Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc (AHT) Receives $8.00 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc (NYSE:AHT) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $8.00.

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Ashford Hospitality Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, March 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Ashford Hospitality Trust from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 27th.

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Shares of NYSE:AHT traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $8.18. The stock had a trading volume of 334,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 509,552. The company has a market cap of $795.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.94, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 3.67, a current ratio of 3.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.36. Ashford Hospitality Trust has a 1 year low of $5.42 and a 1 year high of $8.66.

Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE:AHT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.39) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.39). The business had revenue of $342.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $349.42 million. Ashford Hospitality Trust had a negative net margin of 4.75% and a negative return on equity of 10.19%. research analysts forecast that Ashford Hospitality Trust will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 16th. Investors of record on Friday, June 29th were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 28th. Ashford Hospitality Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.04%.

In related news, Director Alan Tallis sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.42, for a total transaction of $168,400.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,900 shares of company stock worth $339,406. 18.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AHT. Matarin Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Ashford Hospitality Trust during the first quarter worth about $5,949,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Ashford Hospitality Trust by 29.4% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,575,500 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $24,063,000 after acquiring an additional 811,400 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Ashford Hospitality Trust by 58.6% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,166,225 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $7,849,000 after acquiring an additional 431,065 shares during the last quarter. Global X Management Co. LLC raised its position in Ashford Hospitality Trust by 28.7% during the first quarter. Global X Management Co. LLC now owns 1,636,644 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $10,573,000 after acquiring an additional 364,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial For Lutherans acquired a new position in Ashford Hospitality Trust during the fourth quarter worth about $2,319,000. Institutional investors own 72.33% of the company’s stock.

About Ashford Hospitality Trust

Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing opportunistically in the hospitality industry in upper upscale, full-service hotels.

Read More: What do I need to know about analyst ratings?

Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI) Files 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended on May 31, 2018

Darden Restaurants Inc (NYSE:DRI) files its latest 10-K with SEC for the fiscal year ended on May 31, 2018. Darden Restaurants Inc is engaged in the food & beverage industry. Its primary occupation involves the operation of dining restaurants under trade names such as Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze. Darden Restaurants Inc has a market cap of $13.67 billion; its shares were traded at around $110.46 with a P/E ratio of 23.40 and P/S ratio of 1.73. The dividend yield of Darden Restaurants Inc stocks is 2.37%. Darden Restaurants Inc had annual average EBITDA growth of 1.80% over the past ten years.

For the last quarter Darden Restaurants Inc reported a revenue of $2.1 billion, compared with the revenue of $1.9 billion during the same period a year ago. For the latest fiscal year the company reported a revenue of $8.1 billion, an increase of 12.7% from last year. For the last five years Darden Restaurants Inc had an average revenue growth rate of 5.8% a year.

The reported diluted earnings per share was $4.73 for the year, an increase of 24.5% from previous year. Over the last five years Darden Restaurants Inc had an EPS growth rate of 9.4% a year. The Darden Restaurants Inc had an operating margin of 9.53%, compared with the operating margin of 9.33% a year before. The 10-year historical median operating margin of Darden Restaurants Inc is 8.91%. The profitability rank of the company is 7 (out of 10).

At the end of the fiscal year, Darden Restaurants Inc has the cash and cash equivalents of $146.9 million, compared with $233.1 million in the previous year. The long term debt was $926.5 million, compared with $936.6 million in the previous year. Darden Restaurants Inc has a financial strength rank of 6 (out of 10).

At the current stock price of $110.46, Darden Restaurants Inc is traded at 72.2% premium to its historical median P/S valuation band of $64.14. The P/S ratio of the stock is 1.73, while the historical median P/S ratio is 1.00. The stock gained 27.36% during the past 12 months.

CEO Recent Trades:

President and CEO Eugene I Jr Lee sold 60,973 shares of DRI stock on 06/27/2018 at the average price of $107.34. The price of the stock has increased by 2.91% since.

CFO Recent Trades:

SVP CFO Ricardo Cardenas sold 10,666 shares of DRI stock on 06/25/2018 at the average price of $108.86. The price of the stock has increased by 1.47% since.

Directors and Officers Recent Trades:

Director William S Simon sold 2,418 shares of DRI stock on 07/13/2018 at the average price of $112.09. The price of the stock has decreased by 1.45% since.EVP & COO David C George sold 60,970 shares of DRI stock on 06/28/2018 at the average price of $106.99. The price of the stock has increased by 3.24% since.EVP & COO David C George sold 38,323 shares of DRI stock on 06/26/2018 at the average price of $108.19. The price of the stock has increased by 2.1% since.SVP, Corporate Controller John W. Madonna sold 700 shares of DRI stock on 06/25/2018 at the average price of $109.21. The price of the stock has increased by 1.14% since.President, Olive Garden Daniel J. Kiernan sold 6,000 shares of DRI stock on 06/25/2018 at the average price of $107.38. The price of the stock has increased by 2.87% since.

For the complete 20-year historical financial data of DRI, click here.

Kim Kardashian West and Warren Buffett: This is the best investment you can make

Both Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and business mogul Kim Kardashian West are wildly successful in their own spheres. But the pair have another thing in common as well: They agree that the best investment they��ve ever made is in themselves.

"Ultimately, there's one investment that supersedes all others: Invest in yourself," Buffett told Forbes. ��Address whatever you feel your weaknesses are, and do it now.��

The legendary investor learned this lesson firsthand when he enrolled in a $100 public speaking course as a young adult, which he says changed his life. The course was taught by Dale Carnegie, the well-known author of ��How to Win Friends and Influence People.��

"I was terrified of public speaking when I was young. I couldn't do it," Buffett says. He admits he became physically ill when the time came to take the podium. Still, he was determined to complete the course and master his fear. Not only did that make him a better investor and salesman, but he says he gained so much confidence that he proposed to his wife during the course.

show chapters The most surprising facts about Warren Buffett before he became a billionaire    4:55 PM ET Fri, 4 May 2018 | 01:34

Investing in yourself adds lasting value to your life. ��Nobody can take away what you've got in yourself �� and everybody has potential they haven't used yet,�� Buffett says.

Unlike financial investments, which ebb and flow with the market, any time, energy and money you put toward bettering yourself is well spent. ��If you can increase your potential 10 percent, 20 percent or 30 percent by enhancing your talents, they can't tax it away,�� Buffett says. ��Inflation can't take it from you. You have it the rest of your life.��

Kardashian West agrees. ��Is it cheesy to just say the best investment I��ve made is I��ve invested in myself and believed in myself?�� she told Weathsimple in a recent profile.

show chapters Warren Buffett's secret to investing lays in the game of baseball    2:26 PM ET Thu, 2 Feb 2017 | 00:48

Her work has paid off: The social media star is worth an estimated $350 million. In addition to appearing on 14 seasons of E!��s hit show ��Keeping Up With the Kardashians,�� she has her hand in several ventures, including a mobile game, children��s clothing line and ��Kimoji�� app and ecommerce site.

Most recently, Kardashian West has focused on her makeup line, KKW Beauty, which launched in 2017. It has already pulled in an estimated $100 million in sales, Forbes reports.

��I��ve always had that insane drive,�� she says. ��Like, if I want something bad enough, I always figure it out.��

Don't miss: Warren Buffett: If you invest this way, 'you can't miss '

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

show chapters Kylie Jenner turned a $29 lipstick into a $420 million beauty empire    8:33 AM ET Thu, 14 Sept 2017 | 01:12

Ford Benefited From Strong Sales In June

The US auto market saw a very strong sales month in June. Sales came in close to 17.5 million (SAAR) with strong demand in the SUV and truck segments. Ford (F) was able to present investors with another month of rock-solid sales, which is a good representation of the current economic environment. Source: Ford

The Trend Continues

One of the reasons why I spend quite some time studying monthly sales statistics is to figure out what the consumer is up to. The car is the ultimate consumer product, which simply means that a good economy supports higher sales while a slower economy pushes sales down. In addition to that, we have been seeing a massive trend from cars to trucks and SUVs supported by lower gas prices and an overall solid economy.

The first overview shows that the US auto market did quite well in June. All major manufacturers were able to grow sales in June with the exception of Daimler (OTCPK:DDAIF), the owner of Mercedes-Benz. It is also quite impressive that 4 out of 5 top-selling companies were able to grow sales by more than 3.5%. Furthermore, it is important to mention that GM (NYSE:GM), Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU) were able to grow sales on a YTD basis (all more than 3.0%).

Source: Goodcarbadcar

Even more important is that the total seasonally adjusted annual rate is up from slightly less than 17 million in May to currently 17.48 million. This is the highest level since December of 2017 when sales hit 17.85 million units. Note that I am ignoring the March 2018 number, which was just 10,000 units above the current reading.

Source: Motor Intelligence

Not only is it important for the automotive industry to get sales up into the high 17 million range, it is also important for the outlook of many suppliers. Especially steel producers have forecasted sales in the lower 17 million range.

AK Steel (NYSE:AKS), for example, is expecting 17.2 million cars to be produced in 2018 as you can read in its first-quarter earnings transcript provided by Seeking Alpha.

Every reading close to 18 million would be a huge tailwind for these companies as well as automotive manufacturers (obviously).

That being said, Ford did really well in June.

Trucks, SUVs & Lincoln

Ford's June sales are up 1.2%. This is 0.5 point above last month's growth rate, which is entirely due to higher truck and SUV sales. Car sales growth actually decreased another 0.7 point. Current car sales are less than half of total truck sales. Also note that fleet sales were down slightly which is due to the timing of orders. It is important to mention that Ford is not pushing fleet sales. The company is adapting its sales to customer needs, which causes fleet sales to fluctuate a lot.

Source: Ford Sales Report June 2018

Total truck sales increased 3.2%. This includes a 1.7% increase of F-150 sales which pushes YTD sales up to 4.9%. However, Transit sales massively outperformed with 25.0% growth to more than 13,500 units. YTD Transit sales are currently up 7.5%, which shows the real success of the transit as I already mentioned in last month's article. Capital expenditures remain high which results in higher Transit sales. On a side note, heavy trucks saw a 35.1% sales increase to 1,098 units.

But that's not everything. Lincoln did really well in June. Yes, Lincoln cars were a total mess with sales being down 31.6% YTD. However, Lincoln SUVs are gaining momentum. Both the MKC and Navigator did really well with sales growth numbers of 24.0% and 68.4%. The Navigator is up 82.4% YTD, which is a confirmation of the strength of the new Navigator model. And it's not just the 'regular' Navigator. Customers are increasingly buying the Black Label model which caused the average Navigator ticket price to soar $27,000, according to Ford. The same goes for the F-150 model which has an average selling price of $46,800.

Source: Ford Sales Report June 2018

Macro Matters

One of the things auto manufacturers look at is the leading indicator, the ISM manufacturing index (graph below). This index massively beat estimates in June as I discussed in this article. This means that the general economy remains in a stage of above-average growth, which stimulates both consumer spending and capital expenditures.

That being said, I also look at the difference between average hourly earnings growth and the consumer price index to see if the trend from cars to SUVs and trucks might be in danger. It is clearly visible that consumers did benefit from outperforming earnings growth between 2015 and 2017. The trend from cars to bigger vehicles started during this period.

That's why I am getting a bit cautious at this point. I am not turning bearish on truck and SUV sales, but think that is important to see if we get signs of an ending trend in case inflation starts outperforming hourly earnings growth. The same happened in 2008 and can be considered a typical late-cycle occurrence.

Takeaway

There are two things I am getting from the current sales report.

The automotive market seems to be strengthening SUVs, trucks and commercial vehicles continue to do very well

I think that everything I have read so far is a clear confirmation of the economic trend we are in. Growth is strong and people desperately want to buy the cars they like. This includes bigger vehicles as well as more expensive versions of models like the F-150 and Navigator. None of these things are visible during an economic growth slowing trend.

However, it is important to further monitor these sales, especially given that inflation and commodities in general are showing typical late-cycle behaviour.

And last but not least, I hope to see that sales continue to be close to the 18 million SAAR level over the next few months, which would beat a lot of expectations as I mentioned in this article.

Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading my article. Please let me know what you think of my thesis. Your input is highly appreciated!

Disclosure: I am/we are long F.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: This article serves the sole purpose of adding value to the research process. Always take care of your own risk management and asset allocation.

The Coca-Cola Co (KO) Shares Bought by DnB Asset Management AS

DnB Asset Management AS increased its position in The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 919,833 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 13,500 shares during the quarter. DnB Asset Management AS’s holdings in The Coca-Cola were worth $40,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Princeton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola during the first quarter valued at $100,000. Clarus Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola during the second quarter valued at $101,000. Santori & Peters Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at $127,000. Goodman Financial Corp purchased a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at $143,000. Finally, First Dallas Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at $155,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

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Shares of NYSE KO opened at $44.66 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock has a market cap of $187.66 billion, a PE ratio of 23.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.74. The Coca-Cola Co has a 52 week low of $41.45 and a 52 week high of $48.62.

The Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 24th. The company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $7.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.32 billion. The Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 39.54% and a net margin of 4.23%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. research analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Co will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 14th. The Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio is 81.68%.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Investment Research lowered The Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 26th. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $47.00 price target on shares of The Coca-Cola in a research report on Wednesday, June 13th. Societe Generale set a $46.50 price target on The Coca-Cola and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $44.00 price target on shares of The Coca-Cola in a research report on Friday, May 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of The Coca-Cola in a research report on Monday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.42.

The Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures and distributes various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides water, enhanced water, and sports drinks; juices; juice, dairy, and plant?based beverages; teas and coffees; and energy drinks. It also offers concentrates, syrups, beverage bases, source waters, and powders/minerals, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO).

How Futures Trading Put an End to Bitcoin’s Skyrocketing Price

Bitcoin futures trading began on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) in mid-December of 2017, about a week after the cryptocurrency posted an all-time high above $19,000. By mid-January of 2018, bitcoin’s price has dropped by nearly half. Just a coincidence? Not according to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or Japanese economist Yukio Noguchi.

In early May, four researchers at the San Francisco Fed published an Economic Letter attributing the end of bitcoin’s bull run to the appearance of a CME futures contract on bitcoin. Japan’s Noguchi, writing for Japanese-language website Diamond Online, agrees.

Before the CBOE futures contract (and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange contract about a week later), there was no way to bet against the rise of bitcoin except by not buying it. That had no effect on the skyrocketing price. Introducing a futures contract that gives traders a way to short an asset typically slows down or stops altogether a rapid price rise like the one bitcoin experienced in the second half of 2017.

The San Francisco Fed researchers compare the introduction of a futures contract for bitcoin with the rapid run-up in mortgage-backed securities ahead of the financial crisis of 2008. The financial innovations that fueled the run-up hit a wall when futures contracts gave short sellers an opportunity to bet against an ever-rising housing market. (See “The Big Short” for details.)

Following the introduction of bitcoin futures contracts, things changed. The Fed researchers write:

[O]ne-sided speculative demand came to an end when the futures for bitcoin started trading on the CME on December 17. �� With the introduction of bitcoin futures, pessimists could bet on a bitcoin price decline, buying and selling contracts with a lower delivery price in the future than the spot price. �� With offers of future bitcoin deliveries at a lower price coming through, the order flow necessarily put downward pressure on the spot price as well. For all investors who were in the market to buy bitcoins for either transactional or speculative reasons and were willing to wait a month, this was a good deal. The new investment opportunity led to a fall in demand in the spot bitcoin market and therefore a drop in price. With falling prices, pessimists started to make money on their bets, fueling further short selling and further downward pressure on prices.

Where will the bleeding stop? After dipping below $6,000 late last week, the price has come back to around $6,600. Contract volume averages around 270 trades a day on the CME, but that’s apparently enough to keep a bull run like we saw last year at bay.

Even the margin requirement of around 40% to make a short bet is about half what it was when the futures contracts were introduced. That’s still significant cash: a contract comprises five bitcoin, so that’s around $30,000 and 40% of that is $12,000, about twice the cash needed to buy a crude oil futures contract on 1,000 barrels at $75 a barrel. And the oil market is far more liquid, trading an average of 215,200 contracts a day.

What is so striking to us is the relatively small number of contract trades that were needed to stop the bitcoin bull run and how few it takes to keep the bulls from running wild again. Do the economists in San Francisco or Japan have any ideas about that?

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2018 Dow Laggards Could Offer Material Upside Into 2019