Infosys surges over 2% after management assures of faster growth at its AGM

Infosys on Monday surged over 2 percent as investors cheered positive commentary from its management at the annual general meeting (AGM) held on Saturday.

The stock touched an intraday high of Rs 1,274.40 and an intraday low of Rs 1,250.00.

The IT bellwether��s non-executive Chairman Nandan Nilekani said on June 23 that India��s second largest software exporter was ready to get back to faster growth as the focus shifts to execution of previously laid out plans.

��Our focus is now on relentless execution. Will spare no efforts to do all it will take to realise our aspirations," Nilekani said, while addressing shareholders at its 37th Annual General Meeting in Bengaluru.

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He further said the company took stock of its current capabilities and was convinced that there was no better time strategically than now for Infosys.

The AGM was the first for Infosys�� new chief Salil Parekh who turned up looking dapper in a crisp suit.

Apart from Nilekani, none of the other co-founders were present. NR Narayana Murthy did not attend as he was out of the country.

Meanwhile, Nilekani stressed that Infosys has worked on addressing stability issues that have plagued the company since the past couple of years.

��When I stepped for the second time into Infosys in August last year, one of the concerns raised was about the company's stability and we have taken several steps to remedy this. We have a stable board and management and everyone is united,�� he said.

His comment was seen as assuring shareholders about Infosys�� future after a bitter public battle ensued between the first non-co-founder CEO Vishal Sikka and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy over corporate governance issues.

Infosys non-executive Chairman Nandan Nilekani said on June 23 that India��s second largest software exporter was ready to get back to faster growth as the focus shifts to execution of previously laid out plans.

��Our focus is now on relentless execution. Will spare no efforts to do all it will take to realise our aspirations," Nilekani said, while addressing shareholders at its 37th Annual General Meeting in Bengaluru.

He further said the company took stock of its current capabilities and was convinced that there was no better time strategically than now for Infosys.

The AGM was the first for Infosys�� new chief Salil Parekh who turned up looking dapper in a crisp suit.

Apart from Nilekani, none of the other co-founders were present. NR Narayana Murthy did not attend as he was out of the country.

Meanwhile, Nilekani stressed that Infosys has worked on addressing stability issues that have plagued the company since the past couple of years.

��When I stepped for the second time into Infosys in August last year, one of the concerns raised was about the company's stability and we have taken several steps to remedy this. We have a stable board and management and everyone is united,�� he said.

His comment was seen as assuring shareholders about Infosys�� future after a bitter public battle ensued between the first non-co-founder CEO Vishal Sikka and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy over corporate governance issues. First Published on Jun 25, 2018 01:24 pm

Blair William & Co. IL Boosts Position in Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK)

Blair William & Co. IL raised its stake in Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNK) by 6.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 31,906 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,929 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL’s holdings in Cinemark were worth $1,202,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CNK. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in Cinemark by 54.6% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 2,070 shares in the last quarter. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Cinemark in the 4th quarter valued at about $228,000. We Are One Seven LLC acquired a new stake in Cinemark in the 4th quarter valued at about $230,000. Holistic Financial Partners acquired a new stake in Cinemark in the 1st quarter valued at about $230,000. Finally, Sciencast Management LP acquired a new stake in Cinemark in the 4th quarter valued at about $279,000. 97.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Shares of Cinemark opened at $35.79 on Friday, according to MarketBeat Ratings. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $32.03 and a fifty-two week high of $44.00. The stock has a market cap of $4.27 billion, a PE ratio of 15.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.95.

Cinemark (NYSE:CNK) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by ($0.11). Cinemark had a return on equity of 17.72% and a net margin of 8.24%. The business had revenue of $780.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $758.47 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. Cinemark’s revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. equities analysts forecast that Cinemark Holdings, Inc. will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 8th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 7th. Cinemark’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.64%.

CNK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wedbush set a $47.00 price target on Cinemark and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 9th. ValuEngine lowered Cinemark from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Cinemark from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 9th. Barrington Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $49.00 price target on shares of Cinemark in a research report on Friday, March 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Cinemark to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.05.

Cinemark Profile

Cinemark Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the motion picture exhibition business. It operates theatres in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao, and Paraguay. As of December 31, 2017, the company operated 533 theatres and 5,959 screens.

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GameStop Surges on Report About Potential Private Equity Deal

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GameStop Corp. rose the most in more than three years on a report that the beleaguered video-game retailer has drawn takeover interest from private equity firms.

The chain attracted interest from such firms as Sycamore Partners, Reuters reported on Monday. That sent the shares up as much as 13 percent to $15.78, marking their biggest intraday gain since January 2015.

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A takeover would bring a payday to investors after a more than four-year stock slump. The Grapevine, Texas-based company has been struggling to remain relevant in an era when more and more gamers download their software, rather than buying it at a store.

The stock was down 22 percent this year through the end of last week.

GameStop has hired advisers to help with buyout discussions, though there’s no guarantee that talks will lead to a deal, Reuters reported.

In Your 70s? Here's 1 Stock You Might Want to Buy

You've worked hard for your money, and now you'd like to protect it. But you'd also like to generate a solid -- and ideally, growing -- stream of income from your investment portfolio, one that can give you the freedom you deserve in retirement.

Fortunately, there are a select few businesses that can help you do just that. Read on to learn about one of the best income investments available in the market today.

Searching for yield? Then check out this company. Image source: Getty Images.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE:BIP) is one of the largest infrastructure companies in the world, with a broad and diverse collection of high-quality assets spanning five continents.

Brookfield operates in four main segments: utilities, transportation, energy, and communications infrastructure -- think electricity distribution lines, toll roads, pipelines, and cell towers.

Importantly, Brookfield's businesses enjoy significant barriers to entry. High replacement costs, regulatory protection, and long-term contracts often help to shield profits from competitors. Brookfield is therefore able to produce reliable cash flow through nearly all manner of business cycles and market environments, which helps reduce risk for investors.

A history of value creation

Moreover, Brookfield excels at capital allocation. It has a strong track record of buying undervalued assets, improving their cash-generating ability, and either harvesting the long-term cash flows they generate or selling them at a sizable profit. In turn, Brookfield has increased its funds from operations (FFO) by 19% annually over the past decade. And, aligned with its target payout ratio of 60% to 70%, it has raised its per unit distribution by 11% annually during this time. Together, this impressive growth has helped Brookfield deliver annualized total returns of 20% over the past 10 years, compared to only 9% for the S&P 500.

Strong growth prospects

Brookfield's goals are to generate long-term returns on equity of 12% to 15% and annual distribution growth of 5% to 9%. The company has identified several key opportunities it believes will help to fuel this growth. In addition to its core markets, Brookfield sees tantalizing growth potential in water, data, and smart cities. Examples include desalination facilities, data centers, and Internet of Things enabled infrastructure. Brookfield estimates that water supply spending alone could reach nearly $7 trillion through 2050, and tens of trillions more dollars in investments are expected to be needed in its other infrastructure markets. Thus, Brookfield should enjoy ample growth in the years -- and decades -- ahead.

An attractive price...and a bountiful yield

After surging more than 30% in 2017, Brookfield's shares have pulled back by about 13% so far in 2018. Shortsighted investors appear to be overreacting to the company's conservative near-term financial forecast. But with $2 billion in organic growth projects slated to come online, Brookfield is well-positioned to deliver on its long-term expansion targets. In addition, the company's proven management team remains on the hunt for more value-creating acquisitions.

Better still, shares now trade for about 12 times FFO and yield 4.8%. That's an attractive valuation and cash distribution yield, particularly from a high-quality business that's set to grow at above-average rates.

Additionally, as a limited partnership and "flow-through" entity, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. can provide U.S. investors with certain tax benefits (but be sure to check with your tax professional about its suitability in retirement accounts).

All told, with its valuable collection of global infrastructure assets, strong and steady operations, and battle-tested acquisition team, Brookfield has everything it needs to continue to deliver market-beating returns in the coming years. Furthermore, its relatively low-risk profile, discounted share price, and hefty cash distribution yield make it an excellent option for investors in their seventies to consider buying today.