Why Best Buy, Amazon, Monsanto, and 2 Other Stocks Have Investors Buzzing

Monsanto-Bayer Talks Advance

According to Bloomberg, Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) and Bayer AG’s talks about a potential merger are advancing, with the CEO’s of both companies having held a series of constructive meetings in recent weeks. According to people in the know, a potential deal could be struck over the next two weeks, although there is still the possibility that the negotiations could fall apart. Monsanto previously rejected Bayer’s $125 per share buyout offer as being inadequate. The smart money was exceptionally bullish on Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) during the second quarter, as 87 top funds held a long position in the company at the end of the second quarter, up by 36 funds quarter-over-quarter.

Amazon Mulls Echo-Only Music Service

Everything store Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is in the spotlight today after Recode reported that the e-commerce giant is considering selling an Echo-only, all-you-can-stream-with-no-ads music service for significantly cheaper than what Spotify currently charges ($10 per month). Although the exact pricing of the service isn’t clear, some analysts think that Amazon is aiming for a subscription fee of about $4-to-$5 per month. If successful, the service will ensure greater consumer lock-in for Echo, which in turn would help Amazon sell more goods. Andreas Halvorsen’s Viking Global reported owning a stake of over 3 million shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) as of the end of the second quarter.

Toll Brothers Rises on Earnings

Toll Brothers Inc (NYSE:TOL) is 2.6% in the green today after the company reported relatively in-line financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2016. For the three-month period, Toll Brothers earned $0.61 per share on sales of $1.27 billion, versus EPS estimates of $0.61 per share and sales of $1.25 billion. Revenue rose by 23% year-over-year and guidance was in-line with estimates, as the U.S. housing market remains strong. For its full fiscal year, Toll Brothers expects revenue of $4.96 billion-to-$5.27 billion, eclipsing the consensus analyst estimate of $5.04 billion at the mid-point of its range. Matthew Tewksbury’s Stevens Capital Management hiked its Toll Brothers stake by 483% to 329,721 shares during the second quarter.

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