Key Takeaways Both MDU and SWX benefit from rising natural gas demand and interest rate cuts. MDU posts a higher ROE at 9.86% vs. SWX's 6.76%, and maintains a lower debt-to-capital ratio than its peer. In the past three months, MDU stock has lost 0.5% compared with SWX's 2.3% decline.Natural gas distribution pipelines play a vital role in delivering natural gas from intrastate and interstate transmission pipelines to consumers through small-diameter pipelines. The natural gas network in the United States ...

President Trump and Elon Musk have had a falling out in recent days. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty ... More Images)Getty ImagesKey Takeaways Trump-Musk feud rattles markets; Tesla dives 14% as political tensions shake investor confidence Jobs report beats forecast slightly, but downward revisions temper enthusiasm and bond yields rise Tariffs, forecasts disappoint: Lululemon, DocuSign, Broadcom stocks fall sharply in premarket tradingMajor indices were relatively quiet on Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 0.5% and ...

Core Insights - Newmont Corporation (NEM) and Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) are significant players in the gold mining industry, with global operations and diversified portfolios. Gold prices, while down from April 2025 highs, remain favorable due to safe-haven demand amid trade and geopolitical uncertainties, currently above $3,300 per ounce [1][2]. Gold Market Dynamics - Gold prices have increased approximately 28% this year, driven by aggressive trade policies, global trade tensions, and central bank accumulation of gold reserves. Prices peaked at $3,500 per ounce on April 22, 2025, amid calls for interest rate cuts [3]. Newmont Corporation (NEM) - Newmont is actively investing in growth projects, including the Tanami Expansion 2 in Australia and the Ahafo North expansion in Ghana, aimed at increasing production capacity and extending mine life [5]. - The acquisition of Newcrest Mining Limited has enhanced Newmont's portfolio, generating $500 million in annual run-rate synergies and creating a multi-decade production profile [6]. - Newmont has divested non-core assets, generating total after-tax cash proceeds of $4.3 billion, which includes $1.7 billion from three assets sold in March 2025 and $850 million from additional sales [7]. - The company reported liquidity of $8.8 billion at the end of Q1 2025, with operating cash flow increasing 162% year-over-year to around $2 billion [8]. - Newmont returned $1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and reduced debt by $1 billion since the beginning of 2025, maintaining a long-term debt-to-capitalization ratio of around 20% [10]. Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) - Kinross has a strong production profile with key projects like Great Bear in Ontario and Round Mountain Phase X in Nevada, expected to enhance production and cash flow [11]. - Tasiast and Paracatu are the main contributors to Kinross's cash flow, with Tasiast being the lowest-cost asset and achieving record production in 2024 [12]. - Kinross ended Q1 2025 with liquidity of approximately $2.3 billion and generated record free cash flows of around $1.3 billion in 2024 [13]. - The company repaid $800 million of debt in 2024, reducing net debt to around $540 million, with a long-term debt-to-capitalization ratio of 14.4% [14]. Stock Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, NEM stock has increased by 46.5%, while KGC stock has risen by 66.8%, outperforming the Zacks Mining – Gold industry's increase of 54.4% [15]. - NEM trades at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 12.59, approximately 10% below the industry average of 14X, while KGC trades at a premium with a multiple of 13.37 [18][20]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NEM's 2025 sales and EPS indicates a year-over-year rise of 2% and 20.1%, respectively, while KGC's estimates imply growth of 15.3% and 63.2% [21][24]. Investment Considerations - Both Newmont and Kinross are well-positioned to benefit from favorable gold prices, demonstrating strong financial performance and commitment to shareholder returns. Newmont is viewed as a more attractive investment due to its valuation and higher dividend yield [25].

The companies under the Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry operate continuously to deliver a steady supply of clean, potable water and dependable sewer services to millions across the United States, services that are vital for maintaining public health and hygiene. Traditionally, water demand tends to dip during the winter months, as colder weather limits outdoor usage. In the spring, demand remains moderate, influenced by milder temperatures and gradually increasing outdoor activities.The aging of pipel ...

Australian office indicators Key leasing and capital markets metrics across the Australian office market Improving sentiment driving greater liquidity RECENT DEALS INDICATE THAT PRIME YIELDS HAVE STABILISED Markets have shown improving sentiment resulting with momentum in office investment continuing in Q1 2025. Several large deals occurred in Q1, with almost all activity located in Sydney. We consider that prime yields have stabilised for core assets, led by Sydney which has seen higher deal volumes and he ...

Sentiment check post US-China truce + Trade ideas 美中停⽕后的情绪检查及交易策略 We surveyed more than 1,100 clients on risk sentiment following trade war de-escalation news of the past week--link 我们对 1100 多名客⼾进⾏了⻛险情绪调查，内容涉及过去⼀周贸易战降级的消息——链接. 市场洞察 - Marquee --- Market Insights - Marquee Market Insights | Markets | Equities 市场洞察 | 市场 | 股票 市场洞察 - Marquee --- Market Insights - Marque e 给看空者 :: 如果你认为 2025 年"可能"会像 2022 年那样，硬数据恶化逐渐影响股价……我们有⼀个系统化 策略，建议你这个周末阅读 :: 给我们发邮件 Detailed results: 详细结果： while risk sentiment improved on the ...

Market Overview - The Nasdaq Composite and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have lost 1.03% and 0.52% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 has gained 0.60% [1] - Investor hesitance is attributed to President Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs on all U.S. trading partners, although a potential truce between the U.S. and China may lead to reduced import duties [1] Economic Indicators - The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.2% sequentially in April and 2.3% year-over-year, marking the lowest increase since February 2021 [2] - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that more clarity is needed before considering further interest rate cuts, with analysts expecting no cuts until at least September [2] - Ongoing trade conflicts raise fears of a potential recession, which could negatively impact inflation and key economic indicators [2] Investment Opportunities - In volatile market conditions, dividend-paying stocks are recommended for portfolio diversification [3] - Notable dividend-paying companies include Marriott International (MAR), HNI, Sun Life Financial, ESAB Corporation, and Victory Capital Holdings [3] - Companies that consistently pay dividends indicate a healthy business model, and those that have recently raised dividends show a sound financial structure [3] Company Spotlight: Marriott International - Marriott International is a leading global hospitality company involved in the operation, franchising, and licensing of various lodging properties [4] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [4] - On May 9, Marriott declared a dividend of 67 cents per share, with a dividend yield of 0.9% [5] - Over the past five years, Marriott has increased its dividend five times, with a current payout ratio of 26% of earnings [5]

The insurance industry is expected to have benefited on rate increases, strong retention rates, new business growth, an active merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy and ongoing technological advancements in the first quarter of 2025. However, interest rate cuts, an active catastrophe environment and continued inflationary pressures are likely to have dampened overall growth prospects for insurers. Some of the insurers, including The Allstate Corporation (ALL) , Aflac Incorporated (AFL) , Prudential Financia ...

Core Viewpoint - AngloGold Ashanti PLC (AU) has seen a significant stock appreciation of 86.9% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Mining - Gold industry's 53.8% rise, while the Basic Materials sector has only risen by 0.9% and the S&P 500 has declined by 12.6% in the same period [1][3]. Performance Summary - The AU stock closed at $43.14, which is 8% below its 52-week high of $46.90 reached on April 16, 2025 [3]. - The stock has outperformed major gold mining peers such as Newmont Corporation (NEM), Kinross Gold (KGC), and Barrick Gold Corporation (GOLD), which have seen stock increases of 46.9%, 58.8%, and 29% respectively this year [3][4]. Technical Indicators - AU has been trading above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) since January 14, 2025, and is also above the 50-day SMA, indicating a bullish trend [5][7]. Drivers of Stock Surge - Rising gold prices have contributed significantly, with gold gaining 26% year to date, influenced by tariff tensions and geopolitical uncertainties. Gold briefly reached a record high of $3,500 before settling at $3,370 per ounce [10]. - The completion of the Centamin acquisition in November 2024 has added a significant asset to AngloGold Ashanti's portfolio, with the potential to produce 500,000 ounces annually [12]. - The company reported mineral reserves of 31.2 million ounces at the end of 2024, with a low adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 0.21, the lowest since 2011 [13]. Financial Performance - In 2024, AngloGold Ashanti's total gold production was 2.661 million ounces, with a gold income increase of 27% to $5.67 billion, driven by a 24% rise in average gold prices [15]. - Total cash costs per ounce rose by 4% year-over-year to $1,157, while all-in-sustaining costs (AISC) also increased by 4% to $1,611 per ounce [16][17]. - Free cash flow surged to $942 million in 2024 from $109 million in 2023, with earnings per share reaching $2.21 compared to a loss of 11 cents in 2023 [18]. Future Projections - Gold production for 2025 is projected to be between 2.9 million and 3.225 million ounces, indicating a year-over-year growth of 9-21% [19]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AU's 2025 sales is $7.27 billion, suggesting a 25.5% year-over-year growth, with earnings expected to grow by 12.7% [20]. Valuation Insights - AngloGold Ashanti is currently trading at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 17.34X, which is above the industry average of 16.88X and higher than its five-year median [24]. - The average price target for AU suggests a potential decline of 12.4% from its last closing price, with the highest target indicating a dip of 2.6% [30]. Strategic Developments - The proposed joint venture with Gold Fields to combine their Tarkwa and Iduapriem gold mines is currently on hold due to pending approvals from the Ghana government, which could impact future production and cost efficiencies [32][34].

Market Overview - The three major U.S. indexes, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average, experienced declines of 3.24%, 2.3%, and 3.41% respectively in the holiday-shortened trading week, driven by fears of economic slowdown and rising inflation due to trade tensions between the U.S. and China [1] - Consumer sentiment in April dropped to 50.8, the lowest since June 2022, primarily due to inflation concerns [2] - The core Producer Price Index (PPI) rose by 0.3%, indicating persistent price pressures, while the PPI for final demand decreased by 0.4% in March [2] Federal Reserve Insights - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated a need for more clarity before making policy adjustments, suggesting a delay in interest rate cuts, with market expectations leaning towards a rate decrease in December [3] - The ongoing trade war and potential inflation increases are expected to negatively impact job creation and business confidence [3] Zacks Performance and Recommendations - Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) shares increased by 14.7% since being upgraded to Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) on February 20, contrasting with a 14.2% decrease in the S&P 500 [4] - The Bank of East Asia, Limited (BKEAY) also saw a 3.9% return since its upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 on February 20 [5] - A hypothetical portfolio of Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) stocks returned -3.48% in January 2025, compared to -0.60% for the S&P 500 [5] Zacks Model Portfolio Performance - The Zacks Model Portfolio, consisting of Zacks Rank 1 stocks, has outperformed the S&P 500 index by nearly 13 percentage points since 1988, with an annualized average return of +23.9% compared to +11.3% for the S&P 500 [7] - The Zacks Focus List portfolio returned -2.96% in Q1 2025, outperforming the S&P 500's -4.30% decline [12] - The Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP) returned +3.20% in Q1 2025, significantly better than the S&P 500's -4.30% decline [16] Stock Highlights - Pro-Dex, Inc. (PDEX) shares surged by 68.6% since its Zacks Recommendation upgrade to Outperform on March 4 [8] - Coca-Cola Company (KO) returned 17% over the past 12 weeks, while J. M. Smucker Company (SJM) increased by 12.6% during the same period [18] - Primo Brands Corporation (PRMB) rose by 9% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500 index's 10.2% decrease [22]