Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:CNI,RNO,TRP,NGD,VRX,

Canada marijuana legalization is the next big growth catalyst for marijuana stocks. That's because only 13% of the $6.7 billion in marijuana sales in North America in 2016 were from Canada.

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As part of his 2015 campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised marijuana reform in Canada. That's because the majority of Canadians want recreational marijuana use legalized.

In a poll conducted during the summer of 2016, 69% of participants either supported or somewhat supported legalized recreational marijuana.

Only 26% were opposed or somewhat opposed.

Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Canadian National Railway Company(CNI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Neha Chamaria]

  Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) is facing a unique problem: too much demand that it can't seem to handle. Severe capacity shortages and delay in deliveries last quarter proved costly for the railroad, as evidenced by its just released first-quarter earnings report.

• [By Max Byerly]

  WARNING: “Q3 2018 Earnings Estimate for Canadian National Railway (CNI) Issued By Cormark” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this piece on another publication, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of U.S. & international copyright & trademark law. The original version of this piece can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3350637/q3-2018-earnings-estimate-for-canadian-national-railway-cni-issued-by-cormark.html.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  GE got some good news this past week with an order for 200 locomotives from Canadian National Railway Co. (NYSE: CNI). The locomotives will be built at GE’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, and deliveries to the rail operator will begin next year. The balance of the locomotives will be delivered in 2019 and 2020.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Canadian National Railway Co (NYSE:CNI)Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallApril 23, 2018, 4:30 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Rhino Resource Partners LP(RNO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Deutsche Bank set a €115.00 ($133.72) target price on Renault (EPA:RNO) in a report released on Friday morning. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Transcananda Pipelines Ltd.(TRP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  TransCanada's (NYSE:TRP) expansion efforts continued paying dividends during the first quarter as earnings and cash flow kept growing. As a result, the Canadian pipeline giant remains on track to achieve its dividend growth targets. CEO Russ Girling affirmed that view on the quarterly conference call, where he detailed the company's progress on its strategic plan.

• [By Zacks]

  Moreover, TransCanada Corporation (NYSE: TRP)'s $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline – expected to carry heavy crude from Alberta to refineries in the United States – is yet to get a final investment decision. The midstream company had secured 20 years commitment for 500 thousand barrels per day for the pipeline and received Alberta government's support. However, the Nebraska government sanctioned the Mainline Alternative Route for the controversial project, which is longer than the company's preferred route and has forced it to review the alternative route keeping the final decision on hold.

• [By Jason Hall]

  Priestley:�Yeah,�absolutely. The last company is also on this natural gas trend,�it's TransCanada (NYSE:TRP), ticker TRP. It's a�Canadian energy infrastructure company. They have assets in the U.S.,�Canada, obviously, and Mexico. They�operate 40,000 miles of natural gas pipeline. A�notable project that they operate is the Keystone XL Pipeline and the�Keystone Pipeline system. It�also has interests in 20 power�generation facilities,�mostly in Canada. And, they have significant scale as a midstream company. I kind of like these midstream players, because they're really winners,�so to speak, in a lot of respects. A lot of the contracts that they make with the oil refiners or the oil�companies themselves are 15-20-year contracts.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Enbridge just bought its stake in the German offshore wind farm projects�last year, initially agreeing to invest about $1.25 billion for a 50% stake. However, with concerns growing about its balance sheet and ability to finance growth projects, the company has chosen to monetize part of this asset. It's also monetizing its onshore renewable facilities in Canada and two in the U.S. to bring in some much-needed cash. This decision to cash in on a portion of its renewable portfolio follows a similar plan by fellow Canadian pipeline giant TransCanada (NYSE:TRP), which sold its solar assets in Ontario last year. The driving factor in that decision was TransCanada's desire to improve its financial flexibility so that it could "continue to build on our vision of being North America's leading energy infrastructure company," said CEO Russ Girling. What's clear from these deals is that neither TransCanada nor Enbridge sees renewables playing a key role in building the companies they envision themselves being.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Most investors have probably heard of energy giants Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) (NYSE:RDS-B), Dominion Energy (NYSE:D), and TransCanada (NYSE:TRP). Fewer, however, are likely familiar with their publicly traded master limited partnerships (MLPs): Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE:SHLX), Dominion Energy Midstream Partners (NYSE:DM), and TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP). That might be a good thing, as the market has beaten up the latter trio this year, sending their valuations south.

• [By Dustin Parrett]

  TransCanada Corp. (NYSE: TRP) just achieved a perfect Money Morning stock VQScore��, making it a profit powder keg waiting to ignite…

  TransCanada is a Canadian oil and gas pipeline company, most famous for its development of the Keystone XL pipeline connecting Canadian oil fields to major hubs in the United States.

Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 3.8% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $2.28. Shares closed at $2.37 on Wednesday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 5.9 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 2.9% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $2.35. Shares closed at $2.42 on Friday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 5.8 million shares. The gold mining company had no news.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE: TER) fell 10.8 percent to $37.02 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat Q2 guidance. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW) fell 9.2 percent to $122.29 in pre-market trading. Edwards Lifesciences reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter, but issued weak earnings guidance for the second quarter. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.8 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading after rising 4.13 percent on Tuesday. Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE: GFI) fell 8.6 percent to $3.61 in pre-market trading. Natus Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ: BABY) fell 8.2 percent to $32.95 in pre-market trading after the company issued weak forecast for the second quarter. Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS) shares fell 7.9 percent to $3.50 in pre-market trading after climbing 27.09 percent on Tuesday. Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: BEDU) shares fell 6.7 percent to $13.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Sangamo Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: SGMO) fell 5.9 percent to $16.75 in pre-market trading following announcement of a $200 million common stock offering. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) shares fell 5.7 percent to $3.29 in pre-market trading after declining 3.32 percent on Tuesday. Euronav NV (NYSE: EURN) fell 4.8 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading. Limelight Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: LLNW) shares fell 4.3 percent to $4.69 in pre-market trading. Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc (NASDAQ: GLPI) shares fell 4.1 percent to $32.92 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat quarterly results and reported the retirement of CFO William Clifford
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) fell 23.3 percent to $9.87 in pre-market trading after declining 13.45 percent on Wednesday. SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SXCP) fell 12.8 percent to $16.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG) fell 11 percent to $17.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted mixed Q3 results and lowered its FY18 guidance. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.4 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading following downbeat Q1 results. Quality Care Properties, Inc. (NYSE: QCP) fell 8.2 percent to $20.85 in pre-market trading. Welltower announced plans to acquire QCP for $20.75 per share in cash. China Customer Relations Centers Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) shares fell 7.5 percent to $17.25 in pre-market trading after climbing 18.73 percent on Wednesday. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) shares fell 5.7 percent to $5.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) fell 5.6 percent to $38.66 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Southw

Top Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc(VRX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.44 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $3.63 billion. Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $3.17 billion. Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $926.18 million. The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $2.98 billion. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $1.71 billion. US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $5.98 billion. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $3.50 billion. Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.06 per share on revenue of $936.98 million. Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion. Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.14 per share on revenue of $1.21 billion. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $23.80 billion. JD.com, Inc. (NYSE: JD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $15.65 billion. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.6 per share o
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) gained 50.7 percent to $4.34 after the company announced a special $1.00 per share cash dividend. Impinj, Inc. (NASDAQ: PI) surged 28.4 percent to $17.44 after reporting Q1 results. Cardlytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDLX) gained 22 percent to $17.945. Care.com, Inc. (NYSE: CRCM) shares rose 19.3 percent to $18.92 following Q1 earnings. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) jumped 19.1 percent to $4.3934 after the company disclosed that it entered into a license agreement with Ecrent Capital Holdings Limited. Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) rose 18.6 percent to $4.79 after jumping 171.14 percent on Monday. IntriCon Corporation (NASDAQ: IIN) climbed 17.4 percent to $29.30 after reporting Q1 results. Nevsun Resources Ltd. (NYSE: NSU) rose 16.2 percent to $3.45 after Lundin Mining Corporation and Euro Sun Mining Inc. proposed to acquire Nevsun Resources for around C$1.5 billion. Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: TCMD) gained 15.4 percent to $42.61 following Q1 results. eGain Corporation (NASDAQ: EGAN) gained 15.3 percent to $10.55 following Q3 earnings. Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) rose 13.8 percent to $9.48 after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRL) shares surged 13.1 percent to $13.42 after reporting Q1 results. USA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAT) climbed 11.9 percent to $10.85 following better-than-expected Q3 earnings. scPharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SCPH) gained 11.2 percent to $14.45 following Q1 results. Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI) rose 10.2 percent to $24.08 following Q1 results. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) shares rose 7.9 percent to $19.60 as the company posted upbeat Q1 results and raised its outlook. Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TAST) rose 7.7 percent to $11.90 following upbeat Q1 results. Pareteum Corporation (NASDAQ: TEUM) rose 6.8 perc
• [By Craig Jones]

  Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers suggested on Bloomberg Markets an options strategy in Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE: VRX).

  The company is going to report earnings next week and Sosnick wants to use elevated implied volatility to sell options. He wants to sell the May 11, 17.50 strike call and buy the May 11, 19 strike call for a total credit of 60 cents.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) has a PDUFA date set for May 13. Specifically, this is for its New Drug Application for Plenvu (NER1006), which was licensed by Salix from Norgine in August 2016 for introduction to the U.S. market. Plenvu is a next-generation bowel cleansing preparation for colonoscopies.

Digix Gold Token Price Hits $42.56 (DGX)

Digix Gold Token (CURRENCY:DGX) traded 4.5% lower against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 17:00 PM Eastern on May 27th. Digix Gold Token has a total market cap of $0.00 and approximately $103,887.00 worth of Digix Gold Token was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last seven days, Digix Gold Token has traded down 3.7% against the US dollar. One Digix Gold Token token can now be bought for approximately $42.56 or 0.00581415 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here’s how other cryptocurrencies have performed in the last 24 hours:

Get Digix Gold Token alerts: Ripple (XRP) traded down 2.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.61 or 0.00008287 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded down 5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.28 or 0.00003765 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 6.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0702 or 0.00000959 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded down 4.6% against the dollar and now trades at $1.45 or 0.00019789 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded down 3.1% against the dollar and now trades at $52.19 or 0.00712948 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded 0% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013675 BTC. VeChain (VEN) traded 4.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $3.47 or 0.00047375 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded down 4% against the dollar and now trades at $12.46 or 0.00170220 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 5.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.12 or 0.00001584 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded 2.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $6.46 or 0.00088241 BTC.

About Digix Gold Token

Digix Gold Token’s total supply is 32,300 tokens. Digix Gold Token’s official website is digix.global. The Reddit community for Digix Gold Token is /r/digix and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Digix Gold Token’s official Twitter account is @digixglobal.

Buying and Selling Digix Gold Token

Digix Gold Token can be purchased on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Kyber Network. It is usually not presently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as Digix Gold Token directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to trade Digix Gold Token should first purchase Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Changelly, Coinbase or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to purchase Digix Gold Token using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Lowe’s (LOW) Given a $111.00 Price Target by Credit Suisse Group Analysts

Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) has been given a $111.00 target price by equities research analysts at Credit Suisse Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock. Credit Suisse Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 15.04% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on LOW. BMO Capital Markets restated a “hold” rating and set a $95.00 target price (up from $82.00) on shares of Lowe’s in a report on Thursday, March 1st. Loop Capital started coverage on Lowe’s in a report on Thursday, March 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $88.00 target price for the company. Telsey Advisory Group upgraded Lowe’s from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $83.00 to $124.00 in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Zacks Investment Research cut Lowe’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co started coverage on Lowe’s in a report on Monday, April 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and twenty-six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Lowe’s presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.10.

Get Lowe's alerts:

Shares of LOW stock opened at $96.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $71.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.33. Lowe’s has a 1-year low of $70.76 and a 1-year high of $108.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.11.

Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 23rd. The home improvement retailer reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.22 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $17.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.44 billion. Lowe’s had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 65.17%. The company’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.03 earnings per share. equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s will post 5.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, January 26th that allows the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the home improvement retailer to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $106,000. ClariVest Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s in the 1st quarter worth approximately $118,000. Rainier Group Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s in the 1st quarter worth approximately $121,000. Truewealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $128,000. Finally, Cerebellum GP LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $129,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.83% of the company’s stock.

About Lowe’s

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It offers a line of products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. The company provides home improvement products in various categories, such as lumber and building materials, tools and hardware, appliances, fashion fixtures, rough plumbing and electrical, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, paint, millwork, flooring, and kitchens, as well as outdoor power equipment.

US sales of new homes slipped 1.5% in April

WASHINGTON �� Sales of new U.S. homes fell 1.5% in April as buying plunged in the West.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new homes sold last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 662,000. So far this year, new-home sales are 8.4% higher than in 2017.

A solid job market and a shortage of existing homes for sale have led more people into the new home market, even though they are generally more expensive than existing homes. Sales last month were increasingly were made at the higher end.

Momentum in the U.S. housing market has overcome even a supply shortage because mortgage rates remain near historic lows. But average mortgage rates have begun to climb in reaction to President Donald Trump's tax cuts, reaching a seven-year high of 4.61% on a 30-year loan, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

Sales tumbled 7.9% last month in the West and were essentially unchanged in the Midwest and South. But sales improved 11.1% in the Northeast. The new-home sales figures are often volatile on a monthly basis and often revised.

The median sales price of a new home rose 0.4% from a year ago, to $312,400. But that masks a broader change last month, which was more activity at luxury prices levels.

Ten percent of new homes purchased in April cost more than $750,000. That is twice the percentage of homes bought last year in that range. As a result, the average price of a new home in April shot up 11.3% from a year ago, to $407,300.

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Millennials are ditching their parents' basements and using their socked away cash to buy some pretty lavish homes. USA TODAY

11 hacks for freelancers and entrepreneurs

"Never have I ever procrastinated on a task," said no freelancer ever. Having your income tied to your productivity levels can encourage anyone to work hard.

However, sometimes the money factor is not enough to get the creative juices flowing. If you��re in a productivity valley, there are practical hacks you could use to rise to the mountaintop and be in a great shape. Here are 11 of them, as recommended by some top freelancers and entrepreneurs.

1. Trick your brain into productive mode

��Our brain comes with this little nagging system that reminds us of unfinished tasks. The ��nagger�� is known as ��Zeigarnik Effect��. It states that once we begin doing something (but do not complete that action), our brain experiences a task-specific tension. This tension improves our ability to remember the content of the task, as well as forces us to complete it. So how is this good for you? First, physiological tests suggest that interruptions can increase our information retention and recollection abilities by 90%. Students who have interrupted their studies with unrelated activities (e.g. playing games) tend to remember the material better than peers who did not take a break. Next, if you start doing some chore, the Zeigarnik Effect will push you into finishing it as your brain will just nag you to complete what has been started.�� - Daniel Soderberg, CEO of EyeOnPass.

2. Head to a coffee�shop

��Here��s your excuse for treating yourself to that overpriced mocha latte ��� it has been scientifically proven that certain levels of ambient noise such as clattering of cups and the hiss of an espresso machine improves performance on creative tasks. Going outside also means that you will need to get out of those PJs �� an additional productivity booster.�� -�Jason Springer, CMO of Loan Mart.

3. Work in 90-minute sprints

��Our bodies naturally shift from higher to lower alertness states every 90 minutes throughout the day. This is called ��ultradian rhythm��. Observe your behavior and feelings and try to capture those moments of higher alertness during the day and plan your schedule around them. After an extensive 90-minute session, give yourself at least an hour to ��recharge��. - Jason Hall, CEO of 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle.

4. Compete with your peers

��When you are working solo, it��s hard to assess how well you are doing as you end up being either too harsh on yourself or too lax. Having an accountability buddy at a similar stage of their business journey, but in a different niche, can help you create a friendly sense of competition and steer you towards improving your performance and reaching your goals quicker.�� - Matthew van Niekerk, Co-Founder & CEO of Databroker DAO.

5. Make a public�commitment

��If you are really struggling with finishing one dreadful chore, make a public promise that you will have it done by a certain deadline. Promise that to your best buddy, spouse or just a bunch of random people on Facebook. Make sure there are ��sanctions�� involved if you fail to deliver (e.g. buying a round of drinks for all witnesses).�� - Benson Varghese, Founder of Varghese Summersett.

6. Adjust the thermostat

��Home office temperature can impact your productivity. One study indicates that workers tend to make 44% more mistakes when the room temperatures were too low (68 degrees or 20 degrees Celsius). When you feel cold, your brain gets distracted as it's thinking of ways to warm up, instead of focusing on the job at hand. Switch to the optimal ��work�� temperature �� 77 degrees or 25 degrees Celsius.�� - Victor Kluczenya, CEO of Mobile Tracking Reviews.

7. Visualize your progress

��At the end of the day, we like to feel accomplished. Instead of deleting the tasks from your to-do list, try to visualize them in a fun manner. Create your weekly scoreboard where you will track how much you have accomplished (e.g. how many new pitches you have sent or how many new clients you have on-boarded). Set specific milestones and treat yourself with something meaningful once you reach those.�� - Steve McCullah, Head of PR at Apollo Currency.

8. Try the ��forced deadline�� technique

��Even the most driven freelancers and entrepreneurs can struggle with creative blocks and procrastination. At times like these, be your own boss and set a non-negotiable deadline for yourself -- the more urgent, the better. This ��forced deadline�� can spark a burst of productivity that kick starts motivation to get you back on track. Hard mode: The All-Nighter. Creativity, clarity and productivity can be amazing in pre-dawn hours. Just be sure to rest and nourish your brain afterwards for healthy mental recovery.�� - Patrick Dougherty, Marketing Director of Mind Lab Pro.

9. Plan your schedule backwards

��Many people push the most daunting chores till the last moment. If you are guilty of such, flip your daily schedule. Assume that you want to stop working by 6 pm and plan your tasks from that point. Be meticulous and assign specific hour to each chore you plan to accomplish. Creating a rigid schedule may not sound appealing initially, but scientists have proved that apart from improving your work performance, time managing your leisure activities increases the quality of life.�� - Pat Morrow, Headlines maker (Sports line trader) for Bovada.

10. Create additional obstacles for distractions

��Working from home comes with a lot of productivity killers �� the food, the TV, the kids and the ever-present social media. There's a quick hack to protect you against those ��hazards�� �� create a 20-second delay for getting access to the distraction. Remove batteries from the TV remote control or hide that cookie on the highest shelf you cannot reach without bringing a chair. You will be positively surprised how less appealing those actions will become in awhile.�� - Ronnie Wilson, CEO of SaveonIT.

11. Work on your morning mood

��Getting up on the wrong side of the bed can hamper your productivity. Researchers from Ohio found that employees�� morning moods tend to affect their performance throughout the day and their perception of customers. Grumpy employees didn��t do particularly well. Replace your habit of reading emails first thing in the morning with a 100% positive ritual that would leave you content for the rest of the day.�� - Silvia Polivoy, Co-Founder of Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center.

If you struggle to stay on top of your workload or are experiencing a decline in your productivity, try some of the 11 hacks above to restore your work mojo.

Are you ready to start your own business or try out a few side gigs to get the feel of freelancing? No matter what path you choose, kick start your freelance career by joining the amazing community of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and gig workers on Moonlighting. Sign up or download the app today - Free!

Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA Today Network were not involved in the creation of this content.

Market Update: SBI top gainer on Nifty, up 3% despite poor Q4; PC Jeweller zooms 16%

The market continues to trade on a positive note on Tuesday afternoon, with the Nifty�up�11 points at 10,523 and the Sensex up 30 points at 34,646.

The Bank Nifty turned green led by State Bank of India, despite the bank posting a Q4 net loss of over Rs 7,700 crore. Punjab National Bank, which gained 4.48 percent, Bank of Baroda, Federal Bank and ICICI Bank were the other gainers.

The Nifty Realty index�was up over 1 percent�led by Indiabulls Real Estate, which jumped 4 percent.�DLF, HDIL and Unitech were among the other gainers.�However, Sobha was�down over�3 percent.

JP Associates�rose by�around 9 percent, while CG Power, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications and Voltas were the other top gainers on the NSE.

related news Dr Reddy's Laboratories rises 8% despite fall in Q4 profit; recommends 400% final dividend Motilal Oswal Financial Services gains 4% on healthy earnings in Q4 led by brokerage, AMC VIP Industries gains 10% post strong Q4 numbers; recommends 100% final dividend

Media stocks were also buzzing in afternoon trade, with�Network18�and TV18 Broadcast up 4 percent each. Sun TV Network�and�PVR�were the other gainers.

The top gainers among Nifty constituents were�Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finserv, State Bank of India and Coal India.

The most actively traded stocks on the NSE were State Bank of India, Ashok Leyland, Strides Shasun, PC Jeweller and Tata Motors.

Some of the top gainers on BSE were PC Jeweller, JP Associates, Strides Shasun, Balrampur Chini and�NCC.

The biggest losers�were Mahanagar Gas, PNB Housing, EROS International, Mphasis and Bharat Forge.

Berger Paints, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv all hit fresh 52-week highs in�afternoon trade. On the other hand, 207 stocks hit new 52-week lows.

The stocks that hit new 52-week lows include Ajanta Pharma, BEML, Bharti Airtel, Can Fin Homes, Castrol India, Ceat, GMDC, Grasim Industries, Jet Airways, NBCC, UltraTech Cement and Vakrangee, among others.

The breadth of the market favoured advances, with 952 stocks advancing, 772 declining and�324 remaining unchanged. On BSE, 1353 stocks advanced,�1198 declined and 139 remained unchanged.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd

Dow Jones Today Surges Over 200 Points as White House Eases Chinese Trade Threat

The Dow Jones today projected a 223-point gain during pre-market trading on news that China and the United States are making progress on their trade relationship. Over the weekend, the Trump administration announced that it was postponing the imposition of tariffs on China in an effort to smooth trade negotiations.

While investors are excited to lock in today's gains,�Money Morning�Special Situation Strategist Tim Melvin recently showed readers that not all market returns are equal. In fact, there's one popular Wall Street investment that is ripping off investors left and right. Check out Tim's warning here…

Here are the numbers from Friday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:

Index	Previous Close	Point Change	Percentage Change
Dow Jones	24,715.09	1.11	0.00%
S&P 500	2,712.97	-7.16	-0.26%
Nasdaq	7,354.34	-28.13	0.28%

Now here's a closer look at today's Money Morning insight, the most important market events, and stocks to watch…

MUST SEE: Watch this guy officially become $1,050 richer in 15 seconds… $940 richer in 11 seconds… $1,260 richer in eight seconds… and $988 richer in seven seconds! Then discover how you could do this all yourself. Click here…

Money Morning Insight of the Day

Markets have been under pressure once again by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Inflation levels are going through the roof… but the people in charge of managing it have been lying to Americans for years. Now, it's time to get even.�Money Morning�Liquidity Specialist Lee Adler has the perfect way to make a lot of money when no one is looking.�Read it here.

The Top Stock Market Stories for Monday Markets are cheering news that the supposed trade war between the United States and China is "on hold," according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Mnuchin and U.S. President Donald Trump's top economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, announced that both nations have reached an agreement, one that established a framework to help address ongoing trade imbalances between the two countries. The prices of crude oil is in focus after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won reelection over the weekend. The election featured a very low turnout and a very large outcry that the vote was rigged. Maduro has a 75% disapproval rating and has been the face of the OPEC member's widespread mismanagement and economic collapse. Prior to the election, a member of the Trump administration said that the United States would not recognize the authenticity of the election. The United States is considering additional sanctions on Venezuela. Today is a major day for mergers and acquisition activity. Today, Blackstone Group LP�(NYSE: BX) announced plans to purchase U.S. hotel operator LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) for a whopping $3.7 billion. The deal comes at a time that the travel industry is experiencing one of the best periods in a decade. If you're looking for a way to make money ahead of Memorial Day weekend, we show you how here. Four Stocks to Watch Today: GOOGL, GE, MBFI, FITB Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) is under pressure this morning after a harsh piece aired last night on "60 Minutes." The segment discussed the organization's power and influence. It also featured interviews with a range of critics who argued the firm is stifling competition. In other deal news, General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) announced plans to merge its transportation business with a rail equipment maker called Wabtec. The $20 billion deal is expected to provide about $10 billion in tax benefits to the conglomerate. Shares of GE stock popped 2.3% on the news. Fifth Third Bancorp (Nasdaq: FITB) announced it was purchasing MB Financial Inc. (Nasdaq: MBFI) in a deal worth $4.7 billion. Wall Street M&A activity is heating up as companies look for growth. MBFI stock popped 14% on the news. Look for earnings reports from Monro Inc. (Nasdaq: MNRO), Nordson Corp.�(Nasdaq: NDSN), Pure Storage Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTG), Ferroglobe Plc. (NYSE: GSM), and�America's Car-Mart Inc. (Nasdaq: CRMT).

Follow�Money Morning��on��Facebook,�Twitter, and�LinkedIn.

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Badger Meter (BMI) Receives Coverage Optimism Score of 0.05

Media stories about Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research group identifies negative and positive press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Badger Meter earned a media sentiment score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave headlines about the scientific and technical instruments company an impact score of 46.4819353463627 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near term.

BMI stock opened at $42.80 on Friday. Badger Meter has a 1 year low of $37.78 and a 1 year high of $52.10. The company has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.97 and a beta of 0.67.

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Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.11). Badger Meter had a net margin of 8.22% and a return on equity of 12.11%. The company had revenue of $105.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $107.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. Badger Meter’s quarterly revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts forecast that Badger Meter will post 1.37 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 31st will be paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 30th. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is currently 43.70%.

Several brokerages have recently commented on BMI. ValuEngine lowered Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Badger Meter from $48.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 19th. Boenning Scattergood reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Wednesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “hold” rating and set a $41.00 price target (down previously from $49.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, April 19th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity reissued a “sell” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Wednesday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.40.

In related news, Chairman Richard A. Meeusen sold 13,130 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.78, for a total value of $640,481.40. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 105,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,170,289.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 2,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.47, for a total value of $98,878.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 35,593 shares of company stock worth $1,755,413. 2.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Badger Meter Company Profile

Badger Meter, Inc provides flow measurement, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical and electronic water meters, and related technologies and services to municipal water utilities; and meters and valves to measure and control materials flowing through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, oil, and other liquids and gases, as well as for use in water/wastewater, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, test and measurement, automotive aftermarket, and the concrete construction process industries.

Score a Quick and Easy 200% Profit on This Share Buyback

Tom Gentile

You may have been seeing a lot about "share buybacks" in the news lately – especially after Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) announced a new $100 billion stock repurchasing program.

Now, I know that "buybacks" may not sound like the most exciting thing in the news right now – but the truth is, they're extremely important for the overall market.

In fact, they're even more important when the major indices are in the red – like we saw on Tuesday when the Dow plummeted nearly 200 points.

But that's where a buyback comes in…

Not only could it be the catalyst for the start of a new rally higher, it could open the door to new, lucrative trading opportunities – like�this one…

Three Reasons Why Share Buybacks Are Good for Your Bottom Dollar

The Amephenol Corp. (NYSE: APH) is an electronic and fiber optic manufacturing company in Connecticut. Late last month, on April 25, the company released their earnings and beat all expectations, including earnings per share and reported revenue.

But more importantly, they recently announced their plan to execute a $2 billion share buyback program that will be equal to 7.9% of their stock.

Now, buybacks are always a sign of good things to come. You see, they tell investors that the company has confidence in its growth prospects – and it also shows confidence in the operations, sales, and revenue-producing potential over a longer haul. And this make the company much more appealing to investors, because you know the stock has the capability�to continue climbing in price.

Top Five: These tiny Canadian pot stocks are set to skyrocket. Click here…

Here are the top three reasons why share buybacks are good for the stock market – and your pockets:

They�prove to investors that�a company is confident and expecting growth in the near future. They are a�way to also pay off investors and reduce the overall cost of capital for the company. They show that a company believes�its shares are undervalued so they can pick them up at this suppressed price and then issue them back at�a higher value when the price increases.

How to Bank 200% on Amephenol's Share Buyback

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Tom Gentile

About the Author

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Tom Gentile is one of the world's foremost authorities on stock, futures and options trading.

With more than 25 years' experience trading stocks, futures, and options, Tom's style of trading systems and strategies are designed to help individual investors propel themselves past 99 percent of the trading crowd.

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