Author: therawinformant

Chris Kerr, Gathered Foods CEO & Co-Founder, joins The Final Round to discuss release of their new line frozen plant-based seafood and trends emerging in the plant-based protein market.

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Gilead Sciences (GILD) has announced encouraging additional data on remdesivir, the company’s investigational antiviral for the treatment of COVID-19.The data includes a comparative analysis of the Phase 3 SIMPLE-Severe trial and a real-world retrospective cohort of patients with severe COVID-19.“In this analysis, remdesivir was associated with an improvement in clinical recovery and a 62% reduction in the risk of mortality compared with standard of care – an important finding that requires confirmation in prospective clinical trials” the company stated.Separate subgroup analyses from the Phase 3 SIMPLE-Severe trial, including an evaluation of the safety and efficacy of remdesivir across different racial and ethnic patient subgroups in the US, found that traditionally marginalized racial or ethnic groups treated with remdesivir experienced similar clinical outcomes as the overall patient population in the study.Gilead also showed additional data on the company’s compassionate use program, which demonstrated that 83% of pediatric patients (n=77) and 92% of pregnant and postpartum women (n=86) with a broad spectrum of disease severity recovered by Day 28. No new safety signals were identified with remdesivir across these populations.To further the understanding of these results in individual patient cases, Gilead has initiated a global, open-label Phase 2/3 trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of remdesivir in pediatric patients from birth to less than 18 years of age. Gilead is also collaborating on a study for pregnant women.“We are working to broaden our understanding of the full utility of remdesivir. To address the urgency of the continuing pandemic, we are sharing data with the research community as quickly as possible with the goal of providing transparent and timely updates on new developments with remdesivir,” said Merdad Parsey, CMO of Gilead.“These data presented at the Virtual COVID-19 Conference shed additional light on the use of remdesivir in specific patient populations, including those that may be susceptible to higher rates of COVID-19 infection, as well as others that are particularly vulnerable, including children and pregnant and postpartum women” he added.Due to the current public health emergency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.Five-star analyst Jim Birchenough at Wells Fargo recently reiterated a Hold rating on Gilead saying that he remains skeptical on the longer-term commercial opportunity in view of emerging competition and potential vaccine progress. Indeed, the Street is cautiously optimistic on the stock with a Moderate Buy  consensus based on 10 Buy ratings, 12 Holds and 3 Sells.Shares in Gilead rose 2% to $76.32 at the close of trading on July 10 taking the year-to-date advance to about 18%. The $80 average price target implies 5% upside potential in the shares in the coming 12 months. (See Gilead stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Novavax Spikes 42% Pre-Market On $1.6B U.S. Funding For Covid-19 Candidate Gilead’s Covid-19 Remdesivir Therapy Gets Conditional European Nod Moderna Inks Deal With Rovi To Supply Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Outside US More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Square Snaps Up Stitch Labs, As Analyst Finally Upgrades Stock * Alibaba’s CEO Sets Out Ambitious Goals; Sees 2B Customers By 2036 * Has Apple Surged Too Far, Too Fast? Analyst Weighs In * Aurora Cannabis (ACB): Transformation on Track

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Mobile payment processor Square (SQ) has acquired Stitch Labs, an operations management platform for growing commerce brands. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Stitch Labs has a strong background in building key tools for businesses such as inventory and order management, channel management, and fulfillment solutions, says Square.“The team will join our Seller organization, where we’re eager to learn from their experience and expertise to help us better serve sellers” the statement revealed.While Stitch Labs won’t take on any new customers, Stitch Lab’s products will continue to operate for existing customers until Spring 2021.“Longer term, we plan to sunset Stitch Labs’s products so the team can focus on building out Square tools, and we’ll work with existing customers to ensure that they have the resources and options they need to be successful transitioning off the platform” the company stated.Shares in Square have now doubled year-to-date, leaving the stock with a cautiously optimistic Moderate Buy consensus. Meanwhile the average analyst price target of $95 now indicates 26% downside potential from current levels. (See SQ stock analysis on TipRanks).However, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Kenneth Hill has now upgraded SQ from Hold to Buy, writing “SQ has been one of the most divisive names in our coverage over the first half of 2020, and we’ve been content, until now, to sit on the sidelines as expectations vacillated.”So why the enthusiasm now, at these levels? According to the analyst, there is more to the long-term story than he initially anticipated. “We were forced to re-evaluate the opportunity set and our valuation methodology, leading us to a Buy recommendation as we see Cash App revenue (ex. bitcoin) increasing by more than 3x over the next 5 years” the analyst explained.While shareholders may still experience some bumps, he believes that as Square develops, rolls out, and monetizes a slew of services across the payments and financials ecosystems, it will lay the groundwork to make the company a need-to-own name for years to come. Hill has a $121 price target on Square.Related News: Amazon Delays Prime Day- This Time Until October Has Apple Surged Too Far, Too Fast? Analyst Weighs In Alibaba’s CEO Sets Out Ambitious Goals; Sees 2B Customers By 2036 More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Alibaba’s CEO Sets Out Ambitious Goals; Sees 2B Customers By 2036 * Amazon Is Said To Offer $100M In Stock Awards To Keep Zoox Talent * Walgreens Reports $1.7B Quarterly Loss, Cuts 4,000 Jobs Due To Covid-19 Impact * Moderna Inks Deal With Rovi To Supply Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Outside U.S.

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Chris Retzler, Needham Small Cap Growth Fund Portfolio Manager joins the On the Move panel to discuss the latest in the markets.



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As the first publicly traded space tourism company, Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE), gets considerable investor attention. So far in 2020, SPCE stock is up 45%.Source: Tun Pichitanon / Shutterstock.com Amid the headlines of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, volatility has recently returned to broader markets. And for some market participants, space exploration and tourism probably feel like a pipe dream given our daily lives are still rather restricted. But NASA announced in late May that "NASA astronauts, for the first time ever, launched from U.S. soil in a commercially built and operated U.S. crew spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station."The spacecraft in question belonged to SpaceX, another space-exploration company privately owned by Mr. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). Despite the justified excitement this launch caused, "space" as an investment theme is still in its infancy. Let's take a closer look at Virgin Galactic to see if SPCE stock should belong in a longer-term portfolio.InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips How Virgin Galactic Went PublicVirgin Galactic is part of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. He had previously founded Virgin Atlantic Airways which itself is owned in part by Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL). Virgin Galactic defines itself as "the world's first commercial spaceline and vertically integrated aerospace company." * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now The company went public on Oct. 28, 2019, via a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). InvestorPlace readers may remember that DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG) and Nikola Motor Co. (NASDAQ:NKLA) have also gone public through such a transaction. SPACs have become an alternative method of going public instead of the traditional IPO route.In a recently submitted dissertation research at the Department of Finance, Texas Christian University, James Griffin highlights:"a SPAC is a form of capital-raising in which an entity raises public funds for the sole purpose of acquiring a private company… SPACs are not operating companies… The SPAC raises money through a traditional initial public offering, conducts a target company selection process, proposes an acquisition to its shareholder base, then acquires the company if its shareholders approve of the choice. Most SPACs begin trading at a price in the ballpark of $8-10 per share."Virgin Galactic's SPAC partner was Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH) founded by venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya a as a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). SCH was first listed in September 2017 with an opening share price of $10.Following various SEC registrations as part of the reverse merger, SPCE stock started trading on Oct. 28, 2019, at an opening price of $12.34. On Feb. 20, they hit an all-time high $42.49. On March 18, they saw a recent low of $9.06. Now, shares change hands around $16. SPCE Stock Price Is Likely to Stay Range-BoundDespite its initial run-up in price in 2020 to go over $40, over the past several weeks, SPCE stock has been hovering around its opening price.In a recent article published in SeekingAlpha, Edward Vranic, CFA, suggested that the rapid declines folowing all-time highs are due to the mechanics of going public via SPACs. In most cases, only a small portion, i.e. typically less than 10%, of shares are held by the public. The rest are held by other private individuals or entities, including "Private Investment in Public Equity" (PIPE) investors. In most cases, such PIPE investors own each share at around a price of $10.Depending on the initial IPO terms, those shares held by PIPE investors usually need to be registered within a certain number of months. Then, there are likely to be warrants that get redeemed as a new stock like SPCE becomes hot, goes over a certain price level.Therefore, as SPCE stock was aiming for the skies earlier in the year, a wide range of investors would have likely started cashing in on their investment. A March 13 press release by the company clearly announces such a redemption of public warrants. Coupled with the market crash in March, it would not be difficult to see why the shares would now be around hovering around their initial trading price.For SPCE stock to make a sustained rally form these levels, its next earnings call on August 3 will be very important. The Street would like to see focus on future bookings and space flight details. If management can deliver, then investors may become excited once again. Otherwise, they are likely to keep the share in a range, possibly between $12.50 and $17.50. The Bottom Line on SPCE StockWithin this new decade, space tourism could become a market of $3 billion. And by default, the prospects for SPCE stock could be risky, yet exciting and rewarding.However, Virgin Galactic is a new venture with little revenue. Yet investors with a long-term horizon whose portfolios can also weather further volatility may consider buying into the shares of this exciting venture.Are you currently an investor in SPCE stock? Then you may also consider initiating an ATM covered call position. For example, an August 21 expiry-covered call would decrease the volatility in your portfolio and offer some downside protection.Tezcan Gecgil has worked in investment management for over two decades in the U.S. and U.K. In addition to formal higher education in the field, including a Ph.D. degree, she has also completed all 3 levels of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination. Her passion is for options trading based on technical analysis of fundamentally strong companies. She especially enjoys setting up weekly covered calls for income generation. As of this writing, Tezcan did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post Virgin Galactic Stock Is Likely To Be Range-Bound Under $20 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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In his first letter to shareholders, Alibaba’s (BABA) CEO Daniel Zhang has set out a series of ambitious goals for the Chinese e-commerce giant.BABA’s goal is to serve more than 1 billion consumers in China and facilitate more than RMB10 trillion of consumption on the company’s platforms in the next five years as ‘we continue on the path of globalization’.Longer-term, Zhang wants BABA to serve 2 billion consumers globally, create 100 million jobs and provide the necessary infrastructure to support 10 million small businesses to become profitable on the company’s platforms by 2036.“We will continue to pursue our three strategic pillars of globalization, China domestic consumption and big data powered by cloud computing” the CEO said.“Globalization is our long-term battle; Chinese domestic consumption is our cornerstone battle and big data powered by cloud computing is our battle for the future” he wrote.Zhang also pointed out that this year the company has migrated its core system onto the public cloud, paving the way to build a cloud-native infrastructure for the future, and held a secondary listing in Hong Kong.“During this past fiscal year, despite the impact of the pandemic, Alibaba still delivered on a strategic goal that we had established five years ago, which was to surpass US$1 trillion in GMV. This was an important milestone for Alibaba, especially in the context of US$6 trillion in total annual retail sales of consumer goods in China today” Zhang wrote.The SEC filing also showed that BABA revenue soared 35% over the last fiscal year, with net income up 75%. Meanwhile annual active customers surged to 140 million from 120 million previously.On July 9, RBC Capital analyst Mark Mahaney reiterated his buy rating on the stock and $235 price target. “While management continues to emphasize strategic investments to sustain long-term growth, we look to narrowing losses on this line as a signal of improved cost management and path to profitability, which we believe would be a material positive for the stock” commented Mahaney.For the June quarter, the analyst is forecasting 124.6B RMB in Core Commerce Revenue, implying 25% Y/Y growth, and 101.0B RMB in China Commerce (28% Y/Y growth), largely in line with the Street.Turning to other Wall Street analysts, the bulls have it. The Strong Buy consensus boasts 20 Buy ratings versus 1 Hold rating. The $267 average price target implies 2% upside potential in the shares in the coming 12 months. (See Alibaba stock analysis on TipRanks). Shares in Alibaba are now trading up 23% year-to-date.Related News: Amazon Delays Prime Day- This Time Until October Has Apple Surged Too Far, Too Fast? Analyst Weighs In Lookout Walmart, Amazon Is Coming for Your Grocery Customers, Says Analyst More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Amazon Is Said To Offer $100M In Stock Awards To Keep Zoox Talent * Walgreens Reports $1.7B Quarterly Loss, Cuts 4,000 Jobs Due To Covid-19 Impact * Moderna Inks Deal With Rovi To Supply Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Outside U.S. * Sony Invests $250M For Minority Stake In Fortnite Maker Epic Games

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Thursday was a wild day on Wall Street, with some stocks flying and others dying. And with so much variation between sector performance, it's increasingly becoming a market of haves and have-nots. So, whether you're happy with your portfolio this week very much depends on where you have exposure. Therefore, let's take a look at three of my favorite top stock trades.The hottest sector by a long shot remains technology. However, many leaders are skirting the stratosphere and thus, offer poor entries. I'm talking Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and the like. What's more attractive than chasing the big boys, though, is finding stocks to buy that are just now emerging from well-established bases. The risk is lower, and they arguably have more gas in the tank than the tech giants that have already run for so many consecutive sessions. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now In addition to their more tempting entries, all of these selections went absolutely bananas on Thursday. That said, I love the relative strength and think it suggests more gains to come in the following names:InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) * Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) * Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU)As usual, we'll take a closer look at their charts and offer the technical reasons why they're such compelling plays. So, let's dive in. Monster Rally Stocks to Buy: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade You might think our first pick is obvious because it hales from the tech sector. But before Thursday, Advanced Micro Devices hadn't participated in the tech boom virtually at all. Not since mid-April, at least. Bears might spin its relative weakness as a negative, but I think all it's done is made the eventual breakout all the more compelling.I see a beautiful cup-and-handle pattern on the weekly time frame that is now on the cusp of completion. AMD is on every momentum traders' radar, and I guarantee they're all perking up after this week's ramp back up to resistance.If you want more confirmation, you can wait for a push above $58 to signal the resistance breach is here. Given the volume behind Thursday's rally, however, I think an upside break is inevitable.The Trade: Buy the Aug. $57.50/$62.50 bull call for around $1.75. Costco Wholesale (COST) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade The hubbub surrounding Costco's unique positioning to profit from the novel coronavirus has died down considerably in recent months. And in that time, its stock price hasn't budged. Like AMD, the silver lining of an asset treading water for months is it creates a clear trading range to build bets around.One of my favorite technical analysis phrases is "the bigger the base, the higher in space." COST stock has been hugging $305 since last September, effectively creating a year-long base that we're now breaking out of. Thursday's nearly 3% jump saw a large influx of volume, and increase the likelihood that the resistance breach could have staying power.The implied volatility rank is low, and at $326, Costco is too expensive for long calls. Thus, I think bull call spreads are the way to go here. * 7 Earnings Reports to Watch Next Week The Trade: Buy the Oct. $330/$345 call spread for around $5.60. Roku (ROKU) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade Roku rounds out our trio of stocks to buy with an epic 12% jump on Thursday. More than 25 million shares traded throughout the day, marking its highest volume day since mid-April. That said, many of the biggest gainers on Thursday were those benefiting from the global pandemic. Coronavirus cases are on the rise, and investors seem to be warming up once more to companies like Roku.Remember, more people at home means more consumers streaming shows via Roku's media devices.Additionally, what else excites me about the ROKU stock chart is that it's just now breaking out of its three-month base. Unlike Apple or Amazon, which have already rocketed into orbit, Roku shares are just now blasting off. And I think it brings the stock's all-time high of $176.55 as a realistic upside target over the coming weeks.The Trade: Buy the Sep. $150/$160 bull call spread for around $3.90.For a free trial to the best trading community on the planet and Tyler's current home, click here! At the time of this writing, Tyler held bullish positions in AMD. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 3 Stocks to Buy That Could Continue Their Monster Rallies appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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The events of 2020 have provided many buying opportunities for savvy investors. I've put together a number of lists chocked with stocks that my Portfolio Grader says are positioned for post-pandemic gains. Here are seven pharmaceutical stocks, for example. Or how about seven manufacturing stocks to snap up before they recover?What about the oil industry? It's been hammered in 2020. A brutal price war combined with the novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in historic low oil prices, bargain basement stock prices and a growing list of bankruptcies. Natural gas companies are struggling too. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now But it's possible the situation for this sector may not be as dire as oil's in the long term. There are a handful of stocks worth keeping an eye on, just in case the situation begins to improve. These 9 natural gas stocks should be on your watchlist:InvestorPlace – Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG) * Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP) * EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) * Phillips 66 Partners LP (NYSE:PSXP) * Pembina Pipeline Corp (NYSE:PBA) * Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) * Apache Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) * Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:COG) * Royal Dutch Shell plc ADR Class A (NYSE:RDS.A)To be clear, natural gas stocks are full of risk. Despite their high fundamental and quantitative ratings on my Portfolio Grader, these are all D-rated stocks, and the sector as a whole is still in a very tough spot. Less than two weeks ago, Chesapeake Energy (OTCMKTS:CHKAQ) — one of the biggest U.S. shale gas producers — filed for bankruptcy. And if the country's sixth largest gas producer is on the ropes, that's a terrible omen.However, the decline in production may correct the chronic over-supply that's plagued the industry, while there's still hope that liquid natural gas (LNG) exports could eventually open up additional markets.If you're looking for energy stocks that are positioned to be big winners going forward, check out my list of "7 Environmental Energy Stocks to Watch." But if you feel there's still a play to made in natural gas stocks and have a stomach for risk, these nine are worth keeping an eye on. Cheniere Energy (LNG)Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com Cheniere Energy earns the sole A-rating among gas stocks on this list, and it scores that A for its fundamental grade. A pioneer in the export of liquid natural gas (thus the ticker), Cheniere Energy is betting big on the demand for American LNG exports in the European and Asian markets. With coal use on the decline, that's not an unreasonable bet.In its first quarter earnings, LNG stock reported revenue up 22% year-over-year, with export volume up 46%. Despite the circumstances, Cheniere Energy maintained its full-year 2020 guidance and even spent $155 million to repurchase 2.9 million shares of common stock. LNG stock had been on the path to recovery from a massive crash in 2015 before stalling last summer. Currently trading at $50.51, Cheniere is crawling its way back to its 2020 high of $66.00 from January. Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP)Source: Shutterstock Magellan Midstream Partners scores a B fundamental grade from my Portfolio Grader. In its first-quarter earnings report, MMP beat Wall Street expectations with EPS of $1.28 (24% higher than the $1.03 consensus). The company's primary business is the storage, transportation and distribution of petroleum products and ammonia. All told, Magellan Midstream Partners owns and operates nearly 11,000 miles of pipelines in the U.S. And Warren Buffet loves pipelines now, so maybe some of that optimism will rub off on MMP. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now MMP stock peaked in 2014 when it passed the $86 level, and it's been in slow decline since. Its 2020 high close of $65.08 dates back to January. After bottoming out in March, MMP's recovery has all but stalled since May. EQT Corporation (EQT)Source: Shutterstock This Pittsburgh-based company is an interesting case, maintaining a quantitative B grade. The natural gas producer and pipeline operator is focused on the Appalachian region. In fact, EQT is the largest producer of natural gas in America.EQT stock had been in free-fall since topping $58 in 2014. Even a spike in natural gas prices to close out 2018 couldn't halt the slide. That continued into early 2020, when it suddenly began showing signs of life. Natural gas prices began to creep up slightly in March. In May, EQT announced it was curtailing production and selling off non-strategic assets. The movement in gas prices combined with the company's strategic moves seemed to re-invigorate EQT. Shares in the company have gained 168% since its mid-March low, and posted 28% growth to date in 2020. Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP)Source: Gergely Zsolnai/Shutterstock.com PSXP stock scores a fundamental C rating in my Portfolio Grader. Since 2016, shares in the company had been unable to break the $60 ceiling, until last winter. In January, growth in the stock peaked, with PSXP closing at $64.73 on January 16. From there, it was a swift fall to below $25 by mid-March.Houston-based Phillips 66 Partners is focused on pipelines, terminals, and transportation. That makes the company less sensitive to the price of natural gas, but conversely more reliant on demand. The coronavirus pandemic cut demand, with many factories offline, but any return to normalcy would help to raise the stock again, as would a cold winter, if that's in the cards. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now At this point, PSXP stock is down 42% so far in 2020. However, based on its stable performance over the past five years, there is potential for this stock to recover back to the $45 to $60 groove. Pembina Pipeline Corp (PBA)Source: Shutterstock Another gas company with a fundamental C rating, Canada's Pembina Pipeline is focused on the transportation and storage of natural gas and oil from Western Canada. The company also operates a large natural gas processing complex.PBA stock had been putting together a decent year-long run before 2020's challenges put an end to it. From the start of 2019 to mid-February, PBA was up 36%. Pretty impressive for a natural gas stock. Then came a punishing drop, with BPA losing 60% of its value in just three weeks.Trading as low as $16.09 in mid-March, Pembina Pipeline stock is now nearing $24. Investment analysts are convinced that PBA's recovery will continue, although not even the most optimistic are calling for a return to those February values any time soon. Still, a predicted 20% upside over the next 12 months makes this one of those natural gas stocks at least worth keeping an eye on. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD)Source: Shutterstock Shares in Enterprise Products Partners earn a respectable B-rating for fundamentals in my Portfolio Grader.This is a company that's stuck in the middle of the oil price war and coronavirus pandemic. Enterprise's involvement in the industry is on the distribution and transportation end, so low prices don't directly impact it the way they have devastated oil and gas producers. That being said, low pricing in the sector still rocked EPD stock in the spring. Enterprise Products stock has been in recovery mode since March, but remains down 39% at this point in 2020.The company's stock hadn't been doing much over the past five years, bouncing between $25 and $30. Given the huge surplus of natural gas, and expected slump in demand for oil, that's hardly surprising. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now There's nothing in future trends to suggest EPD stock will suddenly going to kick into growth mode, but as conditions normalize, an eventual return to that $25 to $30 level is possible. In that case, the current pricing around $17.50 has solid upside potential. Apache Corporation (APA)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Oil and gas exploration isn't a great space to be in right now. Demand for both has dropped as a result of the pandemic. And natural gas has been in oversupply for years.Apache — which manages a quantitative C rating — has felt the full effect of being a producer. In the first quarter, the company reported an adjusted loss of 13 cents per share. Reacting to the current market for oil and natural gas, Apache reduced its dividend and announced it will be focusing on debt reduction. In addition, Apache has been shutting down much of its U.S. drilling operations, shifting resources to higher margin operations in the North Sea and Egypt. Despite the maneuvering, APA stock has not been able to outrun the effects of the pandemic and the oil price war: it's down 50% so far in 2020. Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG)Source: Shutterstock Cabot Oil & Gas is one of the rare natural gas stocks that's actually in positive territory for 2020, albeit just barely. After spending most of 2019 on a downhill slide (it lost 24% that year), COG stock started 2020 at $17.23 and closed as high as $22.37 in June. It's now in 2% growth territory for 2020. It earns a C fundamental rating in my Portfolio Grader.Why would an oil and gas exploration company with much of its production tied to fracking in Pennsylvania be in such a strong position? Why isn't COD stock underwater like so many other petroleum companies?As Investorplace's Vince Martin explains, COG is really a pure natural gas play. With oil producers shutting down, the production of natural gas as a by-product slows. * The 7 Best Stocks to Invest in Right Now Add in increased demand for natural gas and LNG as coal plants shut down, and the future looks brighter for natural gas producers like Cabot Oil & Gas. Royal Dutch Shell plc ADR Class A (RDS.A)Source: JuliusKielaitis / Shutterstock.com Royal Dutch Shell is one of the world's largest companies. There have been some ups and downs, but over the past five years, RDS.A stock (which earns a C fundamental rating in my Portfolio Grader) has been relatively stable. The company has been generous with dividends, especially when compared to other petroleum giants.However, even its size couldn't protect this oil and gas giant from the events of 2020. After hitting its 2020 high close of $60.96 on January 6, RDS.A rapidly dropped to $20.62 by March 18 — losing nearly two thirds of its value. The dividend was cut for the first time since World War II, and its share buyback program was suspended. Shares have bounced around between $30 and $40 since.If you're willing to bet that oil and natural gas prices are going to recover to 2019 levels, then Royal Dutch Shell stock has upside. But that's far from a sure bet at his point, and any recovery is likely to be a long one. Still, it's worth watching this natural gas stock in case the global economy recovers more quickly than expected and drives up demand.Louis Navellier had an unconventional start, as a grad student who accidentally built a market-beating stock system — with returns rivaling even Warren Buffett. In his latest feat, Louis discovered the "Master Key" to profiting from the biggest tech revolution of this (or any) generation. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters. More From InvestorPlace * Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG * America's 1 Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * Revolutionary Tech Behind 5G Rollout Is Being Pioneered By This 1 Company * Radical New Battery Could Dismantle Oil Markets The post 9 Ugly Natural Gas Stocks to Keep on Your Watchlist appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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ETF.com Managing Editor Cinthia Murphy joins Yahoo Finance’s Kristin Myers to break down her outlook on gold ETFs, as the precious metal jumps above $1,800.

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