Southwest Gas (SWX) Receiving Favorable Press Coverage, Analysis Shows

Media stories about Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) have trended positive on Sunday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Southwest Gas earned a coverage optimism score of 0.25 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the utilities provider an impact score of 47.6549396344059 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.

These are some of the news articles that may have effected Accern Sentiment’s scoring:

Get Southwest Gas alerts: Should You Be Tempted To Buy Southwest Gas Holdings Inc (NYSE:SWX) Because Of Its PE Ratio? (finance.yahoo.com) Jefferies Financial Group Analysts Lower Earnings Estimates for Southwest Gas Holdings Inc (SWX) (americanbankingnews.com) Jefferies Financial Group Weighs in on Southwest Gas Holdings Inc’s Q2 2018 Earnings (SWX) (americanbankingnews.com) Consolidated Research: 2018 Summary Expectations for KAR Auction Services, XPO Logistics, La-Z-Boy, Southwest Gas, Greif, and Guidewire Software �� Fundamental Analysis, Key Performance Indications (finance.yahoo.com) Southwest Gas President & CEO John P. Hester interviewed by Advisor Access (finance.yahoo.com)

Shares of NYSE:SWX opened at $77.96 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.54 and a beta of 0.53. Southwest Gas has a fifty-two week low of $62.53 and a fifty-two week high of $86.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.60 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $754.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $524.56 million. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 10.32%. Southwest Gas’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.45 EPS. research analysts expect that Southwest Gas will post 3.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 14th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.67%. Southwest Gas’s payout ratio is 57.46%.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on SWX. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Southwest Gas from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 5th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Southwest Gas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 30th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Southwest Gas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 29th. Williams Capital began coverage on shares of Southwest Gas in a research report on Tuesday, April 10th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $73.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $69.00 price objective on shares of Southwest Gas in a research report on Wednesday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $77.00.

In other Southwest Gas news, Director Thomas E. Chestnut sold 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.80, for a total transaction of $119,680.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,984,369.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Karen S. Haller sold 714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.72, for a total transaction of $50,494.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,216 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,712,555.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,903 shares of company stock worth $356,889. 0.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Southwest Gas

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, purchases, distributes, and transports natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company operates through Natural Gas Operations and Construction Services segments. As of December 31, 2017, it had 2,015,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and other natural gas customers.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:CPT,TCP,AP,TTC,NCMI,

Synovus Financial Corp bought a new stake in AllianceBernstein (NYSE:AB) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,729 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $100,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Fin Capital Inc. increased its stake in AllianceBernstein by 22.7% in the first quarter. Blue Fin Capital Inc. now owns 36,365 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $976,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in AllianceBernstein by 2.5% in the first quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 120,729 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,242,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Mission Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in AllianceBernstein in the first quarter valued at about $205,000. American Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in AllianceBernstein in the first quarter valued at about $209,000. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new stake in AllianceBernstein in the first quarter valued at about $307,000. 22.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019: Camden Property Trust(CPT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

  Get Camden Property Trust alerts: Camden Property Trust to Post Q3 2018 Earnings of $1.19 Per Share, DA Davidson Forecasts (CPT) (americanbankingnews.com) Camden Property Trust Forecasted to Earn FY2019 Earnings of $4.99 Per Share (CPT) (americanbankingnews.com) Camden Property Trust’s (CPT) CEO Ric Campo on Q1 2018 Results – Earnings Call Transcript (seekingalpha.com) Edited Transcript of CPT earnings conference call or presentation 4-May-18 3:00pm GMT (finance.yahoo.com) Camden: 1Q Earnings Snapshot (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several research firms have commented on CPT. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of Camden Property Trust to $93.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 15th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Camden Property Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. TheStreet lowered shares of Camden Property Trust from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 18th. Sandler O’Neill set a $97.00 price target on shares of Camden Property Trust and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $94.00 price target on shares of Camden Property Trust and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $90.64.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Swiss National Bank reduced its position in Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) by 5.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 451,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 28,000 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Camden Property Trust were worth $37,965,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) by 8.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 291,582 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,627 shares during the period. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.31% of Camden Property Trust worth $24,545,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Cryptaur (CURRENCY:CPT) traded up 2.6% against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 10:00 AM ET on June 14th. Cryptaur has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $255,998.00 worth of Cryptaur was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last seven days, Cryptaur has traded 2.4% higher against the US dollar. One Cryptaur token can now be purchased for $0.0042 or 0.00000065 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including HitBTC and LATOKEN.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Cryptaur (CURRENCY:CPT) traded up 3% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on June 7th. One Cryptaur token can currently be bought for about $0.0042 or 0.00000055 BTC on exchanges including LATOKEN and HitBTC. Cryptaur has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $115,915.00 worth of Cryptaur was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, Cryptaur has traded flat against the US dollar.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) was upgraded by analysts at TheStreet from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report released on Thursday.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019: TC PipeLines, LP(TCP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  That funding progress is important given an unexpected development in the quarter when the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) revised a long-standing policy and will no longer allow master limited partnerships to collect an allowance for income taxes on certain pipelines. That change could have a major impact on the cash flows of TransCanada's MLP TC Pipelines, LP (NYSE:TCP). While TC Pipelines isn't sure how much this change will impact its cash flow, it took precautionary actions by slashing its distribution to investors. That payout reduction and the related uncertainty has weighed significantly on TC Pipelines' valuation. Because of that, Girling said that "further dropdowns of assets by TransCanada into TC Pipelines is not considered a viable funding option at this time," and he isn't sure if it will be one in the future. However, he did clarify that even without future dropdowns to TC Pipelines, TransCanada believes it has the "financial capacity to fund our existing capital program through our predictable and growing cash flow from operations as well as several other funding alternatives."

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Most investors have probably heard of energy giants Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) (NYSE:RDS-B), Dominion Energy (NYSE:D), and TransCanada (NYSE:TRP). Fewer, however, are likely familiar with their publicly traded master limited partnerships (MLPs): Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE:SHLX), Dominion Energy Midstream Partners (NYSE:DM), and TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP). That might be a good thing, as the market has beaten up the latter trio this year, sending their valuations south.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) rose 30.8 percent to $22.00 in pre-market trading after declining 18.63 percent on Monday. Nevsun Resources Ltd. (NYSE: NSU) rose 14.5 percent to $3.40 in pre-market trading after Lundin Mining Corporation and Euro Sun Mining Inc. proposed to acquire Nevsun Resources for around C$1.5 billion. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) rose 15.2 percent to $4.25 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed that it entered into a license agreement with Ecrent Capital Holdings Limited. Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) shares rose 14.1 percent to $19.50 in pre-market trading after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. Impinj, Inc. (NASDAQ: PI) rose 13.4 percent to $15.40 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. SandRidge Energy, Inc. (NYSE: SD) shares rose 13.2 percent to $16.45 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) rose 12.6 percent to $4.55 in pre-market trading after jumping 171.14 percent on Monday. Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) shares rose 10 percent to $16.66 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and issued strong sales forecast for the second quarter. Pareteum Corporation (NASDAQ: TEUM) rose 9.7 percent to $3.05 in pre-market trading after announcing Q1 results. Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) rose 8 percent to $9.00 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI) rose 7.3 percent to $23.45 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG) rose 7.1 percent to $6.09 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. TC PipeLines, LP (NYSE: TCP) rose 6.4 percent to $27 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.08 percent on Monday. Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TAST) rose 6.3 percent to $11.75 in pre-market trading fol
• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  For years, Canadian pipeline giant TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) has used its master limited partnership (MLP) TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP) as a source of capital by dropping down assets to that entity in exchange for cash. However, a regulatory policy change earlier in the year hit TC Pipelines hard, which caused the MLP to slash its distribution to investors. These changes have weighed heavily on the MLP's valuation and access to capital. Because of that, TransCanada no longer believes it can use TC Pipelines as a viable funding option.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Shineco, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYHT) rose 34.7 percent to $2.29 in pre-market trading following Q3 results. Shineco posted Q3 earnings of $0.21 per share on sales of $13.3 million. Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARV) rose 15.8 percent to $12.74 in pre-market trading after surging 201.37 percent on Thursday. LiveXLive Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIVX) shares rose 11.5 percent to $7.75 in pre-market trading after climbing 64.50 percent on Thursday. Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIGR) rose 9 percent to $18.30 in pre-market trading after climbing 41.77 percent on Thursday. AmTrust Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ: AFSI) rose 6.2 percent to $14.25 in pre-market trading after a 13D filing from Carl Icahn shows a new 9.38 percent stake in the company. The filing also shows language from Icahn that strongly opposes a go-private transaction. Cerner Corporation (NASDAQ: CERN) rose 5.6 percent to $64.02 in pre-market trading after the Department of Veterans Affairs reported an agreement with Cerner Government Services, Inc. to provide seamless care for veterans. PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE: PTR) shares rose 5.3 percent to $82.05 in pre-market trading. TC PipeLines, LP (NYSE: TCP) shares rose 5.2 percent to $26.59 in the pre-market trading session. IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: IQV) shares rose 4.8 percent to $102.50 in pre-market trading as the company pulled secondary offering 'in light of recent market conditions'. Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) rose 4.5 percent to $59.70 in pre-market trading. On Thursday, Axon priced its 4.3 million share offering of common stock at $53 per share. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) rose 4.5 percent to $84 in pre-market trading. PetIQ Inc (NASDAQ: PETQ) rose 3.9 percent to $18.96 in pre-market trading after a 13G filing shows a new 5.05 percent stake by the State of New Jersey's Division of Investment. Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) shares rose 3.7 percent to $15.85 in pre-market

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Paris (AP) -- Floodwaters were nearing their peak in Paris on Saturday, with the rain-swollen Seine River engulfing scenic quays and threatening wine cellars and museum basements.

• [By ]

  Panama City, Fla. (AP) -- A man suspected of trading wild bursts of gunfire with officers during a long standoff in the Florida Panhandle was found dead Tuesday in a gasoline-soaked apartment after an armored vehicle approached, authorities said.

• [By ]

  Anchorage, Alaska (AP) -- A magnitude 8.2 earthquake off Alaska's Kodiak Island prompted a tsunami warning for a large swath of coastal Alaska and Canada's British Columbia while the remainder of the U.S. West Coast was under a watch.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019: Toro Company (TTC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Toro (NYSE:TTC) – Dougherty & Co cut their Q2 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Toro in a report issued on Tuesday, May 22nd. Dougherty & Co analyst J. Fisher now expects that the company will post earnings of $1.18 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.22.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  IFP Advisors Inc decreased its position in Toro (NYSE:TTC) by 69.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,714 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,866 shares during the quarter. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in Toro were worth $607,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Toro (NYSE:TTC) was downgraded by equities research analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy For 2019: National CineMedia, Inc.(NCMI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Standard General L.P.'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Standard+General+L.P.

  These are the top 5 holdings of Standard General L.P.National CineMedia Inc (NCMI) - 12,576,000 shares, 60.53% of the total portfolio. New PositionTime Inc (TIME) - 3,181,424 shares, 29.62% of the total portfolio. Turning Point Brands Inc (TPB) - 305,319 shares, 3.58% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 189.90%CafePress Inc (PRSS) - 2,500,000 shares, 3.12% of the total portfolio. New PositionB. Riley Financial Inc (RILY) - 167,736 shares, 1.97% of the total portfoli
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Twin Disc, Incorporated (NASDAQ: TWIN) shares surged 24.34 percent to close at $28.86 following Q3 earnings. Bioblast Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: ORPN) rose 21.89 percent to close at $2.45. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) gained 20.19 percent to close at $8.75. Evolus named David Moatazedi as new CEO. VivoPower International PLC (NASDAQ: VVPR) rose 18.56 percent to close at $3.13 on Monday after falling 39.86 percent on Friday. CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE: CVM) gained 17.09 percent to close at $2.74. athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN) shares jumped 16.39 percent to close at $146.75 on Monday after Elliott Management confirmed a $160 per share cash offer for athenahealth. Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) rose 15.45 percent to close at $27.50 after the company agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) for $27.50 per share. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) surged 15.23 percent to close at $6.43 after the company posted upbeat quarterly profit. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 14.53 percent to close at $7.33 CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR) gained 14.36 percent to close at $6.29. Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTPH) gained 12.69 percent to close at $3.64. Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) gained 12.27 percent to close at $10.89 following Q1 results. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) shares climbed 9.8 percent to close at $19.05. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) rose 4.93 percent to close at $256.89. Barclays upgraded Illumina from Equal-Weight to Overweight. Cloudera, Inc. (NYSE: CLDR) surged 3.92 percent to close at $15.63. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Cloudera with a Buy rating.

   

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) were up 0% during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $6.59 and last traded at $6.43. Approximately 2,893,100 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 285% from the average daily volume of 751,461 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.43.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) got a boost, shooting up 16 percent to $6.45 after the company posted upbeat quarterly profit.

  Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) shares were also up, gaining 16 percent to $27.52 after the company agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) for $27.50 per share.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Shares of National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) rose 29.6% in May 2018, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. A strong first-quarter report kept this roller-coaster stock chart going with another big turn.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN) shares climbed 23.2 percent to $155.19 after Elliott Management confirmed a $160 per share cash offer for athenahealth. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) gained 21.3 percent to $8.83. Evolus named David Moatazedi as new CEO. VivoPower International PLC (NASDAQ: VVPR) climbed 18.2 percent to $3.12 after falling 39.86 percent on Friday. Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) rose 15.6 percent to $27.53 after the company agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) for $27.50 per share. EP Energy Corporation (NYSE: EPE) rose 13 percent to $2.26. Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGC) gained 11.9 percent to $7.35. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) surged 11.8 percent to $6.24 after the company posted upbeat quarterly profit. Sanchez Energy Corporation (NYSE: SN) shares gained 11.3 percent to $3.56. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) shares rose 8.8 percent to $18.875. Monaker Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKGI) rose 8.7 percent to $2.9683. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE: KOS) shares rose 7.4 percent to $7.40. Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) rose 7 percent to $2.88 after climbing 1.89 percent on Friday. Cloudera, Inc. (NYSE: CLDR) surged 6 percent to $15.93. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Cloudera with a Buy rating. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) rose 5.1 percent to $257.35. Barclays upgraded Illumina from Equal-Weight to Overweight.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

The Man Who Teaches North Koreans About Business

In 2016, Geoffrey See was jolted awake on a flight run by North Korea’s national carrier as smoke swirled through the cabin. Passengers sensed that the aircraft was descending rapidly, yet their panic was met with preternatural calm by a crew who insisted nothing was amiss.

The travelers sat in white-knuckled fear as the plane made an emergency landing. Hours later, they were forced to make their own alternative plans to continue the journey, with no compensation or explanation offered. The lack of communication didn’t surprise See, who was flying on state-run Air Koryo from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

For See -- who runs Choson Exchange, a non-profit group that trains North Koreans on entrepreneurship -- the experience was an illustration of the lack of transparency and accountability commonplace in the hermit kingdom. It’s also a sign of hurdles awaiting investors in the Asian nation as Kim Jong Un seeks to overhaul one of the world’s poorest economies in the wake of a historic summit in Singapore with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump-Kim Jong Un Summit in Singapore

Source: Bloomberg

“North Korean officials typically only give you the information they think you need, and not what you seek,” said See, who got the idea for his organization in 2007 after a trip to Pyongyang. “This needs to change when the market opens up. There’s always that cultural gap, and given its paranoia, the country will take a long time to adjust to the way of doing business in the outside world.”

See, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and received a masters from Yale University, conceived Choson Exchange after meeting a North Korean student who said she aspired to enter the business world to show that women can be good leaders. Since 2009, his group has brought more than 100 North Koreans to Singapore for them to learn more about modern and developed economies.

Trump and Kim signed a declaration on Tuesday that North Korea would work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” while leaving undefined the path to eliminating Pyongyang’s atomic arsenal. The Asian nation’s leader has previously indicated that he’s seeking a deal to ease sanctions that have squeezed his country’s economy.

To read more about North Korea’s economy, click here.

Even if trade restrictions are loosened and the economy gradually opens, challenges abound for potential investors. The country’s ranked one of the lowest in the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International. New York-based Human Right Watch says that the government maintains an environment of fear and control via arbitrary arrests, torture in custody, forced labor as well as public executions.

A 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry report on North Korea said that systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the government included enslavement, rape, forced abortion, and other sexual violence, and constituted crimes against humanity.

Economics Textbook

Yet the regime -- run by the Kim family for several decades -- hasn’t stamped out its citizens’ entrepreneurial spirit, according to See. He recalls meeting the student on his first trip to Pyongyang in 2007, when he asked her what she would like from abroad. She asked for an economics textbook.

“I went in there with thoughts that it’s a communist country, that people were not interested in business, that it was a state-run economy,” said See, who believes he’s been able to gain access to the reclusive state because he’s from Singapore, which is seen by the regime as a neutral country. “But when you meet the younger generation of North Koreans, on the ground, you’d be surprised by their aspirations.”

In 2015, See’s Choson Exchange conducted a “mini MBA,” bringing 11 North Koreans for a 4-month trip to Singapore and Malaysia. The attendees returned home to mentor up to 17 startup initiatives for businesses including consumer products, electrical appliances, and even an online community for mothers to share ideas and tips.

Infrastructure, Technology

As for the areas that offer most potential in North Korea, See says the retail consumer sector as well as infrastructure development for roads, railways and housing can provide opportunities for foreign companies looking to do business in the nation. There’s also demand for ways to improve the country’s manufacturing and use of technology, he said.

These will add to growing development in industries such as minerals mining, according to See. The nation’s natural resources include coal, iron ore, limestone, graphite, copper, zinc, lead and precious metals, according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. There’s also a budding market for leisure activities, with restaurants offering food and karaoke gaining popularity among some North Koreans, he said.

“Foreign investors looking to do business in North Korea will have to take a long-term approach, meaning at least 10 years,” said See. In the previous decade, when Kim’s father was still in power, the regime would be open to entrepreneurs creating and running successful businesses one moment, only to clamp down on them in the next, he said.

Under Kim Jong Un, the government has relaxed its grip over businesses, though reform remains slow, according to See. “People are more confident about building and growing a business without the fear of it being taken away from them, and more innovative and bigger businesses are emerging as a result.”

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