Archives for December 1, 2019

Endo International plc (ENDP) Rises 6.28%

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Among the biggest risers on the S&P 500 on Friday November 29 was Endo International plc ($ENDP), popping some 6.28% to a price of $5.08 a share with some 6.87 million shares trading hands.

Starting the day trading at $4.80, Endo International plc reached an intraday high of $5.16 and hit intraday lows of $4.73. Shares gained $0.3 apiece by day’s end. Over the last 90 days, the stock’s average daily volume has been n/a of its 223.1 million share total float. Today’s action puts the stock’s 50-day SMA at $n/a and 200-day SMA at $n/a with a 52-week range of $1.97 to $12.55.

After a string of acquisitions and divestitures, Endo is a specialty pharmaceutical company with a considerable presence in pain management. The acquisitions of Auxilium and Par increased the company’s presence in urology and generics, respectively.

Endo International plc has its corporate headquarters located in Dublin, and employs 2,910 people. Its market cap has now risen to $1.15 billion after today’s trading, its P/E ratio is now n/a, its P/S n/a, P/B -1.74, and P/FCF n/a.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most visible stock index in the United States, but that doesn’t make it the best. In fact, the industry standard for market watchers and institutional investors in gauging portfolio performance is the S&P 500.

The DJIA relies on just 30 stocks as a sample of large- and mega-cap firms, dwarfed by the 500 contained in the S&P 500, and it also weights its returns using an outdated and flawed price-weighting method. The S&P 500’s weighting is based on market cap, making it a much better representation of actual market performance for large- and mega-cap stocks.

Frontier Communications Corporation (FTR) Rises 3.35%

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Among the biggest risers on the S&P 500 on Friday November 29 was Frontier Communications Corporation ($FTR), popping some 3.35% to a price of $0.67 a share with some 578,761 shares trading hands.

Starting the day trading at $0.66, Frontier Communications Corporation reached an intraday high of $0.67 and hit intraday lows of $0.64. Shares gained $0.0219 apiece by day’s end. Over the last 90 days, the stock’s average daily volume has been n/a of its 105.37 million share total float. Today’s action puts the stock’s 50-day SMA at $n/a and 200-day SMA at $n/a with a 52-week range of $0.52 to $3.80.

Frontier Communications Corp is a provider of communications services for consumer and commercial customers in the United States. The portfolio of its services includes Data and Internet services, Video services, Voice services including both the regulated and unregulated voices, Access services, and Advanced Hardware and Network Solutions.

Frontier Communications Corporation has its corporate headquarters located in Norwalk, CT and employs 19,132 people. Its market cap has now risen to $71.11 million after today’s trading, its P/E ratio is now n/a, its P/S n/a, P/B -0.02, and P/FCF n/a.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most visible stock index in the United States, but that doesn’t make it the best. In fact, the industry standard for market watchers and institutional investors in gauging portfolio performance is the S&P 500.

The DJIA relies on just 30 stocks as a sample of large- and mega-cap firms, dwarfed by the 500 contained in the S&P 500, and it also weights its returns using an outdated and flawed price-weighting method. The S&P 500’s weighting is based on market cap, making it a much better representation of actual market performance for large- and mega-cap stocks.

Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) Dips 6.67%

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Among the S&P 500’s biggest fallers on Friday November 29 was Southwestern Energy Company (SWN). The stock experienced a 6.67% decline to $1.82 with 12.06 million shares changing hands.

Southwestern Energy Company started at an opening price of 1.89 and hit a high of $1.93 and a low of $1.77. Ultimately, the stock took a hit and finished the day at $0.13 per share. Southwestern Energy Company trades an average of n/a shares a day out of a total 541.3 million shares outstanding. The current moving averages are a 50-day SMA of $n/a and a 200-day SMA of $n/a. Southwestern Energy Company hit a high of $5.02 and a low of $1.56 over the last year.

Southwestern Energy Co is a US-based independent energy company. It is engaged in the exploration, development and production activities, including related natural gas gathering and marketing. The company principally carries its business activities in the United States. The operating segments of the company are the Exploration and Production and Mid-stream segment. Exploration and Production segment is the key revenue driver for the company which includes the revenue derived from the production and sale of natural gas and liquids. Mid-stream segment generates revenue through the marketing of both the company and third-party produced natural gas and liquids volumes and through gathering fees associated with the transportation of natural gas to market.

With its headquarters located in Spring, TX, Southwestern Energy Company employs 960 people. After today’s trading, the company’s market cap has fallen to $985.16 million, a P/S of n/a, a P/B of 0.31, and a P/FCF of n/a.

For all the attention paid to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), it’s the S&P 500 that’s relied on by insiders and institutional investors. It represents the industry standard for American large-cap indices.

The Dow is made up of just 30 stocks to the S&P 500’s 500, and it uses an unreliable and outdated price-weighting system where the S&P 500 relies on market cap in weighting its returns. This is why its long-term returns is a much more reliable gauge for the performance of large- and mega-cap stocks over time.

Personal Finance Courses Get Boost In Pennsylvania Schools

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Pennsylvania will require public schools to allow students to apply personal finance class credits toward high school graduation requirements.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill this week and it will take effect in the 2020-21 school year.

Under the new requirement, a student who successfully completes a high school course in personal finance will be allowed to apply up to one credit to satisfy social studies, math, business education or family and consumer science requirements for graduation.

Advocates say personal finance courses should be encouraged to help high schoolers learn to make wise financial choices.

3 Social Security Moves to Make for 2020

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Social Security’s importance to the pocketbook of the average American retiree can’t be overstated. More than 60% of all retired workers lean on their Social Security payouts to account for at least half of their monthly income, and an estimated 15 million-plus use their benefits as a means of pulling themselves above the federal poverty level. Without this program, poverty rates among the elderly would be more than four times higher than they are today.

Furthermore, it’s a program that’s expected to play a key role in helping future generations of American workers make ends meet. An April 2019 Gallup survey found that 83% of respondents expect Social Security to be a “major” or “minor” source of income when they retire. That compares to the 90% of current retirees who told Gallup that the program is a “major” or “minor” income source right now.

Whether you’re in your early 20s and just getting your feet wet in the workforce or you’re nearing retirement, there are a couple of Social Security moves you should consider making in 2020 that are certain to put you in a better position once you begin taking your payout.

1. Create a “my Social Security” account

With a new decade just a month away, the most actionable suggestion I can offer is to create a “my Social Security” account, which’ll allow you to access important Social Security information and manage your personal account online. This isn’t to say that you still can’t make an appointment at your local Social Security Administration office or speak with a representative, but many of the answers you might be seeking can now be found with the click of a button.

What can you do with a “my Social Security” account? In no particular order, you can:

  • Request a replacement Social Security card
  • Change your address and/or phone number
  • Review your Social Security statement (these were previously mailed out every five years between the ages of 25 and 60)
  • Check your earnings history
  • Apply for Social Security retirement or spousal benefits
  • Apply for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income
  • Request a benefit verification letter if you’re trying to verify income for a lender
  • Set up direct deposit for your Social Security benefit check
  • Print your SSA-1099 for your federal or state income taxes
  • Get a replacement Medicare card

And this is really just a sample of the functions a “my Social Security” account offers. You don’t need to be in your 60s to take advantage of these benefits, so be sure to enroll if you haven’t already done so.

2. Double-check your earnings history

Next, and as somewhat of an extension to the previous action of setting up a “my Social Security” account, take the time to really pore over your earnings history.

As you may already know, your earnings history is one of a handful of factors that goes into determining your monthly benefit at full retirement age. Your 35 highest-earning, inflation-adjusted years are what the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses when calculating your payout. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to know what that average is going to be ahead of time and ensure that all is correct in your SSA file.

On the whole, the SSA tends to be a very efficient agency — but it’s not infallible. Mistakes happen, and it’s a lot easier to fix those mistakes in your earnings history before you begin taking your Social Security benefit than after the fact. As we head into the new year, take the time to make sure that your earnings history on file with the SSA matches what you have on your federal income tax returns.

3. Assess your finances and health to develop a game plan

Lastly, you should take the time to assess the variables that matter to you, which will ultimately make it easier to decide when to begin taking your Social Security retired-worker benefit.

For example, you’ll want to take a good look at your finances to see if you’re on track to meet your personal retirement goal(s). The SSA reminds folks that retirement benefits are only designed to replace about 40% of the average worker’s wages/salary. In other words, it’s not meant to be your primary source of income. Thus, you’ll want to review your saving and investing game plan to ensure that your eventual payout remains nothing more than a minor source of income during retirement.

This is also a good time to create a game plan with a spouse. If you’re married, strategizing with your partner can lead to the household bringing in a lot of extra money during your senior years.

Also, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Your health is another of many factors that will ultimately play into your decision of when to begin taking your Social Security benefit.

With 2020 around the corner, this simple homework assignment should put you on track to get the most out of Social Security when you retire.

Too Many People Are Making This Retirement Mistake

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Mistakes are part of life, and sometimes you can’t avoid them. Especially when it comes to complex financial topics like planning for retirement, nobody has all the right answers.

But not all mistakes are created equal; some are more dangerous than others. And the most threatening mistakes are the ones you may not even realize you’re making. By the time you recognize the error, it could be too late to do anything about it.

There’s one retirement mistake in particular that nearly half of workers are making. And the sooner they realize the problem, the better chance they have of keeping their retirement savings on track.

Starting early is key to successfully saving for retirement

A whopping 42% of U.S. workers say they’d rather not think about saving until they get closer to retirement age, according to a report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Even among baby boomers — the generation closest to retirement — 28% are holding off on saving until they’re closer to their golden years.

Although it may not seem so dangerous to postpone retirement preparation (especially if you have decades until you can even consider retiring), the longer you wait to begin saving, the harder it will be to build a healthy retirement fund.

Your retirement fund relies on the power of compound interest to help your savings grow. It’s essentially when you earn interest on your interest, so the longer your savings sit untouched in your 401(k) or IRA, the faster they’ll grow. That means that the earlier you start saving, the less you need to save each month to build a big nest egg.

For example, say you have a goal of retiring at age 65 with $700,000 in savings. If you start saving at 25, you’d need to save just under $300 per month to achieve that goal, assuming you’re earning a moderate 7% annual rate of return on your investments. But if you wait until 40 to begin saving, you’d need to sock away roughly $925 per month to reach that same goal.

Of course, saving early only works if you actually have cash to save. One reason many people may put off saving is that they’re stretched thin financially and simply don’t have any extra money to put toward retirement. If that’s the case, there are a few strategies that can help you save more — even when you’re on a tight budget.

When you don’t have much to spare

If money is tight and you have multiple financial responsibilities tugging your wallet in different directions, saving for retirement may get pushed to the bottom of your priority list. But every dollar counts, and it’s a good idea to try to scrounge up as much cash as you can to save now so that you won’t need to work so hard in the future to catch up.

To start, make sure you’re tracking your spending so you know exactly where all your money is going each month. It’s easier to see if you’re overspending in certain areas when all your expenses are laid out in front of you, and from there, you can figure out if there’s anywhere you can cut back.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to slash your budget down to the bare bones to save money. Trimming your expenses by just a few dollars across every category can add up, and you’re also more likely to stick to a budget when you don’t feel like you’re depriving yourself of everything you love. So go ahead and buy that latte, but instead of grabbing a coffee every single morning, see if you can cut back to a few times per week. This way, making healthy financial choices becomes a way of life, but you can still enjoy your guilty pleasures.

To save even more money, see if you can get creative with your other financial responsibilities. For example, if you’re struggling to pay down high-interest credit card debt, consider getting a balance transfer card — which will allow you to transfer your balance to a new card and pay 0% interest for a set period of time. That means you can put more money toward the principal and save on interest, which in turn means you’ll have more cash to put toward your retirement.

Saving can be challenging, especially if you’re doing your best just to make ends meet. Although it may be tempting to put off retirement saving until you have more money to put toward it, you might regret that decision when you’re just a few years from retiring and you need to supercharge your savings to catch up. Although it’s not easy, saving whatever you can now will make your life much easier down the road.