☔ U.S. Consumer Confidence Dips in August

Corporate mergers and divestments are a fairly common activity. But it’s rare to see a company spin off a division and then seek to get back together again like a pair of high school students in love. [Trading Tips] Good morning. Corporate mergers and divestments are a fairly common activity. But it’s rare to see a company spin off a division and then seek to get back together again like a pair of high school students in love. Yet we may see just that, on news that Altria and Philip Morris are in early discussions to merge companies. Long-lived investors may remember when Altria announced its plan to spin off Philip Morris back in 2007, which finally happened in 2008. In a corporate lifetime, 11 years apart isn’t too bad, but we’ll also have to wait and see what shareholders and regulators think about creating a mega-tobacco deal. Make sure you check out our Youtube channel today. We regularly post exclusive videos covering everything from the market’s hottest stocks to actionable trading intel that every investor on the planet should know about. [Click here to check out our newest video.]( Sponsored Content [Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec Shares the "1,000X Formula" for Finding Unicorn Startups]( Angel investing is taking the world by storm. Everyday people from coast to coast are now backing little-known startups long before they IPO, and they’re exploding in value, becoming worth billions upon billions of dollars. It’s making some Americans wealthier than they ever dreamed possible. But when you’re in the position to have all of these exciting deals at your fingertips, you need a way to determine which could be winners – and which are nothing more than hype. [As Robert reveals in this brief video, the “1,000X Formula” is exactly the ticket.]( MARKETS DOW 25,804.663 -0.36% S&P 2,871.07 -0.25% NASDAQ 7,830.63. -0.29% *As of market close • Stocks started with a rally on Tuesday, before swinging to a modest loss. • Oil moved higher 2.5 percent, to $54.99 per barrel. • Gold moved higher 0.7 percent, to $1,548 per ounce. • Cryptocurrencies moved down, on average. Today’s TOP TIPS [U.S. Consumer Confidence Dips in August]( The Conference Board index on consumer confidence reported a slight dip in August, from 135.8 in July to 135.1. This was still higher than analyst expectations of a drop to 129.5. Consumer confidence is an index with a value of 100 as neutral. Numbers over 100 show strength, and numbers under 100 show a decline. The data still shows that consumers remain confident, even as other economic indicators hint at a slowdown. » [FULL STORY]( [Wells Fargo Resumes Comcast (CMCSA) Shares as Outperform]( On Tuesday, Wells Fargo announced a resumption on its coverage of Comcast (CMCSA). The bank rated the company as Outperform, with a price target of $50 per share. At current prices, that’s a 15 percent move higher in Comcast shares. Currently, 23 investment firms following the company have the firm listed as a Buy, three list as an Overweight, and six list as a Hold. None of the analysts following the company have it listed as an Underweight or Sell. » [FULL STORY]( [Insider Activity: Johnson Controls International (JCI)]( On Monday, August 26th, director Gretchen Haggerty bought 6,220 shares of Johnson Controls International (JCI). The cost came in just over $257,000, and represents a 93 percent increase in shares. This is the first insider buy at the company since late 2017. Insiders have largely been sellers of shares at JCI year-to-date, at prices ranging from the current price to 8 percent higher, a typical pattern for a large, international company. » [FULL STORY]( [Unusual Options Activity: Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO)]( On Tuesday, over 3,050 contracts traded on the January 2020 $19 put options on Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO). With a prior open interest of 163, this is a 19-fold surge in volume for the option contract. With shares of the company currently trading just over $20, it’s a bet on a 5 percent decline in shares in the next 142 days before the option expires. » [FULL STORY]( IN OTHER NEWS • [Iran agrees to meet with the United States](… as soon as sanctions are lifted. • [Insider sales at companies]( are reaching ratios last seen in 2007. • Democratic presidential contenders are increasing their look at [taxing wealth, rather than income](. • [Smartphone sales log another decline]( in the second quarter of 2019. • [Regulators are considering more training for pilots]( on the Boeing 737 Max. • [Johnson & Johnson is hit with a $572 million fine](, on opioids far less than the potential $15 billion. • [Papa John’s names Arby’s President for CEO]( role. • In tech, [Google Maps adds a biking and ridesharing option]( to transit directions. • And [consumer complaints over automatic braking in cars]( are becoming more commonplace. • In earnings, [shares of JM Smucker Company (SJM) drop]( following an earnings and revenue miss. S&P 500 MOVERS TOP COST 4.999% ATVI 4.929% NEM 3.295% IDXX 2.757% MKTX 2.675% BOTTOM SJM 8.182% PM 7.758% HUM 5.793% MCK 5.664% ABC 5.378% Quote of the Day It is likely that 2018/2019 will be the potential peak of corporate share buybacks, thereby reducing the demand for equities in the market. This ‘artificial buyer’ explains the high degree of complacency in the markets despite recent volatility. It also suggests that the ‘bullish outlook’ from a majority of mainstream analysts could also be a mistake. If the economy is weakening, as it appears to be, it won’t be long until corporations redirect the cash from ‘share repurchases’ to shoring up operations and protecting cash flows.” - Analyst Lance Armstrong on the strong support that share buyback programs have added to the market. Sponsored Content [FREE SESSION: The “Flipping Stocks” Method]( A new and unconventional way to "flip stocks" is quickly catching on across the country. 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