“Is it really hot
out there, or is it
just earnings
season?”
July 15 through July 19, 2019
Index to Statistics
-
M13
Natural disasters are again in
the news, meaning it’s time to check in on
property and casualty insurers. Boenning
& Scattergood’s Robert Farnam recently
lowered earnings estimates on the sector,
mainly due to weather-related losses. His
top picks are workers’ compensation spe-
cialist Employers Holdings and business in-
surer Kingstone Cos. Farnam expects Em-
ployers to “gradually grow its top line” and
maintain strong underwriting margins. He
calls the shares “attractively priced.” King-
stone’s stock has lost half its value this year,
but Farnam says the market “has overre-
acted to the company needing to boost re-
serves.” Kingstone, he adds, “remains one
of the industry’s top underwriters.”
The Trader
Calm Before Cut
Trade and rates appear
baked into stocks. 3
European Trader
Europe’s Strong
Man Looks Weak
Export-driven Germany
needs some stimulus. 6
Emerging Markets
Mexico: Proceed
With Caution
Obrador’s populism may
trigger recession. 6
The Striking Price
A Risky Trade on
A Cult Stock
Using a call option to bet
on Beyond Meat’s rise. 7
Commodities Corner
Natural Gas Looks
Ready to Rise
Low prices feed demand
in the U.S. and China. 9
Activist Investor
Sense of Security
Starboard installs a new
CEO at Symantec. 10
Milton Glaser
Our Founder
Clarence
Barron