Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Austerity And Suicide: The Case Of Greece

A paper claiming that austerity in Greece had caused male suicide rates to rise significantly created something of a stir this week. Some people used it to support their argument that the structural reforms imposed by the "Troika" (IMF IMF, European Commission and ECB) as a condition of Greece's bailout were economically destructive and should be abandoned. Others disputed the findings, claiming that there never was any austerity and the suicides were simply a response to difficult economic conditions.

There is no doubt that six years of deep recession in Greece have taken their toll on the population. The paper shows a statistically significant positive correlation between unemployment and male suicide, and an even more significant negative correlation between economic growth and male suicide. Economic depression, it seems, does cause some men to end it all.

Top Promising Stocks For 2015

However, that wasn't what the authors set out to prove. There is already substantial evidence that suicide rates rise in recessions. For example, this paper published in the British Medical Journal shows positive correlation between the 2008 economic recession and higher suicide rates across a wide range of countries.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015

Small cap biotech stocks AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: AVEO), OncoSec Medical Inc (OTCMKTS: ONCS) and MetaStat Inc (OTCBB: MTST) are focused on or are developing treatments or diagnostic technologies for metastatic cancers. In case you aren�� familiar with the term metastasis or metastatic, it�� the�spread of cancer from its primary site to other places in the body as cancer cells break away from a primary tumor, penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream and then grow in a new focus (metastasize) in normal tissues elsewhere in the body. In other words, it�� a dangerous form of cancer, but there are some small cap biotech stocks targeting it for diagnostics or treatment:

AVEO Pharmaceuticals. Founded on a unique drug discovery and development approach called the Human Response Platform, AVEO Pharmaceuticals is a cancer therapeutics company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing targeted therapies. Back in June, AVEO Pharmaceuticals announced that it had received a Complete Response letter from the FDA denying approval in its present form the New Drug Application (NDA) for AVEO�� investigational agent tivozanib for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma as they want an additional clinical study. AVEO Pharmaceuticals then announced a major strategic restructuring�to refocus efforts on the on-going clinical development of tivozanib in colorectal and breast cancer and on the advancement of other key pipeline and preclinical assets.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Rackspace Hosting Inc(RAX)

Rackspace Hosting, Inc. operates in the hosting and cloud computing industry. It provides information technology (IT) as a service, managing Web-based IT systems for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises worldwide. The company?s service suite includes dedicated hosting comprising customer management portal and other management tools that manage data center, network, hardware devices, and operating system software; and cloud computing that enables customers to provide and manage a pool of computing resources, as well as delivery of computing resources to business when they need them. It offers cloud servers, cloud files, and cloud sites, as well as cloud applications, such as email, collaboration, and file back-ups; and hybrid hosting that provides a combination of dedicated hosting and cloud computing services. The company also offers customer support services. It sells its service suite through direct sales teams, third-party channel partners, an d online ordering. The company was formerly known as Rackspace.com, Inc. and changed its name to Rackspace Hosting, Inc. in June 2008. Rackspace Hosting, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paulo Santos]

    Using Equinix (EQIX) and Rackspace Hosting (RAX) as comparables, I was pumped up. CONE was projecting $135 million in EBITDA for 2013 (at the midpoint of guidance). On a $445 million market capitalization with $277.7 million in net debt, it traded at an EV/EBITDA of just 5.4 times. Compare that to EQIX at 13 times or RAX at 15 times. This was a bargain and growing revenues at a 18% clip year-on-year, too, above EQIX's 10% or RAX's 15%.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading DOWN
    Shares of Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX) were down 13.47 percent to $42.67 after the company reported a 40 percent drop in its third-quarter net income.

  • [By Tim Beyers]

    Real money was on the line then as it is now, which means any one of the five stocks you see below could ruin my investment strategy. None has fit that description more in recent weeks than Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX  ) . The stock recently set a new 52-week low amid concerns over intensifying competition.

  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Monday

    Earnings Releases Expected: Sotheby�� (NYSE: BID), Otelco (NASDAQ: OTEL), Rackspace Hosting, Inc. (NYSE: RAX), Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE: RLH) Economic Releases Expected: Italian industrial production, Mexican industrial production, Portuguese trade balance

    Tuesday

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Hot Topic Inc.(HOTT)

Hot Topic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mall- and Web-based specialty retailer in the United States. The company operates Hot Topic and Torrid store concepts, as well as an e-space music discovery concept, ShockHound. Its Hot Topic stores sell music/pop culture-licensed merchandise, including tee shirts, hats, posters, stickers, patches, postcards, books, novelty accessories, CDs, and DVDs; and music/pop culture-influenced merchandise comprising women?s and men?s apparel and accessories, such as woven and knit tops, skirts, pants, shorts, jackets, shoes, costume jewelry, body jewelry, sunglasses, cosmetics, leather accessories, and gift items for young men and women primarily between the ages of 12 and 22. The company?s Torrid stores sells casual and dressy jeans and pants, fashion and novelty tops, sweaters, skirts, jackets, dresses, hosiery, shoes, intimate apparel, and fashion accessories for various lifestyles for plus-size females primarily betw een the ages of 15 and 29. As of July 30, 2011, it operated 636 Hot Topic stores in 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada; 145 Torrid stores; and Internet stores, hottopic.com and torrid.com. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in City of Industry, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marshall Hargrave]

    In May True Religion (TRGL) announced a buyout offer from TowerBrook Capital for $826 million. Also in May, Rue21 decided to sell itself to Apax Partners for $2.2 billion. Before that, in March, Hot Topic (HOTT) announced that Sycamore Partners was buying out it out for $600 million.

Top Electric Utility Companies To Own In Right Now: OCZ Technology Group Inc(OCZ)

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes computer components for computing devices and systems worldwide. It primarily offers solid state drives, flash memory storage, memory modules, thermal management solutions, AC/DC switching power supply units, and computer gaming solutions. The company?s products are used in industrial equipment and computer systems; computer and computer gaming solutions; mission critical servers and high end workstations; personal computer (PC) upgrades to extend the useable life of existing PCs; high performance computing and scientific computing; video and music editing; home theatre PCs and digital home convergence products; and digital photography and digital image manipulation computers. OCZ Technology Group, Inc. offers its products to retailers, on-line retailers, original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and distributors. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Jose, Califo rnia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    The not-so-great and wonderful OCZ
    There was no company-specific news that caused solid-state-drive maker OCZ Technology (NASDAQ: OCZ  ) to fall almost 8% Wednesday. But an article that appeared on Seeking Alpha �questioning whether the company had six months or less to live before it filed for bankruptcy seemed to coincide with its fall.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

PetroQuest Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and gas company. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, as well as onshore and in the shallow waters offshore the Gulf Coast Basin. As of December 31, 2009, the company had estimated proved reserves of 1,931 thousand barrels of oil and 167,361 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. It owned working interests in 9 net producing oil wells and 277 net producing gas wells. PetroQuest Energy was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    PetroQuest Energy Inc. (NYSE: PQ) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

    Rubicon Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: RBCN) was downgraded to Underperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: EZchip Semiconductor Limited(EZCH)

EZchip, a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the development and marketing of Ethernet network processors for networking equipment. Its products include network processor chips, evaluation boards and network-processor based systems, and development software toolkits. The company offers network processors for use in forming the silicon core of networking equipment, such as switches and routers; and for voice, video and data integration in various applications. Its network processors are single-chip solutions, which enable its customers to design multi-port line cards, such as processing and classification engines, traffic managers, media access controllers, as well as a range of specialized hardware blocks that accelerate various functions. The company offers Evaluation systems which enable customers to test NPU-based systems; and toolkits that assist customers in creating, verifying, and implementing solutions based on its network processors. It provides a library f eaturing data plane code for a range of applications, which include Metro Ethernet protocols, Multi-Protocol Label Switching, IPv4 and IPv6 routing, Access Control Lists, GPON/EPON OLT functionality, Network Address Translation, and Server Load Balancing. The company sells its products directly, and through contract manufacturers and distributors to network equipment vendors. It markets its products in Israel, China, Hong Kong, the Far East, Canada, the United States, and Europe. The company was formerly known as LanOptics Ltd. and changed its name to EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. in July 2008. EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. was founded in 1989 and is based in Yokneam, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul McWilliams]

    Paul McWilliams: Oh, absolutely. Another company that most investors probably have never heard of is a tiny little Israeli semiconductor company named EZChip (EZCH).

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) was also up, gaining 7.16 percent to $24.11 after a Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced a new product that would not threaten the company as previously thought. Equities Trading DOWN
    Shares of Cypress Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CY) were down 16.05 percent to $9.91 after the company lowered its Q3 forecast.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) shares climbed 5.80% to $23.53. The volume of EZchip Semiconductor shares traded was 635% higher than normal. EZchip Semiconductor's PEG ratio is 1.57.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: bebe stores inc.(BEBE)

bebe stores, inc. engages in the design, development, and production of women?s apparel and accessories. Its products include a range of separates, tops, dresses, active wear, and accessories in career, evening, casual, and active lifestyle categories. The company markets its products under the bebe, BEBE SPORT, bbsp, and 2b bebe brand names targeting 21 to 34-year-old woman. As of July 2, 2011, it operated 252 retail stores, and an online store at bebe.com in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Japan, and Canada, as well as 60 international licensee operated stores in south east Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Brisbane, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Women's fashion leader bebe (NASDAQ: BEBE  ) has a new face on its board of directors. The specialty retailer announced Monday it has named Narry Singh to join the board, noting his contributions in the world of digital entertainment.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include upgrades for both industrialist Aixtron (NASDAQ: AIXG  ) and fashionista bebe stores (NASDAQ: BEBE  ) . But the news isn't all good, so let's start off with a few words on...

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    LSI is cheaper than it looks
    When you stack up LSI stock against a couple of its larger competitors -- Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL  ) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN  ) , it's not immediately clear that LSI is a bargain. Right off the bat, you can see that the stock sells for 30 times earnings -- while TI costs only 23.3 times earnings, and Marvell costs an even 22.0.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    We have tracked the key short interest changes as of September 30 in the following semiconductor leaders: Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC), Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD), Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK), Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), ARM Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: ARMH), Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM), Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA), Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT). We also chose to look at how the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSEMKT: SMH) has held up.

  • [By Damian Illia]

    Texas Instruments (TXN) designs and manufactures semiconductors and is one of the largest suppliers of analog and Digital Signal Processing (DPS) integrated circuits. Considering the sales reported in 2012, the three main products segments were analog (55% of revenue), embedded processing (15%) and wireless (11%).

  • [By Chuck Saletta]

    Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN  ) is a selection for the real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio. In this brief video, portfolio manager Chuck Saletta offers two-and-a-half reasons he's holding on to Texas Instruments' stock despite its substantial rise since he bought those shares a little more than a year ago.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Panera Bread Company(PNRA)

Panera Bread Company, together with its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises retail bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. Its bakery-cafes offer fresh baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads, custom roasted coffees, and other complementary products, as well as provide catering services. The company also manufactures and supplies dough and other products to company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes. As of March 29, 2011, it owned and franchised 1,467 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Nicole Seghetti]

    Putting a premium on premium
    The Placed survey "Dining Out in America, Part 2: The Impact of New Menu Items, Value, and Nutrition" studied where consumers who'd pay extra money for healthy menu options were most likely to dine. Nutrition-conscious consumers were 31% more likely to pay a premium to eat healthier at Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) , which topped the list. Also near the top of the list were Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX  ) , where consumers were 19% and 16%, respectively, more likely to seek out these offerings.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) has gained 1.6% to $425.84 after it was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight by Morgan Stanley, while Panera Bread (PNRA) has fallen 1.7% to $161.25 after the investment bank downgraded it to Equal Weight from Overweight.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: InterDigital Inc.(IDCC)

Interdigital, Inc. engages in the design and development of digital wireless technology solutions. The company offers technology solutions for use in digital cellular and wireless products and networks, including 2G, 3G, 4G, and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It holds patents related to the fundamental technologies that enable wireless communications. The company licenses its patents to equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular and IEEE 802-related products; and licenses or sells mobile broadband modem solutions, including modem IP, know-how, and reference platforms to mobile device manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and other equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular products. InterDigital?s solutions are incorporated in various products comprising mobile devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, notebook computers, and wireless personal digital assistants; wireless infrastructure equipment, such as base stations; and components, dongles, and modules for wireless devices. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Endeavor IP isn't the only publicly-traded intellectual property enforcement company out there. It is, however, the only one to focus on quality over quantity. Whereas other players like patent portfolio names like InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) and Vringo, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRNG) will literally buy patents by the hundreds - perhaps sometimes without even knowing what some of those patents even cover - in an effort to arm itself with any and every possible patent for any and every contingency. Most are likely worthless, which means companies like InterDigital or Vringo may have wasted shareholder money by buying IP that isn't capable of bearing revenue.

  • [By Alex Planes]

    Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC  ) is about to raise its global profile following an international patent licensing deal. The company announced that it has entered an agreement with Spain-based Teltronic Unipersonal for the latter to license a set of its 4G technologies. The terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN)

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of treatments for infectious diseases. The company focuses on the development of antivirals for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C; and the development of antibacterials for the treatment of resistant bacterial infections. Its drug candidates for the treatment of chronic HCV include ACH-1625, a protease inhibitor, which is in phase IIa clinical trial for the treatment of chronic HCV; ACH-2684, a pangenotypic protease inhibitor, which is in phase I clinical trial for the treatment of chronic HCV infection; and NS5A inhibitors for the treatment of chronic HCV infection, including ACH-2928, which is to enter a phase I clinical trial, as well as various additional NS5A inhibitors in preclinical development. Its pipeline of product candidates also includes ACH-702 and ACH-2881 for drug resistant bacterial infections; elvucitabine for HIV infection; and AC H-1095 for HCV infection. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in New Haven, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN) has plunged 51% to $3.53 after the FDA kept a hold on its hepatitis C drug in trials. The stock was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    The latest hepatitis-C nightmare came from Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACHN  ) which plunged 24% on the week after the FDA placed a clinical hold on its lead compound, sovaprevir (previously known as ACH-1625) because of a worrisome drug-to-drug interaction noted in early stage trials. According to Achillion's update, sovaprevir, when studied with atazanavir, was associated with elevated ALT enzymes in the liver, although no serious adverse events were documented. Even though the FDA is allowing Achillion to continue studying sovaprevir in its mid-stage trial with ACH-3102, it's just another setback for Achillion which is miles behind Gilead Sciences�and AbbVie�in terms of time it will take to bring a new hepatitis-C therapy to market.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now

On Jul 12, 2013, shares of ACE Limited (ACE) reached a 52-week High of $93.57. The momentum was driven by the property and casualty insurer�� continued efforts to expand its product portfolio to ramp up its growth profile.

Recently, ACE USA has taken a step to expand its web-based desktop portal, ACE Worldview. We expect the extension of the technology to ARM business to help the company augment its primary casualty line of business, thereby strengthening its competitive position in the market.

Earlier, ACE USA introduced new services through its risk management services company, ESIS Inc. pertaining to the healthcare industry construction projects. This launch was an augmentation to the company�� Contractors Pollution Liability (CPL) coverage named Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) launched in Jun 2013.

Last month, ACE Limited formed a new specialty casualty division within its excess and surplus lines insurance company, ACE Westchester. The formation of the new division is aimed at expanding the Specialty Casualty business of ACE Limited in the U.S. The division will cater to industries like construction, auto and railroad transportation, energy and public entities.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)

Kohl?s Corporation operates department stores in the United States. The company?s stores offer private and exclusive, as well as national branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children; soft home products, such as sheets and pillows; and housewares primarily to middle-income customers. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 1,089 stores in 49 states. The company also offers on-line shopping on its Web site at Kohls.com. Kohl?s Corporation was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Steven Russolillo]

    Other stocks on Goldman’s 2014 list include Target Corp.(TGT), Kohl's Corp.(KSS) and Avon Products(AVP). Goldman says investors should use the chart below “as a starting point for identifying stocks likely to reverse 2013 underperformance in 1Q 2014.”

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL)

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (Delta) provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company�� route network gives it a presence in every domestic and international market. Delta�� route network is centered around the hub system it operate at airports in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Each of these hub operations includes flights that gather and distribute traffic from markets in the geographic region surrounding the hub to domestic and international cities and to other hubs. The Company�� network is supported by a fleet of aircraft that is varied in terms of size and capabilities.

Delta has bilateral and multilateral marketing alliances with foreign airlines to improve its access to international markets. These arrangements can include code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer program benefits, shared or reciprocal access to passenger lounges, joint promotions, common use of airport gates and ticket counters, ticket office co-location, and other marketing agreements. Its international code-sharing agreements enable it to market and sell seats to an expanded number of international destinations. The Company has international codeshare arrangements with Aeromexico, Air France, Air Nigeria, Alitalia, Aeroflot, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Olympic Air, Royal Air Maroc, VRG Linhas Aereas (operating as GOL), Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia and WestJet Airlines.

In addition to the Company�� marketing alliance agreements with individual foreign airlines, it is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Delta also has frequent flyer and reciprocal lounge agreements with Hawaiian Airlines, and codesharing agreements with American Eagle Airlines (American Eagle) and Hawaiian Airlines. It has air service agreements with multiple do! mestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to its route system by serving passengers primarily in small-and medium-sized cities.

Through the Company�� regional carrier program, it has contractual arrangements with 10 regional carriers to operate regional jet and, in certain cases, turbo-prop aircraft using its DL designator code. In addition to Delta�� wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, it has contractual arrangements with ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. and SkyWest Airlines, Inc., both subsidiaries of SkyWest, Inc.; Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. and Shuttle America Corporation, both subsidiaries of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.; Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (Mesaba), both subsidiaries of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (Pinnacle); Compass Airlines, Inc. (Compass) and GoJet Airlines, LLC, both subsidiaries of Trans States Holdings, Inc. (Trans States), and American Eagle.

The Company�� SkyMiles program allows program members to earn mileage for travel awards by flying on Delta, Delta�� regional carriers and other participating airlines. Mileage credit may also be earned by using certain services offered by program participants, such as credit card companies, hotels and car rental agencies. In addition, individuals and companies may purchase mileage credits. The Company reserves the right to terminate the program with six months advance notice, and to change the program�� terms and conditions at any time without notice.

SkyMiles program mileage credits can be redeemed for air travel on Delta and participating airlines, for membership in the Company�� Delta Sky Clubs and for other program participant awards. Mileage credits are subject to certain transfer restrictions and travel awards are subject to capacity controlled seating. During the year ended December 31, 2011, program members redeemed more than 275 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for more than 12 million award redemptions. During 2011, 8.2% of revenue miles flown on Delta were from a! ward trav! el.

The Company generates cargo revenues in domestic and international markets through the use of cargo space on regularly scheduled passenger aircraft. Delta is a member of SkyTeam Cargo, an airline cargo alliance. SkyTeam Cargo offers a network spanning six continents and provides customers an international product line.

The Company has several other businesses arising from its airline operations, including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO); staffing services for third parties; vacation wholesale operations, and its private jet operations. Delta�� MRO operation, known as Delta TechOps, is an airline MRO in North America. In addition to providing maintenance and engineering support for its fleet of approximately 775 aircraft, Delta TechOps serves more than 150 aviation and airline customers. Its staffing services business, Delta Global Services, provides staffing services, professional security, training services and aviation solutions to approximately 150 customers. The Company�� vacation wholesale business, MLT Vacations, is the provider of vacation packages in the United States. Its private jet operations, Delta Private Jets, provides aircraft charters, aircraft management and programs allowing members to purchase flight time by the hour.

The Company competes with SkyTeam, United Air Lines, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

    Delta Air Lines provides services that are seeing increased demand as travel for work or leisure becomes more important. The company is making fundamental changes to its frequent flier program and will reward those who buy its priciest tickets. The stock has moved higher in recent years and is currently trading near all-time highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise, which has pleased investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Delta Air Lines has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Delta Air Lines to continue to OUTPERFORM.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    After surging out of the gate this year, shares of United Continental (UAL) have had something of a bumpy ride after announcing that flight cancellations caused by the winter weather would hit its sales. Today, however, United Continental is getting a lift from reports that more passengers will fly this spring than have in six year. American Airlines (AAL) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) are also getting a boost.

Top High Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: EXACT Sciences Corporation(EXAS)

Exact Sciences Corporation, a molecular diagnostics company, focuses on developing a molecular diagnostic technology for the early detection and prevention of colorectal pre-cancer and cancer. The company develops the Cologuard, a non-invasive stool-based DNA colorectal cancer screening test that is designed to detect each of the four stages of colorectal cancer, as well as pre-cancerous lesions. Its test includes proprietary and patented methods, which isolate and analyze the trace amounts of human DNA that are shed into stool every day from the exfoliation of cells that line the colon. The company?s Cologuard test is also used to detect blood in stool, utilizing an antibody-based fecal immunochemical test. It has a strategic alliance agreement with LabCorp under which it licenses its patents and patent applications relating to the stool-based colorectal cancer screening technology to LabCorp; a collaboration, license, and purchase agreement with Genzyme Corporation to d eliver intellectual property improvements through licenses; and a license agreement with MAYO Foundation for medical education and research. Exact Sciences Corporation was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Keith Speights]

    Year-to-date gains of 25% don't really tell the full story for molecular diagnostics company Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS  ) . There have been plenty of big ups and downs to get to those 25% gains. Since late April, the stock is actually up almost 70%.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Tuesday
    Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS  ) steps up in the morning with fresh financials, but don't hold out for a profit. This is a molecular diagnostics company that's still early in the process of tackling colorectal cancer. If investors are eager for more information, Exact Sciences is hosting its annual shareholder meeting two days later.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of EXACT Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS  ) , a molecular diagnostics company focused on cancer and pre-cancer colorectal screening tests, nosedived as much as 30% following the release of top-line data from the company's Deep-C clinical trial for Cologuard.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading DOWN
    Shares of Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) were down on the last session of 2013, falling 5.50 percent to $11.60 despite little news on the name.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: NetSpend Holdings Inc.(NTSP)

Netspend Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit and payroll cards, and alternative financial service solutions to underbanked and other consumers in the United States. Its GPR cards offer access to FDIC-insured depository accounts with a menu of pricing and features tailored to underbanked consumers needs; and serves as access devices to an FDIC-insured depository account with a bank. The company also provides various products and services to its cardholders, such as direct deposit, interest-bearing savings accounts, bill pay functionality, card-to-card transfer capability, personal financial management tools, and online and mobile phone card account access, as well as overdraft protection through its issuing Banks, and complimentary insurance coverage services. Netspend Holdings, Inc. markets its cards through various distribution channels, including retail distributors, direct-to-consumer and online marketi ng programs, and contractual relationships with corporate employers. As of December 31, 2011, it offered approximately 2.1 million active cards through approximately 600 retail distributors at approximately 40,000 locations; and reload services through approximately 450 retailers at approximately 130,000 locations. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jane Edmondson]

    One additional item of note: the stock has been a rumored take-out candidate since another large competitor, NetSpend (NTSP), received an offer to be acquired in February by global payment solutions provider TSYS (TSS).

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Primo Water Corporation(PRMW)

Primo Water Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides three- and five-gallon purified bottled water, self-serve filtered drinking water, water dispensers, and carbonating beverage appliances in the United States and Canada. The company?s Primo Water segment sells multi-gallon purified bottled water and self-serve filtered drinking water vending service through retailers in the United States and Canada. It offers its services through point of purchase display racks or self-serve filtered water vending displays, and recycling centers. Its Primo Dispensers segment sells water dispensers that are designed to dispense Primo and other dispenser-compatible bottled water. This segment engages in dispensers sales primarily through retailers. The company also offers home beverage appliances, flavor concentrates, carbon dioxide cylinders, and accessories used with the appliances to make various cold beverages. As of December 31, 2011, its exchange and refill services wer e offered in each of the contiguous United States and in Canada at approximately 23,600 combined retail locations. Primo Water Corporation was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    SodaStream bears pointed to Primo Water's (NASDAQ: PRMW  ) FlavorStation as a potential SodaStream slayer two years ago. The bottled water distributor had plenty of retail connections for its flagship H2O but it only managed to get one major retailer -- a home-improvement superstore chain, at that -- to sell FlavorStation carbonators and flavors.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: U.S. Bancorp(USB)

U.S. Bancorp, a financial services holding company, provides various banking and financial services in the United States. It generates various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market savings, and time certificates of deposit accounts. The company originates a portfolio of loans comprising commercial loans and lease financing; commercial real estate; residential mortgage; and retail loans consisting of credit cards, retail leasing, home equity and second mortgages, and other retail loans. It also offers wholesale lending, equipment finance, small-ticket leasing, depository, treasury management, capital markets, foreign exchange, and international trade services to middle market, large corporate, commercial real estate, and public sector clients. In addition, U.S. Bancorp provides telebanking and automated teller machine (ATM) services, as well as cash management services. The company, through other subsidiaries, provides trust, private banking, financial advisory, investment management, retail brokerage services, insurance, and custody and fund services; and payment services, including consumer and business credit cards, stored-value cards, debit cards, corporate and purchasing card services, consumer lines of credit, and merchant processing. U.S. Bancorp primarily serves individuals, estates, foundations, business corporations, and charitable organizations. It operates a network of approximately 3,031 banking offices and 5,310 ATMs. The company was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Solar financing gets bigger
    There were a couple of big announcements in solar financing this week. Sunrun said it has closed on $630 million worth of residential solar financing, backed by US Bancorp (NYSE: USB  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) . There's been a rush to solar by big banks this year, and this is just the latest investment they've made. US Bancorp has been investing in residential solar for years, but this is the first such investment by JPMorgan, an important shift for the company. �

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Malvern Federal Bancorp Inc.(MLVF)

Malvern Federal Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Malvern Federal Savings Bank, which is a federally chartered savings bank. It provides banking services in Pennsylvania. The company engages in attracting deposits from the general public and using those funds to invest in loans and investment securities. Its deposit products include interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, as well as money market, savings, and certificate of deposit accounts. The company?s loan products principally include one-to four family residential mortgage loans; and consumer loans comprising home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans, unsecured personal loans, and loans secured by deposits. It conducts business from its headquarters and eight full-service branches in Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Paoli, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    Malvern Federal (MLVF) is a great example of a small financial institution at a cheap price with a sound financial condition. The bank has 8 branches in the Chester and Delaware counties of Pennsylvania. The bank has been around since 1897 and currently has about $600 million in assets. MLVF has a great balance sheet, with an equity-to-assets ratio of 10.9 and nonperforming assets that are just 1.98% of total assets.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.B)

Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), incorporated on February 5, 2002, is an independent oil and gas company. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting Shell. Shell is engaged worldwide in the principal aspects of the oil and gas industry and also has interests in chemicals and other energy-related businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream International and Upstream Americas, which are engaged in searching for and recovering crude oil and natural gas; the liquefaction and transportation of gas; the extraction of bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil, and wind energy. Downstream is engaged in manufacturing; distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals, in alternative energy (excluding wind), and carbon dioxide (CO2) management. Corporate represents the key support functions, comprising holdings and treasury, headquarters, central functions and Shell�� self-insurance activities. In October 2011, the Company bought a marine terminal on Canada's Pacific Coast as a possible site for a liquefied natural gas export terminal. In January 2012, the Company's 50% owned, Australia Arrow Energy Holdings Pty Ltd acquired all of the shares in Bow Energy Ltd. In January 2014, Royal Dutch Shell plc completed the acquisition of Repsol S.A.'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio outside North America.

Upstream International manages the Upstream businesses outside the Americas. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, liquefies and transports gas, and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream International also manages Shell�� entire liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) business, gas to liquids (GTL) and the wind business in Europe. Its activities are organized primarily within geographical units, although there are some activities that are mana! ged across the businesses or provided through support units.

Upstream Americas manages the Upstream businesses in North and South America. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, transports gas and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream Americas also extracts bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil. Additionally, it manages the United States-based wind business. It comprises operations organized into business-wide managed activities and supporting activities.

Downstream manages Shell�� manufacturing, distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals. These activities are organized into globally managed classes of business, although some are managed regionally or provided through support units. Manufacturing and supply includes refining, supply and shipping of crude oil. Marketing sells a range of products including fuels, lubricants, bitumen and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for home, transport and industrial use. Chemicals produces and markets petrochemicals for industrial customers, including the raw materials for plastics, coatings and detergents. Downstream also trades Shell�� flow of hydrocarbons and other energy-related products, supplies the Downstream businesses, markets gas and power and provides shipping services. Downstream additionally oversees Shell�� interests in alternative energy (including biofuels, and excluding wind) and CO2 management.

Projects and Technology manages the delivery of Shell�� major projects and drives the research and innovation to create technology solutions. It provides technical services and technology capability covering both Upstream and Downstream activities. It is also responsible for providing functional leadership across Shell in the areas of health, safety and environment, and contracting and procurement.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dividend Growth Investor]

    The company�� last dividend increase was in April 2013 when the Board of Directors approved a 10.50% increase to 63 cents/share. The company�� largest competitors include Chevron (CVX), British Petroleum (BP) and Royal Dutch (RDS.B). In late 2012, I replaced Exxon Mobil with a position in ConocoPhillips.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: Customers Bancorp Inc (CUBI)

Customers Bancorp, Inc. (Customers Bancorp), incorporated in April 2010, through its wholly owned subsidiary Customers Bank (the Bank), provides financial products and services to small businesses, not-for-profits and consumers through its fourteen branches in Southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Berks, Chester and Delaware Counties), Rye, New York (Westchester County) and Hamilton, New Jersey (Mercer County). Customers Bank also provides liquidity to the mortgage market worldwide through the operation of its mortgage warehouse business. As of December 31, 2011, Customers Bancorp had total assets of $2.08 billion, including net loans (including held for sale loans) of $1.50 billion, total deposits of $1.58 billion. The Company offers a range of banking products and financial services to its commercial and consumer customers in Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Central New Jersey and Southeastern New York. It offers a range of lending products to cater to its customers��needs, including small business loans, mortgage warehouse loans, multi-family and commercial real estate loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. It also offers traditional depository products, including commercial and consumer checking accounts, non-interest-bearing demand accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts and time deposit accounts and cash management services. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of Customers Bancorp. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bancorp acquired Berkshire Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiary Berkshire Bank. In May 2013, Customers Bancorp Inc merged with CMS Bancorp Inc.

Lending Activities

The Company focuses its lending efforts to the lending areas, such as commercial lending, which includes business, small business and multi-family and commercial real estate lending; specialty Lending, which include warehouse lending, and consumer lending, which include local market mortgage lending and home equity lending. It also pr! ovide warehouse financing worldwide and multi-family lending in the Mid-Atlantic States.

The Bank�� commercial lending is segmented into three groups, which include multi-family and commercial real estate, business banking and small business banking. The small business banking platform originates loans, including small business administration loans, through the branch network sales force and a team of dedicated small business relationship managers. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated and closed $121.5 million of multi-family loans commitments. As of December 31, 2011, it had $536.9 million in commercial loans outstanding, comprising approximately 35.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During 2011, it originated and closed $167.7 million of commercial loans and commitments. As of December 31, 2011, loans in its warehouse lending portfolio, as well as loans held for sale totaled $794.3 million outstanding, comprising approximately 52.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it funded $7.7 billion of mortgage loans under warehouse facilities.

The Company offers a range of deposit products to its customers, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and other deposit accounts, including fixed-rate, fixed-maturity retail time deposits ranging in terms from 30 days to five years, individual retirement accounts, and non-retail time deposits consisting of jumbo certificates greater than or equal to $100,000. As of December 31, 2011, its deposit portfolio was consisted of 54.9% of core deposits. Its financial products include Internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment, lock box services, remote deposit capture services, courier services, merchant processing services, cash vault, controlled disbursements, positive pay and cash management services (including account reconciliation, collections and sweep accounts).

! Sources o! f Fund

The Company offers a range of deposit accounts, including checking, savings, money market and time deposits. Deposits are obtained primarily from its service area. As of December 31, 2011, the total deposits grew to $1.58 billion.

Investment Activities

The Company�� investment securities portfolio consists of United States Treasury, government agency and mortgage-backed securities (guaranteed by an agency of the United States government and non-agency guaranteed), municipal securities, domestic corporate debt, and asset-backed securities. In addition to generating revenue, it maintains the investment portfolio to manage interest rate risk, provide liquidity, provide collateral for other borrowings and diversify the credit risk of earning assets. As of December 31, 2011, $79.1 million of its investment securities were classified as available for sale (AFS). As of December 31, 2011, the fair value of its investment securities portfolio was approximately $409.9 million. As of December 31, 2011, it held $319.5 million of investment securities that were classified as held to maturity (HTM).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    Wyomissing, Pa.-based Customers Bancorp (NASDAQ: CUBI  ) has a new CFO.

    On Tuesday, Customers Bancorp announced that Interim Chief Financial Officer James D. Hogan�intends to retire from the bank on Aug. 13. Replacing Hogan will be Robert E. Wahlman, a new hire from Doral Financial, who will join Customers initially in the post of executive vice president on Aug. 5, and then be promoted to permanent CFO on the 13th.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Buy Right Now: 1st NRG Corp (FNRC)

1st NRG Corp., incorporated on January 18, 1988, is an exploration and production company. The Company is engaged in the development of the Clabaugh Ranch Field, which is a project developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM). This project includes a development of 6,025 gross acres in the Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming. The Company is expanding its activities into unconventional shale through a participation agreement covering approximately 7,000 acres initially and subsequently acquired acreage covering an Area of Mutual Interest in South Eastern Ohio. Its production revenues are entirely from the natural gas produced at Clabaugh Ranch.

The targeted coal seams in the Powder River Basin are part of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union formation and have been mapped as natural resource developments and exploration have occurred throughout the region. The Company has 42 drilled wells, which have encountered developed coal seams in the Werner, Upper and Lower Smith, Wyodak/Anderson Lower, Gates and Wall formations. In total the Company has identified 515 separate coals seams for development of which only 126 (42 wells X 3 seams) have been completed.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    What�� the Catch With Quantum Energy Inc? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k and $3.5k have or will occur to mention Quantum Energy in various investment newsletters. On Friday, Quantum Energy released the pricing of its recently announced $5,000,000 BDC funding to be arranged by Data Capital Corp (DCC) where the latter has agreed to assist the former in the formation of a Business Development Company (BDC) by forming Quantum Funding, Inc. as a BDC to raise an initial $5,000,000. Upon receipt of the funding, Quantum Funding, Inc. will then be acquired as a subsidiary by QEGY in a share exchange where the $5,000,000 subsidiary will be acquired for 10,000,000 shares of newly issued restricted common stock for a valuation of $0.50 cents per share. Otherwise and early in the month, Quantum Energy announced it was shifting its focus from the West Texas Barnett Shale fields to North Dakota with the opening of an office in Williston, North Dakota. However, a quick look on Google Finance (as there are no up to date financials on Yahoo! Finance) reveals Quantum Energy has no revenues; a net loss of $0.01M (most recent reported quarter), net income of $2.01M and a net loss of $0.02M for the past three fiscal quarters; and $0.01M in cash to cover $0.34M in current liabilities at the end of last August. Then again, the recent financing deal could get things moving for Quantum Energy next year.

    1st NRG Corp (OTCMKTS: FNRC) Gives a Drilling and Production Update

    Small cap 1st NRG Corp is an exploration and production company currently developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM) in Wyoming. On Friday, 1st NRG Corp fell 25% to $0.0003 for a market cap of $5.02 million plus FNRC is down 97.1% since the start of the year and down 99.8% since July 2010 according to Google Finance.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

MCD Earnings Clouds McDonald’s Stock Outlook (MCD)

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Welcome to the Stock of the Day.

McDonalds185 MCD Earnings Clouds McDonald's Stock Outlook (MCD)For over the past year or so, McDonald’s (MCD) has been stuck in a rut as some of the world’s hottest emerging markets cooled down. But Tuesday morning’s Q1 earnings report suggests that McDonald’s could have a stronger second quarter. What’s the story behind the Golden Arches? Let’s find out.

Company Profile

Everyone knows the McDonald’s name and the golden arches; the burger chain has been a staple of the American culture for seven decades. There are nearly 14,000 McDonald’s in the U.S., but the company’s massive international operations remain the key to steady sales growth.

To date, the company operates over 35,000 restaurants across 119 countries. The stock currently yields 3.2%, but as I’ll discuss shortly, yield seekers may want to think twice before sinking their teeth into this stock.

Earnings Rundown

The fast food giant announced that it earned $1.205 billion on $6.7 billion in the first quarter. Compared with the year ago quarter this represents a 5% decline in earnings and a 1.4% increase in sales. Adjusted earnings were $1.12 per share, which missed the $1.26 consensus EPS estimate by 4%. McDonald’s sales also missed analyst estimates of $6.73 billion in revenue by a hair. The company posted 0.5% comparable stores growth across locations around the world.

According to management, McDonald’s is working to stabilize its core markets, including the U.S., Germany, Australia and Japan. The company expects modest comparable sales growth in the second quarter, but that’s simply not enough to warrant a buy recommendation from me.

Current Ratings

Before you buy any stock, you should always run it through my free Portfolio Grader ratings system. This Conservative stock has been in a rut for the past year and one look at its stock report reveals why.

To start, institutional buying pressure has remained weak; MCD currently receives a D for its Quantitative Grade. On the fundamentals side, MCD could also use some work: Of the eight fundamental metrics I graded this company on, only return on equity received a good grade (A).

The other seven fundamentals, including sales growth, earnings growth and cash flow, all received C- or D-ratings. So MCD receives a C for its Fundamental Grade.

Bottom Line: As of this original posting on April 22, I consider McDonald’s stock  a C-rated Hold.

Friday, April 25, 2014

GM sales off 11%, while Ford up 6%; Chrysler up 1%

General Motors today reported sales fell 11% -- more than expected -- in September from a year ago, while Detroit rivals Ford reported a nearly 6% sales gain for September and Chrysler Group eked out a slight 1% gain.

GM, at 187,195 sales, outsold Ford by only about 2,000 for the month.

None of the automakers are expected to report big year-over-year gains for the month because September 2013 had two fewer selling days than last year and the big Labor Day weekend fell in August this year.

But the annualized selling rate for the month is forecast to continue the year's momentum at a very strong 15.3 to 15.7 million.

Highlights from the automakers' reports:

GENERAL MOTORS

• Buick sales were up 6% and Cadillac rose 10%, but the Chevrolet volume brand was down 14% and GMC trucks fell 9.7%. GM's new pickup trucks a just now fully available in all configurations at dealers, but there have been reports of more demand than supply of the most popular versions.

• Retail sales were down 6%, fleet sales were down 27%. Retail sales were up 2 percent on a selling day-adjusted basis.

• Sales of the redone Malibu, which has struggled, were up 29% and retail sales of the new Impala were up 64% (though the old Impala had become heavily a fleet product).

FORD

Ford's 6% gain to 185,146 was good for its best September since 2006, before the Great Recession.

The biggest sales driver was the continuing boom in pickup truck sales, with the F-Series trucks posting a fifth consecutive month of more than 60,000 sales.

The redone Fusion mid-size sedan also continued its strong year with sales up 62% to 19,972, while the Fiesta subcompact was up 29% to 5,043 -- and Ford said these cars were building sales in markets where Ford has been week in the past.

Best India Stocks To Buy Right Now

"We're particularly encouraged by the strength of the Fusion and Fiesta! , especially in coastal markets," said Ken Czubay, U.S. sales head, in a statement.

Ford said Fusion retail sales were up 59% in the West and 26% in the Southeast, while Fiesta is up 41% in the West.

Continuing to show signs of life for the nearly moribund Lincoln brand, the new MKZ sedan sold 2,874, up 12%, adding a fifth monthly best, Ford said.

CHRYSLER

Chrysler's sales of 143,017, were just enough to extend its string of monthly sales increases to 42.

Driving the month were pickup trucks, with Ram Truck the leading brand with sales up 8%. The Chrysler and Dodge brands also posted gains.

SUVs also were a highlight, with the sales of the refreshed Jeep Grand Cherokee up 19% and the refreshed Dodge Durango up 66%.

Reid Bigland, Chrysler's U.S. sales head, expects industry sales to be down slightly when all makers have reported today, so was happy to show a gain. "Even though industry sales dipped during September, Chrysler Group still managed to eke out a slight sales increase for the month," said Bigland in statement.

Highlights:

• Ram Truck's September was its best since 2007.

• Dodge brand sales were up 3%, and the Dart compact, which struggled at launch, managed a fourth month of year-over-year gains, up 51% to 7,922.. Sales of the Charger sedan were up 49%.

• Chrysler brand brand was up 2%, with the 300 sedan up 6%.

• The Jeep brand, with the Liberty gone since last August and still no Cherokee replacement for sale, dropped 5%, despite the Grand Cherokee gain and Compass sales up 27%.

• Fiat sales fell 24%, ending an 18-month string of gains. The new four-door 500L just srriving sold 1,031, helping make up for a 49% plummet in sales of the 500 coupe to 2,126.

General Motors will automakers will be added to this post when it reports this morning.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015

Online donations to U.S. nonprofit groups are growing much faster than other types of gifts, according to new research by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Chronicle found that online donations in 2012 grew to $2.1 billion, a 14% increase from the previous year, based on information provided by online-fundraising processors Blackbaud, Network for Good and PayPal.

Online giving to the country’s biggest charitable groups also grew by 14%, it said.

Meanwhile, the Chronicle noted, total donations grew only 3.5%, or 1.5% adjusted for inflation, according to Giving USA's yearly study.

Notwithstanding continued growth, online giving still accounts for only a small fraction of most charities’ budgets. According to the Chronicle’s research, the median share is just 2.1% of all donations from private sources for the large charities surveyed.

That’s changing. Nearly three-quarters of the groups surveyed had a goal for online donations to account for more than 10% of their overall fundraising efforts in coming years, and about a fifth expected Internet gifts to account for as much as 20% of their overall donations.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Synergy Resources Corp (SYRG)

Synergy Resources Corporation, incorporated on May 11, 2005, is an oil and gas operator in Colorado. The Company is focused on the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties primarily located in the Denver-Julesburg Basin (D-J Basin) in northeast Colorado. Effective November 13, 2013, Synergy Resources Corp acquired 21 undisclosed oil and gas producing wells, located in Wattenberg Field, Colorado.

As of October 31, 2013, the Company has 374,000 gross and 245,000 net acres under lease, substantially all of which are located in the D-J Basin. Of this acreage, 12,550 gross acres are held by production. In addition to the approximately 22,000 net developed and undeveloped acres that the Company hold in the Wattenberg Field, it hold undeveloped acreage positions in the northern extension area of the D-J Basin, in an area around Yuma County that produces dry gas, and in western Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Value Digger]

    As peers, I selected Artek Exploration (ARKXF.PK), RMP Energy (OEXFF.PK), Synergy Resources (SYRG) and Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR). The first two firms trade also on the main Toronto board under the tickers RTK.TO and RMP.TO respectively. These peers comply with the following criteria:

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT)

MFS Multimarket Income Trust (the Trust) is a closed-end fund and maintains a portfolio that includes investments in investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, United States Government securities, and international investment-grade and emerging markets debt securities. The Trust's investment objective is to seek high-current income, but may also consider capital appreciation. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007, shares of the Trust provided a total return of 5.19%, at net asset value, underperforming the Multimarket Income Trust Blended Index, the EMBI Global, Government/Mortgage and United States High-Yield indices.

The Trust is managed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS). MFS normally invests at least 80% of the fund's net assets in fixed income securities. MFS may also invest the fund's assets in equity securities. MFS may invest up to 100% of the fund's assets in lower quality debt instruments, including those that are in default. MFS may invest the fund's assets in United States and foreign securities, including emerging market securities.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Perhaps more importantly for income seekers, due to the use of leverage, many CEFs pay above-average dividends — to the tune of 5 to 8%. Here are some of the best bargains in CEFs today.

    MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT)

    Discount to NAV: 11.96%
    Distribution Yield: 6.76%

Top 10 Gas Companies To Own In Right Now: Fuel Tech Inc.(FTEK)

Fuel Tech, Inc. uses a suite of advanced technologies to provide boiler optimization, efficiency improvement, and air pollution reduction and control solutions to utility and industrial customers worldwide. It operates through two segments, Air Pollution Control Technologies and FUEL CHEM Technologies. The Air Pollution Control Technologies segment includes technologies, such as low and ultra low NOx Burners, over-fire air systems, NOxOUT and HERT selective non-catalytic reduction systems, and advanced selective catalytic reduction systems to reduce NOx emissions in flue gas from boilers, incinerators, furnaces, and other stationary combustion sources. This segment distributes its products through direct sales force and agents. The FUEL CHEM Technologies segment uses chemical processes in combination with advanced computational fluid dynamics and chemical kinetics modeling boiler modeling for the control of slagging, fouling, corrosion, opacity, and other sulfur trioxide-r elated issues in furnaces and boilers through the addition of chemicals into the furnace using Targeted In-Furnace Injection technology. This segment?s programs improve the efficiency, reliability, and environmental status of plants operating in the electric utility, industrial, pulp and paper, waste-to-energy, university, and district heating markets; and are installed on combustion units in North America, Europe, China, and India for treating various solid and liquid fuels, including coal, heavy oil, biomass, and municipal waste. It provides operational, financial, and environmental benefits to owners of boilers, furnaces, and other combustion units. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Warrenville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Fuel-Tech (NASDAQ: FTEK) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $29.00 million.

    Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $6.22 million.

  • [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

    Fuel Tech Inc.(FTEK) said its revenue fell 9% in the fourth quarter, dragged down by declines in its air pollution control segment. Revenue and earnings fell short of market expectations. Shares dropped 18% to $5.65 premarket.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Andatee China Marine Fuel Services Corporation(AMCF)

Andatee China Marine Fuel Services Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, storage, distribution, and wholesale purchase, and sale of blended marine fuel oil for cargo and fishing vessels primarily in Tianjin City, and Liaoning, Shandong, and Zhejiang Provinces in the People?s Republic of China. It sells its products through distributors, as well as to retail customers. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Dalian, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 energy player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Andatee China Marine Fuel Services (AMCF), which is engaged in the production, storage, distribution and wholesale purchases and sales of blended marine fuel oil for cargo and fishing vessels. This stock has been in play with the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up big by 180%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Andatee China Marine Fuel Services, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong over the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of 98 cents per share to its recent high of $1.69 a share. During that move, shares of AMCF have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is now starting to push shares of AMCF within range of triggering a big breakout trade above a key downtrend line.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in AMCF if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $1.69 to $1.80 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 215,352 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AMCF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.98 to just above $2.20 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give AMCF a chance to tag its 52-week high at $2.75 a share.

    Traders can look to buy AMCF off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right around some key near-term support levels at $1.29 or at $1.15 a share. One can also buy AMCF off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Andatee China Marine Fuel Services (AMCF) is engaged in the production, storage, distribution and wholesale purchases and sales of blended marine fuel oil for cargo and fishing vessels. This stock closed up 4.1% to $1.27 in Thursday's trading session.

    Thursday's Range: $1.22-$1.32

    52-Week Range: $0.45-$2.75

    Thursday's Volume: 150,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 193,369

    From a technical perspective, AMCF spiked sharply higher here with lighter-than-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of AMCF within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if AMCF manages to take out Thursday's high of $1.32 to its 50-day moving average of $1.39 with high volume.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in AMCF as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $1.15 or at $1.09 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 193,369 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AMCF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.80 to $1.98. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give AMCF a chance to re-test its 52-week high at $2.75.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM)

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Sprouts), incorporated on January 27, 2011, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic food focusing on health and wellness. The Company offers fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, grocery, meat and seafood, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, body care and natural household items. The Company�� product offerings focus on fresh, natural and organic foods. Natural foods can be defined as foods that are minimally processed and are free of synthetic preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other additives, growth hormones, antibiotics, hydrogenated oils, stabilizers and emulsifiers. The Company categorize the over 7,000 range of products, it sells as perishable and non-perishable. Perishable product categories include produce, meat, seafood, deli and bakery. Non-perishable product categories include grocery, vitamins and supplements, bulk items, dairy and dairy alternatives, frozen foods, beer and wine, and natural health and body care.

The cornerstones of the Company�� business are fresh, natural and organic products. As of July 19, 2013, the Company opened 87 new stores while rebranding 43 Henry�� and 39 Sunflower stores to the Sprouts banner. The Company�� stores include Produce, Bulk Items, Vitamins and Supplements, Grocery, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery, Dairy and Dairy Alternatives, Frozen Foods, Beer and Wine and Natural Health and Body Care.The Company offer its customers a farmers market open-feel environment consisting of an abundant and affordable offering of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, focused on appearance, flavor and value. The Company�� stores include a crafted selection of more than 450 ranges of scoopable nuts, fruits, trail mixes, grains, beans, cereals, coffee, tea, spices, candy and snacks featured in the center of the store. The Company�� stores feature more than 4,200 vitamins, supplements, natural remedies, functional food, lifestyle support, and herbal supplements. This department includes ! an extensive private label offering.

The Company�� grocery offering focuses on healthy options. The Company carries approximately 4,200 natural and organic products in its grocery aisles, including meal components, natural sodas and other beverages, snacks and bars, baking goods, baby, pet and household items such as detergent and paper towels, and earth-friendly mercantile items. The Company�� Olde Tyme Butcher Shops combine sourcing through its trusted supplier network, product variety and old-fashioned customer service. The Company offers a range of seafood favorites delivered up to six days a week. The Conpany feature a range of fresh deli specialties, including sliced deli meat, salads, dips, entrees, side dishes, fresh made to order sandwiches at value prices and an abundant selection of over 200 varieties of cheeses from around the world.

The Company��bakery offering includes artisan bread alongside a wide assortment of sandwich breads, rolls, tortillas, pitas, muffins, cookies and pies as well as sugar free, gluten free and low carbohydrate products. The Company�� dairy department features a selection of organic, natural and regionally sourced milk, yogurt (including Greek, Australian, organic, and soy-based), butter and eggs, as well as a full selection of vegan and vegetarian alternative dairy products. The Company�� freezer cases feature traditional and ethnic natural and organic entrees and side dishes, along with frozen vegetables, desserts and specialty items, such as gluten-free breads and non-dairy ice creams. The Company offers approximately 2,400 natural, cruelty-free health and beauty products, old-fashioned remedies and modern body care innovations, including facial care products and make up, skin, hair, dental, baby care and grooming products.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Matt Jarzemsky]

    With shares of Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc.(SFM) having more than doubled in price in just four months since their $383 million initial public offering, a group of its financial backers led by Apollo Global Management LLC(APO) are cashing out with an offering of more than double that size.

  • [By David Mamos]

    Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (Nasdaq: SFM) offers nearly the same type of products and produce as Whole Foods. It was rewarded handsomely by Wall Street with its extremely successful initial public offering (IPO) last month when it closed 120% up on its first day of trading.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Struggling to combat inroads that new entrants such as Sprouts Farmers Market� (NASDAQ: SFM  ) �are making on its turf, Whole Foods saw its same-store sales rise less than 6% in the organic grocer's fourth quarter, its slowest rate in nearly four years. In contrast, Sprouts saw pro forma comps surge 10% year over year, leading to a 24% increase in total sales from the year-ago period.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Timmins Gold Corp (TGD)

Timmins Gold Corp. (Timmins) is a gold mining and exploration company. The Company is engaged in exploration, mine development and the mining and extraction of precious metals, primarily gold. Its primary asset and material mineral property is the San Francisco Gold Property located in Sonora, Mexico, which includes the Company�� only operating mine (the Mine). Its projects include El Capomo Property, Timm Property, El Picacho Property, Patricia and Norma Property, San Onesimo, Zindy and San Fernando Properties, Quila Property and Cocula Property. El Capomo Property is located in Nayarit State, approximately 50 kilometers east of Puerto Vallarta. It acquired Timm Property by staking a 45,000 hectare land package in the Penasquito area. Patricia and Norma Property consists of approximately 20,000 hectares were staked by the Company and are located in the Municipality of Trincheras, Sonora, Mexico. Its Cocula Property is located approximately 50 kilometers west of Guadalajara, Jalisco. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

    I’ve added shares of BAA to my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio.

    Breakout Gold Stocks to Buy: Timmins Gold (TGD)


    Click to Enlarge Timmins Gold (TGD), like the other two gold stocks, is also challenging its 200-day moving average as buyers pour capital into a sector that had been left for dead. An upside breakout here would be the first since early 2013.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Qatar Investment Fund PLC (QIF)

Qatar Investment Fund plc, formerly Epicure Qatar Equity Opportunities plc, is a closed-end investment company established to invest primarily in quoted equities of Qatar and other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries. Its investment objective is to capture, principally through the medium of the Qatar Exchange by investing in listed companies or companies to be listed. It also invests in listed companies, pre-initial public offer (IPO) companies, in other GCC countries. As of June 30, 2010, the Company had a portfolio of 22 investments in quoted companies in the Gulf, with 17 of them being in Qatar, four investments in United Arab Emirates and one in Kuwait. As at June 30, 2010, the top five holdings of the Company are Qatar National bank, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank and Rayan Bank. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary is Epicure Qatar Opportunities Holdings Limited. The investment manager of the Company is Epicure Managers Qatar Limited. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Vivian Lewis]

    The fund also operates to cut tax liabilities. EXG executes timely trades to capture additional qualified dividend income (QIF) subject to capital gains taxes which are usually lower than income taxes.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Nobel Biocare Holding AG (NOBN)

Nobel Biocare Holding AG (Nobel Biocare) is a Swiss medical devices holding company. The Company provides restorative and esthetic dental solutions, such as dental implants, all-ceramic crowns, bridges and laminates, guided surgery solutions, scanners and biomaterials. Its dental implants system solution portfolio includes implants and abutments and individualized prosthetic solutions. Nobel Biocare also offers, through its NobelProcera as well as NobelGuide, a digital planning and ordering concepts for single-tooth to fully edentulous restorations. The Company�� comprehensive assortment of individualized prosthetics is produced with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology and an automated industrial production process called NobelProcera. It has sales organizations in over 30 countries worldwide, a distribution network covering approximately 30 markets and production sites in Sweden, the United States, Japan, Canada and Netherlands, among others. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

    Nobel Biocare (NOBN) Holding AG jumped 13 percent to 10.70 Swiss francs, its largest increase since October 2011. The world�� second-biggest maker of dental implants posted first-quarter net income of 13.3 million euros, exceeding the 11.7 million euros projected by analysts in a Bloomberg survey.

Top Consumer Service Companies To Invest In 2015: Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business include owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending; alternative assets funds; and financial and advisory services. Through its power generation business the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its funds and private capital business the firm invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. It also makes investments in privately held investment management and equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management is base d in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    Over the weekend Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM  ) announced that it and its affiliate Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP  ) are selling the Longview Timber business to Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY  ) for $2.65 billion. The deal consisted of 645,000 acres of high-quality timberlands in the Pacific Northwest. While these timber assets are located in the U.S., as you will see this deal is all about China.

  • [By GuruFocus]

    5. Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM) - 3,116,419 shares, 4.0% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 1.65%

    New Purchase: Synalloy Corporation (SYNL)

  • [By Federico Zaldua]

    I expect the Brookfield Group of Companies, which is composed of no fewer than 15 publicly traded entities, to be very active acquisitive in the near-term future. Here I focus my attention on three members of the Brookfield Group that are going to be the most active with M&A. While Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) will concentrate its M&A efforts into all geographies and all asset classes, Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners (BEP) and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) will concentrate on their respective industries. Let's see whether you should go long on any of this separate -although related - entities.

    Good Operational Performance

    Brookfield Asset Management, held by Lou Simpson and Ron Baron, counts with a liquidity position of more than $5 billion at the parent and principal subsidiaries along with nearly $10 billion drawable private fund commitments. More importantly, the company has expressed its interest into using this liquidity to make acquisitions. Management clearly stated in its letter to shareholders:

  • [By Mike Arnold]

    Brookfield is a recent spin-off (April 2013) from Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) ("BAM"), who has a history of spinning out businesses which subsequently outperform. For a case study, one might take a look at Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) as part of their due diligence procedures, which has significantly outperformed the S&P 500 since its listing.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015

Slum, squatter, informal economy: For many, these words summon images of squalid cityscapes, grinding poverty and criminal activity.

And when economists and politicians talk about global development, they often insinuate that the informal economy is an unruly obstacle to be removed or at least tamed. Perhaps most damning of all is the tendency to link the informal economy with work that is "dangerous and morally compromising" ��hinting that the people who work in it are, as a rule, both dangerous and morally compromised.

It is this very perception that journalist Robert Neuwirth wants to change. His first book, Shadow Cities (2005), looked at the squatter communities in cities around the world that more than 1 billion people call home. His most recent effort, Stealth of Nations (2011), took him to Nigeria, China, Brazil and Paraguay to get to know some of the 1.8 billion people, according to the OECD, who make their living in the oft-vilified informal economy.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Legacy Reserves LP(LGCY)

Legacy Reserves LP, an independent oil and natural gas limited partnership, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties primarily located in the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent, and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2010, it owned interests in producing oil and natural gas properties in 370 fields in the Permian Basin, Texas Panhandle, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and several other states; operated 2,132 gross productive wells; and owned non-operated interests in 3,227 gross productive wells, as well as had proved reserves of approximately 52.8 million barrels of crude oil equivalent. Legacy Reserves GP, LLC operates as the general partner of the partnership. Legacy Reserves LP was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Among the non-variable MLPs, the upstream MLPs had the worst performance of any subsector in 2013. The upstream group was up about 10 percent as a whole, while the Alerian MLP Index returned 28 percent. Legacy Reserves (Nasdaq: LGCY) actually returned about 14 percent for the year, well above the upstream average. But most of that gain took place in the first quarter of 2013, and then for the rest of the year units traded in a pretty tight range.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Camden Property Trust (CPT)

Camden Property Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in the ownership, management, development, acquisition, and construction of multi-family apartment communities. As each of its communities has similar economic characteristics, residents, amenities, and services, its operations have been aggregated into one segment.

In April 2011, it sold one of its land parcels to one of the Funds. In June 2011, it sold another land parcel to the Fund. In August 2011, the Company acquired 30.1 acres of land located in Atlanta, Georgia. In December 2011, it acquired 2.2 acres of land in Glendale, California. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it sold two properties consisting of 788 units located in Dallas, Texas. During 2011, the Funds acquired 18 multifamily properties totaling 6,076 units located in the Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Tampa and Atlanta. In January 2012, one of the Funds acquired one multifamily property consisted of 350 units located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned interests in, operated, or were developing 206 multifamily properties comprising 69,794 apartment homes across the United States. Of these 206 properties, 10 properties were under development. In addition, it owns land parcels, which it focuses on developing into multifamily apartment communities.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Michael Lewis]

    Take Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT  ) , for example. The stock is up around 16% over two years -- respectable, but incongruent with the industry trends. Since 2010, operating cash flow has increased more than 30%. The company pays a 3.5% dividend and trades at 16.5 times projected one-year earnings. For comparison, Lennar trades at 18 times earnings, while KB Homes trades at more than 20 times forward earnings.

Top 5 Recreation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Synergetics USA Inc.(SURG)

Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of microsurgical instruments and consumables primarily for ophthalmology and neurosurgery markets in the United States and internationally. The company?s product lines focus upon precision engineered, microsurgical, handheld devices, and the microscopic delivery of laser energy, ultrasound, electrosurgery, aspiration, illumination and irrigation that are delivered in multiple combinations. It offers retinal surgical items, including handheld disposable and reusable forceps and scissors, fiberoptics for illumination and photocoagulation, cannulas, scrapers, and other reusable and disposable surgical devices. The company also provides bipolar electrosurgical generators; lesion generators used for minimally invasive pain treatment; and directional laser probes, as well as offers gauge instrumentation to the vitreoretinal surgical market. It sells its products through direct sale s employees, distributors, and independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in O?Fallon, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Synergetics USA (SURG) has dropped 4.8% to $4.75 after the medical device company said it earned 6 cents a share, in line with analyst forecasts.

    Team Inc.�(TISI) has dropped 11% after the company missed its earnings forecast and lowered guidance.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: SMART Technologies Inc.(SMT)

SMART Technologies Inc. designs, develops, and sells interactive technology products and solutions that enhance learning and enable people to collaborate worldwide. The company offers a range of SMART Board interactive whiteboards and displays, as well as other interactive products, such as interactive tables, interactive pen displays, student response systems, wireless slates, audio enhancement systems, document cameras, conferencing software, and a line of interactive learning software. Its portfolio of related attachment products include SMART Response, SMART Slate, SMART Document Camera, SMART Table, SMART Audio, and SMART Classroom Suite. SMART Technologies also provides free online learning resources, an online teacher community, and training and professional development. It sells its interactive whiteboards through a network of distributors and dealers to the education, business, and government markets. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Calgary , Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

    Smart Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: SMT) is a company that literally lives up to its name. It's a supplier of interactive education tools used by more than 40 million students in more than 175 countries.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Essex Rental Corp (ESSX)

Essex Rental Corp., incorporated on August 21, 2006, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in providing of lifting equipment (including lattice-boom crawler cranes, truck cranes and rough terrain cranes, tower cranes, and other lifting equipment) used in an array of construction projects. In addition, it provides product support including installation, maintenance, repair, and parts and services for its equipment provided to customers and customer owned equipment. It operates in three segments: equipment rentals, equipment distribution, and parts and service. Its subsidiaries wholly owned subsidiaries include Essex Holdings, LLC (Holdings), Essex Crane Rental Corp. (Essex Crane), Essex Finance Corp. (Essex Finance), CC Acquisition Holding Corp. (CC Acquisition), Coast Crane Company, (Coast Crane) and Coast Crane Ltd. (Coast Crane Ltd.).

The Company supply a variety of lifting solutions for construction projects related to power generation, petro-chemical, refineries, water treatment and purification, bridges, highways, hospitals, shipbuilding, offshore oil fabrication and industrial plants, and commercial and residential construction. It rent its equipment bare, meaning without supplying an operator and, in exchange for a fee, make arrangements for the transportation and delivery of equipment.

Essex Crane is a provider of lattice-boom crawler crane and attachment rental services and possesses fleets of such equipment in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, Essex Crane�� fleet size stands at more than 350 lattice-boom crawler cranes and various types of attachments, which are made available to clients depending on their lifting requirements, such as weight, pick and carry aspects, reach and angle of reach.

Coast Crane is a provider for lifting solutions throughout Western North America, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the South Pacific. Through Coast Crane, it provides both used and new towers cranes, boom trucks, rough terrain cranes and other lifting equipment ! to customers in the infrastructure, energy, crane rigger/operator, and municipal, commercial and industrial construction sectors. Coast Crane�� operations are headquartered in Seattle, Washington and its products are rented and sold through a regional network including 11 branch locations. In addition to providing crane rental services, Coast Crane is a crane distributor of self-erecting tower cranes, rough terrain cranes, boom trucks and all terrain cranes in its West Coast territories.

Equipment Rental

The Company offer for rent crawler cranes and attachments, rough terrain cranes, boom trucks, tower cranes, and other construction related rental equipment. It also offer transportation, rigging and repair and maintenance services while equipment is on rent. It rent its fleet of over 1,000 cranes and attachments and other lifting equipment to a variety of engineering and construction customers under contracts, most of which have rental periods of between 4 and 18 months. The contracts typically provide for an agreed rental rate and a specified rental period. Transportation services revenue is derived from the management of the logistics process by which its rental equipment is transported to and from customers��construction sites, including the contracting of third party trucking for such transportation.

Equipment Distribution

The Company offers a variety of construction equipment products for sale, including tower cranes, boom trucks, rough terrain cranes and other lifting equipment used in the construction industry. The revenue from retail equipment sales is primarily driven by the level of construction activity in a particular geographic region.

Parts and Service

The Company is a parts distributor for various lifting equipment manufacturers and routinely sells parts to its customers in the construction industry. It also provides repairs and maintenance services for customers that own their own equipment and request its ! services ! at one of its service center locations. Its customers for these ancillary services are its rental customers, customers that own their own equipment and those who purchase new and used equipment from it.

The Company competes with ALL Erection & Crane Rental, Bigge Crane and Rigging, Co., Lampson International, Maxim Crane Works, M.D., Morrow Equipment Rental, Western Pacific Crane and Equipment and AmQuip Crane Corp.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Essex Rental (NASDAQ: ESSX) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.10 per share on revenue of $22.55 million.

    Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Prudential Bancorp Inc. of Pennsylvania(PBIP)

Prudential Bancorp, Inc. of Pennsylvania operates as the holding company for Prudential Savings Bank that provides various financial products and services in Pennsylvania. Its deposit products include interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking, money market, savings, and certificate of deposit accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises single-family residential mortgage loans, construction and land development loans, non-residential or commercial real estate mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, commercial business loans, and consumer loans. The company also provides securities and insurance products, as well as automated teller machine and online banking services. As of September 30, 2010, it operated a main office and six branch offices located in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prudential Bancorp, Inc. of Pennsylvania is a subsidiary of Prudential Mutu al Holding Company.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jim Royal]

    I really like to invest in bank demutualizations, and my Special Situations portfolio is back to buy another one: Prudential Bancorp (NASDAQ: PBIP  ) . In October, the bank completed its second-step conversion, making it a fully public institution, but it trades at just 73% of tangible book value. That's tremendously cheap for a profitable, albeit slightly, bank. So I'm stepping up to buy the stock.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Endeavor IP Inc (ENIP)

Endeavor IP, Inc., formerly Finishing Touches Home Goods Inc., incorporated on December 8, 2009, is an integrated consulting firm that assists individuals, organizations, companies and government agencies in finding solutions to home and workplace-related barriers for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as ergonomics consultancy. The Company�� focused on providing services and products that helps to create barrier-free homes and workplace environments. The Company provides consulting services, including site audits and accessibility/ergonomic planning and development; installation and sales of accessibility, ergonomic and safety products, ergonomic consultancy for homes and businesses. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012, the Company focuses on providing services in two main areas: Accessibility and Ergonomics in the workplace and at home.

The Company offer functional assessment services for commercial and residential properties and offer recommendations based on its assessment to improve accessibility and safety of these sites. The Company offers its clients practical ergonomic solutions by offering consulting services, such as Ergonomic Assessments, Physical Demands Assessments, Disability Management / Return to Work, and Occupational Health and Safety. The Company�� consulting services include Workplace Risk Assessments, Office Layout, New Equipment Selection, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessments, Accessibility and Disability Access Audits, Retail Ergonomics and Ergonomics Standards.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    When traders think of an IP (intellectual property) company, they tend to conjure up names like InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC), VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC), or of course, the well-known Vringo, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRNG). And, investors see these patent-enforcement names as such for good reason.... between VRNG, IDCC, and VHC, the three organizations own well over 20,000 technology patents, and their efforts to enforce them have been well-documented, and well publicized. Thing is, as the patent-protection industry matures, companies like Vringo, InterDigital, or VirnetX Holding may well find that it's the quality of the patent portfolio rather than the quantity of patents that makes an IP owner a potent investment. Enter Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP).

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: ViroPharma Incorporated(VPHM)

ViroPharma Incorporated, a biotechnology company, develops and commercializes therapeutic products that address serious diseases in the United States and internationally. It focuses on developing products used by physician specialists or in hospital settings. The company markets and sells Cinryze, a C1 esterase inhibitor therapy for the routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with hereditary angioedema, a life-threatening genetic disorder; and Vancocin HCl capsule, an oral capsule formulation for the treatment of C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and to treat enterocolitis caused by staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains. It also offers Plenadren, an orphan drug for treatment of adrenal insufficiency in adults; Buccolam, a oromucosal solution for treatment of prolonged, acute, and convulsive seizures in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents; and maribavir, an antiviral compound for the treatment o f CMV disease through a license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline. The company?s primary development programs include Cinryze, a C1 esterase inhibitor for management of hereditary angioedema; and VP 20621, a non-toxigenic strain of C. difficile. Its clinical stage drug candidate comprises VP-20629 for the treatment of Friedreich?s Ataxia. The company sells its products directly to wholesale drug distributors and specialty pharmacies/distributors. ViroPharma Incorporated was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sara Sjolin]

    Shares of Shire (UK:SHP) �climbed 0.9% after the drug maker said it is buying rare-disease company ViroPharma Inc. (VPHM) �for $4.2 billion, or $50 a share. ViroPharma jumped 25% in the U.S.

  • [By Sara Sjolin]

    Shares of Shire (UK:SHP) �climbed 0.9% in London after the drug maker said it is buying rare-disease company ViroPharma Inc. (VPHM) �for $4.2 billion, or $50 a share. ViroPharma shares traded 26% higher in the U.S.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Nikon Corp (NINOY)

NIKON CORPORATION is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of optical products. The Company is active in four business segments. The Precision Apparatus segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The image segment provides digital cameras, film cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides glass materials, telescopes, glasses and survey airplanes.

As of August 19, 2009, the Company held a 92.17% stake in Metis NV. The Company has 65 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies in the country and overseas markets.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Carroll]

    Unfortunately, the yen's impact on stocks has blurred the lines on investments. Look no further than down-on-its-luck camera maker Nikon (NASDAQOTH: NINOY  ) . Nikon's shares gained more than 8% over the past week due to the yen's weakness, as the company rakes in more than a quarter of its sales in Europe. Still, the stock's lost more than 43% year to date.