Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now

Paul Sancya/APA 2007 Ford Edge DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford is recalling about 205,000 SUVs in cold-weather states and parts of Canada to fix gas tanks that can rust, leak and cause a fire. The recall affects Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles from the 2007 and 2008 model years. The company said Wednesday that it traced the problem to rust under some mounting brackets in areas where salt is used to clear snow from the roads. Ford (F) said that it knows of one fire due to the problem, but no crashes or injuries. The SUVs are being recalled in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. Also covered are the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and repair or replace them at no cost to owners. MSRP: $26,495 Resale value retained after five years: 50.5 percent Even under Fiat (FIATY) ownership, some elements of Dodge's mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, He-Man-Woman-Haters-Club approach to auto sales managed to survive. The built-by-car-guys-for-car-guys Challenger and its rebooted muscle car aesthetic still lingers to lure meatheads who value racing stripes and rims over, oh, just about any other element of their vehicle. Ordinarily, that alone wouldn't make one of these vehicles worth a second look five years from now --  even among the most superficial gearheads. But Fiat helped the Challenger smarten up a little bit by coupling a 305-horsepower V6 engine or 375-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 Hemi with loads of interior space, real-time touchscreen navigation, traffic updates, Bluetooth connectivity,  Sirius (SIRI) XM satellite radio, keyless entry/starter and a whole lot of Harman Kardon audio upgrades.

10 Best Services Stocks To Buy Right Now: Mechel Steel Group OAO (MTL)

Mechel OAO, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and steel businesses in the Russian Federation, other CIS countries, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Mining, Steel, Ferroalloys, and Power. The Mining segment engages in the production and sale of metallurgical and steam coal, coke, iron ore, and limestone, as well as chemical products, such as coal tar, naphthalene, and other compounds. The Steel segment produces and sells semi-finished steel products, carbon and special long products, and carbon and stainless flat products, as well as metal products, including wire products, forgings, and stampings. The Ferroalloys segment is involved in the production and sale of nickel ore, low-ferrous ferronickel, ferrochrome, and ferrosilicon. The Power segment engages in the generation and sale of electricity and heat energy from steam coal; and power distribution activities. The company, f ormerly known as Mechel Steel Group OAO, was founded in 2003 and is based in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    The coffers of Mechel (NYSE: MTL  ) are now much fuller. The company has signed an agreement for a 40 billion ruble ($1.3 billion) loan from VTB Bank, a lender based in Mechel's home base of Russia. Of the total, roughly 25 billion ($802 million) will go toward the servicing of short-term facilities coming due in 2013. It also aims to refinance other debt obligations with the monies.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL) shares reached a new 52-week low of $1.57. Mechel's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $120.84 million.

    Posted-In: 52-Week LowsNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Russian coal miner Mechel (NYSE: MTL  ) fell as much as 10% today after the company announced fiscal-fourth-quarter earnings.

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: CNH Global N.V. (CNH)

CNH Global N.V. manufactures, markets, and distributes a line of agricultural and construction equipment and parts worldwide. It operates in three segments: Agricultural Equipment, Construction Equipment, and Financial Services. The Agricultural Equipment segment provides tractors, combine harvesters, hay and forage equipment, seeding and planting equipment, tillage equipment, and sprayers, as well as cotton picker packagers, and sugar cane and grape harvesters primarily under the Case IH and New Holland brands. The Construction Equipment segment offers heavy construction equipment, such as crawler and wheeled excavators, wheel loaders, graders, dozers, and articulated haul trucks; and light construction equipment, including backhoe loaders, skid steer and tracked loaders, mini and midi excavators, compact wheel loaders, and telehandlers primarily under the Case and New Holland Construction brands. This segment serves construction companies, municipalities, local governmen ts, rental fleet owners, quarrying and aggregate mining companies, waste management companies, forestry-related concerns, contractors, residential builders, utilities, road construction companies, landscapers, logistics companies, and farmers. The Financial Services segment provides financial products and services, including retail financing for the purchase or lease of the company�s and other manufacturers� new and used products; and facilitates the sale of insurance products and other financing programs to retail customers. This segment also offers wholesale financing to its dealers and rental equipment operators, as well as financing options to dealers to finance working capital, real estate, and other fixed assets and maintenance equipment. CNH Global N.V. sells and distributes its products through dealers and distributors in approximately 170 countries. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. CNH Global N.V. is a subsidiary of Fiat Netherlands Holding N.V.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Kubota isn't the only company aggressively challenging Deere. AGCO (NYSE: AGCO  ) has made aggressive expansion efforts in Africa, working with specialty agricultural lender Rabobank to try to help farmers on the continent buy more farming equipment. Moreover, both AGCO and CNH Global (NYSE: CNH  ) have made emerging markets like Latin America a high priority, reaping benefits from the more rapidly expanding economies among Latin American nations. Deere has targeted Latin America as well, but it hasn't been as aggressive with its international efforts as its peers. Deere's stock price has reflected its lack of initiative in expanding globally:

  • [By Mike the PhD]

    Historically the stock prices of Deere (DE) and other agricultural equipment firms and retailers like Case-New Holland (CNH), Titan Machinery (TITN), AGCO (AGCO), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Valmont (VAL), and Lindsay (LNN) have tended to closely track the price of corn. When corn prices go up, farmers tend to make more money, and they spend that money on new equipment from Deere and other firms. This relationship is especially strong for Deere and Corn, but it holds true for all of the stocks above to some extent. (Correlation coefficients between all of the stock prices above and corn are statistically significant to at least the 5% level, see my blog here for more details.)

  • [By vaninaegea]

    In august, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) published the mid-year review for the agricultural sector. Their findings point to a slowdown for the industry, highlighting a 9.5% decline on exports through the first half of 2013. Also, late soybean planting in the USA is expected to compound the industry�� slowdown. So, what are the prospects for AGCO (AGCO), CNH Global (CNH), and Deere & Co. (DE) under such conditions?

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: Cleco Corporation (CNL)

Cleco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, it had ownership interest in 3 steam electric generating stations and 1 gas turbine with a combined name plate capacity of 1,359 megawatts, and a combined electric net generating capacity of 1,318 megawatts. The company served approximately 277,000 customers in 107 communities in the central and southeastern Louisiana. It also owns and operates a natural gas-fired merchant power plant, as well as has a 50% interest in another natural gas-fired merchant power plant located in Louisiana. Cleco Corporation was founded in 1934 and is based in Pineville, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Pineville, Louisiana-based utility holding company CLECO (CNL) raised its quarterly dividend 10.3% to 40 cents per share payable on May 15. No record or ex-dividend date for the payment was released.
    CNL Dividend Yield: 3.13%

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Utilities sector was the top gainer in the US market on Thursday. Top gainers in the sector included Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP).

  • [By David Dittman]

    Answer: I like NextEra Energy, which has significant renewables exposure and operates in a region with solid economic fundamentals. I also like smaller utes that operate in smaller footprints with solid long-term fundamentals, including Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Pinnacle West, Vectren (NYSE: VVC) and SCANA (NYSE: SCG).

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: Encana Corporation(ECA)

Encana Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the exploration for, development, production, and marketing of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids. The company owns interests in resource plays that primarily include the Greater Sierra, Cutbank Ridge, Bighorn, and Coalbed Methane resource plays located in British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the Deep Panuke natural gas project offshore Nova Scotia in Canada. It also holds interests in resource plays comprising the Jonah in southwest Wyoming, Piceance in northwest Colorado, Haynesville in Louisiana, and Texas resource play, including east Texas and north Texas. The company serves primarily local distribution companies, industrials, energy marketing companies, and other producers. Encana Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Smith]

    Other fracking goings-on
    While water is likely to remain a key consideration for hydraulic fracturing for years to come, there are several other items of importance currently swirling about with regard to unconventional drilling, which has been responsible for a 30% increase in U.S. oil reserves and a 90% incrasee in our gas reserves:

    The Environmental Protection Agency continues to move forward with its nationwide study of the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater and drinking water. A resulting report is expected to be released in 2014. In the meantime, 31 experts from universities, scientific laboratories, and industry have been appointed to review what promises to be a landmark document. The EPA also has abandoned its interminable and controversial research into whether fracking by Encana (NYSE: ECA  ) fouled the water table in Pavillion, Wyo. The effort was a follow-up to a 2011 study by the agency, which purported to find a connection between Encana's operations and the contamination of an aquifer, has been turned over to Wyoming officials. They plan to release a final report next year. The Obama administration has set forth a proposed rule requiring oil and natural gas companies that drill on federal land to disclose the chemicals used in their hydraulic operations. It also would establish standards for well construction and waste disposal.

    A Foolish takeaway
    Hydraulic fracturing, it seems, will always be a target for environmental grousing and federal nitpicking. It seems unlikely, however, that it will ever be severely curtailed. On that basis, I'm increasingly becoming a proponent of Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK  ) , especially under its new management.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Nucor’s (NUE) side-bet on natural gas looks to be a loser, as the steel company called a halt to its natural-gas project with Encana (ECA) today.

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: Ventas Inc. (VTR)

Ventas, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment, management, financing, and leasing of properties in the healthcare industry. It invests in the real estate markets of the United States and Canada. The firm primarily invests in healthcare-related facilities including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, senior housing facilities, medical office buildings, and other healthcare related facilities. Ventas, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Chicago, Illinois with additional offices in Louisville, Kentucky and Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    As for companies with the most upside, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) tops the list, with 63.6%, followed by Autodesk (ADSK), Ventas (VTR), salesforce.com (CRM) and American Tower (AMT). Outside the top five, the list also includes big names like Schlumberger (SLB), Halliburton (HAL), Expedia (EXPE) and General Motors (GM).

  • [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]

    Ventas Inc. (VTR) �rose 4.6%. The stock was upgraded to buy from neutral with a price target of $63 at UBS.

Hot Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: El Paso Electric Company (EE)

El Paso Electric Company, a public utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity primarily in west Texas and southern New Mexico. It principally operates nuclear, natural gas, and coal power plants, as well as wind turbines. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned 6 electrical generating facilities with a net generating capacity of approximately 1,643 megawatts. It serves approximately 370,000 residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, and wholesale customers. The company sells its products to electric utilities and power marketers, as well as to oil and copper refining, and steel production facilities, universities, and the United States military installations. El Paso Electric Company was founded in 1901 and is based in El Paso, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    It may have been a long time coming, but the technology for renewable fuels is very close to the point that they can can compete on the open market against traditional energy sources. First Solar just recently announced a deal with El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE  ) that it will sell electricity to El Paso from its Macho Springs solar facility for 5.79 cents per kilowatt hour, less than half what El Paso pays for electricity from coal. Also, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission has stated that 83% of all additional energy generation in the U.S. for Q1 2013 came from either wind or solar facilities. Perhaps the route to developing better solutions wasn't the smoothest, but it's hard to deny the overall outcome.�

  • [By John Udovich]

    Texas has just set another record for job creation���meaning it might be worth it for investors to take a closer look at Texas based stocks like El Paso Electric Company (NYSE: EE), Texas Pacific Land Trust (NYSE: TPL) and Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) that have good exposure to the booming Texas economy. I should mention that I wrote about�these stocks before back in late 2012�(see: Do These Texas Stocks offer Texas Sized Returns? EE, ATO & TPL),�but the Texas Workforce Commission has reported that the Texas economy added 36,400 jobs in September while over the past 12 months, employers added 413,700 jobs ��the most ever recorded by the state. In addition, several companies surveyed by the Dallas Fed responded that they are seeing labor market tightness plus companies are saying they are experiencing upward wage pressures while�staffing�firms�note that�candidates are often receiving multiple offers. Given that Texas is a deep ��ed state���ith a business friendly climate where taxes and regulations are much lighter than in any ��lue state,��there is no reason to believe the boom won�� continue.

  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    If we were to pinpoint a company that�embodies�this�success�as of late, it's First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) . It just sold a 139 megawatt facility to�utility�giant -- and large coal consumer -- Southern (NYSE: SO  ) , and recently signed a power purchase deal with El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE  ) that will supply El Paso with electricity for half what it pays for power from coal. These deals also come with the announcement that the company upped guidance earlier in April which sent share prices up by 46% in one day.�

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014

One of the world�� leading integrated energy companies, Chevron (CVX) has been spending enormous amounts of cash on some of its biggest projects to ramp up its production of oil and gas. As a result, the company has not returned as much cash to shareholders, through dividends and buybacks, as they would have liked. Following the global financial crisis, investors have favored companies with attractive dividends and buyback programs, as opposed to companies like Chevron, who invest in their long term future. This is one of the reasons why this oil giant�� shares have remained under pressure, despite having attractive long term growth prospects.

Going Over the Budget

In its most recent quarterly results, Chevron reported a 25.6% year-over-year increase in capital and exploration expenses to $10.59 billion. A significant portion of this increase was attributed to the company�� operations in the international markets, where its spending grew by 28% to $7.84 billion. In the U.S, Chevron spent around $2.7 billion, showing an increase of 18% from the same quarter last year. Overall, in the first nine months of the current year, Chevron has increased its capital and exploratory expenditure in the international markets by 32% to $21.3 billion and in the U.S by 18% to $7.6 billion.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In 2015: Dj Wilshire Reit Etf (RWR)

SPDR DJ Wilshire REIT (the Fund), formerly DJ Wilshire REIT ETF, seeks to replicate as closely as possible the performance of the Dow Jones Wilshire REIT Index (the Index). The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing approach, and attempts to approximate the investment performance of its Index, by investing in a portfolio of stocks to replicate the Index. The Index seeks to provide an effective representation of the United States real estate investment trust (REIT) market.

The Index consists of companies whose charters are the equity ownership and operation of commercial real estate, and which operate under the REIT Act of 1960. The Index is generally rebalanced monthly. Companies are chosen based upon market capitalization, source of revenue and liquidity. Each REIT in the Index is weighted by its float-adjusted market capitalization. The Fund�� investment manager is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chuck Saletta]

    Where to invest?
    There are countless possibilities for building your retirement portfolio to cover Social Security's gap, depending on your personal risk tolerance, timeline, and need for cash. Here are decent index-style ETFs across various asset types to consider when building your plan:

    Domestic stocks. The Vanguard Total Market (NYSEMKT: VTI  ) ETF is a one-stop-shop that gives you access to around 99.5% by market cap of the publicly held U.S. stocks traded on major exchanges. A mere 3% turnover and microscopically low 0.05% expense ratio makes this a low-cost way to invest in the overall stock market. Investment-grade bonds. The iShares iBoxx $Invest Grade Corp Bond � (NYSEMKT: LQD  ) ETF owns nearly $24 billion worth of investment-grade corporate bonds. A small 4% turnover and low 0.15% expense ratio make this a low-cost way to get bond exposure. Real estate. The SPDR Dow Jones REIT (NYSEMKT: RWR  ) ETF has a bit over $2 billion invested in real estate investment trusts, attempting to match the Dow Jones Select REIT index. With a reasonable 7% turnover and a still pretty low 0.25% expense ratio, this is a reasonable way to get real estate exposure without turning yourself into a landlord. Foreign stocks. Vanguard's Total International Stock Index (NASDAQ: VXUS  ) ETF has nearly $90 billion in foreign stocks under its control, owning pieces of more than 6,100 stocks from 45 countries. With a mere 3% turnover and low 0.16% expense ratio, it's one of the lowest-cost ways to get your hands on foreign companies without being an international accounting expert. Inflation-protected government bonds. The iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEMKT: TIP  ) ETF has around $20 billion invested in U.S. Treasury inflation-protected bonds. With a low expense ratio of 0.2% and a reasonable 10% turnover rate, it's a decent way to get exposure to inflation-protected bonds. Note, though, that
  • [By Hilary Kramer]

     

    2. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) The REIT is another alternative vehicle that's gone mainstream in recent years. Hundreds of broad-based and specialized real estate companies and ETFs are available, and after a correction a few months ago, many are on the cheap side. Like any other alternative, this should be a seasoning for your portfolio and not the sauce itself. For most retail investors, a stake in an indexed fund like the SPDR Dow Jones REIT (NYSE: RWR) should be more than adequate, or look into the companies that provide services to the REIT industry like HFF (NYSE: HF) and Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL).

     

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Sappi Limited(SPP)

Sappi Limited manufactures and sells various pulp, paper, chemical cellulose, and wood products worldwide. It offers coated woodfree paper used for marketing promotions and brochures, catalogues, corporate communications materials, direct mail, textbooks, and magazines; uncoated woodfree paper used for business forms, business stationery, tissue, photocopy paper, books, brochures, and magazines, as well as cut-size, preprint, and office paper; specialty woodfree paper used in bags, labels, and packaging; and release paper for use in textile, automotive, furniture, and engineering film markets. The company also provides packaging paper products, including containerboards, sack kraft, and grocery bags used for primary and secondary packaging of fast moving consumer goods, and agricultural and industrial products. In addition, it offers mechanical newsprint paper used in advertising inserts and newspapers; uncoated mechanical fiber based printing paper used for the printing o f books and advertising inserts; and coated mechanical fiber-based paper used for magazines, catalogues, and advertising material. Further, the company provides pulp products, including paper pulp used in the production of printing, writing, and packaging paper; and chemical cellulose used in the manufacture of various cellulose textile and non-woven fiber products, as well as used in various other cellulose-based applications in the food, film, cigarette, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, Sappi Limited offers sawn timber for construction and furniture manufacturing purposes. Its customers include printers, publishers, corporate end-users, suppliers, and converters. The company was formerly known as South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited and changed its name to Sappi Limited in 1973. Sappi Limited was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Sappi (NYSE: SPP  ) reported earnings on May 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Sappi beat slightly on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Valassis Communications Inc.(VCI)

Valassis Communications, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a media and marketing services company primarily in the United States and Europe. Its Shared Mail segment combines the individual print advertisements of various clients into a single shared mail package and distributes the shared mail advertising products to approximately 70 million U.S. households primarily on a weekly basis through the United States Postal Service (USPS). This segment also offers solo mail and other products and services, including list procurement, addressing, processing, and the distribution of brochures and circulars; ancillary services, such as list rentals; and direct mail advertising solutions for local neighborhood businesses. It primarily serves grocers, restaurants, drug stores, discount and department stores, home furnishing stores, and other retailers. The company?s Neighborhood Targeted segment is involved in the print and media placement of traditional free-standing solo insert formats and specialty print promotion products; offers newspaper-delivered or direct-to-door sampling products that give manufacturers the ability to cover approximately 60 million households; and helps clients to run their promotional advertising directly on the pages of newspapers by brokering advertising space. The company?s Free-standing Inserts segment prints and distributes four-color booklets containing promotions, primarily coupons from multiple clients through newspapers and shared mails. Its International, Digital Media, and Services segment provides coupon clearing, analytical promotion information management products, and marketing services for retailers and consumer-packaged goods manufacturers; and promotion security and consulting services, as well as produces direct-mail programs based on multiple data sources, including frequent shopper card data. Valassis Communications, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alex Planes]

    What: Shares of Valassis Communications (NYSE: VCI  ) crashed by nearly 15% this morning but have since clawed their way back to a loss of about 8%, on a double whiff on first-quarter earnings and an underwhelming set of forward guidance.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    Valassis Communications (NYSE: VCI) shot up 22.16 percent to $34.57 after the company agreed to be acquired by Harland Clarke Holdings Corp for $34.04 per share in cash.

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Valassis Communications Inc.(VCI) and Gogo Inc.(GOGO)

    Valassis agreed to be acquired by Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. in a deal valuing the coupon publisher at roughly $1.31 billion that the companies expect will create a leading diversified payment and marketing-services company. Shares surged 21% to $34.29 premarket.

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Mitel Networks Corporation(MITL)

Mitel Networks Corporation provides integrated communications solutions to the small-to-medium sized enterprise market in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. It offers Internet protocol (IP) telephony platforms, including IP telephony software that performs various functions comprising multi-media call control and communications, which allow business users to reach each other, share information, and collaborate; appliances; and desktop devices, such as IP and digital phones, specialty desktop devices, and peripherals. The company also provides a suite of UCC applications, which consist unified communicator advanced, mobility, customer interaction solution, unified messaging, speech auto attendant, telecollaboration solution, teleworker solution, and business dashboard, as well as audio, video, and Web conferencing for integrating voice, video, and data communications with business applications. In addi tion, it offers network services that include local access services; long distance services; mobile voice and data services; data services, such as Internet access and private networking services; hosted offerings, which comprise network monitoring and management, audio conferencing, Web conferencing, hosted secure Internet access, and Web hosting; and hosted IP telephony services. Further, the company provides managed services, including project management, installation, training, maintenance, professional, consulting, business requirements review, and disaster recovery planning services; support services; and financing of its solutions. It serves education, government, healthcare, hospitality, and retail markets through wholesale distributors, solution providers, system integrators, authorized channel partners, and other technology providers. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Richard Lomas]

    How much impact there will be on the profit margin will depend on the royalty rate set. Virnetx has an established royalty rate structure both published and through agreements with other licensees. Virnetx's published royalty rate is between 1 and 2 percent for customers in good standing. This royalty rate has been validated through licenses with 4 different companies, Siemens (SI), NEC, Mitel (MITL), and Aastra (AATSF.PK). The average rate agreed to by these companies through negotiations is 1.52%, right in the middle of the 1 to 2 percent published rate. Whatever rate is set will further reduce Apple's profit margin.

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Paradigm Resource Management Corp (PRDC)

Paradigm Resource Management Corp., formerly China Digital Ventures Corporation, incorporated on March 26, 2007, is a development-stage company. In April 2012, the Company acquired all of the mineral rights properties of ARNEVUT Resources Inc. (ARNEVUT). ARNEVUT is an exploration and mining company. ARNEVUT has an option to acquire majority control of the Island Mountain property from Gateway Gold Corporation (Gateway). The property consists of 53 unpatented lode mineral claims that consists of an area of 920 acres (372 hectares) situated near the northeast end of the Jerritt Canyon Trend. The East Canyon property is located in Elko County, Nevada and Box Elder County, Utah. Most of the claims are located in Box Elder County, Utah. The Zia Uranium property is nine miles northeast of Grants, New Mexico. The property contains uranium mineralization hosted by the Todilto Limestone and probable uranium mineralization hosted by sandstones of the Morrison Formation. These claims are wholly owned by ARNEVUT.

During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company had no revenue and operations. The principal business of the Company was its Web-based telecom and Internet protocol television (IPTV) businesses.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap resource or green stocks Paradigm Resource Management Corp (OTCMKTS: PRDC), Extreme Biodiesel Inc (OTCMKTS: XTRM) and Pan Global Corp (OTCMKTS: PGLO) have all been getting some attention lately thanks in part to a few paid stock promotions. However, two of these small cap appear to be the subject of minimal paid promotion activity, but even a small paid promotion or investor relations campaign can increase a stock�� volatility. So do these three small cap resource or green stocks have what it takes to deliver some Christmas cheer for investors and traders alike? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher), along with its subsidiaries, provides insurance brokerage and third-party claims settlement, and administration services to entities in the United States and abroad. It operates in three segments: brokerage, risk management and corporate. The Brokerage segment primarily consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations. The Company�� risk management segment provides contract claim settlement and administration services for enterprises that choose to self-insure some or all of their property/casualty coverages and for insurance companies that choose to outsource some or all of their property/casualty claims departments. Majority of its international brokerage operations are in Australia, Bermuda, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its international risk management operations are principally in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The Company operates in Australia and Canada primarily as a retail commercial property and casualty broker. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Barmore Insurance Agency, Inc. In December 2013, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired McIntyre Risk Management, LLC. In December 2013, the Company acquired Cleaveland Insurance Group and Jenkins and Associates. Effective December 26, 2013, Arthur J Gallagher & Co acquired Rock Island-based Cleaveland Insurance Group. In February 2014, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co acquired Benefit Development Group of Selma, Alabama. In February 2014, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co announced the acquisition of Kent, Kent & Tingle in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Brokerage Segment

The Company�� retail brokerage operations negotiate and place property/casualty, employer-provided health and welfare insurance and retirement solutions principally for middle-market commercial, industrial, public entity, religious and not-for-profit entities. Many of the Company�� retail brokerage customers choose to place their insurance with insurance ! underwriters, while others choose to use alternative vehicles, such as self-insurance pools, risk retention groups or captive insurance companies. Its wholesale brokerage operations assist its brokers and other unaffiliated brokers and agents in the placement of specialized, and hard-to-place insurance programs.

The Company�� primary sources of compensation for its retail brokerage services are commissions paid by insurance carriers. It operates its brokerage operations through a network of more than 300 sales and service offices located throughout the United States and in 16 other countries. In addition, the Company offers client-service capabilities in more than 110 countries worldwide through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. The Company�� retail brokerage operations place all lines of commercial property/casualty and health and welfare insurance coverage. Its retail brokerage operations are organized in more than 190 geographical centers located in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom and operate within certain key niche/practice groups, which account for approximately 67% of its retail brokerage revenues.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� wholesale insurance brokerage operations accounted for 22% of its brokerage segment revenues. Its wholesale brokers assist its retail brokers and other non-affiliated brokers in the placement of specialized and hard-to-place insurance. These brokers operate through over 65 geographical centers located across the United States, Bermuda and through its approved Lloyd�� of London brokerage operation. In certain cases, it acts as a brokerage wholesaler, and in other cases, it acts as a managing general agent or managing general underwriter distributing specialized insurance coverages for insurance carriers. Over 75% of the Company�� wholesale brokerage revenues come from non-affiliated brokerage customers.

Risk Management Segment

The Company�� ! risk mana! gement segment provides contract claim settlement and administration services for enterprises that choose to self-insure some or all of their property/casualty coverages and for insurance companies that choose to outsource some or all of their property/casualty claims departments. During 2011, approximately 67% of its risk management segment�� revenues were from workers compensation related claims, 26% were from general and commercial auto liability related claims and 7% were from property related claims. In addition, it generate revenues from integrated disability management (employee absence management) programs, information services, risk control consulting (loss control) services and appraisal services, either individually or in combination with arising claims. The Company manages its third-party claims adjusting operations through a network of approximately 110 offices located throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The Company competes with Aon Corporation, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Willis Group Holdings, Ltd., Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Inc., Brown & Brown Inc., Hub International Ltd., Lockton Companies, Inc., USI Holdings Corporation, Aon Hewitt, Towers Watson & Co., Crump Group, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc., RT Specialty, AmWINS Group, Inc., Swett & Crawford Group, Inc., Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., Crawford & Company, ACE Limited, AIG Insurance and Zurich Insurance.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Expanding its presence in the United Kingdom, insurance provider Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE: AJG  ) will acquire the U.K.-based Property & Commercial Limited from�Barbon Insurance Group, the country's�largest provider of tenant references, the largest provider of rent guarantee, and one of the largest brokers to the social housing sector.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Insurance brokerage and third-party claims settlement claims company Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) raised its quarterly dividend 3% to 36 cents per share, payable on Mar. 20 to shareholders of record as of Mar. 4.
    AJG Dividend Yield: 3.00%

  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

    We're seeing the same exact price setup in shares of mid-cap insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) -- just in the shorter-term. AJG has been forming an ascending triangle setup of its own since the beginning of May, hitting its head on resistance at $45.50. That's the breakout level to watch in shares this week.

    Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other price pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in this stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

    That resistance line at $45.50 is a price where there's an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to take recent gains and sell their shares than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes the move above it so significant -- a breakout indicates that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level. Wait for that signal to happen before you jump into this stock.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Abbvie (ABBV)
    Ameren Corp. (AEE)
    Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG)
    E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD)
    ENSCO (ESV)
    Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)
    General Mills (GIS)
    H&R Block (HRB)
    Hancock Holding (HBHC)
    Kraft Foods Group (KRFT)
    Lorillard (LO)
    Magellan Midstream Partners LP (MMP)
    MarkWest Energy Partners L P (MWE)
    McDonald’s (MCD)
    Microchip Technology (MCHP)
    NextEra Energy (NEE)
    Regency Centers (REG)
    TELUS Corp. (TU)
    West Corp. (WSTC)
    Williams Companies (WMB)

Top 10 International Companies To Buy For 2014: Chemical Financial Corporation(CHFC)

Chemical Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for Chemical Bank that offers banking and fiduciary products and services in Michigan. Its products and services include business and personal checking accounts, savings and individual retirement accounts, time deposit instruments, electronically accessed banking products, residential and commercial real estate financing, commercial lending, consumer financing, debit cards, safe deposit box services, money transfer services, automated teller machines, access to insurance and investment products, corporate and personal wealth management services, and other banking services. The company also provides mutual funds, annuity products, and market securities to customers, as well as issues title insurance to buyers and sellers of residential and commercial mortgage properties, including properties subject to loan refinancing. As of January 26, 2012, Chemical Financial Corporation operated 142 banking offices in approximately 32 counties in the lower peninsula of Michigan. The company was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Midland, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Financial services holding company Chemical Financial (CHFC) raised its quarterly dividend 4.5% to 23 cents per share, payable on Dec. 20 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 6.
    CHFC Dividend Yield: 2.98%

Saturday, March 28, 2015

How to Turn $99 into $13,250

Top 5 Promising Companies To Own In Right Now

In today's essay, I'm doing something I don't normally do...   Instead of telling you about what's going on in the markets, I'm going to tell you about an opportunity, which ends today.   Now I know I'll get complaints that this sounds like an advertisement. And in a sense, it is. But I'm not going to apologize for it. This is something I think you absolutely MUST take advantage of.   It's something I have paid for with my own money. And most importantly, it ends today.   Let me explain...   As a trader, research is everything. You're only as good as your ideas. And your ideas are only as good as the research that goes into them.   I spent more than 20 years in the stock brokerage industry. During that time, I subscribed to dozens of newsletters... I paid for some of the most expensive research on Wall Street. I'm telling you... the best stuff came from Stansberry & Associates.   I was so impressed with the quality of S&A's research that when I decided to retire from the brokerage business, I contacted S&A about publishing my own research. I didn't even consider writing for anybody else.   Prior to that, though, I was an S&A Alliance member. I had access to just about everything S&A published. And I paid a hefty price for it. But I still view my Alliance membership as one of the best investments I ever made.   For example, I think my colleagues Dan Ferris and Porter Stansberry are two of the best business analysts in the world. They do a great job of finding safe, cheap companies. When they find great businesses trading for great prices, I structure my own option trades around those companies.   I've used their research dozens of times to structure safe, triple-digit winning trades for my readers... my clients... and myself.   It might sound odd if you've never used this approach, but their fundamental stock research is some of the most useful option-trading material you can get anywhere, for any price.   Today, the Alliance membership – which gives you access to all the research published by Dan, Porter, me, and half a dozen of our colleagues – costs $13,250. That may seem steep... and I know it's out of reach for a lot of investors and traders. But it's worth every penny.   And today, I'm going to show you how you can get all of S&A's research for just $99. Yes, you can get access to $13,250 worth of research for only $99.   S&A is holding an "Open House." All of our research is on display. If you've ever wanted to take a peek at some of the best research on Wall Street, now is your chance.   Through this Open House, you'll get full access – for one month – to everything we publish... all the current newsletter issues... all the research... all the educational videos and investment manuals – including my eight-part video series on option trading.   You'll get all of our trading recommendations... all of our favorite long-term plays... and our best gold and silver investments. You'll get access to EVERYTHING we publish, without paying the normal subscription fees.   All it will cost you is $99.   You can't even buy a nice dinner for four for 99 bucks anymore. But you can get access to all of my option-trading services. You can check out Porter's new Stansberry Alpha service. You can read Doc Eifrig's Retirement Trader, Steve Sjuggerud's True Wealth Systems, Dan Ferris' Extreme Value, and even Frank Curzio's Phase 1 Investor.   You're going to get hundreds of investment and trading ideas... for just $99.   But there's a catch... the Open House closes tonight. If you want access to all of this research, you need to sign up today. So you can't waste a bunch of time thinking about it.   Really, though, what is there to think about? If you're a serious investor or a serious trader, this is an absolute, no-brainer deal.   To register for the open house, just click here.   Best regards and good trading,   Jeff Clark



Friday, March 27, 2015

5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014

While the wirehouses experienced outflows of $74 billion due to advisor movement in 2012 — mainly in favor of the dually registered channel, which is anticipated to add 3.3% market share by 2016 — the wirehouses are still expected to retain their lead in assets, according to Cerulli Associates.

But that advisor migration is expected to grow independent channels to 38% of asset market share through 2016, according to Cerulli’s report, Intermediary Distribution 2013: Managing Sales Amid Industry Consolidation.

“We anticipate the registered investment advisor and the dually registered channels are going to be the beneficiaries of advisor movement,” said Kenton Shirk, associate director at Cerulli.

Indeed, Cerulli has predicted that independent and dually registered RIAs will account for 26% of all retail advisory assets by the end of 2016.

“Across the advisor industry, there is a strong desire for independent operation and ownership,” Shirk says. “The draw of autonomy, combined with the trend toward fee-only relationships, has enhanced the appeal of the independent channels.”

Best Electric Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Gruppa LSR OAO (LSRG)

Gruppa LSR OAO (LSR Group OJSC) is a Russia-based company involved in the real estate development and construction. It is also engaged in the production of various building materials, such as ceramic bricks, crushed granite, concrete and reinforced concrete products, ready-mix concrete and aerated concrete segments. The Company�� services comprise the development of residential, office and commercial buildings, as well as tower cranes and hoisting machinery services for use in real estate construction. It is also involved in the investment operations. Gruppa LSR OAO acts as a general and sub-contractor for the Russian Federation Government, Saint Petersburg Government, and as a general and sub-contractor for other developers, among pile-driving services. The Company operates through numerous subsidiaries located domestically, as well as one representative office in Moscow. In December 2013, it acquired a 100 % stake in OOO Gazstroy, an owner of Ryabovsky brick plant. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Zahra Hankir]

    Russian stocks declined to the lowest level in a month as builder LSR Group (LSRG) and power company OAO Inter RAO UES dropped after MSCI Inc. cut them from an index tracked by investors. The Borsa Istanbul National 100 Index tumbled 2.5 percent, the most in two months, as Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS led losses in lenders. Benchmark gauges in the Czech Republic and Poland retreated at least 0.7 percent.

5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: First Horizon National Corp (FHN)

First Horizon National Corporation (FHN), incorporated in 1968, is a bank holding company. The Company provides financial services through its subsidiary, First Tennessee Bank National Association (the Bank), and its subsidiaries. The Company�� two brands First Tennessee and FTN Financial provide customers with a range of products and services. First Tennessee provides retail and commercial banking services throughout Tennessee. FTN Financial (FTNF) is engaged in fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad. FHN has four operating business segments: regional banking, capital markets, corporate, and non-strategic. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had $16.4 billion in total deposits and $16 billion in total net loans. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiaries had over 200 business locations in 17 the United States states, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, excluding off-premises automated teller machines (ATMs). As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 183 branch locations in four states, which include 172 branches in metropolitan areas of Tennessee; two branches in northwestern Georgia; seven branches in northwestern Mississippi, and two branches in North Carolina. As of December 31, 2011, FTN Financial products and services were offered through 18 offices in total, including 16 offices in 14 states plus an office in each of Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The regional banking segment offers financial products and services, including traditional lending and deposit taking, to retail and commercial customers in Tennessee and surrounding markets. Regional banking provides investments, financial planning, trust services and asset management, credit card, cash management, and first lien mortgage originations within the Tennessee footprint. In addition, the regional banking segment includes correspondent banking, which provides credit, depository, and other banking related services to other financial institutions.

The capital markets se! gment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad, as well as loan sales, portfolio advisory, and derivative sales. The corporate segment consists of gains on the extinguishment of debt, unallocated corporate expenses, expense on subordinated debt issuances and preferred stock, bank-owned life insurance, unallocated interest income associated with excess equity, net impact of raising incremental capital, revenue and expense associated with deferred compensation plans, funds management, low income housing investment activities, and charges related to restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency. The non-strategic segment consists of the wind-down national consumer lending activities, legacy mortgage banking elements, including servicing fees, and the associated ancillary revenues and expenses related to these businesses. Non-strategic also includes the wind-down trust preferred loan portfolio and exited businesses along with the associated restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency charges.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company provided services through its subsidiaries, which include general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments; through FTN Financial fixed income sales and trading, underwriting of bank, loan sales, advisory services and derivative sales; discount brokerage and full-service brokerage; correspondent banking; transaction processing, such as nationwide check clearing services and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency services; credit card products; equipment finance; investment and financial advisory services; mutual fund sales as agent; retail insurance sales as agent, and mortgage banking services.

As of December 31, 2011, the commercial, financial, and industrial (C&I) portfolio was eight billion dollars, and is consisted of loans used for general business purposes, and consisted of relationship customers in Tennessee and certain n! eighborin! g states, which are managed within the regional bank. Products include working capital lines of credit, term loan financing of owner-occupied real estate and fixed assets, and trade credit enhancement through letters of credit. As of December 31, 2011, the unpaid principal balance (UPB) of trust preferred loans totaled $447.2 million with the UPB of other bank-related loans totaling approximately $161.8 million. The commercial real estate portfolio includes both financings for commercial construction and non-construction loans. This portfolio is segregated between income commercial real estate (CRE) loans which contain loans, lines, and letters of credit to commercial real estate developers for the construction and mini- permanent financing of income-producing real estate, and residential CRE loans. The residential CRE portfolio includes loans to residential builders and developers for the purpose of constructing single-family detached homes, condominiums, and town homes. As of December 31, 2011, the residential CRE portfolio was $.1 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the consumer real estate portfolio was $5.3 billion, and is composed of home equity lines and installment loans. As of December 31, 2011, the credit card and other portfolios were $.3 billion, and primarily include credit card receivables, automobile loans, and over-the-counter (OTC) construction loans and other consumer related credits.

FHN�� investment portfolio consists of debt securities, including government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and government agency issued collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO). During the year ended December 31, 2011, Government agency issued MBS and CMO, and other agencies averaged $2.9 billion. During 2011, the United States treasury securities and municipal bonds averaged $79.5 million. During 2011, investments in equity securities averaged $222.3 million.

During 2011, short-term funds (certificates of deposit greater than $100,000, federal funds purchased (! FFP), sec! urities sold under agreements to repurchase, trading liabilities, and other short-term borrowings) averaged $3.6 billion. During 2011, other borrowings increased to $.3 billion. Term borrowings include senior and subordinated borrowings and advances with original maturities greater than one year. During 2011, average term borrowings averaged $2.6 billion.

The Company competes with Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Bank of America N.A., and Pinnacle National Bank.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Finally, regional bank First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN  ) , which has banking branches throughout Tennessee, added 4.2% just a day after paying shareholders a $0.05 quarterly dividend. Like Genuine Parts, there is no company specific news driving First Horizon higher, but the prospect for a higher net interest margin because of higher interest rates is certainly adding a boost to banks like First Horizon that rely on traditional loan and deposit growth. But as my Foolish colleague John Maxfield recently pointed out, you may want to keep your expectations for First Horizon tempered in the interim.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $307.14 million.

    Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.80 per share on revenue of $1.45 billion.

  • [By John Maxfield]

    Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN  ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about First Horizon stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $286.98 million.

    Synacor (NASDAQ: SYNC) is estimated to post a Q1 loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $24.53 million.

5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Verso Paper Corp.(VRS)

Verso Paper Corp. engages in the production and sale of coated papers in the United States. The company offers coated groundwood paper, which is used primarily for catalogs and magazines; coated freesheet paper that is used primarily for annual reports, brochures, and magazine covers; and supercalendered paper, which is primarily used for retail inserts. It also provides northern bleached hardwood kraft pulp that is used to manufacture printing and writing paper grades, and tissue products; recycled paper to meet specific customer requirements; and customized product solutions by producing paper grades with customer-specified weight, brightness, and pulp mix characteristics. In addition, the company offers ultra-lightweight uncoated printing papers, and ultra-lightweight coated and uncoated flexible packaging papers. It serves catalog, magazine, insert, and commercial printing markets through direct sales, commercial printers, paper merchants, and brokers. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap�paper stock�Verso Paper Corp (NYSE: VRS), trucking stock�Covenant Transportation Group, Inc (NASDAQ: CVTI) and gold mining stock Richmont Mines Inc (NYSEMKT: RIC) are among the best small cap stock performers for the�year and the best in their respective sectors because they are�up 390.7%, 224.7% and 215%, respectively, since the start of the year. Why has the paper, trucking and gold mining sector produced three top performing small cap stocks? Here are some answers:

5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc (MSO)

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSO), incorporated on May 7, 1996, is an integrated media and merchandising company providing consumers with lifestyle content and products. The Company operates in three segments: Publishing, Broadcasting, Merchandising, Publishing and Broadcasting. The media and merchandise it creates generally consists of cooking and entertaining, holiday and celebrations, crafts, home, weddings, organizing, office products and accessories, gardening and outdoor living, and pets (grooming, apparel, feeding and health). In December 2012, the Company ceased its Everyday Food publication. In January 2013, the Company discontinued publication of Whole Living.

Publishing

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company�� Publishing segment accounted for 62% of its total revenues, consisting of operations related to magazine and book publishing and digital distribution, principally through its marthastewart.com. Revenues from magazine and digital advertising represented approximately 63% of the segment�� revenues during 2012, while circulation revenues represented approximately 34% of the segment�� revenues. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� Everyday Food publication is being issued as an occasional insert to Martha Stewart Living subscribers.

Martha Stewart Living, its flagship magazine, is the foundation of its publishing business. The Company As of December 31, 2012, it published Martha Stewart Living on a monthly basis with a rate base of 2.05 million. The magazine primarily focused to the college-educated woman between the ages of 25 and 54 who owns her residence. Martha Stewart Living offers lifestyle ideas. Martha Stewart Weddings, a quarterly publication, targets the upscale bride and serves. Martha Stewart Weddings is distributed primarily through newsstands.

Martha Stewart Living, its flagship magazine, is the foundation of its publishing business. The Company As of December 31, 2012, it published Martha ! Stewart Living on a monthly basis with a rate base of 2.05 million. The magazine primarily focused to the college-educated woman between the ages of 25 and 54 who owns her residence. Martha Stewart Living offers lifestyle ideas. Martha Stewart Weddings, a quarterly publication, targets the upscale bride and serves. Martha Stewart Weddings is distributed primarily through newsstands.

The marthastewart.com Website is its digital properties, offering a range of continually updated articles, recipes and videos developed from several Martha Stewart brands, including its magazine properties. The Website provides several lifestyle categories: food, entertaining, holidays, home and garden, crafts and pets. The Website also serves as a gateway to its other properties, including marthastewartweddings.com and emerils.com. The Company produces digital editions available through Barnes & Noble's Nook, Amazon's Kindle Fire and through the Zinio platform. During 2012, it built a custom storefront in Apple's iTunes, which allows it to sell subscriptions and single copies of its magazines, only for Apple's iPad products. The Company produces iPad versions of Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings, the latter of which was launched during 2012. During 2012, it launched the Craft Studio app available on Apple iTunes.

Merchandising

The Merchandising segment consists of the Company�� operations related to the design and branding of merchandise and related collateral and packaging materials that are distributed by its retail and manufacturing partners in exchange for royalty income. The Company�� merchandising segment contributed 29% of its total revenues during 2012. The segment consists of operations related to the design of merchandise and related packaging, collateral and advertising materials, and the licensing of various trademarks, in connection with retail programs conducted through a number of retailers and manufacturers. The Company�� Martha Stewart Living prog! ram at Th! e Home Depot is available at all of The Home Depot�� stores in the United States and Canada, as well as on www.homedepot.com and Home Decorators Collection catalog, online and retail stores. The Martha Stewart Living program at The Home Depot consists of a range of home decor, paint, storage and organization products, outdoor furniture, window treatments, kitchen cabinetry, countertops, carpet and seasonal holiday decor.

The Company�� Martha Stewart Collection at Macy�� is available at the approximately 650 Macy�� stores in the United States that offer home products, as well on www.macys.com. The Martha Stewart Collection line consists of a range of home goods, including bed and bath textiles, house wares, food preparation and other kitchen items, tabletop and holiday decorating items. Martha Stewart Crafts, a paper-based crafting program, consists of tools, embellishments, paper/albums, and other seasonal products. Martha Stewart Pets line consists of a range of pet accessories, including apparel, collars, leashes, bedding, grooming supplies and toys. The Martha Stewart Home Office line is sold at Staples in the United States and United Kingdom, on www.staples.com, and at Officeworks in Australia. The line consists of a range of home office products, including surface organization, journals, portable filing, pantry organization and the line of bags and totes.

Emerilware products by T-FAL consist of small kitchen appliances available at department stores and specialty retail outlets across the United States, as well as through the Home Shopping Network. Emerilware by All-Clad consists of lines of gourmet cookware and barbeque tools available at department stores and specialty retail outlets across the United States, as well as through the Home Shopping Network. Emeril Lagasse introduced with B&G Foods, Emeril�� Original is a line of seasonings, salad dressings, basting sauces and marinades, mustards, salsas, pasta sauces, pepper sauces, spice rubs, cooking sprays and ! stocks av! ailable at supermarkets and specialty markets across the United States, as well as through the Home Shopping Network. Emeril�� Gourmet Coffee with Timothy�� World Coffee is a single-cup coffee program consisting of flavored coffees inspired by Emeril Lagasse. The program is available in department and specialty stores nationwide, as well as in certain national hotel chains.

Emeril's Red Marble Steaks with Allen Brothers is a line of hand-selected, aged steaks. The line is available through catalog, online and the Home Shopping Network. During 2012, it launched Emeril by Snapware, which is branded food storage, on the Home Shopping Network.

Broadcasting

The Broadcasting segment consists of the Company's television production operations and its satellite radio operations. The Company�� Broadcasting business segment accounted for 9% of its total revenues during 2012. During 2012, the Company restructured the Broadcasting segment, which included the termination of its live audience television production operations. Emeril Lagasse also provides various television services for us. During 2012, Emeril Lagasse hosted a new show, Emeril's Florida, on the Cooking Channel. During 2012, it produced two seasons of a new weekly half-hour series, Martha Stewart�� Cooking School.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Garrett Cook]

    A NY judge ruled that JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) interfered with Macy's (NYSE: M) pact with Martha Stewart's Onmimedia (NYSE: MSO).  JC Penney trading was volatile around the release whereas Macy's gained slightly along with the thinly traded shares of Onmimedia.  The judge further state that macy's failed to prove it's entitlement to punitive damages.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2015: CBS Corporation(CBS)

CBS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mass media company in the United States and internationally. The company?s Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, sports, and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures across various genres; and operates online content networks for information and entertainment. Its Cable Networks segment owns and operates multiplexed channels that offers subscription program services, including recently released theatrical feature films, original series, documentaries, boxing, mixed martial arts and other sports-related programming, and special events; and CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service related to college sports. This segment also owns and manages Smithsonian Networks, which operates Smithsonian Channel, a basic cab le service in the United States. The company?s Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children?s consumer books in printed, audio, and digital formats. Its Local Broadcasting segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; owns and operates 130 radio stations in 28 U.S. markets and related online properties; and owns local Websites that combine television and radio local media brands online to provide the latest news, traffic, weather, and sports information, as well as local discounts, directories, and reviews. The company?s Outdoor segment sells advertising space on various media, including billboards, transit shelters and other street furniture, buses, rail systems, mall kiosks, stadium signage, and in retail stores. CBS Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Getty Images The stream is about to turn into a gush. Streaming v! ideo-on-demand purveyors like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu and Amazon.com (AMZN) are set to open their wallets a lot wider for content. And where will that cash flow? For the most part, into the bank accounts of the content producers, specifically the Hollywood TV industry. The Fight for Eyeballs As everyone expected with the advance of streaming technology (and the bandwidth to accommodate it), video on demand has become one of the hottest items in entertainment. The evolution has been fast. Five years ago, Amazon's Prime was essentially just a subscription service that provided free two-day shipping of physical goods for its members. Since 2011, though, it's been an increasingly aggressive player in the streaming market. Amazon doesn't break down the figures it spends on streaming video; nevertheless, its "technology and content" expenses line item was $6.6 billion in the first nine months of this year. That was 41 percent higher than in the same period last year, and the amount comprised nearly 10 percent of the company's total net sales. According to an estimate from Bernstein Research, Amazon is set to spend $1.5 billion to $2 billion this year on streaming syndication and original content, which should balloon to more than $2.5 billion in 2015. It's in good company. Its two most prominent rivals, Netflix and Hulu -- a joint venture of units from Comcast (CMCSA), 21st Century Fox (FOX) and Disney (DIS) -- are also prepared to write big checks. According to Variety, an analysis from RBC Capital Markets estimates that the troika will spend a collective $6.8 billion on such content next year. That's a chunky 31 percent increase from the anticipated 2014 figure of $5.2 billion. That higher spend is going both to the original content that has proliferated on such channels (series like Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black"), films, and syndication rights for such broadcast TV series as "The Blackli

  • [By Harold L. Vogel]

    And then there's the thorny retransmission-consent issue that deli! ghts broa! dcast networks and their local affiliates. As the recent nasty spat between CBS (CBS) and Time Warner Cable has illustrated, MSOs - being more immediately and intimately linked by billing and marketing to viewers than are broadcasters - must either pay up or bear most of the wrath of consumers. Fifty cents to a dollar a month per sub to retransmit a broadcast network's signal is nowadays not that unusual and provides the old stodgy broadcasters with an important second revenue source in addition to advertising. (Unofficial estimates have it that within five years, CBS will be receiving $2 per month per sub from Time Warner and others.)

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Evan Agostini, Invision/APCBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves ranked No. 2 on a list of highest paid CEOs. LOS ANGELES -- Once again, media company CEOs are among the highest paid executives in the nation, occupying six of the top 10 earning spots, according to an Associated Press/Equilar study. Compensation experts say a variety of factors are at play, including the gain in media stocks, the intangible value of talent in a hit-or-miss business, the control of shareholder power in very few hands, and the decline of the financial sector. Stock Outperformers Outsized stock growth boosts the value of stock and option grants. Media companies' shares have rebounded strongly since the 2008 recession, mainly because advertising spending grows in tandem with a growing economy. That means higher-priced ads and higher-priced execs. Stocks of the six media companies on the list all outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC), which grew 128 percent in the five years through December 2013, according to FactSet. CBS (CBS) shares grew a whopping 699 percent in that period; Discovery Communications (DISCA) went up 539 percent; Viacom (VIA) rose 377 percent; Walt Disney (DIS) rose 250 percent; Time Warner (TWX) climbed 259 percent and Comcast (CMCSA) grew 223 percent. "If shareholders are happy they don't care how! much a p! erson makes," said Paul Dorf, managing director of consulting firm Compensation Resources. "When they complain most is when the market doesn't do well and their stock is going down the tubes." Talent Quotient Making it big in media means generating hits. And while top executives may not be hands-on with every decision, they are where the buck stops. Take Disney's animated blockbuster "Frozen," which grossed $1.2 billion at box offices worldwide. While Disney CEO Bob Iger didn't make the movie, he did orchestrate Disney's $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar in 2006, which brought in talented executives to help reform Disney's faltering a

  • [By Stephen Quickel]

    Revenues and earnings of CBS Corp. (CBS), the broadcasting giant, keeps rising, enhanced by $2 billion of share repurchases. Little noticed sources of profit are lush retransmission fees for its content from cable, satellite, and telecom companies.

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-warren-buffett-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-2.html

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2015

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2015: West Marine Inc (WMAR)

West Marine, Inc., incorporated in September 1993, is a specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories. The Company offers an assortment of merchandise for the boat and for the boater. It operates in three segments: Stores, Port Supply and Direct-to-Customer. The Company sells to both retail and wholesale customers in its Stores segment. In addition, the Company has three franchised stores in Turkey. The Companys Port Supply segment is its wholesale segment. The Companys Direct-to-Customer, which includes e-commerce, catalog and call center transactions. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Stores segment generated approximately 90% of its net revenues. During 2011, products shipped to Port Supply customers directly from its warehouses represented approximately 4% of its net revenues.

During 2011, its Direct Sales segment offered customers around the world more than 75,000 products and accounted for the remaining 6% of its net revenues. Priva te label products, which the Company sells under the West Marine, Black Tip, Third Reef, Pure Oceans, Lifesling, SeaVolt and Seafit brand names, usually are manufactured in Asia, the United States and Europe.

Stores Segment

During 2011, the Company opened six stores while closing 14 stores. In December 2011, it opened its Fort Lauderdale Boating Superstore, a 50,000 square foot flagship. Its flagship stores ranging in size from 21,000 to 50,000 square feet, offering an array of merchandise typically about 16,000 items, as well as displays designed to help customers make informed product selections. It also operates large format stores, standard-sized stores and smaller Express stores. Its large format stores range from 13,000 to 19,000 square feet and carry about 11,000 items. The standard-sized stores typically range from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet and carry over 6,000 items. Express stores typically range from 2,500 to 3,000 s! quare feet and carry over 4,000 items, mainly hardware and other supplies needed for day-to-day boat maintenance and repairs.

Port Supply Segment

Port Supply customers include businesses involved in boat sales, boat building, boat commissioning and repair, yacht chartering, marina operations and other boating-related activities. In addition, Port Supply sells to government and industrial customers who use its products for boating and non-boating purposes. Port Supply, the Companys wholesale segment, serves wholesale customers seeking convenience and a larger assortment of products than those carried by typical distributors.

Direct-to-Customer Segment

The Companys e-commerce Website provides its customers with access to a selection of approximately 75,000 products, product advisor tips and technical information, over 450 product videos and customer-submitted product reviews. This segment also provides customers with access to knowledgeabl e technical advisors who can assist its customers in understanding the various uses and applications of the products it sell. It operates a virtual call center from which its associates assist its customers by taking calls from their homes or from its support center in Watsonville, California. Its virtual call center supports sales generated through its e-commerce Website, catalogs and stores and provides customer service offerings.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Interactive Buyside]

    West Marine (Nasdaq: WMAR) is an undervalued retailer.  The company is going through a change in focus from a bricks and mortar boat product retailer to a fully integrated retail and wholesale business through bricks and clicks, targeting the boating and water enthusiast customer.   Recent results have been affected by a severe rainy and cool spring which hurt boat usage and delayed the start of the season.  The company has accelerated cash investments to build larger more productive stores a! nd expand! its ecommerce abilities, consequently affecting free cash flow short term.  The stock lacks sponsorship as there is only one research report written on the company by a small boutique firm.  The stock trades at only book value despite the company being the leading industry player with a solid balance sheet and significant net cash position. 

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-specialty-retail-stocks-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Monday, March 23, 2015

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch In Right Now

The genius of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) product innovation is that Apple has found a way to think years, even decades ahead of consumers. It revolutionized what we thought about cell phones, created an app model that didn't previously exist, and is currently taking steps to connect us to everything, all the time.

Don't get fooled by the product announcements most people focus on; it's the software that Apple will use to differentiate itself in the future. Airplay allows your Apple devices to communicate with each other, AirDrop makes other devices accessible, and iCloud stores photos, music, and soon passwords that pull you in and keep you in the ecosystem.

Slowly, these products creep into our daily usage and become a natural extension of us. Turn the lights on remotely, check your security camera, change a file on your smartphone, and beam anything to the nearest Apple-powered screen.

What Apple is doing is making the device itself ubiquitous. Wherever or whenever it's convenient to do what you need to do, from business to recreation, on any of your Apple devices, a solution will be available. Wi-Fi, iCloud, AirDrop, and AirPlay are just the ways Apple uses to connect them and make sure Apple is everywhere.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks For 2015: Bowl America Inc (BWL.A)

Bowl America Incorporated, incorporated in July 22, 1958, is engaged in the entertainment business. The Company operates in one segment. Its principal source of revenue consists of fees charged for the use of bowling lanes and other facilities and from the sale of food and beverages for consumption on the premises. Merchandise sales, including food and beverages, were approximately 30% of operating revenues. The balance of operating revenues (approximately 70%) represents fees for bowling and related services. During the fiscal year ended July, 1 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries operated 19 bowling centers. These 19 bowling centers contain a total of 756 lanes. As of September 1, 2012 the Company and its subsidiaries operated 10 bowling centers in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., one bowling center in the metropolitan area of Baltimore, Maryland, one bowling center in Orlando, Florida, three bowling centers in the metropolitan area of Jacksonville, Florida, and four bowling centers in the metropolitan area of Richmond, Virginia.

These establishments are air-conditioned with facilities for service of food and beverages, game rooms, rental lockers, and meeting room facilities. All centers provide shoes for rental, and bowling balls are provided free. In addition, each center retails bowling accessories. Most locations are equipped for glow-in-the-dark bowling, popular for parties and non-league bowling. The bowling equipment essential for the Company's operation is readily available. Two of the Company's bowling centers are located in leased premises, and the remaining seventeen centers are owned by the Company.

The Company competes with Brunswick Corporation and AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Fredrik Arnold]

    The balance of the top ten included one technology firm, AT&T Inc. (T) in fourth place; one consumer goods, Altria Group Inc. (MO), placed fifth; Bowl America Class A (BWL.A) in seventh place was the lone service dog. Two utilities, Northwest Natural Gas (NWN), and Consolidated Edison (ED), in ninth and tenth places completed the representation of market sectors in the champions index.

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch In Right Now: Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)

Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Smith & Wesson), incorporated on June 17, 1991, is a manufacturer of firearms. The Company manufactures a range of handguns, modern sporting rifles, hunting rifles, black powder firearms, handcuffs, and firearm-related products and accessories for sale to a range of customers, including gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and globally. It sell its products under the Smith & Wesson brand, the M&P brand, the Thompson/Center brand, and the Walther brand. The Company manufactures its firearm products at its facilities in Springfield, Massachusetts and Houlton, Maine. On July 26, 2012, it sold all of the assets of Smith & Wesson Security Solutions, Inc.

Firearms

During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced multiple new handgun and modern sporting rifle models, and one new bolt action rifle platform. The Company's rifle introductions included the addition of the M&P15 300 Whisper to the Company's line of modern sporting rifles. As of April 30, 2012, the Company participated in three categories of the long-gun market and both core categories of the handgun market.

Handguns

The Company manufactures an variety of handgun models that include revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. The Company's small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens. The Company's revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and personal markets.

The Company�� M! &P15 Series of modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These rifles are also popular as sporting target rifles and are sold to consumers through the Company's sporting good distributors, retailers, and dealers. The Company has a range of product portfolio of modern sporting rifles, which includes a lower price-point, sport model, a .22 caliber model, and a fully automatic model designed for the exclusive use of military and law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

Hunting Firearms

The Company manufactures three lines of bolt-action rifles under its Thompson/Center brand consisting of several models in each line. The Company's hunting rifles are offered in 16 different calibers. Bolt-action rifles operate by the cycling of a bolt handle that allows for both the loading and unloading of rounds through a magazine fed system.

During fiscal 2012, the Company introduced the Dimension bolt action rifle platform. Under the Company's Thompson/Center brand, the Company also offers seven models of American-made single shot black powder, or muzzle loader, firearms. The Company offers eight models of interchangeable, single shot firearm systems that deliver numerous gun, barrel, caliber configurations, and finishes. These systems can be configured as a center-fire rifle, rim-fire rifle, shotgun, black powder firearm, or single-shot handgun for use across the entire range of big- and small-game hunting.

Handcuffs

The Company manufactures handcuffs and restraints in the United States. The Company fabricates these products from the carbon or stainless steel.

Smith & Wesson Academy

Through the Smith & Wesson Academy, the Company offers instruction designed to meet the training needs of law enforcement and security customers worldwide. Classes are conducted at the Company's facility in Springfield, Massachusetts or o! n locatio! n around the world.

Specialty Services

The Company's services include forging, heat treating, finishing, and plating. It provides services to third-party customers.

The Company competes with Ruger,Taurus, Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag Arms, DPMS, Browning, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Weatherby, CVA, Traditions, and Winchester.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Aaron Smith]

    Gunmakers like Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Colt say that while rifle sales are dropping, sales of handguns are cllimbing.

    Ruttenbur said this is partly because more people are applying for concealed carry permits, which allow them to carry concealed handguns in public places. Handguns are also popular among the growing demographic of women.

  • [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

    Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC) shares jumped 16%. The gun maker�� quarterly results beat earnings forecasts and it raised its outlook for the year. The firm raised its full-year earnings per share estimate for continuing operations to a range of $1.39 to $1.42, beating the Wall Street forecast of $1.33 per share, according to FactSet.

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch In Right Now: Drew Industries Inc (DW)

Drew Industries Incorporated, incorporated on March 20, 1984, is a supplier of components for recreational vehicle (RVs) and manufactured housing. The Company operates in two segments: the RV products segment (RV Segment), and the manufactured housing products segment (MH Segment). The Company�� operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Lippert Components, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Lippert) and Kinro, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Kinro), each of which has operations in both the RV Segment and the MH Segment. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the RV Segment accounted for 87% of net sales and the MH segment accounted for 13% of net sales. On February 21, 2012, the Company acquired the business and certain assets of the United States RV entry door operation of Euramax International, Inc. In February 2014, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Lippert Components, Inc has acquired Innovative Design Solutions, Inc. (IDS).

RV Segment

The Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries manufactures and markets a variety of products used in the production of RVs, including steel chassis for towable RVs, axles and suspension solutions for towable RVs, slide-out mechanisms and solutions, thermoformed bath, kitchen and other products, manual, electric and hydraulic stabilizer and lifting systems, aluminum windows and screens, chassis components, furniture and mattresses, entry, baggage, patio and ramp doors, entry steps, awnings, and other accessories. The Company also supplies certain of these products to the RV aftermarket, and to adjacent industries, including manufacturers of truck caps, buses and trailers used to haul boats, livestock, equipment and other cargo. Operations of the Company's RV Segment consist primarily of fabricating, welding, painting and assembling components into finished products. The Company's RV Segment operations are conducted at 23 manufacturing and warehouse facilities throughout the United States, located in proximity to the cus! tomers they serve. Of these facilities, six also conduct operations in the Company's MH Segment. It markets extruded aluminum parts to manufacturers in other industries. The Company's RV Segment products are sold primarily to manufacturers of RVs such as Thor Industries Forest River (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, and other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and to distributors of aftermarket products.

MH Segment

The Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries manufactures and markets a variety of products used in the production of manufactured homes and to modular housing and mobile office units, including vinyl and aluminum windows and screens, steel chassis, steel chassis parts, axles, thermoformed bath and kitchen products, steel and fiberglass entry doors, and aluminum and vinyl patio doors. The Company also supplies windows, doors, and thermoformed bath products as replacement parts to the manufactured housing aftermarket, and to adjacent industries. MH Segment customers manufacture both manufactured homes and modular homes, and certain of the products manufactured by the Company are suitable for both types of homes. Operations of the Company's MH Segment consist primarily of fabricating, welding, thermoforming, painting and assembling components into finished products. The Company's MH Segment operations are conducted at 13 manufacturing and warehouse facilities throughout the United States, located in proximity to the customers they serve. Of these facilities, six also conduct operations in the Company's RV Segment. The Company's manufactured housing products are sold primarily to producers of manufactured homes such as Clayton Homes, Cavco Industries, Inc., Champion Home Builders, Inc., Skyline Corporation, and other OEMs, and to distributors of aftermarket products.

The Company competes with Kober Corporation and Dexter Axle Company.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    The CEO of recreation vehicle (RV) stock Winnebago Industries, Inc (NYSE: WGO) recently appeared on CNBC to say that the economy is improving for RV makers, meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock plus take a look at the performance of other small cap RV stocks like Drew Industries, Inc (NYSE: DW), Skyline Corporation (NYSEMKT: SKY) and Thor Industries, Inc (NYSE: THO).

  • [By Grace L. Williams]

    Shares of Winnebago have gained 4.4% to $28.47 today at 3pm. Thor Industries (THO), which also makes recreational vehicles, has ticked up 0.1% to $57.56, Drew Industries (DW) has risen 0.3% to $48.74, Arctic Cat (ACAT) has advanced 1% to $59.87 and Polaris Industries (PII) has fallen 0.3% to $132.08.

Top 5 Recreation Companies To Watch In Right Now: Performance Sports Group Ltd (PSG)

Performance Sports Group Ltd, formerly Bauer Performance Sports Ltd., designs, develops, manufactures and sells performance sports equipment and accessories for ice hockey, roller hockey, lacrosse, baseball and softball, as well as related apparel, including soccer apparel. Its products are marketed under the BAUER, MISSION, MAVERIK, CASCADE, COMBAT and INARIA brand names. The ice hockey products include skates, skate blades, protective gear, sticks, team apparel and accessories. The roller hockey products include skates, protective gear and accessories. Its products are available in over 45 countries through a network of more than 3,700 distributors. The Company has associations with many of the hockey, lacrosse, baseball and softball organizations, including the NHL, CHL, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, IIHF, NCAA, Ivy League, Big East Conference, US Lacrosse, International Lacrosse Federation, USSSA, ASA, NPF, NSA Canada, Softball USA, Softball Canada, USA Baseball, ISA and ISF. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    The Q3 2014 earnings report for small cap golf stock Callaway Golf Co (NYSE: ELY), a potential peer of sporting goods or sporting equipment stocks like Toronto listed�Performance Sports Group Ltd (NYSE: PSG) and Johnson Outdoors Inc (NASDAQ: JOUT), is scheduled for after the market closes on Thursday (October 23rd). Aside from the Callaway Golf earnings report, it should be said that Performance Sports Group Ltd reported Q1 2015 on October 9th (revenues were up 28% to $197.1 million) while the estimated release date for the Q4 2014 Johnson Outdoors Inc earnings report is�October 31st. However, Callaway Golf is the last publicly traded�pure play golf equipment stock�giving investors direct exposure to the game���especially since Dicks Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE: DKS)�recently took a $20.4 million pretax golf restructuring charge and plans to focus more attention on other sports.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2015

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own 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 Nitish]

    PetroQuest Energy, Inc. (PQ) last month announced results for the second quarter of 2014. The following compares certain second quarter 2014 metrics to those of the second quarter of 2013, highlighting the company's continued growth driven by its successful drilling programs in Oklahoma and Texas, its acquisition of certain Gulf of Mexico assets in July 2013 ("Gulf of Mexico Acquisition") and stronger natural gas prices:

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-small-cap-stocks-to-own-for-2015-2.html

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Hot Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now

Hot Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now: Orkla ASA (ORK)

Orkla ASA is a Norway-based company active in various sectors. The Companys operations are structured into two segments: Branded Consumer Goods and Other Businesses. The Branded Consumer Goods segment is divided into five units: Orkla Foods, which comprises the Companys food businesses in the Nordic region and the Baltics; Orkla Confectionery, which comprises five branded consumer goods businesses which serve the Nordic region and the Baltics as their home markets; Orkls Home & Personal consists of five branded consumer goods businesses, including Lilleborg, Lilleborg Profesjonell, the Axellus Group, Pierre Robert Group and House Care; Orkla Food Ingredients cover product categories, including margarine, marzipan, bread improvers and mixes, and yeast, and Orkla International includes branded consumer goods companies outside the Nordic region and the Baltics. The Other Businesses segment covers the Companys operation in aluminum, real estate and hydropower sectors, am ong others. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonathan Morgan]

    Orkla ASA (ORK), the Norwegian industrial conglomerate transforming itself into a consumer-goods producer, slumped 11 percent to 46.78 kroner, the largest drop since November 2011. The company reported second-quarter pretax profit of 514 million kroner ($86 million), missing estimates of 965 million kroner in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-industrial-conglomerate-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html