Head-To-Head Analysis: American Public Education (APEI) & China Distance Education (DL)

American Public Education (NASDAQ: APEI) and China Distance Education (NYSE:DL) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, earnings and profitability.

Risk and Volatility

Get American Public Education alerts:

American Public Education has a beta of 0.67, indicating that its stock price is 33% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, China Distance Education has a beta of 1.52, indicating that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

94.1% of American Public Education shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 22.1% of China Distance Education shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.2% of American Public Education shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 41.6% of China Distance Education shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares American Public Education and China Distance Education’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
American Public Education	7.10%	7.90%	6.71%
China Distance Education	3.94%	9.25%	2.65%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for American Public Education and China Distance Education, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
American Public Education	0	3	1	0	2.25
China Distance Education	0	0	0	0	N/A

American Public Education currently has a consensus price target of $39.33, suggesting a potential downside of 11.91%. Given American Public Education’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe American Public Education is more favorable than China Distance Education.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares American Public Education and China Distance Education’s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
American Public Education	$299.25 million	2.45	$21.12 million	$1.29	34.61
China Distance Education	$130.99 million	1.90	$14.93 million	N/A	N/A

American Public Education has higher revenue and earnings than China Distance Education.

Summary

American Public Education beats China Distance Education on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

American Public Education Company Profile

American Public Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides online and campus-based postsecondary education. The company operates through two segments, American Public Education and Hondros College of Nursing. It offers 108 degree programs and 109 certificate programs in various fields of study, including business administration, health science, technology, criminal justice, education, and liberal arts, as well as national security, military studies, intelligence, and homeland security. The company also provides diploma in practical nursing and an associate degree in nursing; and an online registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing completion program. American Public Education, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Charles Town, West Virginia.

China Distance Education Company Profile

China Distance Education Holdings Limited provides online and offline education services, and sells related products in the People's Republic of China. It operates through three segments: Online Education Services, Business Start-Up Training Services, and The Sale of Learning Simulation Software. The company offers online professional education services in accounting, healthcare, and engineering and construction industries; and other professional education courses, such as online test-preparation courses for the national judicial examination and self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, test preparation courses for university students, accounting practical skills training courses, and online language courses. Its online courses feature pre-recorded audio-video lectures taught by experts; and other content, such as course outlines, exercise questions, mock exams, and frequently asked questions and answers. The company's online lectures are supplemented by its proprietary Learning Management System, which tracks individual study progress, records course notes, and collects incorrectly answered questions. As of September 30, 2017, it operated 25 Websites, including its primary Website cdeledu.com. In addition, the company operates an Open Learning Platform, a proprietary education platform to share educational content and deliver live courses online; and sells proprietary books and reference materials. Further, it provides business start-up training courses to university students, job seekers, and individuals; offline accounting and healthcare professional training, courseware production, and online platform development services; and mobile accounting, engineering and construction, healthcare, and legal courses through an app on Android and Apple iOS tablets and smart phones, as well as sells learning simulation software to the college market. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

3 Money Lessons I Wish I'd Learned When I Was Younger

There are lots of important lessons to learn in life, such as change can be good, you can learn from failures, and time heals many wounds. While some lessons we learn early in life and some we don't learn at all, some we learn later than we wish we had.

That's true in the financial realm, too, and when it comes to finances, lessons learned late or not at all can be quite costly. Here are three money lessons I wish I'd learned when I was younger.

Image source: Getty Images.

Make smart career decisions sooner

As a kid and a teenager, and, sadly, even as a college student, I didn't give too much thought to what I would do for a living or what my career would be. That probably seems fair enough for kids and teenagers, but there are some activities I could have engaged in that would have been helpful for my career. For example, I could have learned multiple languages in school, instead of mainly French. Knowing another language might have been helpful in various careers.

I could have chatted with and even interviewed lots of my friends' parents about what they did for a living and what their jobs were like. I could have explored a wider array of fields by taking more art classes, or computer programming classes, and so on.

By the time I was in college, I would have done well to think not just about what kind of job I could eventually do and would enjoy, but what kinds of jobs were likely to provide the kind of income I'd want, and the kind of income to help me reach my financial goals. By the way, I had no financial goals at the time, and some of those would have been good to have earlier rather than later. A little consideration might have had me thinking it would be nice to retire early and to own my own home in my 30s.

Start investing sooner

Another cause for lamentation is that I didn't start investing in stocks as soon as I wish I had. I didn't know how to invest, and I didn't yet realize how much wealth I could amass if I put my mind to it. After all, I had the massive benefit of time on my side. I did get my wake-up call while I was still relatively young, but I lost out on at least five or 10 years of having a growing portfolio.

Here's what a difference five or 10 years can do to a portfolio:

Growing at 8% for

$5,000 invested annually

$10,000 invested annually

$15,000 invested annually

5 years	$31,680	$63,359	$95,039
10 years	$78,227	$156,455	$234,682
15 years	$146,621	$293,243	$439,864
20 years	$247,115	$494,229	$741,344
25 years	$394,772	$789,544	$1.2 million
30 years	$611,729	$1.2 million	$1.8 million
35 years	$930,511	$1.9 million	$2.8 million
40 years	$1.4 million	$2.8 million	$4.2 million

Calculations by author.

Imagine that beginning at age 40, you sock away $10,000 per year for 25 years, and your average annual growth rate is 8%. If you retire at age 65, you'd have about $790,000. That's pretty good! (Applying the 4% rule, it would generate more than $31,000 in income in your first year of retirement.) But if you'd started five years earlier, at age 35, you'd be ending up with $1.2 million after 30 years -- that's a difference of around $400,000 in just five years. Conversely, if you'd started at age 35, you might have retired at 60 instead of 65, with that $790,000.

The example is simplified, of course. You'll probably start out able to save less than $10,000 annually, and as time goes on you can increase your annual contributions to retirement accounts. Your growth rate may be higher or lower than 8%, too. But the sooner you start, and the more you sock away (especially in your earlier years), the better.

Image source: Getty Images.

Make the most of Roth IRAs

Finally, I wish I'd known about and started using Roth IRAs earlier. As you might recall, there are two main kinds of IRAs -- the traditional IRA and the Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA, you contribute pre-tax money, reducing your taxable income for the year, and thereby reducing your taxes. If you have taxable income of $70,000 and make a $5,000 contribution, you'll only report $65,000 in taxable income for the year. If you're in a 24% tax bracket, you can avoid paying $1,200 in tax on that $5,000 in the contribution year. The money grows in your account and is taxed at your ordinary income tax rate later -- when you withdraw it in retirement. Many of us will be in lower tax brackets in retirement, so not only is our taxation postponed, but it's often reduced. That's the tax break you get with a traditional IRA.

A Roth IRA, meanwhile, receives post-tax contributions, so your taxable income isn't reduced at all in the contribution year. If you have taxable income of $70,000 and make a $5,000 contribution, your taxable income remains $70,000 for the year.�The great thing about the Roth IRA is that if you follow the rules, your money grows in the account until you withdraw it in retirement --�tax-free.

IRA contribution limits for the tax year 2018 are $5,500, plus an extra $1,000 "catch-up" contribution for those age 50 or older, letting those folks sock away as much as $6,500 for the year. Many companies offer Roth versions of their 401(k) plans, and those are worth considering, too -- especially because contribution limits are much higher for 401(k)s. For 2018, the 401(k) contribution limit is $18,500, with an additional $6,000 allowed for those 50 and older.

Scroll up and revisit the table. Imagine that some or much of your annual retirement savings are in Roth IRAs or Roth 401(k)s. Imagine that over, say, 20 years, you accumulate $500,000 in your Roth accounts. Come retirement, you'll be able to withdraw all that money tax-free -- at a time in your life when you'll really value every dollar and be happy to not be taxed on it.

The more you learn about money throughout your life, the better off you'll likely be -- financially and otherwise. You may be able to retire early or just enjoy being not too stressed out about your finances.

Foamix Pharmaceuticals (FOMX) Earning Somewhat Favorable Press Coverage, Report Shows

Press coverage about Foamix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:FOMX) has trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than 20 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 closest to one being the most favorable. Foamix Pharmaceuticals earned a news impact score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned press coverage about the specialty pharmaceutical company an impact score of 45.4298608245084 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near term.

Foamix Pharmaceuticals traded up $0.22, reaching $5.43, during mid-day trading on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. 63,600 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 122,202. The company has a market capitalization of $218.32 million, a PE ratio of -3.09 and a beta of 1.90. Foamix Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $4.34 and a 1 year high of $7.45.

Get Foamix Pharmaceuticals alerts:

Foamix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:FOMX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.69) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.45) by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $0.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 million. Foamix Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 103.64% and a negative net margin of 2,119.19%. equities research analysts predict that Foamix Pharmaceuticals will post -1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. HC Wainwright set a $12.00 price objective on Foamix Pharmaceuticals and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 17th. ValuEngine upgraded Foamix Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 11th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded Foamix Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $9.67.

In related news, Director Stanley Hirsch sold 6,164 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Sunday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.09, for a total transaction of $31,374.76. Following the transaction, the director now owns 12,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,500.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold a total of 6,975 shares of company stock worth $35,522 in the last 90 days. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Foamix Pharmaceuticals

Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes foam-based formulations primarily for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne, moderate-to-severe papulo-pustular rosacea, and other skin conditions in the United States and Germany. Its lead product candidates include FMX101, a novel topical foam formulation of the antibiotic minocycline, which has completed a double-blind and dose-ranging Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne; and FMX102 that has completed a Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of impetigo caused by staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

Stellar Biotechnologies (SBOT) Receives Media Impact Score of 0.19

Media stories about Stellar Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:SBOT) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing more than 20 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. Stellar Biotechnologies earned a news sentiment score of 0.19 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news coverage about the biotechnology company an impact score of 48.7369692527559 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

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

Get Stellar Biotechnologies alerts: 200 days simple moving average (SMA200) to Watch Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK), Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc … (stocksnewspoint.com) Morning Stocks You Can’t Afford to Pass Up:: Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX), Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc … (journalfinance.net) Should Investors Adjust Their Holdings in Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (NasdaqCM:SBOT)? Target Weight Stands at … (bedfordnewsjournal.com) Bright Stocks in Review: Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBOT … (journalfinance.net) Notable News Review: Telefonica, SA, (NYSE: TEF), Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SBOT) (globalexportlines.com)

Separately, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Stellar Biotechnologies from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th.

Stellar Biotechnologies traded down $0.01, hitting $1.86, during midday trading on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 262,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 656,707. Stellar Biotechnologies has a 12 month low of $1.65 and a 12 month high of $10.85. The stock has a market cap of $6.17 million, a PE ratio of -0.54 and a beta of 0.22.

Stellar Biotechnologies Company Profile

Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc, a biotechnology company, engages in the aquaculture, research and development, manufacture, and commercialization of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) protein in Europe, North America, and Asia. The company offers KLH, an immune-stimulating protein used in the production of various immunotherapies; and as a carrier molecule or finished injectable product in the immunodiagnostic market.

Retirement plan: When is Roth not best option?

Anyone saving for retirement has probably had to decide between saving in a Roth account versus a traditional retirement account.

The biggest reason people recommend saving in a Roth account is if you think you'll have a higher income in retirement than you do now. But if you're already saving for retirement, and you intend to maintain the same quality of living, your retirement income shouldn't exceed your current income.

Moreover, comparing your current income to your potential retirement income isn't exactly the right comparison. Instead, you need to compare the tax rate you'll pay on a Roth contribution today versus the tax rate on traditional retirement account withdrawals in retirement. It's very often the case that you'll pay a lower overall tax rate on withdrawals from a traditional account than you'll pay on Roth contributions today even if you have a higher income in retirement.

Marginal tax rates versus effective tax rates

Before you can understand why it likely makes more sense to use a traditional retirement account versus a Roth account, you must first understand the difference between marginal tax rates and effective tax rates.

Marginal tax rate: the tax rate on your next dollar of income. People that say they're in the 22% income tax bracket are describing their marginal tax rate.Effective tax rate: your total tax bill as a percentage of your income. This number is always lower than the marginal tax rate due to the progressive nature of the U.S. tax system.

Jason Hall did an excellent write up on marginal and effective tax rates that goes into more depth.

For every dollar you contribute to a traditional retirement account, you're reducing your taxable income and saving on taxes at your marginal tax rate. The corollary is that each dollar saved in a Roth account is effectively taxed at your marginal tax rate because you could've saved it in a traditional account.

That's very important to understand, so you might want to reread that last paragraph.

More:Saving enough? 3 questions to answer that will help grow your retirement nest egg

More:401(k) limits: 7 answers to your top retirement plan questions

More:Need a retirement savings boost? 3 painless ways to retire richer

You'd have to spend a lot more in retirement for Roth to make sense

A single person making $60,000 per year is in the 22% tax bracket after taking the $12,000 standard deduction. In order to reach a 22% effective tax rate on a traditional IRA withdrawal, he'd have to have an income of $195,105 in retirement, assuming the same tax code as today.

The math works a little bit better for someone in the 12% tax bracket. Someone making $50,700 per year is right at the top of the 12% bracket after taking the standard deduction. Still, they'd have to withdraw $52,605 from a traditional IRA in retirement for the math to work out in favor of a Roth IRA. That's a 16.4% increase in spending during retirement after factoring out the $5,500 saved in a Roth account during working years.

So, it really depends on how much you spend in retirement. I'm a firm believer of living the life you want as long as you can save for your future at the same time. I don't expect my retirement expenses to increase over my current living expenses. As some expenses like healthcare increase, my housing cost will effectively decrease due to inflation and eventually move a lot closer to $0 after paying off my mortgage.

Assuming you maintain the same standard of living in retirement, your taxes will be lower if you choose a traditional retirement account over a Roth account, all else being equal.

 (Photo: Getty Images)

Don't tilt the math in favor of Roths

Many Roth proponents also like to point out that you can effectively save more in a Roth account than a traditional account, since you're saving the taxes too. And that's technically true, but what if you just saved your tax savings from using a traditional retirement account in a taxable account?

The U.S. government really wants people to invest, so it has very favorable long-term capital gains tax rates. There's even a very generous 0% tax bracket for long-term capital gains. As long as your total taxable income is below $38,700 if your single or $77,400 if you're married, you pay no taxes on long-term capital gains. It's very likely the taxes on your capital gains in retirement will be lower than the taxes on Roth contributions during your working years.

When to use Roths

While I think most people will be better off saving in traditional retirement accounts, there are always exceptions.

If you already have a marginal tax rate of 0%, then you should definitely save money in a Roth account. This actually happened to me recently, when I had a year of relatively low income, saved enough in my traditional 401(k), and had other deductions and credits that resulted in a $0 tax bill. If you have a lot of kids, for example, and you get a lot of tax credits for them, a Roth could work out better for your situation.

At the 10% marginal tax rate, it's a very close call and the tax benefits for traditional contributions are practically nothing for most people. It might make sense to lock in the 10% rate as a hedge against potential tax increases in the future.

If you don't qualify for a traditional IRA deduction, you should put your money in a Roth account. The IRS phases out the IRA deduction as your income increases. The government also prevents you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA if your income gets too high. You can still, however, execute the backdoor Roth with after-tax contributions to your IRA. If you can execute the megabackdoor Roth, you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

Saving in a Roth account is better than saving in a taxable account. You'll be able to buy and sell stocks without worrying about capital gains and you'll be able to withdraw the gains tax free regardless of your income in retirement.

Ultimately, every person's situation is different. This article aims to provide a framework for making the Roth versus Traditional decision: compare your marginal tax rate today versus your effective tax rate in retirement. It might require you to do some homework to figure out your financial situation, but it can save you thousands of dollars in taxes over the long run.

For me, it usually makes sense to max out my pre-tax retirement accounts before looking at Roth contributions.

CLOSE

Trade your sunglasses for snowsuits and umbrellas if you want to live in one the three best cities for enjoying your golden years. Buzz60's Sean Dowling has more. Buzz60

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Offer from the Motley Fool: The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook
If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.�Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

Analysts’ Weekly Ratings Changes for Hain Celestial Group (HAIN)

Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN) recently received a number of ratings updates from brokerages and research firms:

7/2/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating. 6/25/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. They now have a $40.00 price target on the stock. They wrote, “We believe this morning��s CEO succession announcement positions HAIN for its next phase.”” 6/25/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Citigroup Inc from $40.00 to $36.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 6/20/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating. 6/12/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating. 6/5/2018 – Hain Celestial Group is now covered by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They set a “buy” rating and a $33.00 price target on the stock. 6/2/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating. 5/10/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was given a new $30.00 price target on by analysts at Loop Capital. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock. 5/10/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by analysts at SunTrust Banks, Inc.. 5/9/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Buckingham Research from $37.00 to $27.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock. 5/9/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its price target lowered by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $39.00 to $31.00. They now have a “market perform” rating on the stock. 5/9/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was given a new $38.00 price target on by analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/8/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Maxim Group. They now have a $40.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $50.00. 5/8/2018 – Hain Celestial Group had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. They now have a $40.00 price target on the stock. They wrote, “3Q results (incl. HPP which is now classified as discontinued ops) came in significantly below expectations. Much of the miss was driven by higher corp. expense, freight and commodity related headwinds as well as higher marketing investments, all of which we view as transitory. We estimate comparable 3Q EBITDA missed our estimate significantly & revised guidance (incl. HPP) implies 4Q EBITDA ~21% lower than before, ~18% below our est., & ~16% below consensus.”” 5/7/2018 – Hain Celestial Group was given a new $32.00 price target on by analysts at Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.

Shares of Hain Celestial Group opened at $30.28 on Friday, according to MarketBeat. Hain Celestial Group Inc has a 52 week low of $25.41 and a 52 week high of $45.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 2.79, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Get Hain Celestial Group Inc alerts:

Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.10). Hain Celestial Group had a net margin of 2.81% and a return on equity of 8.32%. The company had revenue of $632.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $746.48 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.35 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. equities analysts expect that Hain Celestial Group Inc will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Hain Celestial Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,372,000. Summit Trail Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Hain Celestial Group by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 28,408 shares of the company’s stock worth $616,000 after purchasing an additional 3,164 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hain Celestial Group by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 454,320 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,570,000 after purchasing an additional 13,377 shares in the last quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB grew its position in shares of Hain Celestial Group by 46.3% during the 1st quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB now owns 12,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $405,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Hain Celestial Group by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,082,283 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,708,000 after purchasing an additional 4,413 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.21% of the company’s stock.

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells organic and natural products. Its grocery products include infant formula; infant, toddler, and kids foods; diapers and wipes; rice and grain-based products; flour and baking mixes; breads, hot and cold cereals, pasta, condiments, cooking and culinary oils, granolas, and cereal bars; canned, chilled fresh, aseptic, and instant soups; Greek-style yogurts; chilies and packaged grains; chocolates; and nut butters, as well as plant-based beverages and frozen desserts, such as soy, rice, oat, almond, and coconut.

Shoe Carnival, Inc. (SCVL) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $265.90 Million

Equities research analysts forecast that Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCVL) will announce sales of $265.90 million for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Two analysts have issued estimates for Shoe Carnival’s earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $264.80 million and the highest is $267.00 million. Shoe Carnival posted sales of $235.06 million during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 13.1%. The firm is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 29th.

On average, analysts expect that Shoe Carnival will report full-year sales of $1.02 billion for the current financial year. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the business will post sales of $1.02 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $1.01 billion to $1.03 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that follow Shoe Carnival.

Get Shoe Carnival alerts:

Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ:SCVL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 24th. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $257.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $261.82 million. Shoe Carnival had a return on equity of 9.61% and a net margin of 2.31%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.48 EPS.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on SCVL. BidaskClub raised Shoe Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 31st. TheStreet upgraded Shoe Carnival from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Friday, May 25th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Shoe Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $37.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 31st. Pivotal Research set a $31.00 target price on Shoe Carnival and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 28th. Finally, ValuEngine raised Shoe Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Shoe Carnival currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $29.50.

SCVL traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $32.89. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 146,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 262,089. Shoe Carnival has a twelve month low of $15.07 and a twelve month high of $34.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $526.35 million, a P/E ratio of 22.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.85.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 27th. Investors of record on Monday, July 9th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 6th. Shoe Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.13%.

In related news, Director Jeffrey C. Gerstel sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.48, for a total transaction of $29,376.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $119,780.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Kent A. Kleeberger sold 2,142 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.33, for a total value of $69,250.86. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $543,111.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 22.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Shoe Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at about $110,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Shoe Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $172,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in Shoe Carnival during the 1st quarter valued at $219,000. Koch Industries Inc. bought a new stake in Shoe Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $228,000. Finally, Element Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Shoe Carnival during the 1st quarter valued at $251,000. Institutional investors own 82.69% of the company’s stock.

Shoe Carnival Company Profile

Shoe Carnival, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a family footwear retailer in the United States. The company offers various dress, casual, and athletic footwear products for men, women, and children; and accessories, such as socks, belts, shoe care items, handbags, sport bags, backpacks, jewelry, scarves, and wallets.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Shoe Carnival (SCVL)

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

SL Green Realty Corp (SLG) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE:SLG) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $111.54.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sandler O’Neill reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of SL Green Realty in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. ValuEngine lowered shares of SL Green Realty from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of SL Green Realty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $107.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of SL Green Realty from $114.00 to $113.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 24th. Finally, SunTrust Banks lowered shares of SL Green Realty from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $108.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Friday, March 9th.

Get SL Green Realty alerts:

NYSE SLG traded up $0.91 on Tuesday, reaching $101.28. The company had a trading volume of 369,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 987,266. The firm has a market cap of $8.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.70, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 2.72, a quick ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. SL Green Realty has a 1-year low of $89.46 and a 1-year high of $107.88.

SL Green Realty (NYSE:SLG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 18th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($1.10). The company had revenue of $301.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $295.93 million. SL Green Realty had a return on equity of 2.72% and a net margin of 13.36%. SL Green Realty’s revenue for the quarter was down 20.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. equities research analysts forecast that SL Green Realty will post 6.75 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.813 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 28th. This represents a $3.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.21%. SL Green Realty’s dividend payout ratio is 50.39%.

In other news, insider Andrew S. Levine sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.23, for a total transaction of $1,503,450.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.65% of the company’s stock.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SLG. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 1,668.9% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 492,035 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $49,661,000 after purchasing an additional 464,219 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 158.7% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 588,950 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $57,027,000 after purchasing an additional 361,279 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 71.1% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 402,328 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $40,607,000 after purchasing an additional 167,207 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 352.2% in the 1st quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 188,005 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $18,205,000 after purchasing an additional 146,426 shares during the period. Finally, Madison International Realty Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 25.7% in the 1st quarter. Madison International Realty Holdings LLC now owns 646,723 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $62,622,000 after purchasing an additional 132,066 shares during the period.

SL Green Realty Company Profile

SL Green Realty Corp., an S&P 500 company and New York City's largest office landlord, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is focused primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing value of Manhattan commercial properties. As of March 31, 2018, SL Green held interests in 118 Manhattan buildings totaling 49.9 million square feet.