Today’s News: Blackstone Group (BX) and Nucor (NUE) report third-quarter earnings beats; KeyCorp (KEY) reports third quarter in line with estimates.
Blackstone Group (BX, Hold – variable large payouts) reported third-quarter economic net income of $0.69 per share this morning, higher than all analysts’ estimates. Blackstone added $20 billion to its assets under management (AUM) during the third quarter, now totaling $387 billion, and expects AUM to reach record levels again during the fourth quarter. The next quarterly dividend will be $0.44, to be paid on November 6. The payout varies each quarter, with the last four payouts yielding 6.8%. Full-year 2017 profit estimates will be raised to reflect approximately 40% growth. BX remains an extremely undervalued growth & income stock. The stock appears ready to surpass its recent trading range today, and head toward 37, where it last traded in early 2015. Hold.
KeyCorp* (KEY – yield 2.1%) reported third-quarter results of $0.35 per share this morning, on target with Wall Street’s estimate. The company repurchased $277 million of stock during the quarter. KEY is an undervalued growth stock. After a large run-up in the fourth quarter of 2016, KEY has been trading sideways all year, between 16.5 and 19.5. I expect the stock to eventually surpass that trading range.
*Not in the Cabot Undervalued Stocks Advisor portfolios, but favorably discussed in previous issues, at the 2017 Cabot Wealth Summit or in Wall Street’s Best Daily.
Nucor (NUE, Buy – yield 2.7%) reported third-quarter results of $.83 per diluted share this morning, when the market was expecting $0.78. Revenue was $5.17 billion when the market expected $5.2 billion. The company repurchased $91 million of stock during the quarter. NUE is expected to growth EPS at least 70% in 2017. The stock is undervalued. There’s 15% upside to my 2017 price target of 65, where NUE last traded in December 2016. Buy.