Here are some reasons why you may want to rethink investing in an IPO

For multiple companies, it's the moment they've been waiting for: The window has opened for them to go public.

You've probably heard the names, including Levi Strauss, which made its public market debut this week. Ride-sharing businesses Lyft and Uber, among other companies, are also teed up to go public in the coming months.

But if you're thinking you want to invest in these stocks, experts generally have one word of advice: Wait.

"IPOs aren't just about, 'Oh, I want to invest in the things I know,'" said Kathleen Smith, principal and manager of IPO ETFs at Renaissance Capital. "It's about, 'How do I make money investing in these?''

"It doesn't do any good to own something when you're losing money in it."

In today's market, chances are that buying in on a newly public stock could be a losing proposition. Financial experts say there are several reasons why.

You could already be at a disadvantage

Even though the stock is not yet public, you could already be behind.

Just accessing IPO shares is difficult, Smith noted, because most shares will be allocated to big institutional clients of Wall Street firms.

What's more, many of the names going public now have waited longer to go public and seen their valuations surge during that time, said Nicole Tanenbaum, chief investment strategist at Chequers Financial Management

Uber and Lyft, for example, are considered unicorns, or startup companies valued at more than $1 billion. Along the way, they have raised large amounts of private funding.

Uber previously raised roughly $20 billion in funding and is eyeing a $120 billion valuation when it goes public. Lyft has raised more than $5 billion and plans to be valued at $23 billion.

show chapters Profitability is an issue for big tech IPOs, sector expert says    4:01 PM ET Thu, 21 March 2019 | 04:38

"When they do go public, much of the appreciation has already happened in the private markets," Tanenbaum said. That means that earlier investors, who got in at a lower price, stand to see greater gains.

"The upside for the public investor is much more diminished," Tanenbaum said.

Some companies that are going public these days — including Levi Strauss and Lyft — are pursuing a dual-class structure. That means that certain investors — notably company management — have preferential shares and voting rights compared to a separate common stock that typically comes with just one vote per share.

"In the long run, it's not good," Smith said. "If problems happen with the company, you want to be able to know the founders can't just do what they want without some kind of checks and balances."

You might not be able to stomach the ups and downs

While many IPOs close up on their first day, that first day pop and subsequent run up is not guaranteed, according to Michael McKevitt, director of financial planning at Guillaume & Freckman.

Think back to Facebook's IPO in May 2012. The company went to market at a high price and investors suffered losses at the outset.

It took about a year for Facebook's stock to get back to its opening price. Today, the stock's performance would be considered a success — as long as you held on.

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"Even if you pick the right company, like Facebook, which has done amazingly well, you still had to put up with a 50 percent decline, multiple 40 percent declines, multiple 20 percent declines," McKevitt said. "How many people bought it and held onto it through all of these moves?"

Investors would be wise to keep in mind that the lock up period could affect the stock price, said Megan Gorman, managing partner at Chequers Financial Management.

Lock up periods are a set amount of time, typically three to six months, when large shareholders are prohibited from selling their shares following an IPO. Once that time is over, that can sway the stock price.

"You can sometimes see the stock price has a pull back — not always, but there can be — when the lockup ends," Gorman said.

You could be investing the wrong way

All of those considerations mean one thing: Investing in a newly public company might not be the right decision for you — at least for now.

"If you want to be the guy or gal at the cocktail party or the golf course saying that you bought one of those unicorns when they IPO'ed, as long as you go in with the expectation that it might not be the best investment you ever make … that's great," Gorman said. "But if this is your retirement money, if this is all of your savings, going in an IPO doesn't make sense from a big picture perspective."

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Ultimately, you can eventually get exposure to these companies by investing in mutual funds. Renaissance Capital offers an ETF that consists of a basket of newly public companies. Companies Lyft and Uber will be candidates for inclusion in that fund once they start trading, Smith said.

Waiting for the shares to come to your price can often be the best strategy, according to experts.

That's what McKevitt said he encouraged one client to do when he inquired about investing in Lyft's IPO.

"You have to wait several months at least for more market participants to assess the stock," McKevitt said. "Once it starts trading over that amount of time, it's more likely to get a fair price."

Over 100 stocks hit 52-week low; realty, telecom & metal stocks biggest losers

The Indian benchmark indices have extended the early morning losses and are trading deep in the red with Nifty down 136 points, trading at 11,320 whereas Sensex has fallen 463 points, trading at 37,701.

Nifty Realty is down over 2 percent dragged by Indiabulls Real Estate that shed over 4 percent followed by DLF, Prestige Estate, Sunteck Realty and Unitech. The S&P BSE Realty index also trading a couple of percentage lower with losses from Indiabulls Real Estate, DLF, Sobha, Prestige Estates, Sunteck Realty, Godrej Properties, Mahindra Life, Oberoi Realty and Phoenix Mills.

Telecom stocks have also taken a beating. The top losers are Vodafone Idea which is down 5 percent while Reliance Communications, Optiemus Infracom and GTL Infra have shed 4 percent each. The other losers are MTNL, Tejas Networks, GTPL, Bharti Infratel, Aksh Opti Fibre, TTML, Tata Communications and Bharti Airtel.

From the metal space, the top losers are SAIL that shed 3 percent followed by Vedanta, Jindal Steel and Power, NMDC, JSW Steel, Hindalco Industries, Hindustan Zinc, Tata Steel and NALCO.

related news Jet Airways surges 15% on report of resignation of Naresh Goyal & Anita Goyal Hero Motocorp touches 52-week low, sheds over 7% in 9 sessions

Elara Capital has recommended a buy on Bharti Airtel with a target of Rs 520 based on 6.5x FY21E EV/EBITDA adjusted for the minority holding in Bharti Infratel, but without adjusting for the upcoming rights issue.

Over 100 stocks have hit 52-week low on the BSE including names like Lakshmi Energy, Petron Engineering, Genesys International, Igarashi Motors, Hero MotoCorp, Uttam Value Steel, SRS Finance and Ballarpur Industries among others.

The breadth of the market favoured the declines with 362 stocks advancing and 1,383 declining while 357 remained unchanged. On the BSE, 664 stocks advanced, 1,897 declined and 166 remained unchanged. First Published on Mar 25, 2019 02:51 pm

Should you give up privacy for cheaper car…

Michael Aminov-Tobin almost forgot a car insurance company was tracking his driving. He wasn't paying extra attention to how fast he drove or how hard he hit his brakes. So he was astonished when the company offered to insure his 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo for $100 a month less than he'd been paying.

"When it popped up with the price that it did, I was like, 'Holy crap, that's awesome!'" says Aminov-Tobin, 25, who operates a video production firm from his home near Columbus, Ohio.

He benefited from a growing trend known as usage-based insurance, or UBI, in which auto insurance companies electronically monitor a customer's driving and offer discounts in exchange.

Where you get the best deals: Drivers in these states could see the biggest discount on car insurance if they switched

Accident forgiveness: Why you should think twice before adding it onto your car insurance

Such programs can be a great deal for careful drivers and low-mileage users, but they also present significant privacy concerns, experts say. Before agreeing to be monitored, drivers should understand the risks and ask the right questions.

"The data is so rich," says Ting Zhu, an associate professor for Purdue University's Krannert School of Management who studies UBI. "They know exactly where you go and when you go."

Keys sit on a car insurance policy. (Photo: The Motley Fool)

The draw for drivers

Letting people prove they're safe drivers makes auto insurance pricing more fair, advocates say.

Traditional car insurance rates are based on your driving record, plus demographic factors like age, location and marital status. While usage-based policies still consider these factors, they base part of the rate on your driving behavior using telematics technology. Data are typically gathered via a plug-in device for your car's diagnostic port or a smartphone app.

"Good drivers should pay less," says Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America. "How you drive, and not who you are, should determine your rate."

Beware of roads here: These 10 cities have the most aggressive drivers in the nation

From BMW to Mercedes to Toyota: These car models are taking forever to sell on dealers' lots

Discounts can be significant for good drivers. With Nationwide's SmartRide, discounts can reach 40 percent, says David Arango, senior vice president of personal lines, which include auto and home. At Root Insurance, the startup that insures Aminov-Tobin, the best drivers can cut their rates nearly in half, says CEO Alex Timm. At both companies, the executives say, typical savings are around 20 percent.

Low-mileage drivers can benefit, too. Evan Makovsky, 42, of Hoboken, New Jersey, estimates he saved $1,000 a year by switching to Metromile, which charges a monthly base rate plus a per-mile rate. Makovsky drives his 2009 Volkswagen Passat mostly on weekends.

But rates aren't always better with usage-based insurance. For instance, if you change jobs and have a longer commute, a pay-per-mile policy could become costly. And with Progressive's Snapshot program, which monitors how you drive, rates go up for about 20 percent of drivers, according to the insurer. Bad drivers won't pay extra at Nationwide, Arango says, but they can lose their initial discount.

FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedIn25 most expensive car models to insure FullscreenPost to FacebookPosted!

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To determine the 25 Cars with the highest insurance costs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on insurance claim payments made by insurers by make and model, provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded by auto insurers. The costs include six types of insurance: collision, property damage, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payment, and bodily injury. The model that is most expensive to insure had the highest overall average cost to the insurer per year. These data are for 575 vehicles of 2014-2016 model years sold in the United States. No. 25 is the Kia Forte: Annual average insurance paid: $1,155.82; Annual collision insurance paid: $425.10; Type: Small four-door; Retail price:$16,800. Bruce Benedict, KIAFullscreen24. Mercedes-Benz C class four-door 2WD: 
Annual average insurance paid: $1,157.34; 
Annual collision insurance paid: $608.40; 
Type: Midsize luxury; 
Retail price:$40,250. Mercedes-BenzFullscreen23. Nissan Versa: 
Annual average insurance paid:$1,157.59; Annual collision insurance paid:$444.60
; Type:Small four-door;
 Retail price:$12,110. NissanFullscreen22. Nissan Sentra:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,165.05;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$471.90;
 Type: Small four-door;
 Retail price:$16,990. NissanFullscreen21. Lexus IS 350 four-door 2WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,167.11
; Annual collision insurance paid:$627.90;
 Type:Midsize luxury
; Retail price:$38,210. ToyotaFullscreen20. Audi A4 four-door 2WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,169.13;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$666.90;
 Type:Midsize luxury
; Retail price:$36,000. AUDI AGFullscreen19. Land Rover Range Rover Sport four-door 4WD:
 Annual average insurance paid: $1,173.05;
 Annual collision insurance paid: $631.80
; Type: Midsize luxury; SUV
 Retail price:$66,750. Land RoverFullscreen18. Infiniti Q50 four-door 4WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,182.32;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$612.30;
 Type:Midsize luxury;
 Retail price:$66,750. InfinitiFullscreen17. Dodge Dart
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,187.55
; Annual collision insurance paid:$468.00;
 Type:Small four-door
; Retail price:$16,995. FCAFullscreen16. Kia Rio: Annual average insurance paid:$1,191.26;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$413.40;
 Type:Mini four-door;
 Retail price:$13,900. KiaFullscreen15. Nissan Maxima: Annual average insurance paid:$1,237.68
; Annual collision insurance paid:$596.70;
 Type:Midsize four-door;
 Retail price:$33,270. NissanFullscreen14. Scion tC:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,237.74;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$518.70;
 Type:Small two-door;
 Retail price:$19,385. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAYFullscreen13. Chrysler 200 2WD
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,261.87
; Annual collision insurance paid:$471.90;
 Type:Midsize four-door;
 Retail price:$22,115. ChryslerFullscreen12. Scion iA: Annual average insurance paid:$1,274.51;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$530.40;
 Type:Mini four-door;
 Retail price:$15,700. David Dewhurst PhotographyFullscreen11. Ford Mustang two-door
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,291.53;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$686.40
; Type:Midsize sports cars;
 Retail price:$25,680. FordFullscreen10. Lexus GS 350 four-door 2WD
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,295.44;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$705.90;
 Type:Large luxury
; Retail price:$46,310. LexusFullscreen9. BMW 4 series two-door 2WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,306.51;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$659.10;
 Type:Midsize luxury;
 Retail price:$43,300. TONY DING, APFullscreen8. Audi A7 four-door 4WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,322.51; Annual collision insurance paid:$830.70;
 Type:Large luxury
; Retail price:$69,700. AUDI AGFullscreen7. Dodge Challenger
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,335.79; Annual collision insurance paid:$627.90;
 Type:Large two-door
; Retail price:$27,295. ChryslerFullscreen6. Kia Optima hybrid:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,355.13
; Annual collision insurance paid:$592.80;
 Type:Midsize four-door
; Retail price:$25,995. KIAFullscreen5. Dodge Charger 2WD
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,385.61;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$569.40;
 Type:Large four-door;
 Retail price:$28,995. ChryslerFullscreen4. Scion FR-S
: Annual average insurance paid:$1,403.67
; Annual collision insurance paid:$752.70;
 Type:Small two-door
; Retail price:$25,305. ScionFullscreen3. Mitsubishi Lancer 2WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,458.48;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$561.60
; Type:Small four-door
; Retail price:$17,79. MitsubishiFullscreen2. Mercedes-Benz S class four-door LWB 2WD:
 Annual average insurance paid:$1,540.63;
 Annual collision insurance paid:$803.40;
 Type:Large luxury
; Retail price:$89,900. Mercedes-BenzFullscreen1. Tesla Model S four-door electric 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $1,789.48
; Annual collision insurance paid: $1310.40; Type: Large luxury
; Retail price: $74,500.   TeslaFullscreenInterested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:Replay1 of 252 of 253 of 254 of 255 of 256 of 257 of 258 of 259 of 2510 of 2511 of 2512 of 2513 of 2514 of 2515 of 2516 of 2517 of 2518 of 2519 of 2520 of 2521 of 2522 of 2523 of 2524 of 2525 of 25AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext SlideData privacy concerns

Whether the price break is worth the privacy you relinquish by having your driving monitored depends on how you view the risks.

Aminov-Tobin wasn't concerned: "If you want the best rates, I guess you have to sacrifice a little," he says.

But privacy expert Jen King fears drivers may sacrifice more than they realize.

"Where you go every day can tell people a lot about what you're interested in, where you live, who you're associating with," says King, director of consumer privacy for the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School.

Even if the information isn't sold, she says, it might be used in ways the driver didn't anticipate.

A data breach is another danger, says Purdue's Zhu. She points to the 2013 Target breach in which cyberattackers stole the personal information of millions of customers. Zhu says her research found that after the breach, drivers were more likely to drop usage-based auto insurance.

Nevertheless, UBI seems to be gaining traction. A J.D. Power study showed 10 percent of insurance customers used such programs in 2018, up from 8 percent the previous two years. Though the policies aren't universally available, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners estimates 7 in 10 auto insurers will use monitoring technology by next year.

FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedIn25 cheapest cars to insure FullscreenPost to FacebookPosted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

To determine the 25 Cars with the lowest insurance costs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on insurance claim payments made by insurers by make and model, provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded by auto insurers. The costs include six types of insurance: collision, property damage, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payment, and bodily injury. The model that is most expensive to insure had the highest overall average cost to the insurer per year. These data are for 575 vehicles of 2014-2016 model years sold in the United States. Average annual insurance payments account for both the frequency of accidents, as well as the average payment made, by model. No.25. Toyota Sequoia four-door 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $719.60; Annual collision insurance paid: $319.80; Type: Large SUV; Retail price: $48,400. Toyota, ToyotaFullscreen24. Chevrolet Traverse four-door 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $716.68; Annual collision insurance paid: $284.70; Type: Large SUV; Retail price: $47,500. Jim Frenak-FPI StudiosFullscreen23. GMC Acadia four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $712.83; Annual collision insurance paid: $304.20; Type: Large SUV; Retail price: $29,000. Jim Haefner, General Motors, via APFullscreen22. Ford Edge four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $693.74; Annual collision insurance paid: $304.20; Type: Midsize SUV; Retail price: $29,315. Mandi Wright, Detroit Free PressFullscreen21. Ford F-150 SuperCab 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $690.91; Annual collision insurance paid: $273.00; Type: Large pickup; Retail price: $27,705. Steve Petrovich, Detroit Free PressFullscreen20. Toyota 4Runner four-door 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $688.12; Annual collision insurance paid: $292.50; Type: Midsize SUV; Retail price: $34,610. David Dewhurst, ToyotaFullscreen19. Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $684.51; Annual collision insurance paid: $249.60; Type: Large pickup; Retail price: $33,150. Ford Motor Co.Fullscreen18. Subaru XV Crosstrek 4WD with Eyesight: Annual average insurance paid: $680.94; Annual collision insurance paid: $288.60; Type: Small station wagons/minivans; Retail price: $21,595. Frederic J. Brown, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen17. Mini Countryman 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $680.94; Annual collision insurance paid: $312.00; Type: Small station wagons/minivans; Retail price: $26,600. None, MiniFullscreen16. Honda Odyssey: Annual average insurance paid: $680.40; Annual collision insurance paid: $296.40; Type: Large station wagons/minivans; Retail price: $29,990. Honda via APFullscreen15. Honda CR-V four-door 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $678.46; Annual collision insurance paid: $269.10; Type: Small SUV; Retail price: $24,250. HondaFullscreen14. Honda Pilot four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $677.38; Annual collision insurance paid: $284.70; Type: Midsize SUV; Retail price: $30,900. Honda, HondaFullscreen13. Nissan Leaf electric: Annual average insurance paid: $675.03; Annual collision insurance paid: $319.80; Type: Small four-door; Retail price: $29,990. NissanFullscreen12. Chevrolet Corvette convertible: Annual average insurance paid: $671.58; Annual collision insurance paid: $417.30; Type: Midsize sports cars; Retail price: $55,495. Alan VanderkaayFullscreen11. Subaru Legacy 4WD with Eyesight: Annual average insurance paid: $667.79; Annual collision insurance paid: $296.40; Type: Midsize four-door; Retail price:$22,195. Scott Olson, Getty ImagesFullscreen10. Volvo XC60 four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $665.28; Annual collision insurance paid: $315.90; Type: Midsize luxury SUV; Retail price: $41,500. Cyril Zingaro, APFullscreen9. Ford Expedition four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $660.16; Annual collision insurance paid: $284.70; Type: Large SUV; Retail price: $51,790. Ford Motor Co.Fullscreen8. Acura MDX four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $660.06; Annual collision insurance paid: $280.80; Type: Midsize luxury SUV; Retail price: $44,200. AcuraFullscreen7. Mazda CX-5 four-door 2WD: Annual average insurance paid: $649.78; Annual collision insurance paid: $245.70; Type: Small SUV; Retail price: $24,150. MazdaFullscreen6. Jeep Wrangler two-door SWB 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $647.85; Annual collision insurance paid: $206.70; Type: Small SUV; Retail price: $23,995. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles via APFullscreen5. Subaru Forester four-door 4WD with Eyesight: Annual average insurance paid: $645.85; Annual collision insurance paid: $273.00; Type: Small SUV; Retail price: $22,795. Uncredited, Subaru via APFullscreen4. GMC Canyon crew cab 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $633.70; Annual collision insurance paid: $257.40; Type: Small pickup; Retail price: $21,100. Jim Fets, GMCFullscreen3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD: Annual average insurance paid: $620.47;; Annual collision insurance paid: $253.50; Type: Large pickup; Retail price: $28,300. GMFulls

RigNet (RNET) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript

Image source: The Motley Fool.

RigNet (NASDAQ:RNET) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallMarch 15, 2019 11:00 a.m. ET

Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to RigNet's fourth-quarter 2018 conference call. My name is Victor, and I will be your coordinator for today. [Operator instructions] And I will now turn over the presentation to Lee Ahlstrom, RigNet's senior vice president and chief financial officer. Mr.

Ahlstrom, please proceed.

Lee Ahlstrom -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Victor, and good morning, and welcome to RigNet's fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings call. A copy of our earnings press release with supporting schedules, including schedules which reconcile the non-GAAP metrics we'll discuss today to the appropriate GAAP metrics, is posted to our website, www.rig.net, under our Investor Relations page. For those of you who would like the release in PDF format, that is posted as well. Before we get started, I'd like to make you aware that we will be making forward-looking statements today.

Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements related but not limited to market expectations and future plans are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These include, but are not limited to risks associated with the general nature of the oil and gas industry, customer and other third-party interactions, any discussion of the GX arbitration proceedings and possible outcomes and other factors detailed in the Risk Factors section of RigNet's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. RigNet disclaims any duty to update the information presented on this call.

And now, I'd like to turn the call over to Steve Pickett, RigNet's chief executive officer and president. Steve?

Steve Pickett -- Chief Executive Officer and President

Thank you, Lee. Welcome, everyone, to the call and thank you for joining the call. This morning, we'll review some of the key highlights of the fourth quarter and the full year and we'll share a bit about our roadmap ahead. Then Lee will go through some of the financial highlights.

Following that, as always, we'll open it up for questions. Yesterday, after the market closed, RigNet reported a net loss for the fourth quarter of $49.7 million or $2.62 per share based on revenues of $60.2 million. For the full year, we reported a net loss of $62.5 million or $3.34 per share on revenues of $238.9 million. Earnings for both the fourth quarter and the full year included a $50.6 million net noncash charge related to the results from Phase I of the GX arbitration proceedings.

We'll talk a little more about that, but if we adjust out this onetime, noncash charge, earnings for the fourth quarter would have been $0.9 million or $0.05 per share, and for the full year, net loss would have been $11.8 million or $0.63 per share. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure we define in our press release and one of our key performance metrics, was $10.5 million for the fourth quarter, up just under 21% from the third quarter. Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $34.8 million, up 17% from 2017. Our fourth quarter was marked by continuing strong operational performance despite a decline in quarterly revenue, driven largely by lower equipment sales in our managed communication services segment and our Apps & IoT segment, which are difficult to predict, the company executed well across all three of our business segments in the face of headwinds created by a nearly $30 drop in Brent oil prices during the quarter.

Let me touch on some highlights for the quarter in each of the segments. In our managed communication services business, we won a number of new contracts and expanded our business with our fleet customers. Business in the Gulf of Mexico was strong despite competition. We did lose a number of sites during the quarter, particularly in the land business where customers tend to respond more quickly to commodity price changes.

We've already seen a rebound in that category since the start of the year. Our offshore rigs site count declined by seven net rigs, including five Noble rigs between the third and fourth quarter. We're expecting the final Noble rigs to roll off during the first and possibly second quarter of 2019. These roll-offs, along with other softness due to offshore oil and gas market challenges, cause us to forecast quarter-over-quarter declines in revenue and adjusted EBITDA in the first half of the year.

Despite this, we're looking forward to continued improvement in the offshore industry, and based on public announcements made by our customers, we expect off-shore spending to be up modestly later in 2019 and more significantly in 2020. Nonetheless, one highlight for the MCS, or the managed communication services business, is that we executed a new exclusive fleetwide contract with an offshore drilling contractor with a term of three years. This includes rigs currently in operation, some of which were already served by RigNet as well as any rigs which were brought online during the three-year contract period. I'm also pleased to share that we now have approximately 60% of the Gulf of Mexico LTE network now operating and carrying live traffic.

This is a significant achievement by the team and is an important service upgrade to RigNet's current Gulf of Mexico digital microwave infrastructure, adding 4G and 5G-enabled LTE capability with mobility including rowing coverage in addition to making available point-to-point LTE business services. When fully complete, this network will span a coverage area of up to approximately 45,000 square miles for B2B applications and up to approximately 30,000 square miles for consumer applications. This new LTE network leverages low-band spectrum, which is able to penetrate offshore assets more effectively than higher-frequency solutions. We look forward to sharing more about this important investment in the near future.

In our Apps & IoT segment, we had our strongest year yet with year-over-year growth of 65%, while launching new products and driving new business lines. Intelie, our real-time machine learning platform, is being received with enthusiasm by customers as they discover the diverse applications where we can deliver actionable results that drive operational and financial improvement. During the quarter, we signed a new Intelie contract with a major drilling contractor for a three-year term where we will be helping the company monitor its BOPs and key rig systems. In addition, Intelie is also being considered by a second drilling contractor, the one I mentioned earlier, where we had exclusively secured the managed communications services business.

So our strategy of closing business in one of our business segments and then pulling through business in another is working. We also continued to make progress on serving oil and gas operators with Intelie. We've just signed an agreement with Petrobras, the national oil company of Brazil, that allows us to resell the applications that we have developed together. Additionally, we've just signed agreements with another supermajor to develop applications for Intelie where they will fund development of individual modules through their R&D budgets and we will have the full intellectual property.

This will help us rapidly increase the offerings we have in the Intelie app store, which runs on the Intelie platform. A number of paid proof-of-value trials are under way at other operators with opportunities which range from real-time monitoring of offshore rigs to planning new wells, to monitoring fracking performance on unconventional wells in the Permian Basin. Since the acquisition of Intelie, just 11 months ago, we secured orders with three supermajors, one of the largest drilling contractors in the world and with the growing North American-based fracking company. We've also secured orders for paid POVs, proof-of-value trials, with two other supermajors.

In terms of our cybersecurity solution, Cyphre, it's also seeing significant interest, both with our direct sales team as well as through our channel partners, which now include AT&T, SingTel and Arabsat, which was announced in the fourth quarter. We have a group of companies trialing Cyphre in the energy space and we've made some encouraging progress in the government vertical. We've also launched a few new solutions, including v

Unitus (UIS) Price Hits $0.0013 on Major Exchanges

Unitus (CURRENCY:UIS) traded flat against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 20:00 PM ET on March 14th. Unitus has a total market cap of $82,735.00 and $0.00 worth of Unitus was traded on exchanges in the last day. In the last seven days, Unitus has traded flat against the dollar. One Unitus coin can currently be bought for $0.0013 or 0.00000034 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here is how other cryptocurrencies have performed in the last day:

Get Unitus alerts: Bitcoin (BTC) traded 0.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $3,925.49 or 1.00000000 BTC. Ethereum (ETH) traded 0.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $133.92 or 0.03411576 BTC. Litecoin (LTC) traded 1.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $56.81 or 0.01447253 BTC. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) traded up 4% against the dollar and now trades at $134.46 or 0.03425285 BTC. Monero (XMR) traded up 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $52.58 or 0.01339397 BTC. Ethereum Classic (ETC) traded 2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $4.36 or 0.00111089 BTC. Zcash (ZEC) traded up 2.3% against the dollar and now trades at $52.82 or 0.01345590 BTC. Dogecoin (DOGE) traded up 0.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0020 or 0.00000052 BTC. Bitcoin Gold (BTG) traded 3.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $13.30 or 0.00338780 BTC. DigiByte (DGB) traded 0.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0141 or 0.00000360 BTC.

Unitus Profile

Unitus (CRYPTO:UIS) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the MultipleAlgorithms hashing algorithm. Its launch date was December 21st, 2014. Unitus’ total supply is 65,912,716 coins. The Reddit community for Unitus is /r/Unitus and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Unitus’ official Twitter account is @UnitusCoin. The official website for Unitus is unitus.online.

Unitus Coin Trading

Unitus can be bought or sold on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Cryptopia. It is usually not possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as Unitus directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Unitus should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Gemini, GDAX or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase Unitus using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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-$0.16 Earnings Per Share Expected for Appian Corp (APPN) This Quarter

Equities analysts predict that Appian Corp (NASDAQ:APPN) will announce earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.16) for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Two analysts have issued estimates for Appian’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at ($0.17) and the highest estimate coming in at ($0.16). Appian reported earnings per share of ($0.12) in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a negative year over year growth rate of 33.3%. The business is expected to report its next earnings report on Thursday, May 2nd.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Appian will report full-year earnings of ($0.45) per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.47) to ($0.44). For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the company will report earnings of ($0.32) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.37) to ($0.28). Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that that provide coverage for Appian.

Get Appian alerts:

Appian (NASDAQ:APPN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 21st. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.16) by $0.02. Appian had a negative return on equity of 97.30% and a negative net margin of 21.81%. The firm had revenue of $60.22 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $55.74 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.08) EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.1% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on APPN. Zacks Investment Research lowered Appian from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 27th. Canaccord Genuity upped their price target on Appian from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 22nd. SunTrust Banks upped their price target on Appian to $32.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 25th. BidaskClub upgraded Appian from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 1st. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Appian in a report on Friday, February 1st. They set a “sell” rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Appian currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.50.

In related news, insider Robert Charles Kramer sold 38,947 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.61, for a total value of $1,386,902.67. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Abdiel Capital Management, Llc bought 133,928 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $24.56 per share, with a total value of $3,289,271.68. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 630,737 shares of company stock valued at $16,123,572 and sold 91,704 shares valued at $3,317,548. Corporate insiders own 64.00% of the company’s stock.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APPN. Vanguard Group Inc raised its stake in shares of Appian by 78.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc now owns 1,930,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,914,000 after purchasing an additional 847,007 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Appian by 78.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,930,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,914,000 after acquiring an additional 847,007 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Appian in the third quarter valued at $13,801,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Appian by 101.7% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 408,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,536,000 after acquiring an additional 206,211 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its position in Appian by 94.7% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 246,706 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,166,000 after acquiring an additional 120,026 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.71% of the company’s stock.

Shares of APPN stock traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $35.36. 407,300 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 578,384. Appian has a fifty-two week low of $22.61 and a fifty-two week high of $43.61. The firm has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a PE ratio of -44.20 and a beta of 1.85.

About Appian

Appian Corporation provides low-code software development platform that enables organizations to develop various applications in the United States and internationally. The company's platform automates the creation of forms, data flows, records, reports, and other software elements that are needed to be manually coded or configured.

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Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Appian (APPN)

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

Top Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:XLI,CBFV,CIVB,

Lee Danner & Bass Inc. lowered its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB) by 8.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,370 shares of the company’s stock after selling 570 shares during the quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc.’s holdings in iShares Russell 1000 ETF were worth $997,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HC Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 4th quarter worth $494,000. RMB Capital Management LLC boosted its position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 21.9% during the 1st quarter. RMB Capital Management LLC now owns 10,980 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 1,975 shares during the period. Jump Trading LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 1st quarter worth $1,100,000. Davis R M Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $260,000. Finally, Blue Chip Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF during the 1st quarter worth $265,000.

Top Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  With June being a risk-off kind of month, some cyclical sectors often lag this month. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLI), for example, averages June losses of more than 1 percent.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Industrial stocks suffered the biggest losses, with the Industrial Select SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLI) dropping 2.1%. Biotech shares had a good day, though; the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology ETF (NASDAQ:IBB) rose 1.5%.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Energy stocks were slammed, with the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (NYSEMKT:XOP) tumbling 2.6%. The industrial sector continued falling on trade concerns; the Industrial Select SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLI) lost another 1.3%.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Nevertheless, some sectors of the market are doing better than others. When it comes to the 11 sectors that the company behind the Select Sector SPDR line of ETFs tracks, the best returns so far have come from Industrials Select Sector SPDR (NYSEMKT:XLI), Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSEMKT:XLE), and Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSEMKT:XLK).

Top Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: CB Financial Services, Inc.(CBFV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  CB Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ:CBFV)’s share price hit a new 52-week high and low on Wednesday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as low as $34.95 and last traded at $34.40, with a volume of 4600 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $34.65.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CB Financial Services (CBFV)

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

Top Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Civista Bancshares, Inc. (CIVB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Civista Bancshares (CIVB)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Civista Bancshares (CIVB)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Civista Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:CIVB) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $27.00.