Women at the Helm

Earnings season kicks off with big banks, Netflix: What to know in the week ahead

Market participants are bracing for the start of what will likely be the weakest corporate earnings season since the global financial crisis, as the coronavirus pandemic and measures to contain it hit business activity especially hard in the second quarter.

• The coming earnings season could bring lofty stocks down to earth

  Financial Times
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  What Will Q2 Earnings Season Show?

  Zacks

AUD/USD and NZD/USD Fundamental Weekly Forecast – Up on Risk Sentiment, but COVID-19 Worries Linger

A failure to contain the spread of the virus could plunge the economies of the United States, Australia and New Zealand back into hibernation.

Geopolitics, COVID-19 News, FED Chair Powell, and BoE Governor Bailey in Focus

It’s a quiet day on the economic calendar. FED Chair Powell and BoE Governor Bailey are scheduled to speak. Expect Trump and COVID-19 to also influence.

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  European Equities: A Lack of Stats Leaves COVID-19 and Geopolitics in Focus

  FX Empire
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  The Week Ahead – COVID-19, Earnings, the Economic Calendar, and Trump in Focus

  FX Empire

Advanced Micro Devices At Cusp Of A Major Breakout

AMD has completed a cup and handle breakout pattern following a 3-month consolidation at the 2020 high.

3 Things to Watch in the Stock Market This Week

Netflix is one of several popular stocks set to report second-quarter earnings results over the next few days.

Better Buy: IBM vs. Alphabet

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) relies heavily on advertising revenue, but has expanded its business into the growing cloud computing market, where IBM (NYSE: IBM) also plays. The cloud is an exciting segment, but that didn't help these tech titans avoid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. IBM was well on its way to repositioning its business around cloud computing services when the pandemic struck.

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  IBM X-Force Red

  ABC 2 News WMAR
• IBM to Buy WDG Automation

  Motley Fool

Pepsi Earnings: 3 Trends to Watch

Pepsi's (NASDAQ: PEP) status as a bedrock beverage and snack food seller usually makes it a favorite stock for investors during tough economic times. Drinking occasions for brands like Pepsi and Gatorade have plummeted due to the postponement of sporting events, concerts, and most other large social gatherings. Pepsi's last announcement showed strong growth, with organic sales jumping 8% as core earnings expanded 10%.

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  3 Things to Watch in the Stock Market This Week

  Motley Fool
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  Domino's Pizza (DPZ) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

  Zacks

Why Top Auto Stocks Plummeted in the First Half of 2020

From stay-at-home orders to manufacturing shutdowns, the auto industry had a rough start to the year.

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  Why Wells Fargo Stock Plunged 52% in the First Half of 2020

  Motley Fool
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  Why Progressive Stock Rose 10.7% in the First Half of 2020

  Motley Fool

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) Delivered A Better ROE Than Its Industry

Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is...

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  Why Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (NYSE:BAH) Looks Like A Quality Company

  Simply Wall St.
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  Is Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EXPD) Recent Performance Tethered To Its Attractive Financial Prospects?

  Simply Wall St.

Consumers Energy Foundation Provides $135,000 to Michigan Nonprofits Through COVID-19 Pandemic

The Consumers Energy Foundation today announced $135,000 in grants to assist 14 Michigan nonprofit organizations, helping them meet critical needs as they serve residents the COVID-19 pandemic has affected.

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  To The Point 7/12/20 - Part 2

  WPTV News West Palm Beach
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  City, county offices feeling financial fallout from the pandemic

  ABC Action News - WFTS

Aussie dollar range bound amid growing COVID19 concerns

Posted by OFX AUD - Australian Dollar The Australian Dollar is fractionally lower this morning against the US Dollar trading around 0.6950. The advance of the local currency seems to be stalling just ahead of a key resistance levels against the Greenback having failed to extend the weeks early uptick and push … Continue reading "Aussie dollar range bound amid growing COVID19 concerns"The post Aussie dollar range bound amid growing COVID19 concerns appeared first on .

Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On CMS Energy Corporation (CMS) ?

The latest 13F reporting period has come and gone, and Insider Monkey is again at the forefront when it comes to making use of this gold mine of data. We at Insider Monkey have plowed through 821 13F filings that hedge funds and well-known value investors are required to file by the SEC. The 13F […]

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  Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO) ?

  Insider Monkey
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  Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On Travelers Companies Inc (TRV)?

  Insider Monkey

Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On Sempra Energy (SRE) ?

How do you pick the next stock to invest in? One way would be to spend days of research browsing through thousands of publicly traded companies. However, an easier way is to look at the stocks that smart money investors are collectively bullish on. Hedge funds and other institutional investors usually invest large amounts of […]

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  Were Hedge Funds Right About Old Republic International Corporation (ORI)?

  Insider Monkey
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  Were Hedge Funds Right About Summit Materials Inc (SUM)?

  Insider Monkey

Who Are Dell's Main Competitors?

Dell Technologies Inc.'s main competitors include Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and IBM, as well as Apple and other makers of consumer PCs.

Why Buying More General Dynamics Made Sense

The company has underperformed the S&P; 500 this year, but this has given the stock a very low valuation and a high yield Continue reading...

AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – Strengthens Over .6921, Weakens Under .6889

The next major move in the AUD/USD will be determined by how investors handle the two 50% levels at .6921 and .6889.

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  HHS allocates Gilead's COVID-19 drug remdesivir to four hardest hit states

  Reuters
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  The Company That Makes Remdesivir Says It Considerably Reduces COVID-19 Deaths

  Time

Is This New Dividend Aristocrat a Candidate for Income and Value Investors?

Consider its strong dividend and buyback position against questionable fundamentals Continue reading...

3 Apparel Stocks Still Appealing to Consumers

After the economy went into lockdown earlier in the year, retailers scrambled to adapt. In March, many apparel stocks hit 52-week lows. But since then, the recovery for many of them has been rather incredible.Now as the new earnings season kicks in, investors are wondering whether they are late to the party or if there are any apparel stocks that are still appealing to consumers. Therefore today, I'll take a closer look at the sector and introduce stocks that may deserve to be on your radar.Before the novel coronavirus pandemic hit our shores, Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL) CEO Michael O'Sullivan said that the group would be getting out of e-commerce sales to instead focus on its brick-and-mortar business. During the company's Q4 release of March 5, he highlighted that when an apparel company accounts "for the cost of merchandising, processing, shipping, accepting returns, … [e-commerce is] very difficult, impossible to make at those price points."InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsHis words and decision underscored how important it was for apparel stocks to welcome customers, i.e., foot traffic, into their physical stores.According to a recent study led by Jose Maria Barrero of ITAM Business School, in early April spending on apparel was down 70% in the U.S. Among other metrics, the research looked at data from the Survey of Business Uncertainty. The SBU is a "monthly panel survey developed and fielded by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in cooperation with Chicago Booth and Stanford."The research also found that "[s]pending on fast food, auto parts, and autos is down 35 percent. At the same time, spending on home improvement, video streaming, gaming, food delivery, meal kits, and online grocers has boomed. The bulk of these spending cuts and shifts will reverse when the pandemic recedes and the lockdown ends, but some aspects of the shift are likely to persist."Despite the scare of a potential second wave of Covid-19, most global economies are reopening. Retailers are hopeful that consumers will return in solid numbers to a range of stores, including apparel retailers. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right NowWith that in mind, here are three of the apparel stocks that are still appealing to consumers: * Crocs (NASDAQ:CROX) * Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) * TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX) Apparel Stocks: Crocs (CROX)Source: Wannee_photographer / Shutterstock.com Crocs designs, manufactures and sells casual footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women, and children. The group believes it offers a niche proposition. "All Crocs shoes feature Croslite material, a proprietary, revolutionary technology that gives each pair of shoes the soft, comfortable, lightweight, non-marking and odor-resistant qualities that Crocs fans know and love." And since Crocs began in 2002, the company has sold more than 600 million pairs of shoes.In late April, it released fiscal 2020 first quarter results. EPS of 22 cents missed analysts' estimates. A year ago, EPS had been 33 cents. Revenue was $281.16 million for the quarter ended March 2020. In Q1 2019, revenue had come at $295.95 million.At the time, management said, "Many of the 367 company-operated stores as well as many partner stores and wholesale customers' stores were closed at some point during the first quarter and many remain closed today… We expect revenue declines to continue in our retail and wholesale channels as "social distancing" practices remain in effect. Further, we expect a larger decline in revenues in the second quarter of 2020"The company is next expected to report earnings later in July, when analysts are likely to pay detailed attention to revenue as well as outlook for the rest of the year. As a result, the stock may be volatile around the date.Crocs' brand strength got a recent thumbs up when Susquehanna analyst Sam Poser reiterated a "buy" rating and increased the price target to $43. Year-to-date the shares are down around 14%. I'd look to add CROX shares to a long-term portfolio, especially if the price dips toward $30.This popular apparel stock definitely deserves further due diligence. Lululemon Athletica (LULU)Source: Sorbis / Shutterstock.com Vancouver, Canada-headquartered Lululemon designs and retails a range of athletic and leisure ("athleisure") apparel and accessories. The company has a dedicated customer base and its products sell for a sizable premium. In 2019, its "business grew by strong comps in both stores (+10%1 ) and digital channels (+35%)."It primarily conducts business through two channels: company-operated stores and direct to consumer. At the end of fiscal 2019, Lululemon had 491 stores in 17 countries. Like many other retailers, the group closed stores starting mid-March. Its direct-to-consumer segment includes the net revenue generated from its e-commerce website, other country and region specific websites, and mobile apps.On June 11, the group released financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Net revenue was $652.0 million, a decrease of 17% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019. However, despite the overall decline, direct-to-consumer net revenue increased 68%. And direct-to-consumer net revenue represented 54.0% of total net revenue compared to 26.8% for the first quarter of fiscal 2019. What these metrics overall showed that despite store closures, its loyal customer base continued to shop online.During the quarter, Lululemon Athletica repurchased 0.4 million shares of its own common stock at an average cost of $172.68 per share. CEO Calvin McDonald said, "We are learning more every day about our guests - how they enjoy interacting with us online and what makes them comfortable as stores reopen. Our strong digital business demonstrates the strength of our guest connection and the long-term opportunity to create further Omni experiences going forward."Management noted that as of early May, it started opening stores in line with local guidance. At the time of the quarterly report, 295 of its company-operated stores were open. Nonetheless, the group did not provide detailed financial guidance for fiscal 2020.Then on June 29, the retailer announced that it was buying home fitness start-up Mirror, which has an interactive workout platform that features live and on-demand classes. This acquisition is likely to be a stepping stone to become a technology company as internet-connected workouts may increasingly become the norm. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right NowAlthough a second wave of the pandemic may delay store openings, the company's fundamentals remain strong. YTD, the shares are up around 31%. Thus there may be some short-term profit-taking in LULU stock in July which would make it even more attractive for long-term investors.I'd rate it high on my list of apparel stocks to buy. TJX Companies (TJX)Source: Joe Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com TJX Companies is a leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the U.S. and worldwide. In the U.S., the businesses under group include TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, Sierra. Outside the U.S., the brands are Marshalls, HomeSense, TK Maxx, and Winners.In late May, TJX Companies released earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Net sales were $4.4 billion. Net loss for the first quarter was $887 million and loss per share was 74 cents. The results were worse than what analysts were expecting.During the quarter, the company had shareholder distributions of approximately $480 million. This included its fourth-quarter dividend and first-quarter buyback prior to suspending both dividends and buybacks for the time being. Management also reduced fiscal 2021 capital expenditure plan from $1.4 billion to a range of $400 to $600 million. As a result of various financial actions taken, the group ended the quarter with $4.3 billion in cash.At the time of the earnings release, more than 1,600 of its stores worldwide had been reopened. According to the company, "initial sales overall have been above last year's sales across all states and countries for the over 1,100 stores that have been reopened for at least a week." The retailer believed almost all of its stores in the U.S. and worldwide could be reopened by the end of June.YTD, the shares are down 15%.Investors looking for appealing apparel stocks may consider investing in TJX stock, especially if the price goes below $50.Tezcan Gecgil has worked in investment management for over two decades in the U.S. and U.K. In addition to formal higher education, including a Ph.D. degree, in the field, she has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Her passion is for options trading based on technical analysis of fundamentally strong companies. She especially enjoys setting up weekly covered calls for income generation. As of this writing, Tezcan Gecgil did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Apparel Stocks Still Appealing to Consumers appeared first on InvestorPlace.