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The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Small-Cap Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Motley Fool. This strategy looks for small cap growth stocks with solid fundamentals and strong price performance.

LADDER CAPITAL CORP (LADR) is a small-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 45% to 72% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Ladder Capital Corp is a commercial real estate investment trust. The Company's segments include loans, securities, and real estate. The loans segment includes mortgage loan receivables held for investment (balance sheet loans) and mortgage loan receivables held for sale (conduit loans). The securities segment is composed of all of the Company's activities related to commercial real estate securities, which include investments in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), United States Agency Securities, corporate bonds and equity securities. The real estate segment includes net leased properties, office buildings, student housing portfolios, hotels, industrial buildings, a shopping center and condominium units. Corporate/other includes the Company's investments in joint ventures, other asset management activities and operating expenses. It invests primarily in senior first mortgage fixed and floating rate loans collateralized by commercial real estate with flexible loan structures.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of LADDER CAPITAL CORP

NAVIOS MARITIME PARTNERS L.P. (NMM) is a small-cap value stock in the Water Transportation industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 65% to 72% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Navios Maritime Partners LP is a Monaco-based international owner and operator of dry cargo and container vessels. The Company is engaged in the seaborne transportation services with a range of dry cargo commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain, fertilizer, and containers. It owns and operates its worldwide fleet with a diversified customer base which focuses on providing seaborne shipping services under long-term time charters. Panamax vessels carry a range of dry cargo commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizer and being accommodated in various discharge ports. Capesize vessels are dedicated to the carriage of iron ore and coal. Ultra-Handymax vessels works with less carrying capacity and have self-loading and discharging gear on board to accommodate undeveloped ports. It also acts as a trusted partner for industrial end users, ship owners, financial business partners, agents and brokers.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of NAVIOS MARITIME PARTNERS L.P.

ASSETMARK FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (AMK) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Investment Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 49% to 76% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc. provides a wealth management platform that powers independent financial advisers and their clients. The Company's platform provides advisers with an integrated suite of products and services that facilitates growth, streamlines workflows and provides scale to advisers' businesses, so they can better serve their clients, who are investors of all sizes. Its platform includes Flexible technology platform, Personalized and scalable adviser service, Curated investment platform and Financial planning technology. Its integrated, open-architecture platform is built for advisers. Advisers have access to a range of automated tools and capabilities that help them differentiate the client experience, including new account opening, portfolio construction, streamlined financial planning, customer billing, investor reporting, progress-to-goal analysis, and client activity tracking. It also provides a full spectrum of services for many aspects of the adviser's firm.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of ASSETMARK FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC

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About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.