Airlines great at customer service? J.D. Power…

It seems like everyone��s got an airline horror story these days, but it may be premature to declare airline-bashing as the USA��s next national pastime.�

That��s because travelers are as happy as they��ve been with North American carriers in years, according to the latest North American Customer Satisfaction Study out Wednesday from J.D. Power.

Improvements to planes, baggage handling,�and even the application of those infamous airline fees are all areas in which customer satisfaction has increased, according to J.D. Power. In fact, J.D. Power said it recorded ��record-high customer satisfaction�� in its 2018 report, the 14th annual study by the group.

��With a single exception, airlines in North America show consistent improvements across all the factors, from booking a ticket to handling luggage,�� Michael Taylor, Travel Practice Lead at J.D. Power, said in a statement accompanying the group��s survey results for 2018.�

Passengers' happiness with service on U.S. and Canadian airlines rose for the seventh consecutive year, hitting its highest�mark since J.D. Power moved to its current survey format in 2006. The industry's satisfaction score climbed to an average of 762 on a 1,000-point scale -- a six-point jump from the previous record high set last year.

IN PICTURES: 43 cool aviation photos

FacebookTwitterGoogle+LinkedIn43 cool aviation pics: Boeing 747s to retro flight attendants to A380s FullscreenPost to FacebookPosted!

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United Airlines flight attendants dress in 1970's retro uniforms aboard the carrier's last Boeing 747 passenger flight on Nov. 7, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen United Airlines flight 747 takes off from San Francisco International Airport as it travels to Honolulu on its final passenger flight on Nov. 7, 2017.  Justin Sullivan, Getty ImagesFullscreen Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 jets park at the inter-island terminal at Honolulu International Airport on Nov. 8, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A make-up artist applies make-up to a United Airlines flight attendant dressed in a retro 1970s-themed uniform before taking part in the final Boeing 747 flight for the airline on Nov. 7, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen An Aer Lingus Boeing 757-200 lands at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 25, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A Cathay Pacific flight readies for take off from Hong Kong on Nov. 8, 2017.  Anthony Wallace, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen Mechanic Ron Lostica poses for a photo onboard United Airlines' last Boeing 747 jet before it made its final passenger flight on Nov. 7, 2017. Mr. Lostica, a 31-year United veteran, wore a Boeing 747 hat from a delivery in the 1990s.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 departs Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 25, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen Lufthansa's retro-painted Boeing 747-8i lands at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A JetBlue Embraer E190 lands at Worcester Regional Airport in central Massachusetts on Nov. 24, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen Sean Worsley and Christine Ellis embrace after Mr. Worsley asked Ms. Ellis to marry him aboard United Airlines last Boeing 747 passenger flight on Nov. 7, 2017. She said 'yes.'  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A cabin crew member aboard United Airlines last Boeing 747 flight takes the 1970s retro-theme to heart on Nov. 7, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen An Aeromexico jet sits on the tarmac at Mexico City's international airport on Nov. 28, 2017.  Pedro Pardo, AFP/Getty ImagesFullscreen A Horizon-operated Embraer E170 jet, flying for Alaska Airlines, lands at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A Hainan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner departs Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 25, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet lands at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in December of 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen United Airlines last Boeing 747 rests at the gate in Honolulu after completing its final passenger flight on Nov. 7, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A passenger aboard United Airlines last Boeing 747 flight poses for a portrait on Nov. 7, 2017.  Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAYFullscreen A flight of Australian low-cost carrier JetStar taxis at Sydney's Kingsford Smith International Airpor on Nov. 27, 2017.  Daniel Munoz, EPA-EFEFullscreen

Consumer Discretionary SPDR (XLY) is Cavalier Investments LLC’s 5th Largest Position

Cavalier Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Consumer Discretionary SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLY) by 67.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 184,419 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after buying an additional 74,598 shares during the quarter. Consumer Discretionary SPDR makes up approximately 6.6% of Cavalier Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Cavalier Investments LLC owned 0.15% of Consumer Discretionary SPDR worth $18,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dow Chemical Co. DE lifted its stake in Consumer Discretionary SPDR by 111.9% in the fourth quarter. Dow Chemical Co. DE now owns 90,451 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $8,927,000 after buying an additional 47,757 shares during the last quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. lifted its stake in Consumer Discretionary SPDR by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 266,677 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $26,318,000 after buying an additional 14,421 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Partners LLC lifted its stake in Consumer Discretionary SPDR by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Advisor Partners LLC now owns 4,092 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $432,000 after buying an additional 1,523 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in Consumer Discretionary SPDR by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 550,954 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $54,374,000 after buying an additional 43,486 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Consumer Discretionary SPDR by 114.8% in the fourth quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 78,755 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $7,772,000 after buying an additional 42,086 shares during the last quarter.

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Consumer Discretionary SPDR traded up $0.16, hitting $106.13, during trading hours on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The stock had a trading volume of 3,840,941 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,318,200. Consumer Discretionary SPDR has a 1-year low of $87.89 and a 1-year high of $109.34.

Consumer Discretionary SPDR Company Profile

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index (the Index). The Index includes companies from the following industries, media; retail (specialty, multiline, Internet and catalog); hotels, restaurants and leisure; textiles, apparel and luxury goods; household durables; automobiles; auto components; distributors; leisure equipment and products; and diversified consumer services.

3 Reasons You're Broke

Around half of all Americans couldn't fund a $400 emergency, most Americans have far too little saved for retirement, and as many as 65% of Americans have reported losing sleep over money woes, according to CreditCards.com.��

Long story short, many Americans struggle with money. And, while there are absolutely situations where uncontrollable factors cause money worries -- like health issues -- there are also many circumstances where financial mistakes are the root of the problem.

In fact, here are three reasons Americans end up in over their heads and coping with money troubles.�

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Carrying a big credit-card balance

Close to 40% of U.S. households carry at least some credit-card debt, and the average debt for households that carry a balance is $16,048.�

With a five-figure debt balance, monthly payments are high, and you'll pay a fortune in interest.

Let's say you owed $16,048 at 15% interest with a minimum payment equal to interest plus 1% of the balance. Your minimum payment would start at around $361 monthly. And, if you paid only the minimum, you'd pay $19,539 in interest, and it would take you 382 months -- 31 years -- to become debt free.�

If you were instead able to invest $361 per month in a 401(k) over 31 years and earn a 7% return, you'd have almost $477,000.��

When you carry a credit card balance, every purchase costs more because of interest. Don't make your everyday purchases more expensive. Instead, buy only things you can afford to pay for when your credit card bill comes due. Living on a budget and saving for big purchases makes that possible.�

If you're already in debt, get serious about getting out. Consider a consolidation loan to reduce your interest rate so repayment becomes more affordable. And, make extra payments by reducing spending or taking on a side hustle. If you pay $800 monthly instead of the minimum, a $16,048 balance could be paid off in just two years, and you'd save almost $17,000 in interest.�

2. Paying an expensive car loan

At the end of 2017, the average new car loan hit a new record of $31,099, and the average loan for a used car hit a new record of $19,589.��

Americans are taking longer loans, buying costlier vehicles, and making higher monthly payments than at any time in history. In fact, the average monthly payment for a new car reached a record $515, and the average monthly payment for a used car hit a new high of $371 in 2017, according to data from Experian.�

If you're paying $515 monthly for a car that loses value every day, that's $6,180 per year you can't use to max out an IRA or put money into an emergency fund. And, most people have a car loan for all but around six years of their working life, because they get new vehicles shortly after their loans are repaid.�

Instead of always paying interest on a depreciating asset, buy the lowest-priced used car you can safely drive, drive it for as long as possible, and finance it for the shortest term possible.

Keep making "car payments" once your loan is paid off, and pay for your next car in cash. Then, rinse, and repeat -- drive your paid-for car into the ground, and save payments for your next vehicle. You'll have enough for a new car long before it's time to stop driving your old one, and can put the rest of the "payments" into retirement savings or toward accomplishing other financial goals.�

Alternatively, if you live somewhere walkable, get rid of the car altogether and use a rideshare service or a rental when you need a vehicle. Or, if you're a two-car household, see if you can work out a way to share just one vehicle. You'll save on car payments, maintenance, gas, and insurance.�

3. Paying housing costs that are too high

If your housing costs you more than 30% of your income, you're paying too much for housing, and accomplishing other financial goals will be really hard.�

This 30% threshold has long been the standard, but unfortunately, around one-third of households are exceeding it.�

If you live in a high cost of living area, staying below the 30% limit can be really difficult. You may need to resort to creative approaches, such as getting a roommate or listing your home on Airbnb. Don't rule out moving as an option, especially if your employer is open to a telecommuting arrangement, as there are plenty of affordable locales that are great places to live.

If you don't live in an expensive area, housing costs still may be too high if you've opted for a big house or luxury apartment. Under these circumstances, ask yourself if your costly abode is really worth the financial struggle.� And don't forget: Bigger and costlier housing comes with costs beyond just the mortgage, including higher property taxes and maintenance expenditures.

These costs typically can't be justified by viewing your house as an investment, either, since the stock market historically outperforms real estate. So, explore whether it's possible to find a cheaper living arrangement.

If you don't want to move, consider whether a side hustle could bring your income up enough that you can meet the 30% threshold. Otherwise, more careful budgeting and sacrifices in other areas of life -- such as eating out less and spending less on entertainment -- might be necessary to afford your expensive house.�

Tackling the big stuff can help you to improve your financial life

If you have a lot of credit card debt, high monthly car payments, and an expensive house, dealing with these money drains may seem like it will require huge lifestyle changes.��

The reality is, a cheaper car will still get you where you need to go, sacrificing for a short time to pay off debt will allow you to enjoy life more later on, and cutting housing costs means you'll have fewer money worries, so you'll sleep more soundly under a smaller roof.�

It's just a matter of deciding what you want your money to do and living the lifestyle that gives you the freedom to become financially secure.�

Saudi Minister Sees `Likely' Oil Supply Boost in Second Half

OPEC and its allies are likely to gradually boost oil output in the second half of the year to ease consumer anxiety as prices trade near $80 a barrel, said Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih.

The comments illustrate how the surge in crude to a three-year high has flipped the oil market on its head. The period where major exporters banded together to claw their way back from a deep slump by cutting output is ending. It’s being replaced by renewed fears about the impact of high prices on the global economy and rising political pressure from major consumers including the U.S.

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Khalid Al-Falih on May 25.

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

"I think in the near future there will be time to release supply" smoothly to avoid shocking the market, Al-Falih said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia on Friday. When OPEC, Russia and other major producers meet in June “we will do what is necessary” to reassure consumers, he said.

Oil fell sharply following the comments, with Brent crude losing as much as 2.5 percent to $76.84 a barrel as of 10:53 a.m. in London. The international benchmark is still up 15 percent this year.

At current levels, crude prices are starting to affect demand, said Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of consultant IHS Markit Ltd. He was echoing concerns voiced last week by the International Energy Agency, which advises the major oil-consuming nations.

Who's Got the Juice?

Saudi Arabia and Russia could potentially return the most oil to the market.

Source: IEA, OPEC

Note: Excludes countries the IEA says aren't capable of rolling back their output cuts

.chart-js { display: none; } Excessive Cuts

The Saudi Minister spoke after talks with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak in the Russian city. The group is discussing a plan to boost production for the first time since 2016 by ending a period where they made significantly deeper output reductions than specified in their original agreement, said people familiar with the matter.

They are still debating whether resuming normal compliance with the accord would mean nations individually moving back in line their targets, or whether the group as a whole would aim to fulfill no more than the specified 1.8 million-barrel daily reduction, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are private.

The first case would return only a limited amount of supply to oil markets, mainly from Saudi Arabia. The second could allow the group to boost output more significantly, as other members offset losses from the collapse in Venezuela’s oil industry.

Oil producers are debating an increase ranging from 300,000 barrels a day at the low end, backed by Gulf producers including Saudi Arabia, and a larger increase of about 800,000 barrels a day favored by Russia, one person said.

The size of the supply boost will be finalized at the next meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in late June. Typically the group operates by consensus, meaning members that have little prospect of boosting production -- Venezuela, Iran and Angola -- would have to agree to the proposal.

Whether the size of the supply increase is ultimately "a million, more, or less, we’ll have to wait until June," Al-Falih said.

Novak echoed that, saying “it’s too early now to talk about some specific figure, we need to calculate it thoroughly.”

— With assistance by Grant Smith, and Javier Blas

(Updates with oil price in fourth paragraph.) LISTEN TO ARTICLE 2:55 Share Share on Facebook Post to Twitter Send as an Email Print

Hostess Brands (TWNK) Now Covered by Analysts at Vertical Research

Vertical Research assumed coverage on shares of Hostess Brands (NASDAQ:TWNK) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. TheStreet raised Hostess Brands from a c rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Zacks Investment Research raised Hostess Brands from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $15.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 9th. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on Hostess Brands in a research report on Monday. They set a buy rating and a $15.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $14.00 price objective on Hostess Brands and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, March 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank cut Hostess Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $14.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, May 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $15.67.

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Hostess Brands opened at $13.30 on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. Hostess Brands has a 1 year low of $11.00 and a 1 year high of $17.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11 and a beta of 0.24.

Hostess Brands (NASDAQ:TWNK) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14. Hostess Brands had a return on equity of 4.37% and a net margin of 28.97%. The firm had revenue of $208.74 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $200.77 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.15 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. equities research analysts anticipate that Hostess Brands will post 0.69 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, Director Craig D. Steeneck acquired 13,000 shares of Hostess Brands stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.09 per share, with a total value of $183,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 308,257 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,343,341.13. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 24.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Hostess Brands by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,143,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,181,000 after buying an additional 106,348 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Hostess Brands by 98.3% during the first quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 5,124,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,790,000 after acquiring an additional 2,540,585 shares in the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management LLC CT raised its holdings in Hostess Brands by 123.3% during the first quarter. Cardinal Capital Management LLC CT now owns 4,019,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,450,000 after acquiring an additional 2,219,456 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Hostess Brands by 22.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,966,993 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,672,000 after acquiring an additional 718,520 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Hostess Brands by 5.3% during the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,864,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,154,000 after acquiring an additional 194,310 shares in the last quarter. 84.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Hostess Brands

Hostess Brands, Inc, a packaged food company, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and distributes fresh sweet baked goods in the United States. It primarily offer coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, honey buns, brownies, bread and buns, jumbo muffins, and eclairs under the Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs, Zingers, HoHos, Donettes, Dolly Madison, and Superior on Main brands.

California's Solar Mandate Could Be a $2 Billion Windfall for the Solar Industry

California's Energy Commission has officially made solar mandatory for new homes built after 2020. This gives the solar industry a new guaranteed market of about 222 megawatts (MW) per year, according to GTM Research (now Wood Mackenzie, a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics). In other words, California's new home construction alone could account for about 10% of all of the residential solar installed in the U.S., based on 2017 installation levels.

Recent updates to GTM Research's projections show an incremental benefit for the residential solar industry of about 650 MW between 2020 and 2023, which could be worth $2 billion for the industry. That should be great for the fortunes of solar companies with exposure to the state.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why this mandate is a big deal

New homes were always more likely to have solar than old homes in California, but only about 20% of new homes actually had solar installed. With 75,000 to 100,000 new homes being built each year, there could be as much as 400 MW of incremental demand growth, assuming an average solar system size of 5 kW.

GTM Research takes a slightly more conservative approach and only estimates 222 MW of total new-build solar in California in 2020, with 900 MW total installed between 2020 and 2023. But 650 MW will be incremental new demand from this law, which at an average cost of $3 per watt would be worth $1.95 billion to the solar industry.

Expanding the pool for everyone

Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN), Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR), and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) are the three biggest solar installers in the U.S., and they're likely to see an incremental boost in demand. Expanding the pool in any way is good news because residential solar installations were down 16% in 2017, and it's getting harder to find new solar customers. Tesla has taken the brunt of the decline, shrinking installations in the first quarter of 2018 by 49% versus a year ago. Sunrun's installations fell 7% to 68 MW, and Vivint Solar's dropped 12% to 40.4 MW. All installers would love a new source of consistent demand.

One product that will be interesting to watch is Tesla's solar roof, which makes a lot of sense on new homes (rather than in retrofits of old homes). New roofs could be designed to incorporate the solar roof, maximizing the number of active solar tiles and improving energy production. This would also give Tesla a consistent source of demand.

The king of new-construction solar energy

It's easy to see how the winners from a residential solar mandate would be the biggest residential solar installers in the country. But it's SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) that has a leg up in solar for new construction. The company has partnered with 13 of the top 16 homebuilders in California, and its premium solar panels fit well with the same target market as buyers of newly constructed homes, who are more likely to have disposable income for a premium product.

According to SunPower, it has installed solar on over 30,000 new homes in over 1,000 communities since 2005. It may be a surprising choice, but if I had to choose one winner in California's new-home solar boom, SunPower would be it. Still, given the decline in installations recently, all solar installers will take a guaranteed source of demand.