Brokerages Anticipate Ra Pharmaceuticals Inc (RARX) Will Post Earnings of -$0.53 Per Share

Brokerages predict that Ra Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:RARX) will report earnings of ($0.53) per share for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Zero analysts have issued estimates for Ra Pharmaceuticals’ earnings. Ra Pharmaceuticals reported earnings per share of ($0.56) during the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year over year growth rate of 5.4%. The business is expected to report its next quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 8th.

On average, analysts expect that Ra Pharmaceuticals will report full year earnings of ($2.26) per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($2.30) to ($2.22). For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the company will post earnings of ($2.10) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($2.24) to ($1.95). Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are an average based on a survey of analysts that follow Ra Pharmaceuticals.

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Ra Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RARX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.61) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.56) by ($0.05).

RARX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BidaskClub upgraded Ra Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 16th. SunTrust Banks restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ra Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, March 15th. ValuEngine upgraded Ra Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Ra Pharmaceuticals from $34.00 to $31.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.50.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Ra Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth $128,000. Eventide Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Ra Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth $2,060,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Ra Pharmaceuticals by 50.9% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 671,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,564,000 after buying an additional 226,565 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Ra Pharmaceuticals by 817.8% during the first quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 19,999 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 17,820 shares during the last quarter. Finally, A.R.T. Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Ra Pharmaceuticals by 72.6% during the first quarter. A.R.T. Advisors LLC now owns 68,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 28,724 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.56% of the company’s stock.

NASDAQ RARX opened at $9.42 on Wednesday. Ra Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $4.78 and a one year high of $23.38.

About Ra Pharmaceuticals

Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by excessive or uncontrolled activation of the complement system in the United States. The company's peptide chemistry platform enables the production of synthetic macrocyclic peptides that combine the diversity and specificity of antibodies with the pharmacological properties of small molecules.

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Did You Max Out Your 401(k) Last Year? Only 13% of Participants Did

The benefit of saving for retirement in a 401(k) versus an IRA is the fact that the former comes with a much higher annual contribution limit, no matter your age. Last year, 401(k) contributions were capped at $18,000 for workers under 50 and $24,000 for those 50 and over. This year, these limits went up by $500, for a total of $18,500 and $24,500, respectively.

Clearly, maxing out a 401(k) over time is a great way to set yourself up for a financially secure (and extremely comfortable) retirement. Unfortunately, most savers aren't able to hit that max and lose out on an otherwise solid opportunity to live it up during their golden years. In fact, only 13% of plan participants managed to max out their 401(k)s last year, according to data from Vanguard.

Not surprisingly, those who maxed out tended to have higher incomes -- 40% of those earning over $100,000 were able to reach last year's limit. But that still means that well more than half of higher earners failed to max out.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

If you've been contributing to a 401(k) at any level, you're doing the right thing for your future. But if you really want to grow a solid nest egg, it pays to aim to max out, even if that means making sacrifices along the way.

How much can your savings grow?

Parting with a large chunk of your earnings is hard, even if you're not giving it up so much as setting it aside for the future. But the following table might motivate you to make that effort:

If You Start Maxing Out a 401(k) at Age:

Here's What You'll Have by Age 65 (Assumes a 7% Average Annual Return):

25	$3.8 million
30	$2.7 million
35	$1.9 million
40	$1.3 million
45	$909,000
50	$616,000
55	$338,000

TABLE AND CALCULATIONS BY AUTHOR.

As you can see, if you max out a 401(k) for the better part of your career, you stand to retire with close to $4 million, assuming your investments generate an average annual 7% return during that time. That 7%, however, is actually a few points below the stock market's average, and if you invest the bulk of your 401(k) in stocks, that's a reasonable return to work with.

Another thing to keep in mind about the above figures is that they're based on this year's annual contribution limits. If those thresholds increase in future years, which they're likely to do, and you're able to keep pace, you stand to retire with even more.

Furthermore, while the above table shows what might happen if you were to max out a 401(k) from this point onward, know that maxing out for even a couple of years will work wonders for your nest egg. So even if you don't expect to be able to maintain a yearly contribution of $18,500 or $24,500 for the remainder of your career, hitting that max for even a brief period of time will boost your savings tremendously.

How to max out your 401(k)

Maxing out a 401(k) generally boils down to making choices. If you're willing to live below your means and cut back on living expenses, you may be surprised at just how much cash you're able to free up for savings. If you're serious about retiring comfortably, take a look at your budget and see where there's room to trim the fat.

That could mean downsizing to a smaller living space, taking modest vacations instead of the luxury trips you're used to, or cooking more meals at home to avoid overspending at restaurants. There are so many options you can play around with, but if you're amenable to cutting back, your nest egg will surely benefit.

Another route you might consider is getting a side hustle. Working a second gig could spell the difference between maxing out a 401(k) or not. While you might argue that it's a somewhat extreme means of hitting that limit, the sacrifice will be worth it if it's important enough to you.

Remember, saving any amount of money for retirement is better than saving nothing at all. But if you manage to max out your 401(k) for any period of time, you'll benefit in a very big way -- and that's reason enough to try to do just that.

NII (NIHD) Stock Price Up 5.1%

NII Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:NIHD) shares rose 5.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $3.37 and last traded at $3.29. Approximately 734,100 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 56% from the average daily volume of 1,659,666 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.13.

NIHD has been the subject of several analyst reports. BidaskClub upgraded NII from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 14th. ValuEngine upgraded NII from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, March 1st.

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The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of -5.63, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a current ratio of 1.47.

NII (NASDAQ:NIHD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The Wireless communications provider reported ($0.43) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $181.00 million during the quarter. NII had a negative net margin of 31.46% and a negative return on equity of 433.00%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. B. Riley Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NII during the 4th quarter worth $127,000. New Generation Advisors LLC boosted its position in NII by 44.0% during the 1st quarter. New Generation Advisors LLC now owns 8,345,995 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $17,610,000 after purchasing an additional 2,551,144 shares during the period. Ursa Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in NII during the 1st quarter worth $264,000. 683 Capital Management LLC boosted its position in NII by 107.9% during the 4th quarter. 683 Capital Management LLC now owns 12,671,154 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock worth $5,376,000 after purchasing an additional 6,575,726 shares during the period. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in NII during the 4th quarter worth $139,000. Institutional investors own 63.48% of the company’s stock.

NII Company Profile

NII Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides wireless communication services to the individual consumers under the Nextel brand in Brazil. The company offers its services through wideband code division multiple access and long-term evolution networks. Its services include mobile telephone voice and wireless data, international voice and data roaming, and application-based radio connection services.

Why Valeant Pharmaceuticals' Stock Tumbled 12.3% Today

What happened

After disclosing today that the FDA has given a no-go to Duobrii lotion for topical plaque psoriasis, shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals�(NYSE:VRX)�lost 12.3% of their value on Monday.

So what

Valeant Pharmaceuticals was once one of healthcare's worst performing stocks, however, a turnaround plan that included new management, asset sales, and paying down debt has led to�market-beating returns in 2017 and 2018.

Image source: Getty Images.

Unfortunately, at least some of the optimism stemming from Valeant's turnaround has been due to the potential to double sales of its Ortho Dermatologics segment by launching new drugs, including Duobrii.

The FDA's issuance of a complete response letter for Duobrii, rather than an approval letter, indefinitely delays any timeline for Duobrii contributing to Valeant's plan to spark sales growth in that segment. Management says that the rejection isn't due to efficacy or safety, but that it's due to "questions regarding pharmacokinetic data."�

Valeant probably won't have much more to say on the matter until it sits down with the FDA to discuss its questions in more depth. Afterwards, it should be able to provide investors with a clearer understanding of the setback and, hopefully, timing for a resubmission of Duobrii's application for approval.

Now what

Valeant's been able to lower its debt by over 20% since Q1 2016, but it still has $25.3 billion in debt, and financing that debt isn't cheap. In Q1 2018, its interest expense was $416 million, and that's significant given its gross profit was only $1.42 billion in the quarter.

Duobrii's setback is disappointing because it could slow plans for further reduce debt, however,�it's�only one of seven drugs Valeant's said has the potential to add $1 billion to sales by 2022 and the company's first quarter performance was good enough for it to increase its 2018 sales outlook. Management now expects sales of between $8.15 billion and $8.35 billion, up from�$8.1 billion to $8.3 billion previously. Importantly, it's guiding for $3.15 billion to $3.3 billion in�non-GAAP EBITDA, and that should keep it above 1.5 times EBITDA to interest expense covenant that would trigger a default on its debt.

The improving guidance and its ability to navigate its debt so far is encouraging, but there's admittedly work to do. Unfortunately, that work might take longer to complete now because of the setback to Duobrii. How much longer will depend on how management's conversation goes with the FDA, so investors will want to keep an eye out for any updates.

�

Treasury yields slip on renewed trade-war fears

Treasury prices rose slightly on Thursday, leading yields to dip lower, as the U.S. announced impending tariffs on steel and aluminum important from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The trade developments overshadowed somewhat better sentiment surrounding Italy��s political scene, which had allowed yields to rise in the European session.

What are yields doing?

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note TMUBMUSD10Y, -1.11% �slipped 2 basis point to 2.829%, while the 2-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD02Y, +0.00% �declined 1 basis point to 2.407%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond TMUBMUSD30Y, -1.36% slipped 2 basis points to 2.998%.

Yields and bond prices move in opposite directions.

What��s driving markets?

The U.S. announced it would impose import tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Canada, Mexico and the EU come Friday. The tariffs had been announced previously, but the three trade partners had received exemptions. Retaliatory actions are expected, raising fears of trade wars once more.

Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are also still in midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, for which market participants had expected a resolution this month.

Read: Trump ready to pull tariff trigger on EU �� what analysts say investors should expect

Meanwhile, Italy��s political drama cooled off a little on Thursday, leading Italian government bond yields to retreat further after spiking Monday and Tuesday on fears an impasse could led to new elections and a de facto referendum on the country��s euro membership. But renewed efforts by leading anti-establishment parties to form a government have helped ease worries.

The yield on Italy��s 10-year bond TMBMKIT-10Y, -2.12% �declined 10 basis points to 2.805%.

What are analysts saying?

��The huge spike in Italian bond yields, and associated prices, such as CDS, might turn out to be a blessing in disguise,�� said Steven Barrow, currency and fixed income strategist at Standard Bank.��We say this because such a quick and dramatic rout in bond prices should alert Italian politicians to the reality that political instability, especially if it reflects any sort of euroskepticism, can pull the rug out from under any economic program.

��If, instead, yields had only drifted moderately higher, politicians might have been more disposed to continue on the path of political instability,�� he said

What does economic data show?

Spending on consumer goods in April rose sharply for a second straight month, up 0.6%, and pointing to a pickup in U.S. growth in the second quarter.

The PCE index, the Fed��s favored inflation gauge, was up 0.2%, while the core rate, stripping out food and energy, rose the same amount. The rate over the past 12 months was unchanged at 2%, while the year-over-year core rate remained at 1.8%.

First-time jobless claims fell 13,000 to 221,000 in the week ended May 26.

The Chicago purchasing managers index came in at 62.7, compared with the previous level of 57.6, while pending home sales slumped 1.3% in April.

In other assets, the dollar, measured against six rivals in the ICE U.S. Dollar Index DXY, -0.08% headed lower.�U.S. stocks were mixed, and only the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, -0.20% traded at a small gain.�

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