zonytms.info

If you’re pondering whether or not to consolidate student loans, consider this; all college loans have unique attributes, and not all may be perfectly suited for student loan consolidation. Student loan consolidation is, in most cases, an outstanding option for reducing monthly payments, locking in low rates, and earning opportunities to shave money off your loan balance with lender incentives. When you consolidate student loans, you lock in the current interest rate by allowing the lender to repay the entire amount, then repaying the lender free from government interest rate fluctuations.PLUS Loan – Good Choice for Student Loan ConsolidationLike many college loans, the PLUS loan (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) is a type of federal loan with a variable interest rate. This means that the monthly payment will change when the government reconfigures the interest rates annually (July 1).The interest rates on PLUS loans are generally higher than other types of college loans so when interest rates increase, PLUS loans can be greatly affected. Since college loans are consolidated by social security number, parents should apply separately for PLUS loan consolidation.Perkins Loan – Consider before refinancingThe Perkins loan is a fixed rate loan and has some unique benefits that can be lost with a student loan consolidation. The Perkins loan has a forgiveness program that will waive all or part of the repayment amount if the borrower works in specific occupations that provide a valuable service to the community. Some such eligible occupations are teachers in low income areas, nurses, and medical technicians.If you’re not eligible for the various loan forgiveness opportunities offered by the Perkins loan, there is still another point to consider. Because the Perkins loan is a fixed rate loan, and because the interest rate on a student loan consolidation is determined by the weighted average of the other loans, you could actually pay a small percentage more on a consolidated Perkins loan over time.Stafford Loans – Good Choice for Student Loan ConsolidationStafford loans are the most common loans, and also the most popular type to consolidate. Stafford loans have a variable interest rate like the PLUS loan, making refinancing a smart choice. Loan consolidation can reduce the repayment amount by up to 63% if refinanced through the right lender.Like the Perkins Loan, the Stafford Loan also offers a few forgiveness programs for those in certain teaching positions and other various public service jobs. Check to see if you’re eligible for any forgiveness programs before applying to consolidate student loans.Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) – Consider before refinancingThe HPSL loan for medical professionals is a fixed rate loan like the Perkins Loan. The HPSL comes with certain deferment options that may be lost after consolidation.The HPSL offers a 3 year deferment period designed to give relief to medical professionals during residency. This deferment option may or may not be lost after consolidation. Those who have HPSL college loans should inquire with various lenders about deferment options.Direct Loans – Good Choice for Student Loan ConsolidationSome schools offer Direct Loans, meaning that the money given to students comes directly from the federal government, not through a private lender. Borrowers who obtain these college loans must first consolidate through the Direct Loan program, but then have the opportunity to shop around for lower interest rates.
Beginning July 1st 2006, borrowers will face much stricter regulations when consolidating Direct Loans. After the 1st of July, borrowers will only be able to switch lenders if their current lender does not offer a student loan consolidation with an income sensitive repayment plan.The two most popular types of loans are the Stafford Loan and the PLUS Loan which is the reason it’s so popular to consolidate student loans. Many students acquire a variety of college loans that may not be beneficial to consolidate. Student loans are not all created equal. It’s important to understand the unique qualities of your individual loans and work with your lender to determine the option that is right for you.

Do you have a marketing strategy and plan for your business?Without a marketing strategy and plan, you can’t attain your business goals. It’s 101 for a business.Whether you are a startup, entrepreneur, or business, preparing a strategy for the first time, or tweaking your existing plan, this is the first and most important piece of your roadmap to success.A smart marketing plan begins with a smart strategy.Your First Step – A Marketing Strategy:You need to be focused. You need a clear message. You need a process.A marketing strategy is the overarching, big picture plan, the high-level road map to help you attain your business goals. After all, you can’t get there if you don’t know where you’re going!The goal of a marketing strategy is to dive deeply into your business, your sales process, your target market, your message and current marketing to understand your successes and pinpoint your challenges.You need to clarify your goals and objectives that will deliver results.You should identify your niche markets, core messaging, elevator pitch and mission, values and vision statement. This is the foundation of your marketing plan and makes up the specific mix of marketing activities that will drive revenue.During your marketing strategy, you should assess the following:- Organization Overview & Mission
- Current Messaging, Elevator Pitch, Value and Vision Statement
- Products and/or Services
- Goals & Success Metrics
- Brand Positioning
- Target Markets & Ideal Customer
- Marketing Audit: Marketing Budget, Advertising (print/online), E-mail, Seasonal Promotions/other
- Social Media Marketing Audit: Content Strategy (images, videos), Social Media Channels, Blogging
- Website Review & Assessment
- Competitor Site Review
- Search Engine OptimizationYour Second Step – A Detailed Marketing Plan:You need to be seen. You need to be heard. You need to be found.The next step is a to put together a detailed marketing plan from the information you gathered from your marketing strategy.This is an in-depth marketing roadmap, infrastructure and plan that will be used for your marketing. It will include developing content, developing promotional offers, most effective social media channels to be active on, email marketing, building an email list, and budget for Facebook advertising.This detailed Marketing Plan will help your business or organization become more structured, and is something you can implement straightaway in order to see success and become more profitable.A marketing strategy and plan is the KEY to your success. Don’t procrastinate and start them today.

Your business has just broken through by getting a big order for your new, improved anti-gravity unit. This is going to take you to a whole new level. Yay!You don’t have the money to finance your life-changing new order. Boo!Purchase order (PO) finance is a game-changer when you have an order and a supplier, but when you still need the money to pay for the order. This is a common business problem for entrepreneurs. When success knocks, a business owner with great customer relationships needs to make certain his finance capabilities match his growing order flow.Here’s how PO finance works: you get an order from a creditworthy customer. The funding company checks the customer’s credit and satisfies themselves that the customer is stable. Then they will arrange payment to the supplier with your customer order as security. Orders to suppliers outside the country will generally be paid for with a letter of credit; inside the country, there may be other arrangements made to secure payment for the goods.Many business owners worry about their credit when they seek finance. The key in PO finance is the strength of your end buyer; THAT is the primary determinant in getting the deal done. Your own business financial picture is taken into account, of course, but your experience and the customer’s credit profile are of much higher relative importance.If you have good profit margins, you may need very little of your own cash to do the deal. It is possible that almost all of the supplier’s cost will be covered by the finance group. Normally, some of your cash will be required, as finance people are much more comfortable when you have capital at risk also.When goods have been delivered to the customer, you can invoice your customer for the goods. This allows you to convert purchase order finance into invoice finance. PO finance is perceived as a riskier form of financing because more things can go wrong. As a result, you pay more until the PO converts to invoice financing. As a result, it is always in your interest as the business operator to complete the PO portion of the finance quickly.A key point in the use of PO finance and other finance tools is to assess the cost of funds versus the profit margin to be obtained. Entrepreneurs sometimes think that certain types of funding are too expensive. This is only true if margins are narrow. Finance costs must always be assessed relative to the profit to be obtained. There are a number of reasons why more expensive funding is useful: to maintain customer relations by satisfying certain orders; and of course, to capture a profit that would be lost without the finance.The private finance companies who provide PO financing differ from banks in one other important way. Whereas a bank will generally approve a credit line and leave that amount in place for quite some time, private PO funders have a different view. They seek execution partners who want to grow their businesses. Once you, the business owner, have shown your ability to manage increased order flow effectively, you become the perfect candidate for an expanding credit line in the funder’s eyes. Relationships count in the finance world, especially to companies who are looking for the right entrepreneur to back.

When it comes to spending money, your wedding day ranks among the most expensive. With UK weddings costing an average £18,500, and in some areas £25,000+ (ouch!) you really want to make sure your day is one to remember!Whether you have lots to spend, or are working to a tighter budget, it’s important to remember that it isn’t how much you spend that counts, but how effective you spend the money you do have.There are lots to consider – the dress, the venue, the flowers and the photographer for starters. Some of the costs can be minimized with a little creative thinking. Place-holders and wedding favours can be created with a little help from your friends – you could even get the bridesmaids together and throw a pre-wedding ‘make-a-table-decoration’ party.It is important that you celebrate you marriage in style. The entertainment you choose for your reception offers you a chance to really make your mark and put even more of your personality into your day.There are so many options available to you, from hiring a jazz band or harpist for some light background music, or you could go full throttle with a karaoke machine and party DJ! Anything goes.A really new idea for your wedding entertainment is to hire a caricaturist to draw wedding caricatures of your guests. This super-fun alternative to the usual run of the mill entertainment will really leave a lasting impression with your guests – especially as they get to take home their very own unique gift from the both of you- what other entertainment option gives you that?Each caricature should take only 3 -5 minutes and will be in black and white and range from A4 – A3 in size – you can even have a message pre-printed on the sheets – ‘Mr and Mrs Smith would like to thank you for helping to make our day so special’ for instance.The entertainment you choose will take up a big part of your evening celebrations, and you want to ensure you get the most ‘bang for your buck’. Wedding caricatures will entertain not only the subject being drawn, but all the spectators too.So how do you go about finding a caricaturist to entertain your wedding guests? Keeping your search to your local area should help to save you added travel costs or accommodation for your entertainment. Check out their website galleries and especially their customer feedback and reviews. What are their previous customers saying about them? Are the reviews on independent sites or could the entertainer simply have made them up?Alternatively, you could hire your wedding caricaturist via an agent. The agency can arrange everything for you and will act as a go-between for you and your caricaturist. Reputable agents should be registered with the Entertainment Agents Association of Great Britain, or The National Entertainment Agents Council.Hiring your caricaturist via an agent will incur more expense as the agent usually adds their fee on top of the caricaturist’s. The choice really is yours.Whatever entertainment you decide upon, make sure it reflects both the mood you want to create AND your personalities, for a truly memorable day to remember forever. Good luck.

Starting an internet business seems to attract more and more people every day. If you visit forums related with online business, the number of new players increases every day and the most popular topics are “How to start a business online?” or “How to make money on the internet?”There is a buzz in the online community that setting up an online business is the touchstone to instant riches, overnight success, and the easy way to achieve a dream life, with little or no work. The truth is that only a few have experienced any kind of success and fewer were able to start living only from their online businesses.This means that succeeding online is some kind of an “urban myth”, something that only very special people is able to, like the so-called “Internet Gurus”? That is not my opinion. I believe that anybody, or virtually anybody, can have success starting a business online if they have the right mindset.From my analysis, the majority of people fail when starting an online business because of five main questions:1. Wrong expectations: Usually you start a business online with the expectation to make a lot of money very fast, in a matter of days, weeks or few months. When it does not happen, you feel frustrated and give up;2. Lack of preparation: Starting your own business online seems so easy that it is almost impossible to fail. That is a wrong approach. The business model is easy but the implementation is difficult. You must educate yourself in a variety of techniques and strategies and be prepared to analyze and act accordingly your market results. When you realize the amount of details you must take care and what you need to learn, you may lost your motivation and give up;3. Insufficient funding: Although starting a business in the internet does not require a large amount of money, you must be aware that you need to invest some money. In addition, like in other businesses, sometimes you need to invest a little bit more to be able to move forward with increased speed. When you understand that you may need to spend money before make money you may become afraid and give up.4. Lack of focus: There are many business models and a lot of marketing strategies and techniques. You face every day dozens of new techniques, all claiming to be the one that really leads to immediate success. Because you are not experiencing the success you desire, you start jumping from this technique to another, buying this course, that software, the other “secret” strategy, usually without giving the time that each technique or strategy requires, and after a while you do not know exactly what are you doing. You realize that you had spent a lot of money; you have worked very hard for many hours and made zero dollars. Therefore, you may think this business is not for you and you give up.5. No plan: Where are you going? What do you want to achieve? Which are your goals? How do you know if you are in the right direction? No matter if you are selling handcrafted wooden boxes, security software, exclusive jewellery or specialized professional services; if you want to start a business online you need to create a plan. You must define your objectives, how to reach them, which are the requirements, what you can do and what you must outsource, how much is the investment, when will you reach the breakeven, what to expect on terms of visits, prospects, opportunities and sales every month, every week. If you do not have a plan, you do not know if you are having any kind of success. You may end up making some money but being spending more then what you make, or you may not make a penny for 6 months but you are being a big success. You may do not know where you are heading. Then you feel lost and give up.Starting a business in the internet can become a dream and let you have your dream life. However, you must understand that it is still a business. It has the basic needs and requirements of every business. If you do not realize that, it soon becomes a nightmare and by the end of the day, instead of riches, you deplete your credit card in products, software, and courses that will lead you nowhere.And do not blame the “gurus”. You are responsible for your own expectations. Nobody aims a gun to your head and say, “buy this!” When you see a sales letter for a product that will allow you to have a 6-figure income in one month, you know it is not possible. Nevertheless, you let your own mind trick you.To have success in online business you must have the right mindset. A business online is not so different from a business offline. It just needs less money to start, has a simple concept, and you can do it from your own bedroom. However, it needs some preparation, some knowledge, and a plan.

At the time of searching for a loan to buy home / car or financing for your new business, you will find loans now in an easier manner. After the liberalization of Indian economy, there a number of providers for Personal Loans, Home loan or any other types of finances. That makes the whole process more confusing. Deciding the lender and availing loans at lower rate are the two most important steps before taking a loan. As Indian loan market is in its transition state, lenders vary in the nature of their business up to a significant extent. This difference necessitate the need do a thorough research about different loan options and different lenders, repayment period, rate of interest etc.Generally interest rates associated with personal loans can be fixed or floating in type. A fixed interest rate by the name it suggests does not vary according to the fluctuations of the money market during the loan tenure. A floating interest rate on the other hand is the rate updated by the lender depending upon the ongoing market trends. A floating interest rate can go up or down depending on the demand and supply of money in the money market. In Indian loans market, there are lenders who offer the option to take the loan which is split between fixed and floating interest rates. This combination paves the way for low interest personal loan.Low interest personal loans offers instant cash at an affordable rate and is a useful finance option for travel, wedding expenses, home renovation, down payments, medical expenses, education and investments. You can also use the loan amount to transfer your outstanding credit card balance or pay off an existing loan and benefit from lower interest rates. These loans can be secured or unsecured. As a thumb rule, the secured category is the low rate personal loan as the security pledged by the borrower acts as a negative catalyst for the payable rate of interest.The second thumb rule to avail the low rate personal loan is comparison. It is evident that more choice leads to better rates. The loan applicant should talk to multiple banks for his loan requirement to make sure his pay affordable EMIs with the lowest interest rate. Once the loan applicant identifies the need for taking a loan, he will have a rough idea regarding the loan amount. The next step what the loan applicant needs to do is checking his eligibility for taking loans. Lenders have their own criteria for determining the loan eligibility of an individual and this is highly variable concept. For salaried persons, the amount of loan is generally a multiple of their gross monthly income. For businessmen, it is a multiple of total annual income.Having the loan amount and the possible interest rate in your mind, the next thing is to plan the repayment period of the low interest personal loan. The EMI ( Equated Monthly installments ) will be low for a loan borrowed for a longer tenure. Usually the procedure of approval of personal loans are fast and a loan is approved with simple documentation. The major advantages of personal loans are Speedy Approval, flexibility to choose your loan amount ranging from 10000 to 10,00,000, longer repayment period from 12 to 48 as per your interest.The documentation process of these loans vary from borrower to borrower. In case of salaried persons there is relatively lesser documentation. For Self Employed Persons and Professional ( Doctors / Lawyers / Engineers / Architects ), except for the salary statements documents like tax return documents, Balance Sheet / Profit Loss Statement of the firm he owns may be required at the time of loan application. Other than the normal interest on the loan, you may be charged a one time processing fee by the lender for your low interest Personal loan.

Looking for a car requires making a lot of decisions. There are many factors to consider, such as price and payment. You have taken all the test drives you need. You have selected the manufacturer, model and color. Now you need to decide how to pay for the vehicle. If you have bad credit, this can seem to be a big problem.It was not that long ago when it was relatively easy to get a loan. Today it is not easy to get money when you need it. This is true for auto loans also. The choice often seems to be to take out two auto loans to finance the car. This choice results in further damage to your credit history. You should consider your payment options before you even start to look for the vehicle so that you are ready when you find the right car.Auto Loan BasicsAuto loans are generally considered secured loans. This is because the vehicle itself is collateral for the loan. If you have bad credit, this factor alone will help you obtain the loan you need to pay for the vehicle.Secured loans generally will have lower interest rates than do loans for the same amount for the same person. This is because the collateral can be repossessed to pay off the loan balance. For auto loans, the car can be repossessed to pay off the auto loan balance.As you determine the type of loan which will work for you, you need to next consider the down payment on the vehicle. The down payment will also affect your interest rate and the size of your monthly payments. The more you put down, the smaller the loan will be. The less you have to borrow from the lender, the smaller the monthly payment will be. The more you borrow from the lender, the higher your interest rate will be and the longer you will be paying off the loan.Shopping for an Auto LoanIf you have bad credit, almost every type of loan you might need is best found online. There will be many places you can get the loan. The auto dealership could offer you credit. Your bank could offer you a loan. If you belong to a credit union, you could get a loan through them. All of these sources can be more difficult to work with if you have bad credit. Chances are, if the lender has a physical, bricks and mortar presence, they will also have stricter qualifications for granting loans to people with bad credit.Looking online is your best option. Like most loans, you will need to demonstrate a steady job with a reasonable length of employment. The paycheck must be reliable. This will make it harder to qualify if you are self-employed or have irregular paychecks. You will need to have proof of citizenship when applying for an online loan.The Loan is Out ThereIt is possible to get an auto loan if you have bad credit. As with the actual purchase of the car, you will need to balance between what you want and what you can afford.Once you know the answer to that question, you can research a variety of lending sources open to you. Compare their rates and repayment requirements. Shop for the loan like you will shop for the vehicle. Just as you will look for the best price for the make and model you want, so you should look for the best auto loan available. By comparison shopping, you will be able to not only find the car you desire but you will also be able to get the loan you need to buy it. Bad credit does not need to stop you at all.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

X
While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

CRISPR Stocks: Will Concerns Over Risk Inhibit Gene-Editing Cures?

Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.