Coal Archives - Page 11 of 45

(Adds BHP statement, Westshore shares)

TORONTO, July 23 (Reuters) – BHP Group has reached conditional agreement with a unit of Westshore Terminals Investment Corp for port services for the global miner's proposed Jansen potash mine in Canada, the terminal operator said late on Thursday, moving the project closer to fruition.

The port agreement is subject to approval by BHP's board and conditional on it moving ahead with Jansen's first phase, Westshore said in a release.

The world's biggest listed miner has estimated Jansen would cost up to $5.7 billion in its first phases.

The project in Canada's Saskatchewan province offers diversification into agricultural markets given that potash is a key element in plant nutrition that also makes crops more drought resistant.

"BHP confirms that Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership … has signed an agreement to provide port services for the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan," BHP said in a statement to Reuters.

Last month BHP said it would present its board with a decision on whether to move ahead with Jansen after choosing between two port options.

"If the Jansen project does proceed, the agreement requires Westshore to handle potash for BHP for a term to 2051, subject to extension," Westshore said.

Under the agreement, Vancouver-based Westshore would construct infrastructure to handle potash at Westshore’s Roberts Bank Terminal by 2026, with BHP funding the construction.

The pact would become binding on BHP if it announces a final decision to proceed with Jansen's first stage, Westshore said.

Westshore's Toronto-listed shares climbed as much as 38% Friday.

(Reporting by Jeff Lewis; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan)

Despite a major oil price crash on Monday, oil prices are now on course to close out the week more or less unchanged.

Friday, July 23rd, 2021

The news of OPEC+ bringing back withheld production in August 2021, following through with 400kbpd monthly increments over the remainder of this year, triggered a spectacular tumble in oil prices earlier this week. Despite pandemic-related risks surging in Southeast Asia and U.S. crude inventories rising for the first time since May, the second half of the week saw a surprising rebound as the market has grown to realize that additional OPEC+ supply would be offset by recovering global demand.

Venezuela Buys Diluents Again. The VLCC Rene discharged a cargo of condensate in Venezuela’s main export terminal of José, previously used by PDVSA to dilute extra-heavy Orinoco barrels to create transportable and refinable blends. The origin of the cargo is unknown, the supertanker’s last port of call was in Sri Lanka.

Iberdrola Might Spin-Off Wind Business. The Spanish wind energy giant Iberdrola (BME:IBE) is considering a spin-off of its wind business to raise funds, it said when presenting H1 2021 results this week. Beyond its traditional markets in Europe, Iberdrola has been increasing its presence in the Asia Pacific region, going after new markets like Vietnam, Korea, or Vietnam.

Germany-US Agree on Nord Stream-2 Deal. The White House will scrap sanctions targeting the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that would bring Russian gas into Germany, in return for Berlin’s pledge to ensure Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) does not fully cut off transit via Ukraine.

Coal Prices Surge to Highest Level in More than Decade. Decreasing Chinese domestic production, unrest in South Africa, and weak hydro generation across the continent have pushed Asian coal prices to their highest level in 13 years, with Newcastle thermal coal FOB prices flirting with the $150 per metric ton threshold, double of what it was in early May.

Tesla Patents New Lithium Extraction Method. Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) has filed a patent on a new lithium extraction method from ore using sodium chloride, a more environmentally friendly way of getting lithium, avoiding the usage of acid leaching. According to Tesla officials, the new method might lead to a 33% reduction in lithium cost.

India Seeks to Commercialize Crude Stocks. India has decided to commercialize half of its strategic reserves to encourage private participation in its SPR – companies would have the option to re-export 1.5 million tons of crude stored at SPR sites if Indian companies refuse to buy it. ADNOC remains the only oil major to commit to SPR participation in India.

TAP Fails the Expansion Test. The 10 BCm per year TAP pipeline that brings Azeri gas to Turkey and Europe failed to trigger any shipping interest as no binding bids were submitted for potential capacity bookings, stoking concerns that the European case for further gas conduits was overblown.

Iran Inaugurates Jask Terminal. Iranian officials claimed the new crude export terminal at Jask began operations on Thursday, even though no vessel-tracking data was able to spot a ship alongside the jetties. The 300kbpd capacity Jask will supplement Iran’s main export port at Kharg Island.

US Natgas Futures Highest Level in Almost 3 Years. US natural gas futures rose to their highest level since December 2018 on the heels of warmer-than-expected weather and higher air conditioning power demand, writes Reuters. The front-month NYMEX Henry Hub futures for August surpassed the $4 per mmBtu mark, rising more than 55% this year to date.

Saudi Aramco Data Stolen. Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) confirmed media reports that there has been a data leak of company data (reported to amount to 1 terabyte) yet declined to comment whether the data had been used in a cyber-extortion attempt. Media reports indicate the ransom was set at $50 million.

India Considering Obligatory Green Hydrogen. India’s government is considering the introduction of obligatory green hydrogen use in certain industries, with the oil, steel, and chemical industry listed as prime candidates to fall under the effect of such measures. No details were provided on the assumed deadlines.

BHP Seeking an Oil Exit. Australia’s BHP Group (NYSE:BHP) is mulling a complete exit from the oil business, with its assets estimated at $15 billion or more, seeking to focus on its giant iron ore and copper businesses instead. Media reports suggest that Woodside Petroleum would be the prime candidate to pick up BHP’s oil and gas portfolio.

Barents Sea Prospects Cooling. In another blow to Norway’s strategic quest to tap into the Barents Sea’s assumed hydrocarbon bounty, Aker BP (AKRBP.OL) made only a minor discovery with its wildcat in licensing block PL858, sapping hopes that the Arctic shelf could maintain the European country’s production profile.

France Softens Narrative on China Nuclear Woes. The French EDF (EPA:EDF) suggested it would shut down the Taishan nuclear reactor if similar rod fuel sealing issues were to happen in France. Taishan, the first EPR-type reactor to become operational, has been reporting build-ups on inert gases, compelling nuclear watchdogs to monitor levels of radiation.

Rwanda Seeks Its Place Under the Sun. Rwandan authorities have reportedly allocated funds to start a 2D seismic survey around Lake Kivu, in the hope of finding hydrocarbons reserves similar to the ones TotalEnergies (EPA:TTE) is developing at Lake Albert in Uganda, soon to be a new 200kbpd producing hub in East Africa.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

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It is not unusual to falter in life due to lack or absence of proper guidance. The same theory applies to the investing world as well. With a plethora of stocks flooding the market at any point of time, it is very much possible for an investor to make a hasty decision while designing one’s portfolio in want of know-how/expertise. Choice of improper stocks can adversely impact his/her returns, thereby defeating the very objective of shelling out hard-earned money in the highly unpredictable stock market.

Brokers to the Rescue

To avoid such predicament, investors rely on the guidance provided by brokers who are deemed experts in the field. Brokers, irrespective of their types (sell-side, buy-side or independent), undertake a thorough research of the stocks covered by them.

To that end, they attend company conference calls, interview management personnel and minutely study the company’s publicly available documents among other things. Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that they have extensive knowledge on the stocks in their portfolio(s). Similarly, it is in the best interest of investors to be guided by such well-researched information of the “experts” in the field while arriving at crucial investment decisions (buy, sell or hold).

Since brokers indulge in in-depth analysis, the question of their actions being arbitrary does not arise. The direction of the estimate revisions serves as an important pointer in determining the price of a stock. In fact, a rating upgrade normally leads to stock price appreciation and vice versa.

To take care of the earnings performance, we designed a screen based on improving analyst recommendations and upward estimate revisions over the last four weeks.

Don’t Ignore the Top Line

A strategy designed solely on the basis of the bottom line is unlikely to result in a winning strategy. According to many market watchers, a revenue beat is more creditable for a company than a mere earnings outperformance. To address the top-line concerns, we included in our screen the price/sales ratio, which serves as a strong complementary valuation metric.

Screening Criteria

# (Up- Down Rating)/ Total (4 weeks) =Top #75: This gives the list of top 75 companies that have witnessed net upgrades over the last 4 weeks.

% change in Q (1) est. (4 weeks) = Top #10: This gives the top 10 stocks that have witnessed earnings estimate revisions over the past 4 weeks for the upcoming quarter.

To ensure that the strategy is a winning one, covering all bases, we have added the following screening parameters:

Price-to-Sales = Bot%10: The lower the ratio the better, companies meeting this criteria are in bottom 10% of our universe of over 7,700 stocks with respect to this ratio.

Price greater than 5: A stock trading below $5 will not likely create significant interest for most investors.

Average Daily Volume greater than 100,000 shares over the last 20 trading days: Volume has to be significant to ensure that these are easily traded.

Market value ($ mil) = Top #3000: This gives us stocks that are the top 3000 if one judges by market capitalization.

Com/ADR/Canadian= Com: This takes out the ADR and Canadian stocks.

Here are five of the 10 stocks that made it through the screen:

Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated BSET carries out manufacturing, marketing and retailing of home furnishings in the United States and internationally. The stock presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Factors like an improved housing market scenario in the United States, product innovation and efficient cost management are aiding the company’s earnings, which outshined the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, the average being in excess of 100%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Peabody Energy BTU: St Louis, MO-based Peabody Energy engages in the coal mining business and has both thermal and metallurgical operations. The revival in the domestic and international coal markets bodes well for this currently Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.

AutoNation AN is the largest automotive retailer in the United States. The stock, currently sporting a Zacks Rank of 1, has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings improve 38.4% over the past 60 days. Factors like a diversified product mix and multiple streams of income are supporting the company’s growth.

Arch Resources ARCH based in St. Louis, MO, is one of the largest coal producers in the United States. The stock, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1, has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings move 37.7% north over the past 60 days. Factors like its strong liquidity position are serving the stock well.

Abercrombie & Fitch Company ANF operates as a specialty retailer of premium, high-quality casual apparel for men, women and kids. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for this presently Zacks #1 Ranked stock’s current-year earnings has been revised 117.1% upward over the past 60 days. The company is being well-served by robust digital sales and efficient cost-control measures.

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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

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By Dhirendra Tripathi

Investing.com – BHP (NYSE:BHP) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stocks were among the gainers in Thursday’s premarket trading following an agreement under which the miner will supply nickel to the electric vehicle maker.

BHP was up 1% and Tesla 0.4%.

Nickel is one of the key metals used to make batteries that run electric vehicles.

BHP will supply Tesla with nickel from its Nickel West asset in Western Australia that it claims is one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world.

The agreement is much broader than a mere supply agreement. The two companies will collaborate to make the entire battery supply chain more sustainable including working on storage solutions along with looking for more ways to deploy renewable energy, according to a joint statement.

According to BHP Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, demand for nickel in batteries is estimated to grow by over 500% over the next 10 years, in large part to support the world’s rising demand for electric vehicles.

BHP, Tesla Gain On Supply Pact For Nickel, Renewables Collaboration

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Tesla TSLA recently inked a deal with BHP Group BHP to secure the supply of nickel from the latter’s Nickel West mine based in Western Australia.

Per the latest alliance, Tesla and BHP will also collaborate to make the battery supply chain more efficient and sustainable, with key focus on raw material procurement using blockchain and exchange of know-how for battery raw-material production. The companies will also identify supply-chain partners who are most aligned with their vision and battery value chains.

BHP will also join hands with Tesla on energy storage solutions to reduce carbon emissions through the enhanced use of sustainable energy, coupled with battery storage.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, BHP is a leading resources company globally. The mining giant extracts and processes minerals, oil and gas and its products are sold worldwide. The company is a notable producer of major commodities, including iron ore, metallurgical coal, nickel and copper.

Shining Prospects of Nickel Market

Amid the heightening climate-change concerns, development of batteries used to power electric vehicles (EVs) has become crucial in order to decarbonize the global economy. This, in turn, has buoyed the demand of metals, particularly copper and nickel, used in the production of batteries.

Nickel, a core ingredient used in lithium-ion batteries, helps reduce the usage of cobalt, which is much more expensive and has an ambiguous supply chain. Amid the soaring popularity of EVs worldwide, demand for nickel in batteries is projected to jump more than 500% over the next decade. Within the shining future prospects of nickel, BHP claims to be one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world.

California-based Tesla is the undisputed leader of EVs and battery storage systems, with a vision to accelerate the global transition to green transportation solutions.

With the demand for nickel set to boom in the near future and due to challenges faced in procuring nickel, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly expressed his concerns about the future supplies of nickel and has urged miners to increase the production of nickel.

In fact, in order to facilitate in-house production of batteries, Tesla has entered into a series of deals with mining companies for the commodities it needs to make batteries. This includes securing cobalt, another metal used in batteries, from the Swiss miner Glencore and supporting a nickel venture in New Caledonia.

The deal with BHP to procure nickel is in sync with Tesla’s vision of in-house production of batteries, and will boost the EV behemoth’s ability to self-manufacture batteries. The agreement is Tesla’s latest effort to shield itself from future supply crunch of metals needed in battery production. The agreement confirms Tesla will become one of the biggest customers of BHP for sustainable and reliable supply of quality nickel crucial to the EV maker’s growth plans.

BHP has been hinting a deal with Tesla since last year. For BHP, the deal marks a revival for the company’s Nickel West division. The company failed to sell the unit in 2014 and has since then diverted the division to cater to battery makers, rather than conventional customers like the stainless steel industry.

Though details on the deal amount have not been revealed by the companies, Tesla had earlier noted that it anticipates spending more than $1 billion annually on raw material for batteries from Australia.

Tesla — which shares space with auto biggies like General Motors GM and Ford F — currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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The market expects Peabody Energy (BTU) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2021. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, 2021, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus Estimate

This coal mining company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.76 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +40.2%.

Revenues are expected to be $691 million, up 10.3% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 112.9% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings Whisper

Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model — the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) — has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Peabody Energy?

For Peabody Energy, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Peabody Energy will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?

While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Peabody Energy would post a loss of $1.48 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.82, delivering a surprise of +44.59%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.

Bottom Line

An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Peabody Energy doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

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The market expects CNX Resources Corporation. (CNX) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2021. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.

Zacks Consensus Estimate

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.22 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +69.2%.

Revenues are expected to be $384.3 million, up 158.2% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.89% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings Whisper

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for CNX Resources Corporation.

For CNX Resources Corporation.The Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +10.53%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination indicates that CNX Resources Corporation. Will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that CNX Resources Corporation. Would post earnings of $0.28 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.36, delivering a surprise of +28.57%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.

Bottom Line

CNX Resources Corporation. Appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

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CNX Resources Corporation. (CNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Report Further Outlines Non-Replicable ESG Accomplishments and Strategy

PITTSBURGH, July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — CNX Resources Corp. (NYSE: CNX) today announced the release of its annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The report details company execution in line with the traditional Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) core option, along with additional disclosure standards established by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Included in the report is more information about CNX objectives and initiatives undertaken to meet the company's broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) philosophy: tangible, impactful, and local.

CNX President and Chief Executive Officer Nick DeIuliis commented, "Many in the energy industry and capital markets continue to speak in the abstract and distant future about ESG, sustainability, resiliency, carbon intensity, and the industrial logic of consolidation. CNX pursues a different path: one that prioritizes the development of our extensive existing asset base over further scale, and that focuses on transparency, measurable outcomes, current and nearer term deliverables, and long-termism defined by growing per-share intrinsic value. Our tangible, impactful, and local ESG approach coupled with our non-replicable asset base results in a net carbon negative footprint today, a truly sustainable business model of a low-cost producer that regularly returns capital to shareholders, and the opportunity to pursue exciting new opportunities for further methane capture and abatement. We believe we are the rare combination of tangible, impactful, and local ESG results coupled with low-risk free cash flow per-share generation that presents the best-in-class option for ESG-focused investors."

The following are key highlights of the report:

Environmental and Safety:

CNX is net carbon negative for Scope 1 and 2 emissions – unique in the natural gas upstream and midstream sectors;
Annual abatement of venting of over 300,000 metric tons of third-party methane (which equates to approximately 7.5 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions);
Adoption of the TCFD framework and SASB standards;
Employee safety Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.0 in 2020;
Contractor safety TRIR of 0.92 in 2020;
Recycled 99.6% of produced water in the company's core operating area in 2020; and
Management compensation now tied to company's methane intensity footprint.

Social Responsibility:

Median compensation package over $150,000 – top among regional public companies;
$30 million invested in local communities over last 10 years;
New $30 million philanthropic commitment and establishment of CNX Foundation to drive regional progress;
Establishment of mentor academy for young adults in local, underserved communities;
No layoffs, paid front line worker bonuses, and no acceptance of government assistance during COVID;
Half of CEO direct reports are diverse;
In 2021, introduction of a cross-training rotation program for diverse employees, comprehensive review of compensation programs with emphasis on pay equity, and diversity and inclusion training of all employees; and
CNX targets 33% diverse employee workforce by 2024 and 40% by 2026.

Governance:

First to provide multi-year, transparent financial guidance via our 7-year free cash flow generation plan;
CEO pay for performance philosophy with 90% of compensation at-risk;
Insider ownership at 2.5% of outstanding shares;
Stock retention requirements for executive management;
Small, focused board of directors with diversity of skills, professions, and gender; and
Full board participation in Environment, Safety, and Corporate Responsibility Committee.

To read the full 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, please visit: https://responsibility.cnx.com/

About CNX Resources Corporation:
CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE: CNX) is the premier independent natural gas development, production, and midstream company, with operations centered in the major shale formations of the Appalachian basin. Our vertically integrated model includes transmission, storage, gathering systems, and water infrastructure that support energy development from wellhead to end user. With the benefit of a more than 155-year legacy and a substantial asset base amassed over many generations, the company deploys a strategy focused on responsibly developing its resources to create long term per-share value for its shareholders, employees, and the communities where it operates. As of December 31, 2020, CNX had 9.55 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's Midcap 400 Index. Additional information may be found at www.cnx.com.

CNX Resources Corporation logo (PRNewsfoto/CNX Resources Corporation,CNX…)

Cision

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SOURCE CNX Resources Corporation

As we already know from media reports and hedge fund investor letters, hedge funds delivered their best returns in a decade. Most investors who decided to stick with hedge funds after a rough 2018 recouped their losses by the end of the fourth quarter of 2019. A significant number of hedge funds continued their strong performance in 2020 and 2021 as well. We get to see hedge funds' thoughts towards the market and individual stocks by aggregating their quarterly portfolio movements and reading their investor letters. In this article, we will particularly take a look at what hedge funds think about Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI).

Hedge fund interest in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) shares was flat at the end of last quarter. This is usually a negative indicator. Our calculations also showed that ACI isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). At the end of this article we will also compare ACI to other stocks including Vereit Inc (NYSE:VER), Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI), and Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) to get a better sense of its popularity.

In today’s marketplace there are plenty of methods investors employ to value stocks. A couple of the most innovative methods are hedge fund and insider trading moves. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top investment managers can beat the market by a healthy amount (see the details here). Also, our monthly newsletter's portfolio of long stock picks returned 206.8% since March 2017 (through May 2021) and beat the S&P 500 Index by more than 115 percentage points. You can download a sample issue of this newsletter on our website .

Stephen Feinberg of Cerberus Capital Management

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, pet market is growing at a 7% annual rate and is expected to reach $110 billion in 2021. So, we are checking out the 5 best stocks for animal lovers. We go through lists like the 15 best Jim Cramer stocks to identify the next Tesla that will deliver outsized returns. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. With all of this in mind we're going to check out the recent hedge fund action regarding Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI).

Do Hedge Funds Think ACI Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Heading into the second quarter of 2021, a total of 19 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of 0% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 0 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in ACI a year ago. So, let's review which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves.

Among these funds, Cerberus Capital Management held the most valuable stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI), which was worth $2750.4 million at the end of the fourth quarter. On the second spot was Brigade Capital which amassed $13.1 million worth of shares. Citadel Investment Group, Verdad Advisers, and Citadel Investment Group were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Cerberus Capital Management allocated the biggest weight to Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI), around 76.09% of its 13F portfolio. Verdad Advisers is also relatively very bullish on the stock, designating 3.38 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to ACI.

Because Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) has witnessed declining sentiment from the smart money, we can see that there was a specific group of funds that elected to cut their full holdings heading into Q2. It's worth mentioning that Anand Parekh's Alyeska Investment Group cut the largest investment of the 750 funds monitored by Insider Monkey, totaling about $13.5 million in stock. Daniel S. Och's fund, OZ Management, also dumped its stock, about $3.5 million worth. These transactions are intriguing to say the least, as aggregate hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience).

Let's now review hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI). We will take a look at Vereit Inc (NYSE:VER), Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI), Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA), Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ:CHDN), Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:KC), Alleghany Corporation (NYSE:Y), and SEI Investments Company (NASDAQ:SEIC). All of these stocks' market caps are closest to ACI's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position VER,27,664502,4 RHI,27,284866,0 NTRA,41,1222395,-5 CHDN,19,413255,-6 KC,16,92226,-4 Y,34,359891,0 SEIC,27,304623,-6 Average,27.3,477394,-2.4 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 27.3 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $477 million. That figure was $2808 million in ACI's case. Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Kingsoft Cloud Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:KC) is the least popular one with only 16 bullish hedge fund positions. Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for ACI is 30. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. This is a slightly negative signal and we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 23.8% in 2021 through July 16th and surpassed the market again by 7.7 percentage points. Unfortunately ACI wasn't nearly as popular as these 5 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was quite bearish); ACI investors were disappointed as the stock returned 4.8% since the end of March (through 7/16) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market in 2021.

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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including BHP Group (BHP), Booking Holdings (BKNG), and CVS Health (CVS). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.

You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>

Q2 Earnings Season Scorecard

Including all of this morning's releases, we now have Q2 results from 103 S&P 500 members or 20.% of the index's total membership. Total earnings for these 103 index members are up +117.6% on +18.9% higher revenues, with 90.3% beating EPS estimates and a record 85.4% beating revenue estimates.

This is a notably improved performance from these 103 index members relative to what we have seen from the same group of companies in other recent periods, with the revenue outperformance notably standing out. Looking at Q2 as a whole, combining the actual results that have come out with estimates for the still to come companies, total S&P 500 earnings are currently expected to be up +72.7% on +19.8% higher revenues. For a detailed look at the Q2 earnings season and expectations for the coming periods, please check out our weekly Earnings Trends report >>>> All Around Earnings Strength

Today's Featured Research Reports

Shares of BHP have outperformed the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry over the past year (+49.4% vs. +33.6%). The Zacks analyst believes that the company will continue to benefit from the rally in iron ore prices aided by strong demand in China. Improved industrial activity has led to a rally in copper prices, which is a positive for the company.

BHP’s efforts to make operations more efficient through the employment of smart technology will lead to a reduction in costs, thereby boosting margins. During fiscal 2021, the company achieved first production at four major development projects. It is currently involved in two major petroleum and potash projects, both of which are under development.

(You can read the full research report on BHP here >>>)

Booking Holdings shares have gained +7.9% over the last six months against the Zacks Internet Commerce industry’s loss of -21.4%. The Zacks analyst believes that steadily improving bookings, on the back of the re-opening of economy, have been benefiting the company.

The company remains optimistic about its highly variable cost structure and strong liquidity position, which it expects will help in navigating through the current crisis. Disruptions in the travel industry due to the pandemic and sluggishness in the agency business are major headwinds for the company.

(You can read the full research report on Booking Holdings here >>>)

Shares of CVS Health have gained +21.9% in the year to date period against the Zacks Retail Pharmacies and Drug Stores industry’s gain of +21.2%. The Zacks analyst is encouraged by the increasing demand for PBM and specialty pharmacy along with significant growth observed in the retail business.

The company’s consumer-centric digital strategy has become more relevant in the current environment as people are using technology more while staying indoors. A weak cough, cold and flu season, however, impacted growth within both Pharmacy Services and Retail/LTC in the first quarter. The repealing of the HIF for 2021 also hampered growth for Health Care Benefits unit.

(You can read the full research report on CVS Health here >>>)

Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Infosys (INFY), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Exelon (EXC).

Sheraz Mian

Director of Research

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>

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Exelon Corporation (EXC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

Investors interested in Consumer Products – Staples stocks are likely familiar with Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) and Chewy (CHWY). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits.

Right now, both Albertsons Companies, Inc. and Chewy are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that both of these stocks have an improving earnings outlook since the Zacks Rank favors companies that have witnessed positive analyst estimate revisions. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Style Score Value grade factors in a variety of key fundamental metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a number of other key stats that are commonly used by value investors.

ACI currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.30, while CHWY has a forward P/E of 806.83. We also note that ACI has a PEG ratio of 0.86. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. CHWY currently has a PEG ratio of 40.34.

Another notable valuation metric for ACI is its P/B ratio of 7.26. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, CHWY has a P/B of 497.71.

Based on these metrics and many more, ACI holds a Value grade of A, while CHWY has a Value grade of F.

Both ACI and CHWY are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that ACI is the superior value option right now.

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(Bloomberg) — BHP Group is considering getting out of oil and gas in a multibillion-dollar exit that would accelerate its retreat from fossil fuels, according to people familiar with the matter.

The world’s biggest miner is reviewing its petroleum business and considering options including a trade sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private. The business, which is forecast to earn more than $2 billion this year, could be worth an estimated $15 billion or more, one of the people said.

BHP’s energy assets make it an outlier among the world’s biggest miners — rival Anglo American Plc has already exited thermal coal under investor pressure and BHP is trying to follow suit. The company has long said the oil business was one of its strategic pillars and argued that it will make money for at least another decade. But as the world tries to shift away from fossil fuels, BHP wants to avoid getting stuck with assets that more become more difficult to sell, the people said.

The deliberations are still at an early stage and no final decision has been made, the people said. A spokesman for BHP declined to comment.

The move comes as oil supermajors grapple with how to respond to investor pressure over climate, in some cases by shrinking their core production and adding renewable energy assets.

Read more: The Retreat of Exxon and the Oil Majors Won’t Stop Fossil Fuel

BHP wants to exit while it can still get a good price for the assets, aiming to repeat a 2018 sale of its shale business to BP Plc for $10.4 billion, the people said. And unlike big-oil rivals, BHP doesn’t depend on profits from the energy business, which are dwarfed by the company’s giant iron ore and copper units.

The timing could be good for an oil exit. The economic recovery from Covid-19 has transformed the fortunes of oil producers, with Brent oil futures having rallied about 60% in the past year.

By contrast, the company’s efforts to get out of thermal coal so far have been disappointing, after early bids for mines in Australia came in lower than the company’s own valuations last year.

Getting out of both thermal coal and petroleum would help BHP make its case to investors as a company geared toward commodities of the future. The miner is also expected to sanction a giant potash mine in Canada next month, which could make it a key supplier of the crop nutrient once production begins. BHP is scheduled to report annual results on Aug. 17.

BHP has been in oil and gas since the 1960s, and has assets in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Australia. It produced 102.8 million barrels of oil equivalent in the year ending June 30.

“BHP is an outlier in the mining sector for its petroleum business and this is often cited in our investors discussions as a point of detraction,” said RBC Capital Markets analyst Tyler Broda. “With rising ESG pressures facing the industry, but also as this business potentially enters into a re-investment phase, we can see why management might be contemplating an exit.” Broda estimates the business is worth about $14.3 billion.

Read: Falling Oil Prices, Treasury Yields May Power New Energy Stocks

While divesting fossil fuel assets would help to strengthen BHP’s ESG metrics, it may have to sell them at a discount, Saul Kavonic, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG, said in a note. Exiting the oil and gas business could also leave the company short of medium-term growth catalysts, with the Jansen potash project in Canada “a late-decade story,” he added.

BHP shares rose as much as 2.3% in Sydney trading on Wednesday.

(Adds analyst comment in paragraph 12, share reaction)

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Here are four stocks with buy rank and strong momentum characteristics for investors to consider today, July 21st:

NIKE, Inc. NKE: This leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 10.1% over the last 60 days.

NIKE, Inc. Price and Consensus

NIKE, Inc. price-consensus-chart | NIKE, Inc. Quote

Nike’s shares gained 22.8% over the last one month compared to S&P 500’s rise of 1.5%. The company possesses a Momentum Score of B.

NIKE, Inc. Price

NIKE, Inc. price | NIKE, Inc. Quote

Lululemon Athletica Inc. LULU: This company that designs and retails athletic clothing for women, men, and female youth has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 7.3% over the last 60 days.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Price and Consensus

Lululemon Athletica Inc. price-consensus-chart | Lululemon Athletica Inc. Quote

Lululemon Athletica’s shares gained 8.8% over the last one month. The company possesses a Momentum Score of B.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Price

Lululemon Athletica Inc. price | Lululemon Athletica Inc. Quote

BHP Group BHP: This resources company has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 20% over the last 60 days.

BHP Group Price and Consensus

BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR Price and Consensus

BHP Group price-consensus-chart | BHP Group Quote

BHP’s shares gained 4.8% over the last one month. The company possesses a Momentum Score of B.

BHP Group Price

BHP Group price | BHP Group Quote

ABB Ltd ABB: This company that manufactures and sells electrification, industrial automation, and robotics and motion products has a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.7% over the last 60 days.

ABB Ltd Price and Consensus

ABB Ltd price-consensus-chart | ABB Ltd Quote

ABB’s shares gained 4.1% over the last one month. The company possesses a Momentum Score of B.

ABB Ltd Price

ABB Ltd price | ABB Ltd Quote

See the full list of top ranked stocks here

Learn more about the Momentum score and how it is calculated here.

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Zacks Investment Research

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Rio Tinto is asking train drivers working in mineral-rich Western Australia to work more hours, following a move by rival BHP Group, as miners rush to ship millions of tonnes of iron ore amid soaring prices for the steel making material.

The push comes among a worsening skills shortage in Australia's west that has been exacerbated by strict coronavirus restrictions, which unions say have raised mental health risks for workers and their families.

Train driver Paul Bloxsom, who will leave Rio next month, said Western Australian border constraints to keep out COVID-19 that include a 14-day quarantine meant he had only seen his family in Queensland four times in 15 months.

"That's a challenge in itself, the isolation and the loneliness and so on. There was a combination of things, and I just had enough. And there's a lot more jobs going back at home on the east coast," he told Reuters.

Mine workers in Australia often live in cities and fly in and fly out (FIFO) to remote mine sites, a commute that can take anywhere from several hours to a day, including connections.

While miners in Western Australia are enjoying a commodity boom that has powered new construction projects, they are having to compete for workers with government-backed infrastructure projects on the other side of the country.

"Unlike previous construction-led growth periods for our sector, where up to 1,000 people a week were moving to Western Australia for work, there are now strong employment prospects in the eastern states," the state's Chamber of Minerals and Energy said last month.

International skilled migration has also dried up due to Australia's caps on immigration arrivals.

Miners have been looking for ways to ensure they can keep production at full tilt until Australia boosts its vaccination rates, said analyst Peter O'Connor of Shaw and Partners in Sydney.

"Short of keeping people in Western Australia on extended rosters, which wears people out, their options are limited – that is a real and present risk to production," he said.

For train drivers, Rio has asked for expressions of interest in a two-week on, one-week off roster, compared to the typical two-week on, two-week off roster, but said the request was voluntary and would include appropriate remuneration.

BHP has already mandated that roster for its FIFO train drivers as a temporary measure through to August 2022, blaming the skills shortage, but drawing criticism from the CFMEU union which says it has come at a cost for drivers and their families.

BHP, which has announced plans to train 200 new drivers, said it was offering interstate FIFO employees support including financial assistance for temporary and permanent relocation, flexible work options, as well as mental health support.

Rio said it is looking to recruit drivers, and is also providing temporary and permanent relocation packages for interstate workers.

The state government is also taking steps to boost skilled worker numbers, but noted in a statement its strong border measures have kept out COVID-19 and helped drive the national economy.

The CFMEU, however, wants miners and government to find ways for FIFO workers to spend less time in quarantine and more time with their families, said Greg Busson, secretary of the CFMEU mining and energy division.

"We have been dealing with this for 18 months now, surely we have some lessons learned," he said.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; editing by Richard Pullin)

(Bloomberg) — Tesla Inc. has struck a nickel-supply deal with BHP Group, as the electric-car maker seeks to protect itself from a future supply crunch.

BHP will provide the automaker with the metal from its Nickel West operation in Western Australia, the world’s biggest miner said in a statement. BHP gave few further details, but said the companies would work together to make the battery supply chain more sustainable.

Telsa’s billionaire boss, Elon Musk, has repeatedly expressed concern about future supplies of nickel due to challenges in sustainable sourcing. Musk has pleaded with miners to produce more nickel, with demand set to skyrocket as the world increasingly moves toward electric vehicles.

Read more on Tesla’s plans to lock in supply as battery demand booms

Nickel is a key component in lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles. It packs more energy into batteries and allows producers to reduce use of cobalt, which is more expensive and has a less transparent supply chain.

Telsa has struck a string of deals with mining companies for the commodities it needs to make batteries, including cobalt pacts with Glencore Plc and supporting a nickel venture in New Caledonia.

For BHP, it marks a turnaround for the company’s Nickel West business. The company unsuccessfully tried to sell the unit in 2014 and has since pivoted it to serve battery makers, rather than traditional customers such as the stainless steel industry.

Bloomberg originally reported that the two companies were in talks in October.

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Here are four stocks with buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider today, July 21st:

BHP Group BHP: This resources company has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 20% over the last 60 days.

BHP Group Price and Consensus

BHP Group price-consensus-chart | BHP Group Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company has a dividend yield of 5.47%, compared with the industry average of 0.00%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 4.36%.

BHP Group Dividend Yield (TTM)

BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR Dividend Yield (TTM)

BHP Group dividend-yield-ttm | BHP Group Quote

Fanhua Inc. FANH: This provider of financial services has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 1% over the last 60 days.

Fanhua Inc. Price and Consensus

Fanhua Inc. price-consensus-chart | Fanhua Inc. Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 3.83%, compared with the industry average of 0.78%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 3.40%.

Fanhua Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Fanhua Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | Fanhua Inc. Quote

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. CFG: This bank holding company for Citizens Bank, National Association has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 1.9% over the last 60 days.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Price and Consensus

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 3.66%, compared with the industry average of 2.41%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 3.32%.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Quote

Tenaris S.A. TS: This manufacturer and supplier of seamless steel pipe products and associated services to the oil and gas, energy and other industries has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 1.1% over the last 60 days.

Tenaris S.A. Price and Consensus

Tenaris S.A. price-consensus-chart | Tenaris S.A. Quote

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 2.86%, compared with the industry average of 0.79%. Its five-year average dividend yield is 3.48%.

Tenaris S.A. Dividend Yield (TTM)

Tenaris S.A. dividend-yield-ttm | Tenaris S.A. Quote

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

Find more top income stocks with some of our great premium screens.

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* BHP to supply Tesla from Nickel West operation

* Nickel West to start sulphate output in Sept quarter

* BHP, Tesla to work on energy storage solutions (Adds share price move, detail)

MELBOURNE July 22 (Reuters) – Global miner BHP Group said on Thursday it signed a nickel supply agreement with Tesla Inc and will work with the electric carmaker on lowering carbon emissions in the battery supply chain.

Tesla said in June it expects to spend more than $1 billion a year on battery raw materials from Australia given the country's reliable mining industry and responsible production practices.

Western automakers are also seeking to diversify supply chains to lessen their dependence on China, in line with a U.S. policy to rely on allies to supply metals for electric vehicles.

BHP's nickel division accounts for less than 1% of its earnings, which are dominated by iron ore. Shares in the miner were up 3% at A$51.37 by 0454 GMT.

BHP said the metal will be supplied from its Nickel West operation in Western Australia, which is set to add nickel sulphate – a key battery chemical, and one that has much higher margins than nickel metal – in the September quarter.

Nickel makes batteries energy-dense, allowing cars to run further on a single charge.

BHP and Tesla will also look at end-to-end raw material tracing using blockchain, and work on energy storage solutions, the miner said in a statement.

"Tesla is going to take up available nickel from well-established producers with strong operational credentials as much as it can," said Steven Brown, an independent consultant based in Australia.

"These are logical moves for Tesla at this point of time when there's not a lot of other opportunities."

Nickel West's carbon footprint is around half the size of even the newest producers in top supplier Indonesia, which use an energy-intensive technology to extract nickel from laterite ores, he said. Its waste disposal practices are also seen to be lower risk.

BHP in February signed a deal to secure up to half of its power needs for its Kwinana nickel refinery from a local solar farm, although the rest is powered by the state grid, which uses coal power.

Indonesian producers have said they will initially dispose of their waste on land but there are questions about where their waste will go in the long term, and whether that might mean discharging them into the sea, Brown added.

Indonesia currently accounts for about 30% of nickel supply, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG), but Brown expects that to reach 50% by 2025.

Australia was the world's fifth biggest producer of mined nickel last year, according to INSG figures, accounting for about 7% of global supply.

BHP has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels with a long-term target of net zero operational emissions by 2050. It is working with customers to lower emissions from the steel-making industry that is among the worlds' heaviest polluters. (Reporting by Melanie Burton and Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Richard Pullin)

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. SLCA has announced that its Industrial and Specialty Products unit will increase prices for most of its non-contracted silica sand, diatomaceous earth and clay products that are used mainly in applications like glass, foundry, paints, coatings, elastomers, roofing, chemicals, recreation, building products, agricultural, pet litter and other applications.

The increase will be up to 15%, on the basis of the product and grade, with effect from shipments beginning Sep 1, 2021.

The increased prices are requisite to help balance significant cost increases in energy, transportation, materials and manufacturing costs.

Shares of U.S. Silica have skyrocketed 170.9% over a year, outperforming the industry’s rise of 26%. Its earnings growth rate for the current year is pegged at 54.2%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In its last-quarter earnings call, the company has predicted sustainable long-term growth for 2021 and beyond. It is focused on prioritizing free cash flow, repositioning its Oil & Gas segment and expanding the Industrial and Specialty Products segment.

The company expects The Industrial & Specialty Products segment growth to outpace U.S. GDP. It expects the contribution margin of the segment to increase 5-10% sequentially in the second quarter.

In the Oil & Gas segment, the company expects a strong energy recovery as economic activity rebounds and gains momentum. For the second quarter, the contribution margin is projected to increase 30-35%. The company plans to deliver positive cash flow in 2021 and deleverage its balance sheet.

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. Price and Consensus

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-chart | U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, U.S. Silica carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Glencore PLC GLNCY and Rio Tinto PLC RIO, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and BHP Group BHP, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Glencore has a projected earnings growth rate of 296.7% for the current year. The company’s shares have appreciated 74.3% over a year.

Rio Tinto has a projected earnings growth rate of 124.3% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied 28.5% over a year.

BHP has a projected earnings growth rate of 192.5% for the current year. The company’s shares have grown 35% over a year.

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BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR (BHP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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Zacks Investment Research

Our extensive research has shown that imitating the smart money can generate significant returns for retail investors, which is why we track nearly 900 active prominent money managers and analyze their quarterly 13F filings. The stocks that are heavily bought by hedge funds historically outperformed the market, though there is no shortage of high profile failures like hedge funds' 2018 losses in Facebook and Apple. Let’s take a closer look at what the funds we track think about BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) in this article.

BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) was in 23 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of March. The all time high for this statistic is 24. BBL has experienced an increase in hedge fund interest lately. There were 18 hedge funds in our database with BBL holdings at the end of December. Our calculations also showed that BBL isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings).

In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's monthly stock picks returned 206.8% since March 2017 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 115 percentage points (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

James Dinan of York Capital Management

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, Chuck Schumer recently stated that marijuana legalization will be a Senate priority. So, we are checking out this under the radar stock that will benefit from this. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. Now we're going to take a gander at the fresh hedge fund action regarding BHP Group (NYSE:BBL).

Do Hedge Funds Think BBL Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Heading into the second quarter of 2021, a total of 23 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of 28% from the previous quarter. By comparison, 21 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in BBL a year ago. With the smart money's positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of notable hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes substantially (or already accumulated large positions).

According to publicly available hedge fund and institutional investor holdings data compiled by Insider Monkey, Fisher Asset Management, managed by Ken Fisher, holds the most valuable position in BHP Group (NYSE:BBL). Fisher Asset Management has a $413.5 million position in the stock, comprising 0.3% of its 13F portfolio. The second most bullish fund is Farallon Capital, with a $231.5 million position; 1.3% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the stock. Some other professional money managers that are bullish encompass Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital, D. E. Shaw's D E Shaw and Israel Englander's Millennium Management. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Sand Grove Capital Partners allocated the biggest weight to BHP Group (NYSE:BBL), around 3.04% of its 13F portfolio. York Capital Management is also relatively very bullish on the stock, setting aside 2.19 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to BBL.

As industrywide interest jumped, some big names were leading the bulls' herd. Farallon Capital, assembled the largest position in BHP Group (NYSE:BBL). Farallon Capital had $231.5 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Orkun Kilic's Berry Street Capital also made a $18.8 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The other funds with brand new BBL positions are James Dinan's York Capital Management, Louis Bacon's Moore Global Investments, and Frank Fu's CaaS Capital.

Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks – not necessarily in the same industry as BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) but similarly valued. We will take a look at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), SAP SE (NYSE:SAP), Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB), Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY), Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), and Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP). All of these stocks' market caps are closest to BBL's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position MS,79,5285168,13 SAP,19,1473996,5 AMGN,47,1001957,-2 HDB,27,1964796,-4 BMY,81,5037397,-50 PM,48,5494085,-4 SHOP,91,9984457,1 Average,56,4320265,-5.9 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 56 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $4320 million. That figure was $1354 million in BBL's case. Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand SAP SE (NYSE:SAP) is the least popular one with only 19 bullish hedge fund positions. BHP Group (NYSE:BBL) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for BBL is 41.5. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. This is a slightly negative signal and we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 23.8% in 2021 through July 16th and surpassed the market again by 7.7 percentage points. Unfortunately BBL wasn't nearly as popular as these 5 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was quite bearish); BBL investors were disappointed as the stock returned 5.7% since the end of March (through 7/16) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market in 2021.

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Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

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What are the Zacks Style Scores?

Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on — that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

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Value Score

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Stock to Watch: CNX Resources Corporation. (CNX)

Founded in 1860, CNX Resources Corporation, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company formed after the separation of CONSOL’s, Exploration and Production (E&P) and Pennsylvania Mining Operations into two independent companies. The natural gas focused company retained the old ticker symbol while the coal focused company retained the name of the old company. As of Dec 31, 2020, the company had 9.55 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves up 13% year over year.

CNX is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.24; value investors should take notice.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2021, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.02 to $1.11 per share. CNX also boasts an average earnings surprise of 119.6%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, CNX should be on investors' short list.

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Many prominent investors, including Warren Buffett, David Tepper and Stan Druckenmiller, have been cautious regarding the current bull market and missed out as the stock market reached another high in recent weeks. On the other hand, technology hedge funds weren't timid and registered double digit market beating gains. Financials, energy and industrial stocks initially suffered the most but many of these stocks delivered strong returns since November and hedge funds actually increased their positions in these stocks. In this article we will find out how hedge fund sentiment towards CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX) changed recently.

Is CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX) a superb investment today? Prominent investors were cutting their exposure. The number of bullish hedge fund bets retreated by 2 recently. CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX) was in 23 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of the first quarter of 2021. The all time high for this statistic is 38. Our calculations also showed that CNX isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). There were 25 hedge funds in our database with CNX holdings at the end of December.

Why do we pay any attention at all to hedge fund sentiment? Our research has shown that a select group of hedge fund holdings outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by 115 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

Joel Greenblatt of Gotham Asset Management

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, Chuck Schumer recently stated that marijuana legalization will be a Senate priority. So, we are checking out this under the radar stock that will benefit from this. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. Now we're going to take a gander at the key hedge fund action encompassing CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX).

Do Hedge Funds Think CNX Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Heading into the second quarter of 2021, a total of 23 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, a change of -8% from the fourth quarter of 2020. On the other hand, there were a total of 24 hedge funds with a bullish position in CNX a year ago. With the smart money's positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists an "upper tier" of key hedge fund managers who were boosting their holdings considerably (or already accumulated large positions).

Among these funds, Southeastern Asset Management held the most valuable stake in CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX), which was worth $434.3 million at the end of the fourth quarter. On the second spot was Aequim Alternative Investments which amassed $29.2 million worth of shares. Arrowstreet Capital, D E Shaw, and AQR Capital Management were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Southeastern Asset Management allocated the biggest weight to CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX), around 9.29% of its 13F portfolio. Quaker Capital Investments is also relatively very bullish on the stock, setting aside 4.43 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to CNX.

Because CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX) has faced a decline in interest from the aggregate hedge fund industry, it's safe to say that there lies a certain "tier" of money managers that elected to cut their positions entirely in the first quarter. Intriguingly, Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group sold off the largest investment of the 750 funds watched by Insider Monkey, worth an estimated $21.9 million in stock, and Matt Smith's Deep Basin Capital was right behind this move, as the fund dumped about $14.1 million worth. These bearish behaviors are interesting, as total hedge fund interest fell by 2 funds in the first quarter.

Let's now take a look at hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX). These stocks are Arvinas, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARVN), Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT), Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE:AGO), Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK), Revolve Group, Inc. (NYSE:RVLV), Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX), and Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE:BFLY). This group of stocks' market valuations are similar to CNX's market valuation.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position ARVN,28,365585,-6 EAT,31,475033,3 AGO,22,192881,5 SSTK,18,207880,-5 RVLV,29,256608,5 VERX,11,40913,0 BFLY,32,299537,32 Average,24.4,262634,4.9 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 24.4 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $263 million. That figure was $607 million in CNX's case. Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE:BFLY) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX) is the least popular one with only 11 bullish hedge fund positions. CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE:CNX) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for CNX is 49.7. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. This is a slightly negative signal and we'd rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks gained 23.8% in 2021 through July 16th and surpassed the market again by 7.7 percentage points. Unfortunately CNX wasn't nearly as popular as these 5 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was quite bearish); CNX investors were disappointed as the stock returned -14.6% since the end of March (through 7/16) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market in 2021.

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BHP Group BHP released production details for the year ended Jun 30, 2021 and provided guidance for fiscal 2022. Total iron ore production rose 2% to 254 Mt (million tons) in fiscal 2021 courtesy of record production at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO). The company met production guidance for iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal, nickel and energy coal. Petroleum production for the 2021 financial year was slightly above guidance.

Production Highlights

In the April-June quarter, BHP’s iron ore production was down 2% year over year to 65.2 Mt. On a sequential basis, production, however, improved 9% primarily due to enhanced performance at WAIO. Brazilian miner, Vale S.A. VALE, reported its iron ore production for the second quarter of 2021 at 75.7 Mt, which came in 12% higher than the year-ago quarter and 11.3% higher than the first quarter of 2021. Last week, Rio Tinto plc RIO reported a 9% drop in second-quarter iron ore production to 75.9 Mt due to above average rainfall in the West Pilbara.

For the year ended Jun 30, 2021, BHP’s total iron ore production improved 2% year over year to a record 253.5 Mt, within the company’s provided guidance of 245 Mt to 255 Mt. WAIO production was up 1% to a record 252 Mt reflecting record production at Jimblebar and Mining Area C, which included first ore from South Flank in May 2021. This performance was impressive considering weather impact, temporary rail labor shortages due to COVID-19 related border restrictions and the planned Mining Area C and South Flank major tie-in activity. Strong operational performance across the supply chain reflected continued improvements in car dumper performance and reliability, and train cycle times.

Total petroleum production was 102.8 MMboe (million barrels of oil equivalent) for the period under review, down 6% year over year. Total copper production was down 5% year over year to 1,635.7 kt in fiscal 2020. Metallurgical coal production dipped 1% to 40.6 Mt, while energy coal production was 19.3 Mt, down 17% year over year. Nickel production was up 11% year over year to 89 kt.

Average realized prices for iron ore, copper and nickel in fiscal 2021 surged 69%, 52% and 17% respectively. Average realized prices for metallurgical coal declined 19%, while of thermal coal rose 2%. Average realized prices for oil (crude and condensate) and Natural gas were up 6% and 8%, respectively, while LNG prices slumped 22%.

Fiscal 2022 Production Guidance

In fiscal 2022, BHP expects to produce between 249 and 259 Mt of iron ore compared with 253.5 Mt produced in fiscal 2021 as WAIO continues to focus on incremental volume growth through productivity improvements. The company’s petroleum production guidance for fiscal 2022 is expected to be 99-106 MMboe. BHP anticipates copper production between 1,590 kt and 1,760 kt in fiscal 2022. Production guidance of Metallurgical coal for fiscal 2022 is at 39-44 Mt, while the same for energy coal is at 13-15 Mt. Nickel production for fiscal 2022 is now expected between 85 kt and 95 kt.

Development Projects on Track

During fiscal 2021, BHP successfully achieved first production at four major development projects, all of which were delivered either on or ahead of schedule and also within budget. The Atlantis Phase 3 petroleum project and the Spence Growth Option copper project achieved first production in the first half of the financial year. During the fiscal fourth quarter, the South Flank iron ore sustaining project in Western Australia, and the Ruby oil and gas project in Trinidad and Tobago achieved first production.

As of Jun 31, 2021, the company had two major projects under development in petroleum (Mad Dog Phase 2) and potash (Jansen mine shafts), with both of these on track. The Jansen Stage 1 project in Canada remains on track for a go or no-go decision in the next two months.

On 28 Jun, 2021, BHP announced that it had signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement with Glencore PLC GLNCY to divest its 33.3 per cent interest in Cerrejón, a non-operated energy coal joint venture in Colombia, for $294 million cash consideration. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of fiscal 2022.

BHP’s efforts to make operations more efficient through smart technology adoption across the entire value chain will continue to aid in reducing costs, thereby boosting margins. Focus on lowering debt will fuel growth.

Price Performance

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Over the last year, BHP’s shares have gained 35.7%, compared with the industry’s rally of 22.6%.

Zacks Rank

BHP currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Zacks Investment Research

Hedge funds and large money managers usually invest with a focus on the long-term horizon and, therefore, short-lived dips or bumps on the charts usually don't make them change their opinion towards a company. This time it may be different. The coronavirus pandemic destroyed the high correlations among major industries and asset classes. We are now in a stock pickers market where fundamentals of a stock have more effect on the price than the overall direction of the market. As a result we observe sudden and large changes in hedge fund positions depending on the news flow. Let’s take a look at the hedge fund sentiment towards Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) to find out whether there were any major changes in hedge funds' views.

Is Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) a buy here? The smart money was betting on the stock. The number of bullish hedge fund bets rose by 1 lately. Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) was in 21 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of the first quarter of 2021. The all time high for this statistic is 36. Our calculations also showed that BTU isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings). There were 20 hedge funds in our database with BTU positions at the end of the fourth quarter.

So, why do we pay attention to hedge fund sentiment before making any investment decisions? Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 115 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). We have been able to outperform the passive index funds by tracking the moves of corporate insiders and hedge funds, and we believe small investors can benefit a lot from reading hedge fund investor letters and 13F filings.

Paul Singer of Elliott Management

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, Chuck Schumer recently stated that marijuana legalization will be a Senate priority. So, we are checking out this under the radar stock that will benefit from this. We go through lists like the 10 best battery stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage. With all of this in mind let's go over the new hedge fund action regarding Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU).

Do Hedge Funds Think BTU Is A Good Stock To Buy Now?

At first quarter's end, a total of 21 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 5% from the previous quarter. Below, you can check out the change in hedge fund sentiment towards BTU over the last 23 quarters. With hedge funds' sentiment swirling, there exists an "upper tier" of key hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings significantly (or already accumulated large positions).

More specifically, Elliott Investment Management was the largest shareholder of Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), with a stake worth $88.5 million reported as of the end of March. Trailing Elliott Investment Management was Adage Capital Management, which amassed a stake valued at $8.3 million. Hosking Partners, Renaissance Technologies, and Alden Global Capital were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Alden Global Capital allocated the biggest weight to Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), around 1.18% of its 13F portfolio. Elliott Investment Management is also relatively very bullish on the stock, setting aside 0.66 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to BTU.

With a general bullishness amongst the heavyweights, key hedge funds were leading the bulls' herd. JS Capital, managed by Jonathan Soros, initiated the largest position in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU). JS Capital had $0.4 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Michael Gelband's ExodusPoint Capital also made a $0.2 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The other funds with new positions in the stock are Cliff Asness's AQR Capital Management and Peter Muller's PDT Partners.

Let's now take a look at hedge fund activity in other stocks – not necessarily in the same industry as Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) but similarly valued. We will take a look at BELLUS Health Inc. (NASDAQ:BLU), Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLRE), Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EIGR), Navios Maritime Containers L.P. (NASDAQ:NMCI), Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:XERS), AudioEye, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEYE), and Theratechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ:THTX). All of these stocks' market caps match BTU's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position BLU,12,88516,-2 GLRE,8,5644,-2 EIGR,17,69455,0 NMCI,3,23247,-1 XERS,11,65125,4 AEYE,5,28137,-1 THTX,6,43493,1 Average,8.9,46231,-0.1 [/table]

View table here if you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 8.9 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $46 million. That figure was $122 million in BTU's case. Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EIGR) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Navios Maritime Containers L.P. (NASDAQ:NMCI) is the least popular one with only 3 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) is more popular among hedge funds. Our overall hedge fund sentiment score for BTU is 73.5. Stocks with higher number of hedge fund positions relative to other stocks as well as relative to their historical range receive a higher sentiment score. Our calculations showed that top 5 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 95.8% in 2019 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 40 percentage points. These stocks returned 23.8% in 2021 through July 16th but still managed to beat the market by 7.7 percentage points. Hedge funds were also right about betting on BTU as the stock returned 184.6% since the end of March (through 7/16) and outperformed the market by an even larger margin. Hedge funds were clearly right about piling into this stock relative to other stocks with similar market capitalizations.

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ST. LOUIS, July 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, July 29, 2021, Peabody (NYSE: BTU) will announce results for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. A conference call with management is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT on Thursday, July 29, 2021.

The call, replay and other investor data will be available at PeabodyEnergy.com.

Participants may also access the call using the following phone numbers:

U.S. and Canada (888) 312-3049
Australia 1800 849 976
United Kingdom 0808 238 9907

For all other international participants, please contact Peabody Investor Relations at (314) 342-7900 prior to the call to receive your dial-in number.

Peabody (NYSE: BTU) is a leading coal producer, providing essential products to fuel baseload electricity for emerging and developed countries and create the steel needed to build foundational infrastructure. Our commitment to sustainability underpins our activities today and helps to shape our strategy for the future. For further information, visit PeabodyEnergy.com.

Contact:
Alice Tharenos
314.342.7900

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/peabody-to-announce-results-for-the-quarter-ended-june-30-2021-301337966.html

SOURCE Peabody

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – July 19, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: BHP Group BHP, Materion Corp. MTRN, Tronox Holdings plc TROX, MP Materials Corp. MP and Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

U.S. Bulks Up Rare Earth Production: 5 Stocks to Track

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, China was responsible for 80% of rare earth imports in 2019. While the pandemic caused disruptions in the supply chain and exports fell short last year, China’s dominance over the rare earth market cannot be denied. After all, the country currently holds about 70% of the world’s known rare earth reserves.

The group of 17 elements is used in electric vehicles (EV), batteries, renewable energy systems and a wide range of electric appliances, ranging from smartphones, display panels, speakers, televisions and more. Cerium and neodymium are commonly used in smartphones, flat-screen TVs and LED lights as well as in F-35 fighter jets and missiles, radar and lasers by the U.S. Department of Defense. Elements like lanthanum are used in oil refining.

America is making an effort in upping its game in rare earth element production as several big trends are at play. President Joe Biden’s administration has massive investments planned in climate change technology, and rare earth elements are essential to this change. However, as the name suggests, these elements are not widely available, and extracting, processing and refining these elements entail several political and environmental issues.

On Jul 13, the Senate Democrats reached an agreement on a $3.5-trillion budget plan that encompasses an expansion in Medicare, fund climate change initiatives and fulfill other parts of Biden’s economic agenda. The Democrats hope to pass this budget plan on top of a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will surely aid the rare earth mining space.

To address issues on groundwater and air pollution, as rare earth mining creates radioactive waste byproducts, the White House holds up an Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance as a model for the mining industry. This model includes mining companies, unions and groups of advocates, and plans to create environmental and human rights principles for this industry.

In fact, it emphasizes getting prior and informed consent from Indigenous communities and local residents before mineral processing operations. Additionally, mining and processing companies have to arrange for the permanent disposal of toxic waste and build waste treatment facilities.

5 Stocks to Keep an Eye On

It may take America time to lower its reliance on China for rare earth elements but the new government funding will boost production which open up investment opportunities that investors should watch out for. Per a Valuates.com report, the global rare earth elements market size is projected to reach $3757.7 million by 2026, up from $2664.5 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 5.9%.

BHP Group engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties, and also engages in mining of copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, iron ore, and metallurgical and energy coal. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is more than 100% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 21.7% upward over the past 60 days. BHP Group currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Materion Corp produces PVD rare earth elements for modern technologies and supports most major OEM thin film deposition platforms. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the ongoing year is 57.1% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised nearly 1% upward over the past 60 days. Materion holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), at present.

Tronox operates titanium-bearing mineral sand mines, and beneficiation and smelting operations. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is more than 100% compared with the Zacks Chemical – Diversified industry’s projected earnings growth of 27.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 6.7% upward over the past 60 days. Tronox presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

MP Materials engages in the ownership and operation of integrated rare-earth mining and processing facilities. This Zacks Rank #3 company's expected earnings growth rate for 2021 is 81.5% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised nearly 29% upward over the past 90 days.

Freeport-McMoRan engages in the mining of mineral properties. This Zacks Rank #3 company's estimated earnings growth rate for the ongoing year is more than 100% against the Zacks Mining – Non Ferrous industry’s projected earnings decline of 1.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 10.2% upward over the past 60 days.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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Newmont Corporation’s NEM board recently approved the advancement of the Ahafo North Project to the execution stage. The project, exceeding the required internal rate of return (“IRR”), will be bringing profitable production from the best un-mined gold deposit in West Africa.

The Ahafo North Project includes four open-pit mines and the setting up of a stand-alone mill. The construction is expected to complete in the second half of 2023. At the current gold prices, production from the mine is expected to deliver more than 30% IRR.

It will also lead to the creation of approximately 1,800 jobs, with more than 550 permanent roles. The company aims to focus on the key aspect of achieving gender parity in the workforce after the commencement of operations.

There have been considerable engagements with traditional leaders, local and regional government agencies and also public stakeholder engagement meetings by the company. Stakeholders have backed the project’s infrastructure plans and permits necessary to begin construction.

The company remains dedicated to maintaining its stakeholder interaction by providing regular updates as the project proceeds. This will strengthen its social acceptance.

The full scope of funding will be deployed to high-impact activities, including but not limited to tasks like finalizing engineering and EPCM services, relocating of the national highway and support of additional resettlement activities, constructing and commissioning a 3.7-million-ton per annum plant, constructing a Tailings and Wastewater Management Storage Facility, and long-lead sourcing including the acquisition of 14 CAT 770 haul trucks.

Newmont noted that the project will expand its existing footprint in Ghana and add more than three million ounces of gold production over the initial 13-year mine life. It is committed to sustainably develop and operate the project to add value to its stakeholders.

Shares of Newmont have declined 3.8% over a year against the industry’s rise of 26%. Its earnings growth rate for the current year is pegged at 25.6%.

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In its first-quarter earnings call, the company said that it expects attributable gold production of 6.5 million ounces, gold cost applicable to sales (CAS) to be $750 per ounce and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) to be $970 per ounce. It also foresees an increase in gold production and is undertaking investments in its operating assets and other growth prospects.

Newmont Corporation Price and Consensus

Newmont Corporation price-consensus-chart | Newmont Corporation Quote

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, Newmont carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Glencore PLC GLNCY and Rio Tinto Group RIO, both sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and BHP Group BHP, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Glencore has a projected earnings growth rate of 296.7% for the current year. The company’s shares have appreciated 82.9% over a year.

Rio Tinto has a projected earnings growth rate of 124.3% for the current year. The company’s shares have grown 32.6% over a year.

BHP has a projected earnings growth rate of 192.5% for the current year. The company’s shares have gained 38.8% over a year.

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Melior Resources Inc. (TSXV: “MLR”) (“Melior” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that on July 14, 2021 Ranchero Gold Corp. (“Ranchero”) closed its previously announced brokered and non-brokered private placement (the “Concurrent Financing”) pursuant to which Ranchero issued an aggregate of 9,107,068 subscription receipts (each, a “Subscription Receipt”) at a purchase price of $0.55 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of $5,008,887.

The Concurrent Financing was completed in connection with the previously announced reverse takeover transaction (the “Transaction”) with Ranchero pursuant to which Melior will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Ranchero by way of a three-cornered amalgamation in accordance with the terms and conditions of the amalgamation agreement dated February 17, 2021, as amended, among Melior, Ranchero and 1274169 B.C. Ltd. (“Melior Newco”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Melior, as more particularly described in the Company’s news releases dated November 2, 2020, February 18, 2021 and July 13, 2021. Pursuant to the Transaction, Ranchero will amalgamate with Melior Newco, and Melior will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Ranchero (the “Ranchero Shares”) from the Ranchero shareholders in exchange for post-consolidation common shares of Melior (the “Resulting Issuer Shares”) on the basis of one Resulting Issuer Share for one Ranchero Share. Prior to the completion of the Transaction, Melior intends to consolidate its common shares on the basis of 32.6764 pre-consolidation common shares for one post-consolidation common share of Melior.

Each Subscription Receipt entitles the holder thereof to automatically receive, upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions, one Ranchero Share, which shall immediately be exchanged for one Resulting Issuer Share upon completion of the Transaction. The resulting issuer of the Transaction (the “Resulting Issuer”) intends to use the proceeds of the Concurrent Financing for exploration and development of its properties in Mexico and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Haywood Securities Inc. (the “Agent”) acted as the agent and bookrunner to locate purchasers in the Concurrent Financing on a best-efforts agency basis. In consideration for the services performed by the Agent in connection with the Concurrent Financing, Ranchero has paid a cash fee of $5,720.08 (50% of which is held in escrow and will be released upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions) and issued 10,400 broker warrants (each, a “Broker Warrant”) to the Agent. Ranchero also engaged certain finders to locate purchasers to participate in the Concurrent Financing and in consideration for their services paid an aggregate cash fee of $186,486 and issued an aggregate of 308,693 finder warrants (each, a “Finder Warrant”). Each Broker Warrant and Finder Warrant will be exchanged for one warrant of the Resulting Issuer on completion of the Transaction, which will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Resulting Issuer Share at an exercise price of $0.55 per Resulting Issuer Share for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Transaction.

The gross proceeds of the Concurrent Financing less certain deductions and 50% of the cash fee payable to the Agent, applicable taxes and expenses of the Agent incurred in connection with the Concurrent Financing are held in escrow by TSX Trust Company, the subscription receipt agent, in accordance with the terms of a subscription receipt agreement dated July 14, 2021 between TSX Trust Company, Ranchero and the Agent, and the remaining portion of the cash fee payable to the Agent and the balance of the gross proceeds will be released to the Agent and Ranchero, respectively, upon the satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions in connection with the Transaction.

All securities issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing are subject to an indefinite hold period, as required under applicable securities laws.

Furthermore, the Company announces that Mr. George Lloyd has today resigned from the board of directors of the Company to pursue other opportunities. The Company thanks Mr. Lloyd for his valuable contributions and wishes him every success in his future endeavors.

On behalf of the board of directors of the Company:

Martyn Buttenshaw
Interim Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Buttenshaw
Interim Chief Executive Officer
+41 41 560 9070
info@meliorresources.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell and is not a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company and Ranchero have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws unless pursuant to an exemption from such registration.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance. The Transaction cannot close until all necessary approvals are obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects” or does not expect”, “is expected”, anticipates” or “does not anticipate” “plans”, “estimates” or “intends” or stating that certain actions, events or results “ may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release may include, but are not limited to, the terms, structure and completion of the Transaction and the use of proceeds of the Concurrent Financing.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSXV, liabilities inherent in mine development and production; geological risks, risks associated with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, the financial markets generally, the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions precedent to the Transaction, and the ability of the Company to complete the Transaction and obtain requisite TSXV acceptance and shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

New downloadable digital vaccine records, over-the-counter rapid Antigen Self Tests, online vaccine availability maps, and discounted Lyft rides reinforce Company’s commitment to health and wellness

BOISE, Idaho, July 19, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In an ongoing effort to help America combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) today announced several new important offerings that will help empower its customers to stay well this summer. These offerings build on the Company’s leading efforts in administering 6 million COVID-19 vaccinations to date through its 1,700 pharmacies nationwide.

"As front-line healthcare providers, our pharmacy teams have been heroic in administering millions of vaccinations to our customers across the country and providing them with critical information and solutions during these unprecedented times," said Omer Gajial, Albertsons Companies SVP of Pharmacy and Health. "With these enhancements, we are proud to be able to offer local communities new resources to help keep them safe and make informed decisions about their health as we continue to navigate through this public health crisis together."

Vaccine Records

A free digital vaccine record that can be downloaded and saved to a digital device is being rolled out. Customers who completed their COVID-19 vaccine series through any Albertsons Cos.’ pharmacy will receive an email in the next few days with detailed instructions on how to access their digital vaccine record. This information will also be shared with anyone receiving the vaccine in the future at one of the Company’s pharmacy locations.

Rapid Antigen Self-Tests

The Company is also offering over-the-counter rapid COVID-19 testing. These self-administered tests are a product of Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test and can be used by individuals with or without symptoms who may have been exposed to COVID-19. The tests can be purchased at in store pharmacies and do not require a prescription. Antigen tests can be used on children as young as 2 years old, when administered by an adult.

Each test kit includes two nasal swabs and easy-to-follow instructions. The swabs are intended to be administered within 48 to 72 hours of each other. The tests are minimally invasive and results for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals are available in as little as 15 minutes.

While the over-the-counter tests may not be covered by insurance, they are an affordable option to quickly provide COVID-19 infection status.

Locating, Booking and Traveling to Vaccine Appointments

Albertsons Cos. and Moderna have teamed up to sponsor a COVID-19 vaccine map on Nextdoor to help users locate nearby vaccine appointment locations. Customers are then redirected from Nextdoor to the Albertsons Cos. scheduling tool to schedule a vaccine appointment, receive a confirmation, and get the second dose scheduled all in under three minutes.

Lastly, the Company is partnering with Lyft to offer discounted rides to and from any of Albertsons Cos.’ pharmacy for vaccinations. When customers make a vaccination appointment at https://www.albertsons.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html they will receive a Lyft discount code in their appointment confirmation email. Lyft discounts are not available in New York or New Jersey. Customers who get vaccinated at an eligible Albertsons Cos. pharmacy will also be provided with a 10% off coupon for grocery purchase, up to $200 (subject to certain exceptions).

Pharmacies participating in these programs include Safeway, Vons, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Haggen, and Carrs.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer that operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with more than 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2020, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company gave $260 million in food and financial support, including $95 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities have enough to eat. Albertsons Companies also pledged $5 million to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210719005480/en/

Contacts

Kirby Nardo
Kirby.nardo@albertsons.com

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Accordingly, Albertsons Companies investors that purchase the stock on or after the 23rd of July will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 10th of August.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.10 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.40 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Albertsons Companies stock has a trailing yield of around 2.0% on the current share price of $19.89. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

View our latest analysis for Albertsons Companies

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable – hardly an ideal situation. Albertsons Companies has a low and conservative payout ratio of just 13% of its income after tax. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. The good news is it paid out just 7.0% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that Albertsons Companies's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Albertsons Companies's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 167% per annum for the past three years. Albertsons Companies earnings per share have been sprinting ahead like the Road Runner at a track and field day; scarcely stopping even for a cheeky "beep-beep". We also like that it is reinvesting most of its profits in its business.'

Given that Albertsons Companies has only been paying a dividend for a year, there's not much of a past history to draw insight from.

To Sum It Up

Is Albertsons Companies an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? We love that Albertsons Companies is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research.

With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. For example – Albertsons Companies has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

Recently, Lynas Rare Earths Limited (LYSCF) received a $30-million grant from the U.S. government to open a new processing facility with Blue Line. The plant is one of the many rare earth production plants that Biden hopes to open in order to boost production and reduce reliance on China for the elements. On Jul 13, the Senate Democrats reached an agreement on a $3.5-trillion budget plan that encompasses an expansion in Medicare, fund climate change initiatives and fulfill other parts of Biden’s economic agenda. The Democrats hope to pass this budget plan on top of a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will surely aid the rare earth mining space.

As Biden plans to boost the EV market, supply-chain vulnerabilities might pose hindrances. In February, Biden ordered a federal review analysis of supply-chain vulnerabilities to make better investments in mines abroad and boost refining. To address issues on groundwater and air pollution, as rare earth mining creates radioactive waste byproducts, the White House holds up an Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance as a model for the mining industry. This model includes mining companies, unions and groups of advocates, and plans to create environmental and human rights principles for this industry. In fact, it emphasizes getting prior and informed consent from Indigenous communities and local residents before mineral processing operations. Additionally, mining and processing companies have to arrange for the permanent disposal of toxic waste and build waste treatment facilities.

5 Stocks to Keep an Eye on

BHP Group BHP engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties, and also engages in mining of copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, iron ore, and metallurgical and energy coal. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is more than 100% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 21.7% upward over the past 60 days. BHP Group currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Materion Corporation MTRN produces PVD rare earth elements for modern technologies and supports most major OEM thin film deposition platforms. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the ongoing year is 57.1% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised nearly 1% upward over the past 60 days. Materion holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), at present.

Tronox Holdings plc TROX operates titanium-bearing mineral sand mines, and beneficiation and smelting operations. The company's expected earnings growth rate for the current year is more than 100% compared with the Zacks Chemical – Diversified industry’s projected earnings growth of 27.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 6.7% upward over the past 60 days. Tronox presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

MP Materials Corp. MP engages in the ownership and operation of integrated rare-earth mining and processing facilities. This Zacks Rank #3 company's expected earnings growth rate for 2021 is 81.5% compared with the Zacks Mining – Miscellaneous industry’s projected earnings growth of 18.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised nearly 29% upward over the past 90 days.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX engages in the mining of mineral properties. This Zacks Rank #3 company's estimated earnings growth rate for the ongoing year is more than 100% against the Zacks Mining – Non Ferrous industry’s projected earnings decline of 1.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised 10.2% upward over the past 60 days.

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