Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:AIG,AON,PFG,WRB,PRU,

Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ:MMYT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday. They currently have $45.00 price target on the technology company’s stock.

According to Zacks, “MakeMyTrip Limited is an online travel service company which offers travel products and solutions in India and the United States. The Company’s services and products include air tickets, customized holiday packages, hotel booking, railway tickets, bus tickets, car hire and facilitating access to travel insurance. MakeMyTrip Limited is the parent company of MakeMyTrip (India) Private Limited and MakeMyTrip.com Inc. Through its primary website, www.makemytrip.com, and other technology-enhanced platforms, the Company provides access to all major domestic full-service and low-cost airlines operating in India, all major airlines operating to and from India, a wide selection of hotels in and outside India, Indian Railways and several major Indian bus operators. MakeMyTrip Limited is based in Gurgaon, India. “

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Suntrust Banks Inc. boosted its position in shares of American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG) by 12.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,736 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,048 shares during the period. Suntrust Banks Inc.’s holdings in American International Group were worth $1,998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sentry Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in American International Group (NYSE:AIG) by 8.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,968 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,147 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s rankings:

  Get American International Group alerts: AIG’s loss for European business worsens in 2017 (businessinsurance.com) $1.26 EPS Expected for American International Group (AIG) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com) UBS: Buy AIG After Earnings Estimates ‘Bottom Out’ (finance.yahoo.com) American International Group (AIG) Stock Rating Upgraded by UBS (americanbankingnews.com) American International Group (AIG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com)

  American International Group traded up $0.36, hitting $55.15, during mid-day trading on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 9,821,608 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,828,715. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. American International Group has a 1-year low of $49.57 and a 1-year high of $67.30. The firm has a market cap of $49.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.98, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.24.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P
• [By Logan Wallace]

  CorVel (NASDAQ: CRVL) and AON (NYSE:AON) are both business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

• [By Max Byerly]

  State of Wisconsin Investment Board decreased its holdings in shares of Aon (NYSE:AON) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 384,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 38,942 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in AON were worth $53,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  AON (NYSE:AON) had its price target hoisted by Citigroup from $160.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Principal Financial Group (PFG)

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

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Stilwell Value LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Stilwell+Value+LLC

  These are the top 5 holdings of Stilwell Value LLCOFG Bancorp (OFG) - 1,614,868 shares, 14.1% of the total portfolio. Kingsway Financial Services Inc (KFS) - 3,780,889 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. HopFed Bancorp Inc (HFBC) - 627,128 shares, 7.62% of the total portfolio. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - 1,251,324 shares, 7.27% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 20.66%Sound Financial Bancorp Inc (SFBC) - 228,600 shares, 7.02% of th
• [By Max Byerly]

  Shore Capital reissued their hold rating on shares of Provident Financial (LON:PFG) in a report issued on Thursday.

  PFG has been the subject of several other reports. Liberum Capital reissued a sell rating and set a GBX 483 ($6.48) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Peel Hunt reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 870 ($11.67) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Provident Financial from GBX 1,100 ($14.76) to GBX 750 ($10.06) and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 10th. Barclays reissued an underweight rating and set a GBX 584 ($7.84) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Societe Generale lowered Provident Financial to a hold rating and set a GBX 1,050 ($14.09) price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Provident Financial presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,190.14 ($15.97).

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ING Groep NV boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 7.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern’s scoring:

  Get Principal Financial Group alerts: Principal Financial Group (PFG) Approves New $300M Buyback (streetinsider.com) Principal Financial Group (PFG) Announces Share Repurchase Plan (americanbankingnews.com) Is Principal Large Cap Growth I Institutional (PLGIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? (finance.yahoo.com) Principal Financial Group is Oversold (nasdaq.com) Principal Names New Chief Human Resources Officer (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several equities analysts have recently commented on PFG shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Principal Financial Group from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $76.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, March 26th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Friday, March 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.18.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  W. R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB) and State Auto Financial (NASDAQ:STFC) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on W. R. Berkley (WRB)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on W. R. Berkley (WRB)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine cut shares of W. R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday morning.

  WRB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Bank of America cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $74.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, June 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Boenning Scattergood restated a hold rating on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, April 25th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Monday. They set a sell rating and a $74.00 target price on the stock. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the stock. W. R. Berkley currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.78.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  W. R. Berkley Corp (NYSE:WRB) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $69.33.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,363 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) takes such pride in its rock-solid financial condition that it uses an actual rock -- the Rock of Gibraltar�-- as its corporate symbol. Prudential Financial backs up that claim with a balance sheet that has more cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments�than total debt on it. It also claims a debt-to-equity ratio around 0.6 and a current ratio around 1.0�, which are further signs of a solid financial condition.

• [By Zacks]

  Well, given the growing demand for securitized mortgage deals, Barclays plans to package and sell these Irish loans over the next two months. The group of investors that has shown interest in buying residential mortgage backed securities includes M&G Investments, the investment management division of British insurer Prudential Plc (NYSE: PRU) and Pacific Investment Management Co. ("PIMCO").

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  These are some of the headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s analysis:

  Get Prudential Financial alerts: Prudential (PUK) Presents At 2018 Deutsche Bank Annual Global Financial Services Conference – Slideshow (seekingalpha.com) Leston Welsh joins Prudential Group Insurance as head of Disability and Absence Management (finance.yahoo.com) Contrasting Prudential Financial (PRU) & Old Mutual (ODMTY) (americanbankingnews.com) Prudential again accused with unauthorised money deduction (vir.com.vn) An Application for the Trademark ��MULLINTBG�� Has Been Filed by Prudential Insurance Company (insurancenewsnet.com)

  Prudential Financial traded down $5.05, hitting $94.97, during midday trading on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 2,919,216 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,144,103. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $42.01 billion, a PE ratio of 8.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.52. Prudential Financial has a one year low of $94.51 and a one year high of $127.14.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  American Equity Investment Life (NYSE: AEL) and Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends and valuation.

• [By Jason Hall, Chuck Saletta, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  But that doesn't mean you need to make risky bets to capture solid returns, either, and buying solid companies at reasonable prices can help create a margin of safety and improve your returns, while also decreasing your risk of permanent losses. Three stocks that meet these criteria are small healthcare real-estate specialist�Caretrust REIT Inc�(NASDAQ:CTRE), financial services giant�Prudential Financial Inc�(NYSE:PRU), and energy behemoth�ExxonMobil Corporation�(NYSE:XOM).�

9 Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold

Now is a good time to look at dividend stocks to buy and hold. While there’s no doubt that the market averages were on a roll going in 2018, that incredible momentum slowed a bit when January changed to February. The tax cuts in late December added a lot of fuel to stocks’ fire, but a market correction was lurking around the corner.

If the economy expands and the global economy stays in recovery mode, this could see stock indexes soar once again. Especially when you look to the big blue chips that dominate the averages.

The big firms are doing business outside the U.S., and the dollar is weakening as interest rates rise. As Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin observed in Davos recently, a weaker dollar is good for exports and the Trump administration is in favor of boosting exports.

But for all this good news, a changing market — with the potential for an inverted yield curve in interest rates, rising inflation and less consumer strength than anticipated — may bring on a correction.

That’s why now is a good time to buy some solid insurance while it’s cheap. That’s why I’ve come up with nine impressive dividend stocks to buy and hold. They have longevity and will weather any near-term storms.

[Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 2, 2018, but it has been edited to reflect changes in the markets.]

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Verizon (VZ) Source: Mike Mozart Via Flickr

Dividend: 59 cents, paid quarterly

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) is a blue-chip communications pick with a solid 4.65% dividend.

Whether it’s fiber optic cable, mobile communications or content delivered directly to its customers, Verizon is focused on maintaining its dominant position in the market. Recent deals on the content side show that VZ is very aware that how your subscribers get content is less valuable than what content they get.

There will certainly be competition in the space, which could mean customers come and go, but VZ has shored both its ‘cable’ end and its wireless side, so any cable cutters will still find value in sticking with VZ.

And the dividend is rock solid.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: AES Corp (AES) Source: Shutterstock

Dividend: 13 cents quarterly

AES Corp (NYSE:AES) was a major player in the utility deregulation boom that swept through the markets in the 1990s. Think Enron, as both the bullish story and the cautionary tale.

AES has operations in the U.S., South America, Central America and the Caribbean. But it is one of those independent energy producers that doesn’t get a lot of press because it doesn’t fit into a tidy box.

AES remains a solid company, however, and delivers a 4% dividend. What’s more, emerging markets are starting a boom phase after their bottom. And with Brazil making a comeback — and AES having operations there — things are looking up for this stock on the growth side of equation.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Public Storage (PSA) Source: Mike Mozart Via Flickr

Dividend: $2.00, quarterly

Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) launched its first storage facility in 1972. That kind of longevity demonstrates that management knows how to build a business and sustain it, regardless of the economic environment.

With 142 million square feet of rentable space across the US and Europe, Public Storage is one of the largest self-storage firms in the world.

And it’s set up as real estate investment trust. That means investors are considered owners and net profits are distributed to the owners — by law — in the form of dividends. That makes PSA very stockholder friendly.

After a strong run in the past few years, investors are looking for the new sexy story and PSA stock has sold off in the past year. But there’s plenty of life left and its 3.6% dividend pays you for your patience.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Catchmark Timber (CTT)

Dividend: 13.5 cents quarterly

Catchmark Timber (NYSE:CTT) is a timber company that is organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT). That means you get a solid dividend and a company that is focused on its shareholders, because technically, its shareholders are considered owners.

Timber prices are directly correlated to housing demand. If housing demand rises, as it is now, timber prices rise and timber companies make more money.

It’s not surprise then, that CTT is up 9% in the past 12 months. That trend should continue. And this REIT is throwing off a respectable 4.2% dividend to boot.

CTT is a relatively small player in the space, which means its growth is leveraged when demand grows, like it is now.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Duke Energy (DUK) Source: Shutterstock

Dividend: 92 cents quarterly

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) is a major energy utility in the US. That means it might not have the growth component that other sectors have, but it does have a lock on its service territory, which is predominantly North Carolina, but it has more than 7 million customers in six states overall.

What’s more, DUK has been a long-time proponent of renewable energy resources and has been adding wind and solar to its energy mix long before it was in vogue. It also has significant natural gas operations and subsidiaries.

With an impressive 4.6% dividend, DUK is very shareholder friendly and is a great foundation stock for any long-term investor.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Macy’s (M) Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

Dividend: 37.75 cents, quarterly

Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) seems like an odd stock to recommend after its travails in the past couple of years, as it tries to pivot from the traditional department store model to a sleeker, more online retail model.

But M has been around since 1858. It has been through the Civil War and two World Wars. It has seen greater challenges than Amazon.com. And it has not only survived, but thrived.

While the market beat up this sector and then moved on, M has been retooling over the past year and even delivered some impressive holiday numbers. There’s still life in this company and it’s now a bargain.

Its 3.9% dividend will pay you for your patience.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Seagate Technology (STX) Source: Shutterstock

Dividend: 63 cents quarterly

Seagate (NASDAQ:STX), a hard drive maker, has been doing well in 2018, up 32% year-to-date. Some of that comes from its recent earnings numbers, having beaten Wall Street estimates across the board.

All this while still delivering a 4.4% dividend to shareholders.

But the real excitement here is STX’s involvement with Ripple, a company that has launched the cryptocurrency XRP. Ripple is also looking to use the blockchain technology at the heart of the cryptocurrency market to build a financial trading platform that would revolutionize how all investments are traded.

At this point no one can monetize STX involvement in either the currency or the trading platform, but we know there is significant interest in Ripple by STX.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Carlyle Group (CG) Source: Shutterstock

Dividend: 27 cents quarterly

The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) is a global asset management firm. Basically that’s another way to say it’s a private equity firm — it uses investors’ money to buy companies or invest in projects.

It currently has $174 billion in assets under management spread across more than 300 investment vehicles.

CG used to be privately held and was a firm that managed the assets of world leaders — from the Bush family to the Saudi royal family — discreetly and successfully for decades. It went public in 2012 and has had its ups and downs since then.

But right now, it’s in an upswing as the economy recovers. In the past 12 months, the stock is up 17% and it’s still delivering a healthy 4.5% dividend. And the good times have just begun.

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Impressive Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold: Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) Source: Bilfinger via Flickr

Dividend: 43 cents quarterly

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) is a midstream U.S. energy company.

Basically, that means it’s a pipeline company. And it’s one of the biggest.

This is a very good time to look at midstream energy companies. The midstream companies are the first ones back when the economy begins to recover.

Pipeline companies make money off the volume of the products shipped through its pipes, regardless of cost. EPD carries oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, petrochemicals and refined products through its 50,000 miles of pipe.

As demand for energy increases, so will EPD revenues. EPD stock is still treading water, so its 5.93% dividend is a good way to get paid for your patience while this sector gains traction once again.

Louis Navellier is a renowned growth investor. He is the editor of five investing newsletters: Blue Chip Growth, Emerging Growth, Ultimate Growth, Family Trust and Platinum Growth. His most popular service, Blue Chip Growth, has a track record of beating the market 3:1 over the last 14 years. He uses a combination of quantitative and fundamental analysis to identify market-beating stocks. Mr. Navellier has made his proven formula accessible to investors via his free, online stock rating tool, PortfolioGrader.com. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more o

These 146 REITs Have Big Upside From Here

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image shutterstock size-large wp-image-530311765&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/530311765/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;730&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Shutterstock

It&a;rsquo;s a good time to be a virtual landlord. REIT (real estate investment trust) dividends just got a tax break, their stock prices are kicking off a rally &l;i&g;and&l;/i&g; their yields are &l;i&g;still&l;/i&g; on the generous side.

Let&a;rsquo;s start with those yields, because that&a;rsquo;s why we buy REITs. These firms get a pass from Uncle Sam if they dish most of their profits to us investors as dividends. (This generosity, by the way, has helped REITs outperform the broader stock market for much of their history.)

Current yields are higher than usual today and generally, this means that REIT prices are too &l;i&g;low&l;/i&g; (and should be bought).

We&a;rsquo;re talking REITs today because the current rally appears to have legs. Two weeks &l;i&g;before&l;/i&g; the major bottom, &l;a href=&q;https://contrarianoutlook.com/these-4-reits-will-thrive-as-rates-rise/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;I told readers to buy REITs&l;/a&g;. My reasoning was simple: REITs would soon &a;ldquo;decouple&a;rdquo; from the long bond. On January 25 I wrote:

&l;/p&g;&l;blockquote&g;&l;i&g;In the short run, the &a;ldquo;rates up, REITs down&a;rdquo; theory puts on quite the show. When the 10-Year Treasury&a;rsquo;s yield rises, REITs usually fall. And when its yield drops, REITs usually rally. This inverse relationship tends to hold up over multiple days, weeks and even months.&l;/i&g; &l;i&g;However the &a;ldquo;long view&a;rdquo; shows that many of these short-term moves are merely noise. It is possible for REITs and higher rates to coexist in profitable harmony&l;/i&g;&l;/blockquote&g;

Over the previous 25 months, REITs &l;i&g;had&l;/i&g; indeed moved down whenever rates moved up (and vice versa).

Then, a funny thing happened. REIT prices indeed &a;ldquo;decoupled&a;rdquo; from long-term rates (on February 8 to be specific). Their stocks started to rally while the long bond chopped sideways.

As regular readers know, I&a;rsquo;m a bit of a &a;ldquo;REIT addict.&a;rdquo; I constantly comb the sector for timely deals, looking for big yields and bargains. I like to watch the movers and shakers &a;ndash; the stocks heading up as well as down.

Earlier in the year, out of the 257 or so REITs I follow, only five had stocks in uptrends. &l;i&g;Five&l;/i&g; out of &l;i&g;257&l;/i&g; moving higher!

Today, I count 146 with positive momentum. What changed? The &a;ldquo;first-level&a;rdquo; investors &a;ndash; those who buy and sell on headlines and cheesy maxims &a;ndash; began to realize that REITs can (and often do) move higher in the face of rising interest rates.

Also Mr. Market began to express doubt in Mr. Jerome Powell&a;rsquo;s view of the financial world. While Fed Chair Powell says he needs to hike rates another 0.5% &l;i&g;this&l;/i&g; year, the &a;ldquo;long end&a;rdquo; of the rate curve &a;ndash; set by the free market &a;ndash; appears to be saying &a;ldquo;enough already.&a;rdquo; The 10-year Treasury sits exactly where it did five months ago, and that&a;rsquo;s been enough to kickoff a party for our favorite one-click landlords.

Disclosure: none

Home prices are high. What could cool them down?

The housing market may be starting to benefit from the one thing that can loosen a long-running squeeze that has crimped sales and driven up prices: more homes.

The nation��s housing inventory increased 12.2 percent�in the second quarter, the biggest gain since early 2015, according to real estate research firm Trulia. Housing supplies were still down 5.3 percent�from a year ago, a dynamic that has continued to push up prices.

But that��s less than the double-digit annual declines that had prevailed since the second quarter of 2017 and the smallest drop since early 2017.

Thirty of the nation��s 100 largest metro areas saw their housing supplies increase on an annual basis last quarter. That��s up from just 13 early in the year and represents the largest share of big cities with rising inventories in more than three years.

��It could be the start of a shift in inventory,�� says Trulia data analyst Alexandra Lee, though she added it��s too early to tell for sure.

More: These 15 counties are most exposed to China's tariffs. Is yours on the list?

More: 3 reasons IRAs have edge over 401(k)s when it's time to tap your nest egg

More: Quick, make an offer! 5 cities where homes sold the fastest �� and the 5 slowest

She attributed the increase to an acceleration in new home construction as well as the willingness of more existing homeowners to put their houses on the market. Some, she says, want to benefit from big price gains on the assumption that housing prices may be peaking. And baby boomers who have stayed in their homes while delaying retirement may be hanging it up in greater numbers.

The Nashville, Tennessee, area led the nation in the second quarter with a 52 percent jump in homes on the market compared with�a year earlier, Trulia figures show. The median home price of $255,000 is still up 11.3 percent�annually, according to Zillow, an online real estate database firm.

But, ��there has been some more inventory,�� says John McClanahan, a broker for Village Real Estate in Nashville. As a result, he says:���Prices have been really stable the last few months. Things are a little slower. You��re not seeing as many multiple offers. There��s not as much of a frenzy.��

McClanahan cited a flurry of new home construction, with builders tearing down older single-family houses and putting up two new units on the same lot to reap a sufficient profit as land prices soar in the economically vibrant area. The units are being snapped up by millennial first-time homebuyers as well as retiring baby boomers who are downsizing, he says.

Other top metro areas with big inventory gains the past year include Salt Lake City (48.6 percent), Dallas (32.4 percent), Washington, D.C. (21.9 percent), and Little Rock, Arkansas�(13.4 percent), according to the Trulia data.

Meanwhile, home supplies also rose in six of the nation��s 10 most unaffordable cities where housing costs make up 42 percent�or more of monthly income, Trulia says. Inventory increased 1.1 percent�in New York City, 2.9 percent�in Los Angeles, 3.1 percent�in Miami and 22.1 percent�in San Diego. The gains could help moderate price increases in the months and years ahead if they're�sustained, Lee says.

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