Each year, the majority of taxpayers wind up with a refund after filing their returns. And while most filers are still expected to get money back from the IRS this year, those refunds are already coming in smaller than in years past.
Unfortunately, lower earners are feeling the pain the most. The median federal refund amount for tax filers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $30,000 or less dropped 10.6% for the 2018 tax year — the most of any income group, according to Credit Karma. For the 2017 tax year, the median federal refund amount for filers with an AGI of $30,000 or less was $1,191. For 2018, it’s just $1,065. Now that may not seem like a huge difference, but for lower earners who bank on their refunds to pay their bills, it’s enormous.
Image source: Getty Images.
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Magellan Midstream Partners L.P.(MMP)
Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the transportation, storage, and distribution of refined petroleum products and crude oil in the United States. Its pipeline system transports petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gases from the Gulf Coast refining region of Texas through the Midwest to Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The company owns and operates marine terminals, which store and distribute refined petroleum products, blendstocks, crude oils, heavy oils, and feedstocks, as well as inland terminals that consist of storage tanks connected to third-party interstate pipeline systems to deliver refined petroleum products. Its ammonia pipeline system transports ammonia from production facilities in Texas and Oklahoma to terminals in the Midwest. The company also stores, blends, and distributes biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. As of March 31, 2011, it operated approximately 9, 600 miles of petr oleum products pipeline system and 51 terminals; 6 marine petroleum terminals located along the United States Gulf and East Coasts; a crude oil storage in Cushing, Oklahoma; 27 petroleum products inland terminals located principally in the southeastern United States; and a 1,100-mile ammonia pipeline system and 6 associated terminals. The company also provides ancillary services, such as heating, blending, and mixing of stored petroleum products and additive injection services. Its customers comprise independent and integrated oil companies, wholesalers, retailers, railroads, airlines, and regional farm co-operatives. The company serves various markets, including retail gasoline stations, truck stops, farm co-operatives, railroad fueling depots, and military and commercial jet fuel users. Magellan GP, LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
Despite choppy oil prices, master limited partnership (MLP) Magellan Midstream (NYSE: MMP) has managed to produce record distributable cash flows (DCFs) over the past year.
- [By ]
Despite choppy oil prices, master limited partnership (MLP) Magellan Midstream (NYSE: MMP) has managed to produce record distributable cash flows (DCFs) over the past year.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Several brokerages recently issued reports on MMP. Citigroup set a $70.00 price target on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 28th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research report on Tuesday, February 5th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $69.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 15th. Finally, Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a research report on Wednesday, November 28th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $67.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Magellan Midstream Partners currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.88.
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Magellan Midstream Partners Profile
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Tortoise Index Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP) by 110.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 83,210 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,677 shares during the quarter. Magellan Midstream Partners makes up approximately 1.8% of Tortoise Index Solutions LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Tortoise Index Solutions LLC’s holdings in Magellan Midstream Partners were worth $4,748,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)
Range Resources Corporation, an independent natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural gas properties primarily in the Appalachian and southwestern regions of the United States. The company?s Appalachian region drilling and producing activities include tight-gas, shale, coal bed methane, and conventional natural gas and oil production in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and West Virginia. It owns 4,969 net producing wells, approximately 2,750 miles of gas gathering lines, and approximately 1.8 million gross acres under lease. The company?s Southwestern drilling and producing activities cover the Barnett Shale of North Texas, the Permian Basin of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the East Texas Basin, the Texas Panhandle, and the Anadarko Basin of Western Oklahoma. It owns 1,954 net producing wells, as well as approximately 886,000 gross acres under lease. As of December 31, 2010, Range Resources Corporation had had 4.4 Tcfe of pr oved reserves. It sells gas to utilities, marketing companies, and industrial users. The company was formerly known as Lomak Petroleum, Inc. and changed its name to Range Resources Corporation in 1998. Range Resources Corporation was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
Shares of Range Resources (NYSE:RRC)rose more than 10% by 2:30 p.m. EST on Monday after the top-10 natural gas producer reported strong reserve numbers for 2018.
- [By Stephan Byrd]
Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies issued their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of Range Resources in a report issued on Sunday, October 7th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst K. Harrison expects that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings of $0.17 per share for the quarter. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Buy” rating and a $27.00 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q4 2018 earnings at $0.16 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $0.88 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.33 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.47 EPS, FY2019 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $0.45 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $2.02 EPS.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Range Resources (RRC)
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Apache Corporation(APA)
Apache Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. The company has exploration and production interests in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, east Texas, the Permian basin, the Anadarko basin, and the Western Sedimentary basin of Canada; and onshore Egypt, offshore Western Australia, offshore the United Kingdom in the North Sea, and onshore Argentina, as well as on the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. Apache Corporation sells its natural gas to local distribution companies, utilities, end-users, integrated oil and gas companies, and marketers; and crude oil to integrated oil companies, marketing and transportation companies, and refiners. As of December 31, 2009, it had total estimated proved reserves of 1,067 million barrels of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids, as well as 7.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Motley Fool Transcribing]
Apache (NYSE:APA) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 28, 2019 11:00 a.m. ET
Contents:
Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants
Prepared Remarks:Operator
- [By Garrett Baldwin]
To see why we believe some of the richest players in the world are preparing for a market collapse, click here.
Stocks to Watch Today: WTW, CHK, BBY
Shares of Weight Watchers International Inc.(NASDAQ: WTW) cratered more than 30% after the company fell well short of earnings expectations after the bell and issued worse-than-expected 2019 guidance. The firm reported adjusted earnings of $0.46, a figure that missed expectations by $0.14. The firm also issued weak forward guidance. After yesterday’s slump, Oprah Winfrey’s stake in the company plunged by a whopping $48 million. Shares of Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) popped 10.2% after the natural gas producer reported earnings before the bell. Higher natural gas prices in the fourth quarter helped bolster the firm’s bottom line. Total natural gas sales jumped 37% in Q4 to $3.07 billion, well above analysts’ expectations of $2.28 billion. That strong natural gas revenue helped the firm report adjusted EPS of $0.49, which was a 49% jump year over year. Shares of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) popped 10% after the electronics retailer topped Wall Street earnings expectations before the bell. The firm’s profit of $2.72 topped consensus expectations by $0.15 per share. The firm cited stronger-than-expected same-store sales, hiked its dividend from $0.45 to $0.50, and issued a positive 2019 outlook. Today, look for more earnings reports from Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), Box Inc. (NYSE: BOX), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF), Fitbit Inc.(NYSE: FIT), HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ), L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB), Lowe’s Co. Inc. (NYSE: LOW), Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP), and Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ).Follow Money MorningonFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- [By Joseph Griffin]
Meridian Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 9,729 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $255,000.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
Diamondback Energy’s investment in the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline is worth noting because it follows a blueprint laid out by Apache (NYSE:APA) for creating midstream value. Apache spent the last couple of years investing in the build-out of midstream infrastructure to support the growth of its Alpine High discovery in the Permian. Initially, the company invested capital in constructing natural gas-gathering pipelines and other related infrastructure to move its production to regional hubs. However, as Apache signed up to be a major shipper on longer-haul pipeline developments, it also secured options to participate in these projects, making five such agreements.
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)
Williams Partners L.P. focuses on natural gas transportation, gathering, treating and processing, storage, natural gas liquid fractionation, and oil transportation activities in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Gas Pipeline, and Midstream Gas and Liquids. The Gas Pipeline segment owns and operates approximately 13,900 miles of pipelines with annual throughput of approximately 2,700 trillion British thermal units of natural gas and delivery capacity of approximately 13 million dekatherms of gas. This segment also owns interests in joint venture interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline systems. The Midstream Gas and Liquids segment includes natural gas gathering, processing, and treating facilities; and crude oil gathering and transportation facilities that serve the producing basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Williams Partners GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. Williams Partners L.P . was founded in 2005 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Tyler Crowe, Jason Hall, and Matthew DiLallo]
Matt DiLallo(Williams Companies): This natural gas pipeline giant has had a slow start in 2018. Through the first half of the year, cash flow at the company’s MLP Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) has only increased by about 2%, due mainly to recent asset sales. However, with a major expansion project coming on line, cash flow growth should accelerate in the second half of the year. That project and others in the pipeline have the company on track to grow cash flow 9% in 2018 and another 13% next year.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
Overall, earnings at both Williams and its MLP Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) were down slightly versus the year-ago period due to asset sales, while cash flow modestly increased thanks to lower interest expenses.
- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Simpler organizational structures could yield significant benefits for individual investors. In addition to being easier to follow and understand, it will make it easier than ever to own some of the most important pieces of energy infrastructure in the United States. The proposed merger between Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) and Williams Partners LP (NYSE:WPZ) is a great example, as it owns some of the best natural gas infrastructure in the United States. Here’s why investors should be bullish on the multi-billion dollar merger.
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: ConocoPhillips(COP)
ConocoPhillips operates as an integrated energy company worldwide. The company?s Exploration and Production (E&P) segment explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas liquids. Its Midstream segment gathers, processes, and markets natural gas; and fractionates and markets natural gas liquids in the United States and Trinidad. The company?s Refining and Marketing (R&M) segment purchases, refines, markets, and transports crude oil and petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels. Its Chemicals segment manufactures and markets petrochemicals and plastics. This segment offers olefins and polyolefins, including ethylene, propylene, and other olefin products; aromatics products, such as benzene, styrene, paraxylene, and cyclohexane, as well as polystyrene and styrene-butadiene copolymers; and various specialty chemical products comprising organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalyst s, drilling chemicals, mining chemicals, and engineering plastics and compounds. The company?s Emerging Businesses segment develops new technologies and businesses. It focuses on power generation; and technologies related to conventional and nonconventional hydrocarbon recovery, refining, alternative energy, biofuels, and the environment. This segment also offers E-Gas, a gasification technology producing high-value synthetic gas. ConocoPhillips was founded in 1917 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By ]
It starts in 2007 when the Oracle of Omaha began purchasing shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP). By the end of 2007, Buffett had spent just over $1 billion.
- [By Matthew DiLallo]
U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)used $50 oil as a rough baseline for its 2019 capital plans as well. ConocoPhillips currently expects to invest $6.1 billion on capital projects this year — enough money to grow production per share by 8% — which it can fund on the cash flows produced at $40 oil. Add in a dividend that the company increased twice last year to a $3 billion repurchase program and ConocoPhillips is on track to return 50% of the cash it produces at $50 oil to investors this year, though some of that money will come from its cash-rich balance sheet. However, with oil in the mid-$50s, ConocoPhillips is on track to produce more cash than expected this year, which could lead it to buy back even more stock than planned as it works to whittle down a cash balance that stood at $6.4 billion at the end of 2018.
- [By Logan Wallace]
Courier Capital LLC cut its stake in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,910 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 198 shares during the period. Courier Capital LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $306,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
- [By Ethan Ryder]
Bbva Compass Bancshares Inc. raised its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,638 shares of the energy producer’s stock after buying an additional 2,066 shares during the period. Bbva Compass Bancshares Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $3,095,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Hot Oil Stocks To Watch Right Now: Encana Corporation(ECA)
Encana Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the exploration for, development, production, and marketing of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids. The company owns interests in resource plays that primarily include the Greater Sierra, Cutbank Ridge, Bighorn, and Coalbed Methane resource plays located in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the Deep Panuke natural gas project offshore Nova Scotia in Canada. It also holds interests in resource plays comprising the Jonah in southwest Wyoming, Piceance in northwest Colorado, Haynesville in Louisiana, and Texas resource play, including east Texas and north Texas. The company serves primarily local distribution companies, industrials, energy marketing companies, and other producers. Encana Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Stephan Byrd]
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “FDx Advisors Inc. Takes Position in Encana Corp (ECA)” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this article on another website, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of United States and international copyright laws. The correct version of this article can be accessed at www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4202858/fdx-advisors-inc-takes-position-in-encana-corp-eca.html.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Encana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) has seen its shares rise 19% so far in 2019, outperforming its peers by about 500 basis points. That said, Encana shares have underperformed peers by over 20% since the NFX deal announcement last November. Merrill Lynch has a Buy rating and $11 price objective on Encana, almost 60% higher than the prior $6.89 close. The firm noted that Encanas cube style completions have been an important driver of outperformance in the Permian. In the STACK, the firm expects Encana to be deliberate initially using skinny cubes to determine optimal vertical/horizontal spacing while targeting select zones using multi-well pads.