Ticker Tape Digest

Monday - March 4,  2019

By Leo Fasciocco -- TTD

   Ticker Tape Digest presents its daily stock market report containing stocks to go long as Breakout Trades, Quick Trades, or Bargain Accumulation Trades.

  We also feature stocks under Significant Accumulation that are poised to breakout.

   The TTD report also contains stocks to short as  breakdown plays and as bargain (swing trade) shorts.

  Investors should  tend to try to go with a strategy that fits with the stock market's trend, unless there is a special situation play.

  TTD's Breakout Stocks - Long are most suitable for aggressive investors seeking ideal entry points into leading stocks, especially during bull markets. They can do extremely well in bull markets with gains of as much as several hundred percent.

 These stocks can also do extremely well during strong market rallies, or if they are in a industry group that is performing very well. They tend to have strong earnings outlooks and are near new-52 week, or all-time highs.

  TTD Quick Trade Stocks - Long These are leading issues that have pulled back in recent days, but could move higher soon. They are most suitable for Aggressive Investors willing to trade short term. These stocks will do extremely  well during market advances. They have about 74% win rate. During market rally sequences the win rate is even higher. The return is small 3% to 8% in just a few days.

 TTD's Bargain Buy Trades - Long - Long Term.  These are for conservative bullish Investors These long-term buys are ideally suited for entry into stocks on pull backs within overall up trend. These stocks can give a good return long-term especially during a bull market.

   TTD also presents Stocks To Sell or Sell Short. These issues are suitable for aggressive investors willing to take short positions both as trades or for longer-term plays. These stocks will do very well during bear markets or market pull backs.

  TTD's Bearish breakdown stocks to sell short. These issues have potential to fall sharply. They often show a technical breakdown and also some fundamental business problem such as weak earnings.  

 TTD's multi-media updates include a slide-show that presents charts and analysis at midsession. Some times TTD presents feature analysis on stocks and the market. TTD uses Windows Media Files. (WMV).

 TTD also presents a "Breakout Watch List" that is up dated daily. This list consists of key stocks in position to breakout. A close watch of this list can put you in the stock just as it breaks out. A good idea is to study the list and be ready to move into a stock quickly as it hits its breakpoint.

TTD often suggests using stop buy orders to enter. It is very important to buy a breakout stock as close as possible to the breakpoint. The idea is to get "elbow room" if the stock should follow through to the upside. This is very important in being successful in making big money with breakout stocks.

It is also essential to have a stop loss strategy for all stocks in which positions are taken. Not every stock will work as expected. It is important for investors to "police" their portfolios and avoid getting trapped in any bad positions.

 Quality rating of breakout  Two key factors: 1 - Stock near all-time high in price or near a 52-week high. 2 - earnings growth current year is strong. The ideal play is a stock with an Above Average Quality Rating. The stock is near a new high and will have strong earnings. TTD's other ratings are Average and Below Average.

   TTD also has  special feature sections on  Educational Tips on Investing.

   To email Mr. Leo Fasciocco  leo@tickertapedigest.com.   

   For service, email Beverly Owen owen@tickertapedigest.com. TTD’s Tel: 1-480-926-1680.

Monday - March 4, 2019

TTD's Breakout Stocks

  Stock Market Overview

Total Buy Breakouts so far today -  5

Quality of Breakouts -  Below Average

Stocks Screened - 12,234

Bull side -   Bulls should be conservative and watchful of all positions.

Stock market  -  Market averages pulling back, although they remain bullish in all time sectors.

Comment -  TTD sees consolidation pattern developing now.

Stock Market Momentum

(Daily is based on a moving average)

Ticker Tape Digest's

Timely Breakout Stocks From Tape Action

(The “breakout List” gives all stocks breaking out of a base of five weeks or more. These stocks have a good chance to trend higher. However, a stop should be used to avoid those that do not work.

They are ranked according to percentage change and classified as leaders or other.

(Trading strategy: One should buy breakout stocks near breakpoint by using market order or stop buy.  They can also be bought soon after a follow through move, sometimes on an intraday pullback. )  

Today's Featured TTD Breakout Stock

One Gas Inc. (OGS) - 88.08, up 1.37 - Breakpoint 87.73

Net To Rise 5%, TTD Targets 96 

  OGS, based in Tulsa, Okla., is a natural gas distribution utility serving the southwest and midwest U.S. Annual revenues: $1.6 billion. OGS's stock breaks out Monday from a 13-week, cup-and-handle base.

  The move carries the stock to a new all-time high. That is bullish.

  OGS is obviously a conservative utility play. However, it has been working steadily higher. It has an annual yield of 2.3%.

  So far today, OGS is trading 246,181 shares. Its average daily volume is 214,000 shares.

  OGS's stock trended sideways through the morning and early afternoon.

  However, it mid-afternoon the stock turned and rallied sharply and finished near its high for the day. That is bullish.

   Tape Action

  OGS's tape action shows the recent block trades.

  One can see the price for the blocks climbing from $85.92 in the prior session to as high as $88.08.

  A key bullish trade came in the morning when a block of 1,832 shares crossed the tape at $86.90.

  That was up from the prior block at $86.59 late on Friday.

  Near the close a big block of 24,226 shares (duplicated) crossed the tape at $88.08.

  That was up from the prior block at $88.06 on 1,324 shares.

  Business

  OGS provides natural gas distribution services in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

  The Company serves residential, commercial and industrial, transportation and wholesale and public authority customers.

  The Company's natural gas distribution markets in terms of customers are Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka, Kansas, and Austin and El Paso, Texas.

  OGS has 50.4 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas storage capacity under lease with remaining terms ranging from 1 to 10 years and maximum allowable daily withdrawal capacity of approximately 1.3 Bcf.  

  Charts

  OGS's 12-month performance chart shows the stock up 38% - not bad for a utility. That compares with a 3% gain for the stock market.

  OGS insiders have been recent buyers at $73 to $78 a share. They have not done any selling recently.

  OGS's long-term chart shows the stock coming public in 2014 at $33.30. The stock has been a steady climber. It reached a peak near $80 in late 2017, but then pulled back.  It has since come on strong.   

  OGS's daily chart shows the stock forming a cup-and-handle base.

  The peak was made in December, it bottomed in January, rallied and has not broken out with a modest pick up in volume.

  The close on the high is bullish.

  It sets the stock up well for a follow through move.  

  Earnings Outlook

  This year, analysts are forecasting a 6% increase in net to $3.43 a share from the $3.25 the year before.

  The stock sells with a price-earnings ratio of 25. That is high.

  Looking out to 2020, the Street predicts a 4% rise in net to $3.57 a share from the anticipated $3.43 this year.

  Net for the first quarter is expected to be about flat at $1.72 a share.

  Then in the second quarter, analysts look for a 10% jump in net top 43 cents a share from the 39 cents the year before.

  Six analysts follow the stock.   

Strategy Opinion:  TTD is targeting OGS for a move to $96 within the next few months, or sooner.

A protective stop can be placed near $86.

Intermediate-Term Rating:  Average.

Suitability:   Average Bulls.

                                 TTD's special research of  Stock's Prior Performance:  

Probability - Breakout Success - Modestly Bullish -   OGS tends to score modest gain off some of its recent breakouts.

Probability - Earnings Response - Bullish -  OGS rose 4 times after the past 6 earnings reports when there was a significant change in price.

Probability:  Seasonal Success - Bullish. -  OGS averaged a gain of 3.6% in March and a gain of 0.4% in April the past several years. 

           Stock's Prior Performance After A Breakout

(In actual trading, entry and exit points could vary depending on broker execution.

Also, ideal are breakouts to a new 52-week high or better, perhaps all-time highs.)

  Stock's Long-term Chart

 Stock's Performance Chart with Quarterly Earnings Markers vs. S&P 500

Insider Buying in Green  -  Insider Selling in Red

   Stock's Monthly Seasonal Performance Chart - Past 5 Years

Showing % Months UP and % Change

Charts of Selected Breakout Stocks

Ticker Tape Digest’s

Stocks To “Sell or Short”

Ticker Tape Digest’s Daily List of “Stocks To Sell or Sell Short” ranks stocks well timed to be sold immediately based on daily trading. The list can be used as an alert to reduce current long-term positions.

Shorts from tape action so far today - 5

Stocks Screened - 12,234

Long-Term Environment for bears: .Unfavorable.

Bear Side - Small list  of shorts but some interesting plays for aggressive bears.

List of Stocks To Sell or Short

TTD’s Feature Bear Play

Childrens Place Inc. (PLCE) - 84.82

Big Earnings Miss, TTD Sees Drop to 74

  PLCE, based in Secaucus, N.J., sells children's clothes and footwear. Annual revenues: $1.9 billion. PLCE's stock falls sharply Monday and undercuts key technical support. TTD sees more on the downside.

  PLCE' sharp decline was triggered by big earnings miss.

  So far today, PLCE is trading a heavy 6.5 million shares, 11 times its average daily volume of 560,000 shares.

  PLCE reported net for the fourth quarter of $1.10 a share. That was well below the Street estimate of $2.10 a share.

   The company said the decline was due to the bankruptcy of Gymboree.

  TTD highlighted PLCE as a short at our midsession video show on the Web.

  PLCE gapped lower in the morning undercutting its key technical support. The stock touched an intraday low of $82.05 in the morning.

  PLCE then rallied to around $86 and trended mostly sideways the rest of the day.

 Tape Action

  A key bearish block came in the morning when 24,639 shares crossed the tape a $84.49.

  That was down from the prior block at $94.60 late on Friday.

  That was a big drop triggered by the earnings miss.

 Business

  PLCE is a children's specialty apparel retailer in North America.

  The company sells apparel, accessories, footwear and other items for children.

 PLCE operates through two units: Children's Place U.S. and The Children's Place International.

 Earnings:

  Analysts are forecasting an 11% decline in net  for the fiscal first quarter ending in April. They see net at $1.67 a share, down from the $1.87 the year before.

  For the year, the Street was predicting a 19% increase in net. However, that may come down.   

Charts:  

  PLCE's daily chart shows the stock declining from $160 in November down to around $90 by December.

  The stock was trending sideways. However, the big drop Monday causes the stock to cut below key support with heavy volume. That is bearish.

  PLCE's 12-month performance chart shows the stock down 40% versus a 4% gain for the stock market.

Strategy Opinion: TTD is targeting PLCE for a decline to $74 within the next few months, or sooner. A protective stop buy can be placed near $88.

Suitability:   Aggressive Bears.

  TTD's probability research of Prior Performance:  

Probability - Earnings Response - Bearish.  -  PLCE rose 1 times after the past 5 earnings reports when there was a significant change in price.

Probability:  Seasonal Activity - Slightly Bearish. -   PLCE averaged a gain of 7.5% in March but a decline of 5.3% in April the past several years.

   Stock's Performance Chart with Quarterly Earnings Markers vs. S&P 500

Insider Buying in Green  - Insider Selling in Red

   TTD takes no responsibility for trading by those using this information. The stocks presented in our report are those we deem the best looking "Day Trades" for the long side. We take no responsibility for the accuracy of this data, although every effort is made to present the information correctly. Copyright Ticker Tape Digest. - 2019

    TTD columnist Leo Fasciocco has covered the stock market for over 30 years. His articles appear in many publications. He has also been  a speaker at the Money Show conferences. He has been on television and radio. He is author of many educational articles about stock investing and the book “Guide To High-Performance Investing.”

   For information to subscribe to the Ticker Tape Digest Services call: Beverly Owen at 1-480-926-1680.

   Distributed by Corona Publishing Enterprises. TickerTape Digest Inc. 1220 W. Sherri, Gilbert, Az. 85233.

  TTD “Professional Report” is available on the Web: $100 per month. Password needed. Published daily - around 20 times a month.  

 TTD Pro Report includes a Morning chart slide show of breakout stocks, a Midsession video-audio show with commentary on breakout stocks and shorts and a Final end of day overall report on breakout stocks for the session, short plays and accumulation plays.  There are other features too such as Quick Trades and Long-term Plays.  

TTD Daily Report is $39. It covers a Morning slide show of charts of stocks breaking out and a TTD end of day print report covering breakout stocks and shorts.

 Credit cards accepted. Payable to Corona Publishing Enterprises.

(The information contained has been prepared from data deemed reliable but there is no guarantee of complete accuracy. Ticker Tape Digest Inc. is not affiliated with any broker, dealer or investment advisor. Nothing in this publication constitutes an offer, recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Further research is advised. This report is copyrighted and no redistribution is permitted with out permission.)