrier in the U.S. by customers. Not only that, but Verizon is bent on leading the competition in the nascent 5G wireless market as well.

5G will allow for faster uploads and downloads across the mobile internet, enhance wireless connections for Internet of Things devices, and bring new business opportunities for telecoms like fixed wireless broadband. The push for 5G technology is growing across the globe, and in the U.S., Verizon is quickly becoming a leader.

The company launched 5G tests in five markets this year and aims to start commercial 5G services next year. If you think 5G is just another cell-phone company gimmick, consider that this new tech is expected to become a $251 billion market by 2025.

Not only does 5G offer new ways for the company to grow its wireless and home broadband businesses, it's also becoming clear that Verizon is looking to 5G to enhance its content business as well. You may recall that Verizon currently owns Yahoo!, AOL, and other content services, which are housed under its Oath subsidiary. Well, last month, Oath CEO Tim Armstrong�(formerly the CEO of AOL)�told CNBC in an interview: "That's why 5G is important. It's more speed, but it's also amazing amounts of compute power for us to do different types of content."

Investors will have to be patient in waiting for Verizon to launch its�commercial 5G services next year, and understand that it could take a few more years before it spreads across the country. Nevertheless, it's clear that the nation's No. 1 wireless telecom is taking the right steps now to benefit from this new technology in the coming years.

With Verizon's dividend yield at about 4.7% right now and its shares trading at just 6.6 times the company's trailing earnings -- along with its growing 5G potential -- this dividend stock should easily earn a spot on nearly any income investor's short list.�