Archives for November 11, 2019

Weather Channel app uses Watson to tell you when flu season is coming

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You’ll know when to avoid risky situations that could get you sick.

Are you the sort who grows wary around other people when flu season hits? You now have another tool in your (slightly anti-social) arsenal. The latest version of the Weather Channel app for Android and iOS now includes a Flu Insights feature that uses IBM’s Watson to warn you when influenza is likely to be on the warpath. The team-up wields machine learning to provide a 15-day flu forecast as well notifications that pop up at key moments, such as the start of flu season or confirmed outbreaks. Ideally, this will keep you from going to a house party full of soon-to-be-sick virus carriers.

Whatever the conditions are like, you’ll get prevention advice as well as CDC flu reports.

It’s easy to see Flu Insights fueling some paranoia. Do you really want to be afraid of going outside simply because Watson predicted trouble? Used carefully, though, this could help you dodge the flu entirely, or at least put it off when you can’t afford to fall ill. It’s a real-world use of AI that might actually improve your quality of life.

Weather Channel app's Watson-based flu season prediction

Google Maps lets you manage your public profile from the Android app

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You don’t have to go to the web just to take control of your account.

Google Maps increasingly thrives on user contributions to fill in details, but you haven’t had the option to manage your public profile from the phone app you’re probably using to make those contributions. That’s a bit backwards, but Google is thankfully setting things right. An updated version of the Android app lets you manage your profile from a new “your profile” item in the side menu. You can make simple tweaks to your name, photo or bio, but you also get a fast track to special privacy controls in settings. Maps allows you to hide your contributions on your profile, and can opt you out of sharing your profile with the businesses you follow.

This is a remotely pushed change, so merely having the latest app release won’t guarantee that you’ll get it. There’s also no mention of when iOS users will have this option (it’s not visible there as of this writing). Whenever this arrives, it might just give you more reasons to share reviews and photos instead of keeping info to yourself.

Analysts Boost Earnings Estimates for LHC Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LHCG)

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LHC Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LHCG) – Jefferies Financial Group increased their FY2019 EPS estimates for shares of LHC Group in a report released on Wednesday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group analyst B. Tanquilut now forecasts that the health services provider will post earnings per share of $4.45 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $4.32. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for LHC Group’s Q4 2019 earnings at $1.14 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $1.00 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $1.23 EPS, Q4 2020 earnings at $1.37 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $4.75 EPS.

LHC Group (NASDAQ:LHCG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The health services provider reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.18. LHC Group had a net margin of 4.20% and a return on equity of 8.83%. The firm had revenue of $528.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $534.15 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.95 earnings per share. LHC Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of LHC Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $124.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $135.00 price objective on shares of LHC Group and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Deutsche Bank initiated coverage on shares of LHC Group in a research note on Monday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of LHC Group from $125.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, ValuEngine downgraded shares of LHC Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $130.18.

LHC Group stock opened at $126.36 on Friday. LHC Group has a 52-week low of $88.18 and a 52-week high of $136.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.59, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $115.07 and a 200-day moving average of $117.39.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bridge City Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of LHC Group by 27.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bridge City Capital LLC now owns 28,467 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $3,233,000 after acquiring an additional 6,155 shares during the period. Cavalier Investments LLC acquired a new position in LHC Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $275,000. Summit Creek Advisors LLC increased its stake in LHC Group by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Creek Advisors LLC now owns 159,152 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $18,073,000 after buying an additional 6,280 shares during the period. Foundry Partners LLC acquired a new position in LHC Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,707,000. Finally, Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in LHC Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $412,000. 90.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About LHC Group

LHC Group, Inc provides post-acute health care services to patients through its home nursing agencies, hospices and long-term acute care hospitals. The company operates through the following business segments: Home Health Services, Hospice Services, Home & Community-Based Services, Facility-Based Services and Healthcare Innovations.

Analysts Increase Earnings Estimates for Chiasma Inc (NASDAQ:CHMA)

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Chiasma Inc (NASDAQ:CHMA) – Investment analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald upped their FY2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Chiasma in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, November 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst B. Folkes now forecasts that the biotechnology company will post earnings of ($1.08) per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of ($1.09). Cantor Fitzgerald currently has a “Buy” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock.

Chiasma (NASDAQ:CHMA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.21) by $0.01.

CHMA has been the topic of a number of other reports. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Chiasma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of Chiasma in a report on Thursday. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Chiasma from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 14th. Piper Jaffray Companies began coverage on shares of Chiasma in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $11.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Brookline Capital Management restated a “buy” rating on shares of Chiasma in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $12.30.

Shares of Chiasma stock opened at $5.25 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $225.72 million, a PE ratio of -4.10 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $5.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.95. Chiasma has a 1-year low of $2.11 and a 1-year high of $9.25.

In other Chiasma news, Director Scott Minick purchased 9,818 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $5.19 per share, with a total value of $50,955.42. Following the transaction, the director now owns 62,531 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $324,535.89. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Roni Mamluk sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.94, for a total transaction of $49,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,400. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 17,268 shares of company stock worth $96,823. Insiders own 8.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vivo Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chiasma in the 2nd quarter valued at $17,758,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Chiasma by 868.1% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,601,272 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $11,962,000 after buying an additional 1,435,873 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Chiasma by 30.9% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,051,908 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $7,858,000 after buying an additional 248,574 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Chiasma by 85.2% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 411,883 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $3,077,000 after buying an additional 189,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fosun International Ltd purchased a new stake in Chiasma during the second quarter worth $923,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.00% of the company’s stock.

Chiasma Company Profile

Chiasma, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing oral medications using transient permeability enhancer technology platform for the treatment of rare and serious chronic disease in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers oral octreotide capsules for adult patients under the MYCAPSSA name, which is in two Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of acromegaly, a condition that results in the body’s production of excess growth hormone.

Analysts Set Expectations for Red Rock Resorts Inc’s Q4 2019 Earnings (NASDAQ:RRR)

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Red Rock Resorts Inc (NASDAQ:RRR) – Equities researchers at SunTrust Banks reduced their Q4 2019 earnings estimates for Red Rock Resorts in a research report issued on Tuesday, November 5th. SunTrust Banks analyst B. Jonas now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.09 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.14. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for Red Rock Resorts’ FY2020 earnings at $0.56 EPS and FY2021 earnings at $0.42 EPS.

RRR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $22.00 target price on shares of Red Rock Resorts and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. BidaskClub raised shares of Red Rock Resorts from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Union Gaming Research lowered shares of Red Rock Resorts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $25.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Nomura lowered their target price on shares of Red Rock Resorts from $36.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank reissued a “buy” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Red Rock Resorts in a research note on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $25.57.

Red Rock Resorts stock opened at $21.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $21.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.80. The stock has a market cap of $2.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.43 and a beta of 2.08. Red Rock Resorts has a 1 year low of $16.76 and a 1 year high of $29.80.

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Red Rock Resorts by 1,848.4% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,719 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Red Rock Resorts in the third quarter worth about $286,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Red Rock Resorts by 105.7% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 39,419 shares of the company’s stock worth $800,000 after purchasing an additional 20,252 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its holdings in Red Rock Resorts by 71.9% in the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 129,218 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,624,000 after purchasing an additional 54,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Red Rock Resorts by 5.8% in the third quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,283,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $147,892,000 after purchasing an additional 399,811 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.72% of the company’s stock.

In other news, Director Frank J. Fertitta III acquired 233,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $18.65 per share, for a total transaction of $4,354,775.00. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Lorenzo J. Fertitta acquired 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $19.60 per share, with a total value of $245,000.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought 1,027,509 shares of company stock valued at $19,197,896 over the last three months. Insiders own 40.19% of the company’s stock.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 12th. Red Rock Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.53%.

Red Rock Resorts Company Profile

Red Rock Resorts, Inc, through its interest in Station Holdco and Station LLC, engages in casino entertainment, and gaming and entertainment businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Las Vegas operations and Native American management. The company develops, manages, and operates casino entertainment properties; and owns and operates 10 gaming and entertainment facilities, and 10 smaller casinos in the Las Vegas regional market.

Analysts Issue Forecasts for Cushman & Wakefield PLC’s FY2020 Earnings (NYSE:CWK)

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Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK) – William Blair decreased their FY2020 earnings per share estimates for shares of Cushman & Wakefield in a report released on Tuesday, November 5th. William Blair analyst S. Sheldon now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.83 for the year, down from their previous estimate of $0.86.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CWK. Barclays set a $23.00 price target on Cushman & Wakefield and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Zacks Investment Research raised Cushman & Wakefield from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Bank of America began coverage on Cushman & Wakefield in a report on Friday, October 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. ValuEngine lowered Cushman & Wakefield from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Cushman & Wakefield from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Cushman & Wakefield stock opened at $18.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $18.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.16. Cushman & Wakefield has a one year low of $13.25 and a one year high of $20.62. The stock has a market cap of $3.97 billion, a PE ratio of -17.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 2.00.

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE:CWK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.08). Cushman & Wakefield had a negative net margin of 0.24% and a negative return on equity of 1.58%. The business had revenue of $2.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.45 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 3,279.7% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,935 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Cushman & Wakefield by 27.6% during the second quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 627 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its holdings in Cushman & Wakefield by 39.7% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 4,449 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 1,264 shares during the period. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd grew its holdings in Cushman & Wakefield by 398.7% during the second quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 10,837 shares of the company’s stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 8,664 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado acquired a new stake in Cushman & Wakefield during the second quarter worth about $256,000. 44.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

In other news, insider Duncan Palmer sold 3,599 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.82, for a total value of $67,733.18. Also, CEO W Brett White sold 41,770 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.92, for a total value of $748,518.40. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield plc provides commercial real estate services under the Cushman & Wakefield brand in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers integrated facilities management, project and development, portfolio administration, transaction management, and strategic consulting services; property management services, including client accounting, engineering and operations, lease compliance administration, project and development, and sustainability services; and janitorial, maintenance, critical environment management, landscaping, and office services.