People are frantically working on their taxes now. The IRS will be working to process refunds as they receive tax returns. It is an important period of time for many. Receiving tax return money may alleviate the need for cash advances or squelch credit card dependency for a while. Depositing a return into the bank may promote thoughts of spending on all those “wants” which didn’t land under the Christmas tree, but it might help financial matters if those “wants” continued to take a back burner to “needs.”Getting a tax refund is delightful. For many people, this money is relied upon to make financial matters work. There are many uses for extra cash, but when used to promote financial stability, it will turn out to be an incredible tax relief. How could you use this money to help your finances?*Any amount of money which can be placed into a savings account helps future financial transactions.*Pay off any cash advances or payday loans.*Pay down any high credit card debt. Remember, the credit bureaus will want to see less than 30% of the credit limit carried as a monthly balance.*Catch up on any past due debt.*If you have held back on repairs to your home or car, use this money to get it done before the problem intensifies.*Put the money aside for later purchases rather than using credit cards.*Pay towards your retirement.It would be nice to just have that money as play money, but in today’s world it is much better to plan ahead to prevent emergencies from becoming disasters. Many people use a cash advance online as a way to access emergency cash. When there is money in a savings account, there is less likely a chance that third party money will be necessary. Using your own money is a money saving idea! A substantial tax return may just put you in the position to save in the long run.That cycle of debt notion to keep using third party money just so you can make payments towards other debt is not imaginary. Cash advance and credit card companies profit from this debt cycle. People living paycheck to paycheck live in the reality of being burdened by their debt. If a tax return is used to alleviate the demand, there will be more income left over each month in order to continue building financial portfolios. Build up savings accounts, prepare for retirement opportunities, or plan for a child’s higher education costs and continue to make steady payments to lower debt while keeping from adding more to the mix.That’s right; part of any financial plan should keep current and future money in the forefront while working to pay off debt of the past. As much as it should feel good to use your tax refund and fly off to a favorite vacation spot, it may not prove to be the best option for the long-run. It is good to treat yourself with some of it, just not the larger portion of it. As long as there is outstanding debt, it will be a best practice to not increase debt elsewhere.
Defeat Cash Advance and Credit Card Debt With Your Tax Return
S&P 500 Biotech Giant Vertex Leads 5 Stocks Showing Strength
Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).
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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.
Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.
Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.
Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.
Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.
Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.
Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.
Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.
The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.
In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.
In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.
Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.
Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.
The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.
Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.
The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).
In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.
S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.
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Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.
Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.
The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.
Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.
S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.
Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.
Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.
Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.
Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.
Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.
How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business
STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.
Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.
GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.
The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.
On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.
Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.
During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.
Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.
IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.
Are Compounding Pharmacies Safe?
Compounding pharmacies work to create pharmaceutical products which are specifically designed to fit the unique needs of each patient. They specialise in preparing and dispensing bespoke pharmaceutical products to patients who cannot or do not want to (for whatever reason) take standard, mass produced medication. Many consumers are turning to these pharmacies because they have previously had problems with standard prescription drugs.Because the compounded prescription medications that they sell are different from those that are already available on the rest of the market, some consumers may be worried about whether or not using a compounding pharmacy is safe. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have stated that compounding is perfectly legal and ethical so long as the pharmacy is fully licensed and the pharmacist who carried out the compounding is also fully trained and licensed.Because of the potential health implications associated with all medicinal drugs, compounding pharmaceuticals is a heavily regulated business, and the FDA and individual state boards of pharmacy have introduced strict guidelines to help ensure that customers and patients using these compounding pharmacies should remain safe. All bulk drug substances that are used in these types of pharmacies should be on an approved-list of substances that it is legal and safe to compound with. Any previously marketed substances which have been proven to be ineffective or unsafe do not make the approved-list of substances suitable for compounding. Pharmacists are not supposed to compound with any substance that is not on the approved-list. Although many states do not require practices to report any newly discovered side-effects associated with compounded drugs, ethical pharmacies will voluntarily report them.The compounding pharmacy itself is also subject to strict guidelines, as well as the substances that they compound with. The pharmacy must meet high quality control standards and each individual laboratory must meet strict facility guidelines, to ensure safety and consistency in each batch of drugs produced. Pharmacies in America are regulated by individual “state boards of pharmacy”, and therefore each state has slightly different sets of regulations. It is possible to check with the board of pharmacy in your state if you are still unsure. Inspectors from the state board will carry out regular checks on licensed pharmacies and random sampling checks may be carried out on batches of drugs that are being dispensed to check the safety and potency.Pharmacists who practice in compounding pharmacies are heavily regulated as well. They must be fully trained and licensed in order to dispense medicine that they have compounded, so that they are able to fully understand the drugs that they are making.If you still have doubts, you can contact your chosen pharmacy and they will be able to explain the standards, testing and quality control exercises that are used by their practice in order to ensure the safety of their customers. If you are in any doubt, you do not have to use that pharmacy. Remember that it is the interest of pharmacies to ensure that their products are safe, legal, ethical and effective.