tE3 BUSINESS
Jeff Gill | Business reporter
770-718-3408 | jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Ride away with a deal
Photos courtesy EDMUNDS I Associated Press
Top left: The 2019 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Top right: The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado.
Above left: The 2019 Jeep Cherokee. Above right: The 2019 Honda Civic sedan.
You can buy or lease
these vehicles for
under $400 a month
BY CAMERON ROGERS
Edmunds
The average monthly payment for a
new car hovers around $530, according to
the recent Experian auto finance report.
The average lease payment is $430.
Edmunds thinks you can do better, and
here’s proof: four vehicles that cost about
$399 a month to purchase or lease.
For buyers, we assumed a 72-month
loan with a 6 percent interest rate. The
loan financed to match the $399 per-
month payment is $24,000.
2019 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is Edmunds’ favorite
small car by a wide margin. Available as a
sedan, coupe or hatchback, the Civic sets
a high bar. We have a hard time deciding
which we like best: the high-quality cabin
materials, roomy interior, or punchy
yet fuel-efficient optional turbocharged
engine. The MSRP for the 2019 Civic EX-L
sedan is $25,495, including destination fee.
You can get a well-equipped model within
the $399 budget.
Current lease deal: Step back a model
year and to a specific trim level for this
one: Honda offers the base 2018 Civic LX
sedan for less than $200 a month for 36
months with about $2,000 due at signing.
With the full down payment rolled into the
monthly payments, expect to pay between
$225 and $250 per month.
2019 Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee doesn’t get as much
attention as some rival crossover SUVs,
but its strong engines and unrivaled off
road ability make it one of the better picks
on the market. Our recommended trim is
the Latitude Plus, which has an MSRP
of $27,690, including destination fee, and
NEW YORK — Americans buoyed by
a strong economy pushed holiday sales
growth to a six-year high.
Retail sales rose 5.1 percent between
Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 from 2017, accord
ing to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which
tracked spending online and in stores
across all payment types.
“From shopping aisles to online carts,
gets you appealing convenience features.
Current lease deal: Jeep is offering a
front-wheel-drive 2019 Jeep Cherokee
Limited, one step above the Latitude
Plus trim, for roughly $200 a month for
24 months with about $4,000 down. If you
apply the entire down payment to the
monthly payments, this Cherokee will
cost between $350 and $375 per month.
2018 Chevrolet Colorado
Getting a decently equipped pickup
truck for under $400 a month is tricky.
However, you should be able to get great
deals if you’re willing to go with a 2018
version. For example, the Chevrolet
Colorado offers robust towing capacities,
a relatively smooth ride and easy-to-use
controls. The LT trim will get you most
of the latest convenience features you’ll
likely want. The MSRP for the Extended
Cab LT trim level is $28,095, but Chevro
let’s current employee pricing discount
consumer confidence translated into holi
day cheer for retail,” said Steve Sadove, a
senior adviser at Mastercard.
Online sales continued to grow, up more
than 19 percent from a year ago. Last
week, Mastercard said online sales made
up 13 percent of total retail sales.
Clothing sold well this year — up 8
percent from last year, Mastercard said.
Home furniture sales rose 2.3 percent,
while electronics and appliances fell
brings it down to $25,595.
Current lease deal: There’s a 36-month
lease on a rear-wheel-drive crew-cab
LT for about $230 a month, with around
$4,400 due at signing. If you roll the down
payment into monthly payments, you’ll
pay between $325 and $350 per month.
2019 Ford Fusion Hybrid
It’s not the newest hybrid on the road.
But the Ford Fusion Hybrid is still appeal
ing thanks to its 42 mpg combined fuel
economy rating, spacious cabin, comfort
able seats and easy-to-use infotainment
system. The SE trim level has an MSRP
of $28,450, including destination fee,
but during Ford’s holiday sale, the price
comes down to $25,450.
Current lease deal: Ford is offering the
Titanium model for about $260 a month
for 36 months, with $4,500 down. With
the down payment, the monthly payment
comes in at just under $400 a month.
0.7 percent.
Shoppers spent less at department
stores, which Mastercard said was partly
due to store closings. But shoppers did
head to department store websites, where
sales rose 10.2 percent, Mastercard said.
Traditional retailers have been updat
ing their websites and smartphone apps
and have been making it easier for shop
pers to buy online and then pick up items
later in the store.
GERALD HERBERT I Associated Press
Musicians perform in the French Quarter section
of New Orleans, Nov. 11,2011.
New Orleans
seeks higher
tourism taxes
BY KEVIN MCGILL
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A night’s stay at a New
Orleans hotel can take as much as a 15 percent
bite in taxes and fees. Yet barely more than 1 in
10 of those tax and fee dollars — out of an esti
mated $166 million collected annually — finds
its way into city coffers.
That’s according to estimates by an inde
pendent research agency that last calculated
the figure in 2015. New Orleans Mayor LaToya
Cantrell’s still-new administration says the city
needs and deserves a bigger share.
When Cantrell took office in May, she inher
ited many lingering infrastructure challenges:
potholed streets, drainage problems and a
drinking water system plagued by periodic boil-
water advisories. But an attempt to get a bigger
slice of that tourism revenue to address those
needs could be a tall political order.
Much of the money goes to major state-owned
tourism draws: the Superdome as well as the
massive Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
beside the Mississippi River. Changing the flow
of money would require legislative action. But
so far the mayor’s call for a “fair share” for the
city has gotten a cool reception from Gov. John
Bel Edwards.
“Over time, the city of New Orleans has not
put one dollar into the building of the Super-
dome, the building of the convention center;
has not put one dollar into the operations of
the Superdome or the Convention Center; has
not put one dollar into the average, every-year
renewal and refurbishment that has to take
place,” said Steve Perry, one tourism booster.
Perry is CEO of the nonprofit New Orleans
& Company, which promotes local tourism. He
recently unveiled the industry’s answer: a pro
posal that, rather than cost the industry any of
its current revenue stream, would raise the hotel
tax another .55 percent in anticipation of another
$6.7 million a year to meet infrastructure needs.
Perry said the plan would be to immedi
ately raise $81 million with a bond issue, to be
financed with the new revenue stream. He said
the money could be used to make repairs to the
city’s infrastructure, and to develop a master
plan for longer-term infrastructure spending.
Strong economy translates into big holiday sales
Associated Press
Small business owners prepare for slowdown in volatile market
BY JOYCE M. ROSENBERG
Associated Press
NEW YORK — The stock mar
ket’s volatility this year has some
small business owners decid
ing to run their businesses more
cautiously.
Consumer spending and the
economy are strong and many
businesses report all is well. But
some owners are worried because
their customers are spending less.
Some owners are thinking of
taking fewer risks. One concern is
that the gyrations are a harbinger
of recession; investors tend to buy
and sell based on what they think
the economy will do in six to nine
months. And while the market has
been right before — as in mid-
2007, when it began falling half a
year before the Great Recession
began — it’s not foolproof. Ches
ter Spatt, a finance professor at
Carnegie Mellon University’s Tep-
per School of Business, notes that
when the market crashed in Octo
ber 1987, “that fall was not really
associated with a material change
in business.”
Still, when there’s volatility,
“businesses may react, for exam
ple by reducing their orders in
advance,” Spatt says.
What some owners are doing:
— Cost-cutting is becoming a
priority. In the home remodeling
industry, contractors are using
cheaper materials as customers
lower their budgets on projects.
The frugality extends to develop
ers who build houses — they’re
making smaller investments in
new properties, says Kathy Barnes,
who helps manage projects in the
St. Louis area.
— The Slumber Yard, which
operates product review websites,
will hire more slowly next year,
co-owner Jeff Rizzo says. Own
ers have been conservative about
hiring since the recession, and
market volatility is likely to make
some even more cautious. They’re
likely to deal with slower hiring
in the same ways they’ve handled
the lack of qualified candidates
for their job openings: In a Bank
of America survey released this
month, owners said outsourcing
work or taking on more tasks them
selves were ways they’ve coped.
They’re also training current staff
ers to give them more skills.
— Prospecting for business,
something many owners do con
tinually, is becoming more impor
tant. Mark Ehrhardt, owner of
Movers Not Shakers, a moving
company in New York, is ready to
start contacting mortgage brokers
and building managers, who know
of people selling their apartments
and homes and moving. “You just
have to be smarter and figure out
where the activity is,” he says.
— Entrepreneurs having a
harder time getting investor
money are putting Plan B together.
When it looked like Steve and Bea
Fisher wouldn’t get investors for
a hardware store in a rural part
of Nevada, the couple looked at
their savings and began inquir
ing about non-traditional lenders.
But they found that lenders, even
those catering to small businesses,
offered only small amounts, some
times $2,000 out of $10,000.
The Market in Review
Stock Exchange Highlights
A NYSE
K 11,204.09+434.26
1
Nasdaq
6,554.35 +361.44
Gainers (S2 or more)
Gainers ($2 or more)
Name
Last
Chg %Chg
Name
Last Chg %Chg
ChesEng 2.19 +.46 +26.6
CalifRes rs 16.98 +3.06 +22.0
WildhRs n 14.45 +2.44 +20.3
LaredoPet 3.65 +.61 +20.1
HighPtRs 2.52 +.41 +19.4
VitaminSh 5.52 +.89 +19.2
MVOilTr 6.67 +1.02 +18.1
CVRRfng 9.86 +1.50 +17.9
BP Pm 19.76 +2.76 +16.2
ComstkRs rs 4.92 +.67 +15.8
Losers ($2 or more)
IntegMed n 5.93 +1.53 +34.8
Verrican 9.13 +2.28 +33.3
AdialPh n 6.31 +1.36 +27.5
NF EngSv 14.99 +3.07 +25.8
LiquidTch n 27.44 +4.83 +21.4
eGain 6.60 +1.15 +21.1
Gold Bull n 4.57 +.78 +20.6
Qutoutiao n 6.12 +1.04 +20.5
ObsEvan 12.96 +2.16 +20.0
USA Tch If 3.90 +.65 +20.0
Losers ($2 or more)
Name
Last
Chg %Chg
Name
Last Chg %Chg
DxSPOGBrrsI 7.47-7.97 -31.3
DrxNGBear rs50.79-17.85 -26.0
CgpVellCrd 14.90 -4.52 -23.3
UBS 3xlnvC16.22 -4.93 -23.3
USCF ShOil11.87 -3.39 -22.2
DxSOXBr rs14.07 -2.92 -17.2
DirSPBear S32.39 -5.77 -15.1
PrUShCrd S28.14 -4.99 -15.1
PrUShD3 rs20.36 -3.53 -14.8
PrShRs2K rs41.40 -6.94 -14.4
Most Active ($1 on more)
Name Vol (00) Last Chg
PShtQQQ rs17.34 -3.91 -18.4
Reebonz 2.98 -.60 -16.8
Ever-Glory 3.40 -.60 -15.0
Civista pf 58.10 -9.03 -13.5
XBiotech n 5.16 -.80 -13.4
BioXcelT n 2.41 -.37 -13.3
Youngevt n 4.71 -.72 -13.2
KBS Fash rs 2.64 -.39 -12.9
EnteraBin 3.00 -.43 -12.5
VirTran 3.00 -.43 -12.5
Most Active ($1 or more)
Name Vol (00) Last Chg
GenElec 1297233 7.39 +.47
BkofAm 1005915 24.11 +1.38
ChesEng 759967 2.19 +.46
FordM 586169 7.85 +.22
AT&T Inc 573012 28.08 +.72
NokiaCp 359960 5.56 +.07
Twitter 354308 28.66 +2.21
Citigroup 318504 51.44 +2.18
ItauUnHs 277503 8.64 +.01
WellsFargo 277080 45.59 +1.99
Diary
2,526
323
39
2,888
4
772
4,167,836,823
AMD 1084825 17.90 +1.25
Apple Inc 581166 157.17+10.34
Microsoft 513266 100.56 +6.43
MicronT 456580 30.89 +1.87
Facebook 395235 134.18+10.12
Cisco 331779 42.47 +2.19
Intel 285701 46.19 +2.60
JD.com 251708 21.10 +1.35
Comcast s 222692 34.14 +1.07
SiriusXM 212999 5.73 +.22
Diary
2,378
588
110
3,076
6
671
2,492,026,645
Advanced
Declined
Unchanged
Total issues
New Highs
New Lows
Volume
Advanced
Declined
Unchanged
Total issues
New Highs
New Lows
Volume
Stocks of Local Interest
YTD YTD
Name Ex Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg Name Ex Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
AFLAC S
1.04
2.4
14
44.14 +1.81 0.0
HomeDp
4.12
2.4
18
168.28+10.14 -11.2
AT&T Inc
2.04
7.3
5
28.08 +.72 -27.8
Intel
1.20
2.6
17
46.19
+2.60 +.1
AbbottLab
1.28
1.8
30
69.62 +4.06 +22.0
IBM
6.28
5.6
8
111.39
+3.82 -27.4
AMD
17.90 +1.25 +74.1
JPMorgCh 2.24
2.3
13
95.96
+3.82 -10.3
Altria
3.44
7.1
15
48.43 +.87 -32.2
JohnJn
3.60
2.8
18
126.71
+3.87 -9.3
Apple Inc
2.92
1.9
16
157.17+10.34 -7.1
Lowes
1.92
2.1
20
91.04
+5.08 -2.0
ATMOS
1.94
2.2
17
90.12 +.79 +4.9
McDnlds
4.64
2.7
26
174.03
+3.75 +1.1
AutoZone
17
839.06+16.24 +17.9
Merck
2.20
3.0
28
74.00
+2.85 +31.5
AveryD
2.26
2.6
25
87.13 +3.34 -24.1
MicronT
3
30.89
+1.87 -24.9
BB&T Cp
1.62
3.8
12
42.83 +1.56 -13.9
Microsoft
1.84
1.8
42
100.56
+6.43 +17.6
BP PLC
2.38
6.3
11
38.06 +1.41 -9.4
NorflkSo
3.20
2.2
22
147.28
+7.49 +1.6
BkofAm
.60
2.5
11
24.11 +1.38 -18.3
OfficeDpt
.10
4.0
7
2.49
+.15 -29.7
BarnesNob
.60
9.6
6.28 +.36 -6.3
Oracle
.76
1.7
48
44.59
+1.90 -5.7
Boeing
8.22
2.6
29
313.93+19.77 +6.4
Penney
1.05
+.03 -66.8
BrMySq
1.64
3.3
50
50.03 +1.27 -18.4
PepsiCo
3.71
3.4
31
108.33
+2.30 -9.7
CSX
.88
1.4
9
61.72 +2.96 +12.2
Pfizer
1.44
3.4
17
42.19
+1.64 +16.5
CampSp
1.40
4.1
13
34.25 +.83 -28.8
PhilipMor
4.56
6.8
16
66.86
+.89 -36.7
Caterpillar
3.44
2.8
12
124.76 +7.81 -20.8
Primerica
1.00
1.0
12
97.38
+6.00 -4.1
ChesEng
4
2.19 +.46 -44.7
ProctGam
2.87
3.2
22
90.09
+2.73 -1.9
Chevron
4.48
4.2
22
107.39 +6.40 -14.2
RegionsFn
.56
4.2
11
13.39
+.82 -22.5
Cisco
1.32
3.1
19
42.47 +2.19 +10.9
RiteAid
1
.66
-.02 -66.5
Citigroup
1.80
3.5
9
51.44 +2.18 -30.9
Schlmbrg
2.00
5.5
21
36.61
+1.42 -45.7
CocaCola
1.56
3.3
89
46.94 +.98 +2.3
SiriusXM
.05
.8
32
5.73
+.22 +6.9
Comcast s
.76
2.2
16
34.14 +1.07 -14.4
SouthnCo
2.40
5.5
21
43.64
+.62 -9.3
ConAgra
.85
4.0
12
21.43 +.47 -43.1
SwstnEngy
4
3.66
+.41 -34.4
Cummins
4.56
3.5
37
131.07 +5.58 -25.8
SunTrst
2.00
4.1
8
49.20
+2.30 -23.8
DenburyR
1.77 +.34 -19.9
SynrgyPh
.09
+.02 -96.1
Disney
1.76
1.7
14
105.83 +5.48 -1.6
SynovusFn 1.00
3.1
11
31.81
+1.56 -33.6
DowDuPnt
1.52
2.9
17
52.23 +3.14 -26.7
3M Co
5.44
2.9
26
186.26
+7.64 -20.9
EnCana g
.06
1.0
10
5.79 +.68 -56.6
Torchmark
.64
.9
6
73.44
+2.83 -19.0
Equifax
1.56
1.7
16
92.70 +2.70 -21.4
Twitter
28.66
+2.21 +19.4
ExxonMbl
3.28
4.8
13
68.64 +3.13 -17.9
Tyson
1.20
2.3
9
52.06
+1.31 -35.8
Facebook
25
134.18+10.12 -24.0
UtdCmBks
.64
3.0
13
21.39
+.92 -24.0
FordM
.60
7.6
4
7.85 +.22 -37.1
UPS B
3.64
3.8
16
96.61
+6.72 -18.9
FrptMcM
.20
1.9
7
10.40 +.62 -45.1
VerizonCm
2.41
4.4
7
54.44
+1.39 +2.9
GenElec
.04
.5
7.39 +.47 -57.7
Vodafone
1.74
8.9
19.56
+.39 -38.7
GenuPrt
2.88
3.0
20
94.81 +2.96 -.2
WalMart
2.08
2.3
52
90.41
+4.59 -8.4
HP Inc
.64
3.2
6
20.33 +.95 -3.2
Weathflntl
.26
+.02 -93.9
Haverty
.72
3.8
19
18.77 +.63 -17.1
WeisMk
1.24
2.7
11
46.21
+1.27 +11.6
HeliosM rs
.01 -.00-100.0
WellsFargo 1.72
3.8
11
45.59
+1.99 -24.9
Hershey
2.89
2.7
23
105.63 +2.26 -6.9
YumBrnds
1.44
1.6
32
89.99
+2.97 +10.3
Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars, h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. If = Late filing
with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks, pf = Preferred, rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the
past year, rt = Right to buy security at a specified price, s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year, un = Units, vj
= In bankruptcy or receivership, wd = When distributed, wi = When issued, wt = Warrants. Fund Footnotes: m - Multiple fees are
charged, usually a marketing fee and either a sales or redemption fee. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Stock Market Indexes
Dow Jones industrials
Close: 22,878.45
Change: 1,086.25 (5.0%)
27,000
26,000
25,000
24,000
23,000
22,000
J
A
S
O
N
D
52-Week
Net
YTD
12-mo
High
Low
Name
Last
Chg
%Chg
%Chg
%Chg
26,951.81
21,792.20
Dow Industrials
22,878.45+1086.25
+4.98
-7.45
-7.65
11,623.58
8,636.79
Dow Transportation
9,102.12
+464.97
+5.38
-14.23
-14.91
762.26
647.81
Dow Utilities
703.51
+11.51
+1.66
-2.75
-2.35
13,637.02
10,769.81
NYSE Composite
11,204.09
+434.26
+4.03
-12.53
-12.62
8,133.30
6,190.17
Nasdaq Composite
6,554.35
+361.44
+5.84
-5.06
-5.55
1,309.73
1,042.77
S&P 100
1,096.95
+54.18
+5.20
-7.29
-7.64
2,940.91
2,351.10
S&P 500
2,467.70
+116.60
+4.96
-7.70
-8.01
2,053.00
1,567.37
S&P MidCap
1,639.78
+72.38
+4.62
-13.72
-13.95
30,560.54
24,151.19
Wilshire 5000
25,366.85+1215.42
+5.03
-8.73
-8.96
1,742.09
1,266.93
Russell 2000
1,329.81
+62.89
+4.96
-13.40
-13.87
24,840.
23,260
21,680 10 DAYS
Mutual Funds
Name
Total Assets
Obj ($Mlns) NAV
Total Return/Rank
4-wk 12-mo 5-year
Pet
Load
Min Init
Invt
Vanguard 500ldxAdmrl
LB
253,238
227.74
-7.5
-6.2/B
+8.2/A
NL
3,000
Vanguard TtlSMIdxAdmrl
LB
203,888
61.08
-8.0
-6.9/B
+7.6/B
NL
3,000
Fidelity 500ldxlnsPrm
LB
164,099
85.81
-7.5
-6.1/B
+8.2/A
NL
0
Vanguard TtlSMIdxinv
LB
129,896
61.06
-8.0
-7.0/C
+7.5/B
NL
3,000
Vanguard TtlnSIdxinv
FB
128,269
15.05
-4.9
14.4/B
+1.0/A
NL
0
Vanguard TtlSMIdxIns
LB
123,279
61.09
-8.0
-6.9/B
+7.6/B
NL 5
000,000
Vanguard Insldxlns
LB
116,738
223.92
-7.5
-6.2/B
+8.2/A
NL 5
,000,000
Vanguard InsidxInsPlus
LB
104,731
223.93
-7.5
-6.1/B
+8.2/A
NL100,000,000
Vanguard TtlnSIdxinsPlus
FB
95,758
100.69
-4.9
-14.3/B
+1.1/A
NL100,000,000
Fidelity Contrafund
LG
91,616
10.83
-5.6
-3.9/C
+9.0/B
NL
0
Vanguard TtBMIdxAdmrl
Cl
86,606
10.39
+1.4
-0.3/B
+2.3/B
NL
3,000
Vanguard WlngtnAdmrl
MA
86,207
63.29
-4.6
-4.4/A
+6.1/A
NL
50,000
Cl -Intermediate-Term Bond, FB -Foreign Large Blend, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth,
LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested.
Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum
$ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
