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Sands China Ltd. (Sands China) is an investment holding company. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the development and operation of integrated resorts in Macao, which contain not only gaming areas, but also meeting space, convention and exhibition halls, retail and dining areas and entertainment venues. The Company operates in five segments: The Venetian Macao, Sands Macao, The Plaza Macao, Sands Cotai Central and ferry and other operations. The Venetian Macao, the Plaza Macao and Other developments derive their revenue primarily from casino, hotel, food and beverage, mall, convention, retail and others sources. Ferry and other operations derive their revenue from the sale of ferry tickets for transportation between Hong Kong and Macau. As of December 31, 2011, its properties included 3,554 hotel rooms and suites, 74 restaurants, 1.2 million square feet of retail, 1.2 million square feet of meeting space, two permanent theaters, a 15,000-seat arena and t he casino. Advisors' Opinion: - [By MARKETWATCH]
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks rose early Wednesday, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) up 0.2% at 22,587.72. Hong Kong properties advanced, as the city's major developer Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (HK:16) (SUHJY) rose 0.7%, after the company launched new luxury Riva project and saw the first batch of 64 flats sold out on the first day of sale. Sino Land Co. (HK:83) (SNLAF) rose 1.1%, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. gained 0.9%, and Henderson Land Development Co. (HK:12) ! (BACHY) edged up 0.2%. Chinese auto maker Dongfeng Motor Group Co. (HK:489) resumed trading and fell 0.9%, after the company said it signed an agreement with French joint-venture partner PSA Peugeot Citroen to invest 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for a stake in the company. Most Casino stocks were lower, after reports said Macau planned to cut the duration of operators' licenses to 5 years. Shares of MGM China Holdings Ltd. (HK:2282) (MCHVF) declined 1.6%, SJM Holdings Ltd. (HK:880) lost 1%, and Sands China Ltds. (HK:1928) (SCHYF) dropped 0.8%. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) traded flat at 2,119.77. - [By MARKETWATCH]
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks sold off early Thursday after the Federal Reserve decided to further taper stimulus, and after a final reading of China's manufacturing PMI contracted. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) sank 1.5% to 21,815.04 in holiday-shortened trading. Tech stocks retreated, as Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd. (HK:992) (LNVGF) dropped 5.3%, failing to get a lift from news that it plans to acquire the Motorola handset business from Google Inc. (GOOG) for $2.91 billion as Lenovo aims for a bigger presence in the U.S. market. Software developer Kingsoft Corp. (HK:3888) (KSFTF) ! ! fell 1.9% and Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. (HK:700) (TCTZF) dropped 1.5%. Casino stocks also declined. Sands China Ltds. (HK:1928) (SCHYF) , the Hong Kong-listed unit of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) , slipped 0.2%, despite financial results that showed Sands China's net income increased 40% year-on-year to $467 million in the fourth quarter. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (HK:6883) (MPEL) slumped 3.2%, and both Wynn Macau Ltd. (HK:1128) (WYNMF) and MGM China Holdings Ltd. (HK:2282) source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-casino-companies-to-invest-in-2014.html
 GlaxoSmithKline is recalling diet drug Alli after reports of tampering in seven states. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Alli, a popular over-the-counter weight loss drug, is being recalled in the United States and Puerto Rico because of possible tampering. GlaxoSmithKline (GLAXF), the British company that makes the drug, said in a statement Thursday the recall comes after complaints from customers in seven states. "A range of tablets and capsules of various shapes and colors were reported to be found inside bottles," the company said. "Additionally, some bottles inside the outer carton were missing labels and had tamper-evident seals that were not authentic." GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Deborah Bolding said that 20 tampered bottles were reported to the company by 12 customers. She did not say whether anyone had consumed the fake pills, but she did say that no one got sick. "We have received no reports of serious illness from the consumers who have reported these tampered products," she said. The company is assessing the tampered products to try and find out what they are, she said. GlaxoSmithKline described authentic Alli as a turquoise blue capsule with a dark blue band imprinted with the text "60 Orlistat," which is the active compound that prevents the absorption of fat.  23andMe: FDA ruling had huge impact The London-based company said the questionable Alli was purchased in retail stores in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina and Texas. Bolding said the drug is also sold in Europe, but there are no reports of tampering outside the U.S. The company said it's conducting an investigation with the Food and Drug Administration. Back in 2010, the FDA warned that a counterfeit version of Alli that was being sold online was potentially harmful to dieters. 
 Google Glass is partnering with the company behind the much-loved Ray-Ban brand. LONDON (CNNMoney) Google Glass is trying to shed its nerdy image by teaming up with the company behind Ray-Bans and Oakley sunglasses. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) announced late Monday that it is joining forces with eyewear giant Luxottica (LUX) to design, develop and distribute a new generation of Glass. Glass, Google's experimental gadget that places a notification screen above your eye, initially launched in 2013 as an exciting futuristic product. Since then, it has become an overhyped niche gadget with a public relations problem. By appearing more stylish, Google is hoping Glass may gain broader market appeal before it releases the product to the broader public toward the end of 2014. Luxottica and Google will establish a team of experts devoted to working on new Glass products "that straddle the line between high-fashion, lifestyle and innovative technology," the eyewear company says. The frames firm -- the largest eyewear company in the world -- manufactures glasses for Oakley, Persol, Prada, Ray-Ban and Versace. It also owns retailers including LensCrafters, Sunglasses Hut and Pearle Vision, giving Google the ability to showcase its new designs in brick-and-mortar stores. Both companies have been working towards combining fashion and technology for some time. Luxottica has a 10-year history in incorporating wearable technology into its Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses. Its Oakley Thump sunglasses are outfitted with headphones for listening to music on the go. And in late January, Google released four new versions of Glass in a bid to appeal to fashion-conscious consumers. It also added options for prescription glasses, its most requested feature since it launched the face-mounted computers last year.  See the new Google Glasses Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Allegra Perry said this latest move "should put to rest any concern that had arisen recently that Google Glass would create a competitive threat [to Lux! ottica marketshare]." Kenny Stoltz, a London-based entrepreneur working on developing an app for Google Glass said he expects the partnership with popular brands like Ray-Ban to "soften the high tech edge" of Glass. Shares in the Italian frame maker were surging by just over 3% Tuesday morning. Google shares were up 1%.
Today, MoneyShow's Jim Jubak discusses China in regards to the adage "Bad News is Good News," because bad news about China's economy might hasten the start of some kind of Chinese government—or financial—stimulus. You're familiar with 'Bad news is good news" markets from the behavior of US stocks during the last year on negative news about US economic growth. The market's rallied on many bad news days, on the theory that weaker than expected US economic growth would keep the Federal Reserve from cutting back its purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, and put off any increase in short-term interest rates. It looks like China is headed into that same kind of "bad news is good news" direction. I think it's a little early to proclaim that this logic is in the ascendant, but I do think traders are starting to think that more bad news about China's economy is a good thing, because it pushes up the start of stimulus from the Chinese government and the People's Bank. The latest evidence is in the reaction to a weaker-than-expected Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector from HSBC and Markit Economics. The survey, which precedes the official government data, dropped to 48.1 for March. That's below the 48.5 reading for February and below the 48.7 consensus, among economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It also marked the fifth straight monthly decline. (In this survey, any reading above 50 indicates expansion and anything below 50 indicates contraction.) Stocks in Shanghai initially fell 0.2% on the news but then rebounded to close up 0.9% for the day. The official purchasing managers index from the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federal of Logistics and Purchasing is due on April 1. In February, the official index came in at 50.2, still on the side of expansion, but also, an eight-month low. According to a Bloomberg survey, the consensus growth forecast for China's economy for the first quarter of 2014, among economists, fell to 7.4% in March, from 7.6% in February. So far, whatever the market might be starting to anticipate, the Beijing government isn't talking stimulus. Earlier this month, the State Council said that new spending wasn't in the cards, but that the government might front-load existing spending programs. I still think it's likely to be June or July before the government and the People's Bank actually announce any new concrete stimulus programs. But it sure looks like the market will anticipate those moves long before they actually materialize.
The stock market has dropped today as global economic disappointed and investors abandon some of the market’s highest-flying stocks, including Netflix (NFLX), Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN), Facebook (FB), Mylan (MYL) and Michael Kors (KORS).  Reuters The S&P 500 has dropped 0.8% to 1,851.43 at 12:35 p.m., while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 0.5% to 16,227.73, thanks to no positions in the aforementioned high fliers. The Nasdaq Composite has declined 1.7% to 4,202.21 and the Russell 2000 is off 1.8% to 1,172.83. Shares of Netflix have fallen 7% to $377.54, Facebook has dropped 4.9% to $63.93 and Alexion is off 5.4% at 151.16 as biotech stocks plunge, helping to pull down the Nasdaq. Mylan has fallen 4.3% to $49.88 and Michael Kors has declined 4.1% to $93.51. In each case, no news is bad news. As for that global data: Markit’s first read on its index of U.S. manufacturing strength fell to 55.5 in March, down from 57.1 in February, but looked good compared to Markit’s preliminary take on China, which fell to 48.1 from 48.5 and missed forecasts. In Europe, the same measure fell to 53.2 in March, down from 53.3 in February. Capital Economics’ Andrew Kenningham explains that the global economic recovery is still on track: Overall, the global economy is in better shape than it was a year ago because prospects for the US have improved and the euro-zone is, slowly, healing. Among the key risks, we think the Ukraine crisis has potential to have a further negative impact on sentiment and financial markets, but it should not derail the economic recovery, not least because all parties have strong incentives to avoid an all-out trade war. Also, despite the Fed raising its rate forecasts last week, both US and global monetary policy should remain highly accommodative for at least a couple more years. Nonetheless, the lacklustre pace of the euro-zone recovery and the structural slowdown in emerging economies mean that global growth is likely to pick up only gradually and to remain weaker than it was before 2008. MKM Partners’ Jonathan Krinsky says the risk to the market “remains to the downside.” He explains why: If the S&P 500 closes above 1849 on March 31st, it will have recorded its fifth consecutive up quarter. The last such occurrence was September 2007. Since 1965 (nearly 50 years), there have been just five other instances where the SPX was up for five quarters in a row. In only one of those instances did the SPX make a sixth consecutive higher monthly close. That was in the midst of the 1995-1998 rally which saw 14 consecutive quarterly gains. That stretch was arguably a once in a generation run, unlikely to be seen again for quite some time. If we exclude that stretch, and look at the four other instances that saw five up quarters in a row, forward returns were quite negative on average. The average return for the following quarter was -4.59%. With the exception of 2004, results two, three, and four quarters out were also quite negative. Today, it sure feels like Krinsky is onto something.
October wasn't an easy month to own FreeSeas Inc. (NASDAQ:FREE), NewLead Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:NEWL), DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS), or any maritime shipper for that matter. They were all down rather sharply after heroic runups in September. DRYS fell 22% last month. NEWL slumped 41% in October. FREE gave up 44% of its value last month. What happened? After all, these same stocks were among some of the hottest names in September. In simplest terms, what happened here is what happens all too often... the market "got it right" in terms of the premise, but overdid it. Now that the dust is settling though, the undertow is kicking in again, but this time at a more reasonable/sustainable pace. At the heart of the runup and subsequent pullback from DryShips, NewLead Holdings Ltd, and FreeSeas - and again, most of the dry goods shipping stocks - is the Baltic Dry Index... a measure of the change in prices to charter a dry-bulk-carrying vessel. These prices have been depressed for years, with the index falling from more than 11,000 in the heydays of 2008 to the 900-ish area for the better part of the last year and a half. A funny thing happened in June, though. Demand for shipping services finally caught up with the supply, and companies like NEWL, FREE, and DRYS got into a position (at least in investors' minds) where they could start to charge what they needed to charge to remain profitable rather than flounder at the mercy of companies that ship dry goods. Between late-May and late-September, the Baltic Dry Index had run from 812 to 2084, with most of the industry's stocks finally getting on board with the runup beginning in September. Hot Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT) LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Keith Speights]
The fun wasn't just limited to the big three hospital operators. Lifepoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT ) stock jumped 5% on the CMS news, reflecting a $109 million market cap expansion. Likewise, Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS ) shares climbed 5%, bumping its market cap up by�$55 million.
Hot Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: Centor Energy Inc (CNTO) Centor Energy Inc, formerly Centor, Inc., incorporated on February 16, 2011, is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the business of mineral exploration. On November 26, 2012, the Company entered into a purchase agreement with Bullnet Gold Resources Limited. As of May 31, 2013, the Company had not generated revenues. As of May 31, 2013, the Company had no mining operations. Advisors' Opinion: - [By John Udovich]
Many American oil and gas investors are probably familiar with the major large and small cap players in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, but few American investors are probably familiar with�the active players further to the north in the�oil and gas rich Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta�with small cap stocks like Alexander Energy Ltd (CVE: ALX), Renegade Petroleum Ltd (CVE: RPL) and Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) along with large cap Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE: SU) being among those�pumping out their share of noteworthy news lately. I should point out that�Canada�� oil reserves are ranked #3 after to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the controversial�oil sands of Alberta while the neighboring province of Saskatchewan (which the Bakken formation actually stretches into) along with offshore areas of Newfoundland also containing substantial production and reserves. Moreover and excluding the oil sands, Alberta would have 39% of Canada�� remaining conventional oil reserves,�followed by�offshore Newfoundland with�28% and Saskatchewan with 27%.
Fluidigm Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of microfluidic systems for growth markets in the life science and agricultural biotechnology (Ag-Bio) industries. The company?s proprietary microfluidic systems consist of instruments and consumables, including chips (integrated fluidic circuits) and reagents. Its technology enables customers to perform and measure various biochemical reactions on samples smaller than the content of a single cell by utilizing minute volumes of reagents and samples; and rapid preparation of multiple samples in parallel for next generation DNA sequencing. The company?s products include the BioMark HD system, which performs high-throughput gene expression analysis using real-time and end point PCR, SNP genotyping, single-cell analysis, and digital PCR using TaqMan, EvaGreen dye, and other chemistries; The EP1 System that performs end point PCR and is commonly used in production settings for Ag-Bio, digital PCR, and copy number variation experiments using TaqMan, EvaGreen dye, and other chemistries; and the Access Array system that enables automated sample preparation and tagging for next generation DNA sequencers. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, diagnostic laboratories, and Ag-Bio companies. Fluidigm Corporation distributes its instruments and supplies through direct field sales and support organizations in North America, Europe, and Japan; and through distributors or sales agents in parts of Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company was formerly known as Mycometrix Corporation and changed its name to Fluidigm Corporation in April 2001. Fluidigm Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Fluidigm (NASDAQ: FLDM ) , a manufacturer of microfluidic systems for the biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic research sectors, shot higher by as much as 14% after reporting its first-quarter-earnings results. - [By John Kell]
Bio-technology company Fluidigm Corp.(FLDM) agreed to acquire DVS Sciences Inc. for about $208 million to expand its portfolio of single-cell technology products. DVS manufactures and distributes bioanalytical products for biological research and future clinical applications. Shares dropped 2.3% to $40.02 premarket. - [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Fluidigm (Nasdaq: FLDM ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Fluidigm doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 24.0%, and inventory increased 14.4%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue expanded 32.8%, and inventory increased 14.4%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 7.2%, and inventory grew 2.8%.
Hot Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE) CBOE Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates markets for the execution of transactions in exchange-traded options. The company offers marketplaces for trading of options on individual equities, various market indexes, exchange-traded notes, and exchange-traded funds, as well as futures contracts and cash equities. It has strategic relationships with Standard & Poor's Corporation; Dow Jones & Co.; NASDAQ; and Frank Russell Co. The company was founded in 1973 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Chris Dieterich]
Exchange operator CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE) said Tuesday that it will expand futures trading on its CBOE Volatility Index to nearly 24 hours a day. Starting on June 22, VIX futures trading will begin Sundays at 6:00 p.m. ET and close the week at 4:15 p.m. on Fridays. The change is pending regulatory review, the CBOE�� news release said. - [By Dan Caplinger]
Among exchanges, the action is beyond the stock market. With the rise in trading of futures, options, and other derivative investments, NYSE Euronext's ownership of the NYSE Liffe exchange in London was a key element of ICE's interest. CME Group (NASDAQ: CME ) and CBOE Holdings (NASDAQ: CBOE ) have worked hard to preserve their respective strength in futures and options, and rising market turbulence has made many of their products look a lot more enticing. Given that derivatives can help hedge market risk and reduce overall exposure, all of the exchange companies have an opportunity to bolster their presence in the derivatives market with innovative products that meet the new needs investors have in a more turbulent financial environment.
Hot Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: Codexis Inc.(CDXS) Codexis, Inc. engages in the production of custom industrial enzymes for use in the manufacture of biofuels, chemicals, and pharmaceutical ingredients. The company offers Codex Biocatalyst Panels and Kits to pharmaceutical companies that are engaged in drug development and the marketing of approved drugs to allow them to screen and identify possible enzymatic manufacturing processes for their drug candidates and their marketed products. It also provides enzyme screening services, enzyme optimization services, and enzymes, as well as supplies intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients to pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the company develops CodeXyme cellulase enzymes to convert cellulosic biomass, a non-food plant material into affordable sugars, which can then be converted into renewable fuels and chemicals; and CodeXol detergent alcohols that are used to manufacture surfactants, which are used as cleaning ingredients in consumer products, such as shampoos, liquid soaps, and laundry detergents. It intends to market CodeXyme cellulase enzymes to chemicals manufacturers; and CodeXol detergent alcohols as a drop-in substitute for the detergent alcohols market. The company has strategic collaborations with Royal Dutch Shell plc and Iogen Energy Corporation for the production of cellulosic ethanol from wheat straw and corn stover feedstocks. Codexis, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Laura Brodbeck]
Tuesday Earnings Expected: The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: BONT), American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (NYSE: AEO), Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), Verifone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) Economic Releases Expected: Indian trade balance, German trade balance, British industrial production, British manufacturing production Wednesday - [By Maxx Chatsko]
There have been two pops of at least 20% for industrial biotech in the last week -- both on the heels of expected news, nonetheless. Last week Codexis (NASDAQ: CDXS ) announced that it successfully completed a demonstration facility in Italy for its CodeXol detergent alcohols with partner Chemtex. It is a step in the right direction, but more sustainable share movements will come with courting commercial partners. The two still have plenty of work to collect production metric data and move into commercial scale with a bigger partner.
Hot Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: Omega Commercial Finance Corp (OCFN) Omega Commercial Finance Corporation (Omega), incorporated on November 6, 1973, is a commercial real estate financing company that also provides asset backed lending services located in the Miami, Florida area. The Company consults on various financing programs with an emphasis on Loans secured by commercial real estate such as core assets that include office buildings, multi-family residences, shopping centers, industrial, and hotels, as well as asset backed loans secured by account receivables from established companies. On February 20, 2012, CCRE Capital, LLC (CCRE), its wholly owned subsidiary entered into the Strategic Alliance Agreement (the Strategic Alliance) with Gardens VE Limited (Company No. 07071936), a British Company (Gardens). In January 2013, the Company acquired VFG Securities Incorporated and VFG Advisors Inc. The Company�� subsidiaries include CCRE (CCRE), OMEGA FACTORI and Omega Capital Street LLC. The Company competes with CapitalSource Inc, Goldman Sachs Commercial Real Estate, Morgan Stanley Real Estate and JP Morgan Chase. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Virginia Harrison]
The other big Olympic sponsors are Visa (V, Fortune 500), Samsung (SSNLF), Panasonic (PCRFF), General Electric (GE, Fortune 500), Dow Chemical (DOW, Fortune 500), Procter & Gamble (PG, Fortune 500), Omega (OCFN) and Atos (ATOS). They're staying tight-lipped about the issue in public but a senior official at the International Olympic Committee said this month that several had raised concerns about how the law could affect the Games.
Moody?s Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides credit ratings; credit and economic related research, data, and analytical tools; risk management software; and quantitative credit risk measures, credit portfolio management solutions, training, and financial credentialing and certification services worldwide. Its Moody?s Investors Service segment publishes credit ratings on debt obligations, including various corporate and governmental obligations, structured finance securities, and commercial paper programs, as well as the entities that issue such obligations in markets worldwide. This segment provides ratings in approximately 110 countries. Its ratings are disseminated via press releases to the public through print and electronic media, including the Internet and real-time information systems, which is used by securities traders and investors. As of December 31, 2010 this segment had ratings relationships with approximately 11,000 corporate issuers and approximate ly 22,000 public finance issuers. It also rated and monitored ratings on approximately 102,000 structured finance obligations. The company?s Moody?s Analytics segment develops products and services that support the risk management activities of institutional participants in financial markets. It also distributes investor-oriented research and data, including research on debt issuers, industry studies, and commentary on topical events developed by MIS as part of its rating process. In addition, this segment provides economic research, and credit data and analytical tools, such as quantitative credit risk scores; economic and regulatory capital risk management software and implementation services; and quantitative credit risk measures, credit portfolio management solutions, training, and financial credentialing and certification services. It serves approxim! ately 4,100 institutions in approximately 115 countries. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in New York , New York. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Will Ashworth]
Moody's (MCO) has put CZR stock on review, noting: "The sale will provide CEOC with needed liquidity to fund operating losses, however, the loss of EBITDA, from four properties, including three located in the better performing Las Vegas market, is negative for CEOC's overall credit profile." - [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]
Moody's Corp. (MCO) shares rose 4.5%. The parent company of Moody's Investors Service on Friday reported fourth-quarter earnings of 85 cents a share, beating the average estimate of 76 cents a share. - [By Laura Brodbeck]
Friday Earnings Expected From: Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO), Wyndham Worldwide Corp (NYSE: WYN) Economic Releases Expected: French industrial production, Spanish industrial production, Spanish business confidence, British industrial and manufacturing production, eurozone GDP, US non-farm payrolls, US unemployment rate Posted-In: Bank Of England European Central BankNews Options Previews Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga - [By U.S. News]
Alamy Is the National Security Agency really tapping your phone calls and reading your email? If they are -- in spite of the invasion of privacy concerns -- the truth is, it's probably some pretty boring stuff they're snooping in on: "Want to meet for lunch?" "Justin Bieber got arrested?" "Who's the new guy in accounting?" That sort of stuff. The real data that matters is much more personal. Lenders use it, and you should know about it. It's your hidden credit score. Lenders Easing Credit Standards After years of su! ffering, ! consumer credit is gaining giant momentum. Crawling out from the rubble of recession, lenders are looking to make deals. The "too big to fail" banks have been mopping up lingering legal messes, and the mortgage industry is still in recovery. But consumer-focused lenders have been easing credit standards and swimming downstream to gain retail customers and pump up profit margins. These mostly smaller lenders are finding a good deal of opportunity with consumers who have less-than-perfect credit. But they don't depend solely on your traditional credit score. They need more than that. Subprime Time The term "subprime" has become synonymous with the U.S. financial crisis of 2008. Tied to the manic mortgage industry that fueled the economy in the early 2000s, subprime loans were packaged as derivative investments and ultimately caused the collapse of the house of cards that was the American economy. But subprime lending -- issuing loans to consumers with FICO credit scores of 660 or below -- is making a comeback. And rather than causing concern for another crisis, it's helping credit-critical consumers rebound from the recession. It's also feeding the heat of a resurgent automobile industry. The credit bureau Equifax (EFX) reports that auto loan volume was at an eight-year high last year, and nearly a third of those loans were issued to subprime borrowers. For Americans with complicated credit histories, the opportunity for a financial source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-heal-care-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html
Given the likelihood of major supply and delivery problems that this company may face this year, MoneyShow's Jim Jubak has decided to sell his position, nearly a year since he first purchased shares. I'm going to sell ENI S.p.A. (E) out of my Dividend Income portfolio today. The dividend portfolio is too energy-heavy for my liking at the moment, given that I think oil prices are likely to be flat to lower in 2014, and given the likelihood of major supply and delivery disruptions this year. ENI—with its exposure to supply problems in Libya, Nigeria, Mozambique, and former (so far at least) Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, and its exposure on the demand side to the less-than-robustly growing Italian economy—currently offers an unattractive mixture of risk and reward. When I bought ENI just about a year ago (March 25, 2013) for the portfolio, it traded at $46.04. It closed last week at $48.31, after getting some benefit from the "Ukrainian-sanctions-weren't-as-bad-as-expected" bounce. (ENI closed up 1.32% yesterday, on March 17.) I don't see the ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) moving significantly higher than yesterday's price over the next year and there's a good chance that supply disruptions, continued slow growth in Italy, and a modest decline in oil prices could take the ADRs lower. Last year, the ADRs, which pay dividends twice a year in December and May, paid a yield of 4.9%. That's attractive—and since the Italian government still owns 30% of the company, there's little chance that the company will cut dividends—unless the stock falls in price. Since my March 25, 2013 purchase, this position shows capital appreciation of 4.03% (as of the close on March 17) and dividends of 4.9%, for a total return of 9% in a few days less than a year. Full disclosure: I don't own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund, I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund may or may not now own positions in any stock mentioned in this post. The fund did not own shares of ENI as of the end of December. For a full list of the stocks in the fund see the fund's portfolio here.
Akorn, Inc. engages in the manufacture and marketing of diagnostic and therapeutic ophthalmic pharmaceuticals products, niche hospital drugs, and injectable pharmaceuticals in the United States and internationally. It offers products in various specialty areas, including ophthalmology, antidotes, anti-infectives, pain management, anesthesia, and vaccines. The company?s Ophthalmic segment markets diagnostic products, including mydriatics and cycloplegics, anesthetics, topical stains, gonioscopic solutions, angiography dyes, and others primarily for use in the office setting. This segment also offers therapeutic products, such as antibiotics, steroids, steroid combinations, glaucoma medications, decongestants/antihistamines, and anti-edema medications to wholesalers, chain drug stores, and other national account customers; and non-pharmaceutical products, which include various artificial tear solutions, preservative-free lubricating ointments, and eyelid cleansers. In addit ion, the Ophthalmic segment provides a line of over-the-counter dry eye and other eye health products principally under the TheraTears brand name through a chain drug stores and big box retailers, as well as directly to optometrists, ophthalmologists, and other eye care practitioners and clinics. The company?s Hospital Drugs and Injectables segment provides a line of niche hospital drug and injectable pharmaceutical products comprising antidotes, anti-infectives, controlled substances for pain management and anesthesia, and other pharmaceutical products to hospitals through the wholesale distribution channel. Its Contract Services segment manufactures ophthalmic and injectable pharmaceutical products for third party pharmaceutical customers based on their specifications. The company serves physicians, optometrists, hospitals, wholesalers, group purchasing organizations, pharmacy chains, and ! other pharmaceutical companies. Akorn, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Akorn (NASDAQ: AKRX) were down 9.41 percent to $23.39 after the company reported Q4 results and issued a weak FY14 guidance. - [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Akorn (NASDAQ: AKRX ) -- a hybrid generic and branded drug developer -- shed as much as 15% of their value after the company reported disappointing first-quarter results. - [By Ben Levisohn]
Still, some stocks are bucking the trend. Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT) has gained 1.4% to $18.90, the largest gainer in the S&P 500, after reaching a deal with a union. The real winners: Hi-Tech Pharmacal (HITK) has gained 22.3% to $43.05 after agreeing to be purchased by Akorn (AKRX), which has jumped 9.6% to $18.02. source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html
 From left: Meetings team setting up at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago; Hyatt Chicago Magnificent Mile (Fortune) 100 Best Companies to Work For rank: 95 Headquarters: Chicago Employees: 95,000 Perk: After one year of service, associates can receive up to 12 nights of free stays per year at Hyatt properties around the world. Starting a new job can be downright nerve-racking, much like being the new kid at school. Hyatt Hotels decided to zap the jitters from the equation by developing a friendlier process that pairs an experienced staff member with new hires for their first day on the job. New associates at the Hyatt Regency Resort Maui get an "Aloha!" and a lei, and at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country in San Antonio they bound off on a scavenger hunt through the resort. At the Hyatt Regency Phoenix new hires will find Brittany Hauk or one of her colleagues waiting for them with a card, ready to show them the ropes. FORTUNE subscribers login (This is different from your CNNMoney login.) Remember me Forgot your password? Need help? SIGN IN Join the Conversation Most Popular | At financial news sites, stock promoters make inroads | | | Putin's folly: Crimea is a money pit | | | At TED, Larry Page talks Google 'moon shots' | | | SPECIAL EXCERPT: Inside J.C. Penney's "Cleanse" | | | How to get talented people to work in the middle of nowhere | | Opinion  Dividend stocks are still sexy  Adobe hacked. Wall Street doesn't care  6 Obamacare promises Hot List  Toyota's new Corolla: No longer the king of the hill  Google by talking to your wrist  New counterfeit-proof 12-sided coin  Teaching kids to build robots  8 ways to cut your tax bill CNNMoney Sponsors
LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jonathan Yates]
For investors looking to profit from shorting stocks in the sector, JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) and LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) are both vulnerable. For those looking to go long, Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is very strong in natural gas, which is expected to increase its market share, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy. - [By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is up 8.7% at $88.05 following positive results and a raised outlook. Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is down 6% at $15.45 as the bookseller watches its revenue slide. JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is down 10.3% at $XX on a mixed earnings report and LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) is flat at $1.60. source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-energy-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html
Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Rahul Chattaraj]
The mighty Apple (AAPL) has greatly reaped benefits from its epic innovation –iPhone. Smartphones have been around us in various forms since early 2000. But, right from its introduction in 2007, till the present day Apple has made millions by revolutionizing the smartphone experience, the latest and the greatest contribution being made by the iPhone 5S. - [By Andrew Tonner]
On the surface this seems slightly absurd. How could a market that began less than five years ago with Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) introduction of the iPad in 2010 be approaching mass-market saturation? Fast forward to today and both Appl! e and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) have carved out dominant portions of what's now become a truly global market. - [By Tim Beyers, Nathan Alderman, and Ellen Bowman]
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) wants Android in everything. Will Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) respond with iOS-powered scarves? Who stands to profit more from the release of the highly anticipated Xbox One game, Titanfall? And does Lady Sif's ratings-boosting appearance on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mean we'll see more Asgardians soon? Ellen Bowman, Nathan Alderman, and Tim Beyers have these stories and more in this week's episode of 1-Up on Wall Street! source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-blue-chip-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html
Digital Realty Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), through its controlling interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P., engages in the ownership, acquisition, development, redevelopment, and management of technology-related real estate. It focuses on strategically located properties containing applications and operations critical to the day-to-day operations of technology industry tenants and corporate enterprise datacenter users, including the information technology departments of Fortune 1000 companies, and financial services companies. The company?s property portfolio consists of Internet gateway properties, corporate datacenter properties, technology manufacturing properties, and regional or national offices of technology companies. As of December 31, 2008, Digital Realty?s portfolio consisted of 75 properties, including 62 located in North America and 13 located in Europe. Digital Realty Trust has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purpo ses and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia, and Phoenix, as well as in Dublin, London, and Paris. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Editor , Dividend Growth Investor]
The following three dividend growth stocks have managed to defy skeptics expectations, and prove them wrong, time and again. The companies are Digital Realty Trust (DLR), Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) and PepsiCo (PEP). - [By Dividend Mantra]
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) recently gave shareholders a raise on the order of 6.4%, with a new quarterly dividend payout of $0.83 per share over the old rate of $0.78. This is ! a rather stout raise considering that DLR shares now yield 6.2% based on the new payout. I purchased shares in DLR as it continued to slide last year, reaching new low after new low. But I was confident in the REIT back then, and I remain so now. This is now 10 years of consecutive dividend growth for the trust, and I see no real reason this won't continue for the foreseeable future. However, as a tech play on demand for cloud computing I'd like for my position in DLR to remain relatively small. source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-income-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html
ITT Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells a range of engineered products, and provides related services worldwide. Its Defense & Information Solutions segment develops tactical communications equipment, electronic warfare and force protection equipment, radar systems, integrated structures equipment, and imaging and sensor equipment, including night vision goggles, as well as weather, location, surveillance, and other related technologies for military and government agencies. It also provides services comprising air traffic management, information and cyber solutions, large-scale systems engineering, and integration and defense technologies; satellite-based imaging payloads for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions; and high-resolution commercial imaging systems with earth and space science applications, climate and environmental monitoring sensors and systems, and GPS navigation and software applications designed for image and data processing and dissemination. The company?s Fluid Technology segment provides water transport and wastewater treatment systems, pumps and related technologies, and other water and fluid control products with municipal, residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Its Motion & Flow Control segment manufactures shock absorbers and brake friction materials for the transportation industry; switch applications for the industrial and aerospace industries; electrical connectors used in telecommunications, computers, aerospace, medical, and industrial applications; and a range of pumps and tailored products for marine, food and beverage, and general industrial markets. The company was formerly known as ITT Industries, Inc. and changed its name to ITT Corporation in July 2006. ITT Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in White Plains, New York. Advisors' Opinion: - [By MONEYMORN! ING]
This 85-year-old forest products company operates as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) after being first acquired, then later spun off, by ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT). - [By Jeremy Bowman]
What: Shares of ITT Educational Services (NYSE: ITT ) were flying higher today, gaining as much 34% after smashing analyst estimates in its quarterly report. - [By Will Ashworth]
As for the other stocks in the portfolio, you can’t ignore the performance of both Apollo (APO) and ITT Corp. (ITT). It’s been a busy year for private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which got the Twinkie back on grocery store shelves in July. Carried interest income more than doubled in the first six months of the year to $1.4 billion. - [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]
This is a logical deal for SKF on multiple fronts. For starters, Kaydon will meaningfully expand the company's U.S. presence - something it could have done on its own eventually, but certainly not without spending money. With that, there is the possibility of using Kaydon's existing U.S. footprint to sell more SKF products and further trouble rivals like RBC Bearings (ROLL) and ITT (ITT). source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-income-stocks-for-2014.html
Customers Bancorp, Inc. (Customers Bancorp), incorporated in April 2010, through its wholly owned subsidiary Customers Bank (the Bank), provides financial products and services to small businesses, not-for-profits and consumers through its fourteen branches in Southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Berks, Chester and Delaware Counties), Rye, New York (Westchester County) and Hamilton, New Jersey (Mercer County). Customers Bank also provides liquidity to the mortgage market worldwide through the operation of its mortgage warehouse business. As of December 31, 2011, Customers Bancorp had total assets of $2.08 billion, including net loans (including held for sale loans) of $1.50 billion, total deposits of $1.58 billion. The Company offers a range of banking products and financial services to its commercial and consumer customers in Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Central New Jersey and Southeastern New York. It offers a range of lending products to cater to its customers' n eeds, including small business loans, mortgage warehouse loans, multi-family and commercial real estate loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. It also offers traditional depository products, including commercial and consumer checking accounts, non-interest-bearing demand accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts and time deposit accounts and cash management services. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of Customers Bancorp. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bancorp acquired Berkshire Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiary Berkshire Bank. In May 2013, Customers Bancorp Inc merged with CMS Bancorp Inc. Lending Activities The Company focuses its lending efforts to the lending areas, such as commercial lending, which includes business, small business and multi-family and commercial real estate lending; specialty Len! ding, which include warehouse lending, and consumer lending, which include local market mortgage lending and home equity lending. It also pr! ovide warehouse financing worldwide and multi-family lending in the Mid-Atlantic States. The Bank's commercial lending is segmented into three groups, which include multi-family and commercial real estate, business banking and small business banking. The small business banking platform originates loans, including small business administration loans, through the branch network sales force and a team of dedicated small business relationship managers. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated and closed $121.5 million of multi-family loans commitments. As of December 31, 2011, it had $536.9 million in commercial loans outstanding, comprising approximately 35.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During 2011, it originated and closed $167.7 million of commercial loans and commitments. As of December 31, 2011, loans in its warehouse lending portfolio, as well as loans held for sale totaled $794.3 million outstanding, comp rising approximately 52.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it funded $7.7 billion of mortgage loans under warehouse facilities. The Company offers a range of deposit products to its customers, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and other deposit accounts, including fixed-rate, fixed-maturity retail time deposits ranging in terms from 30 days to five years, individual retirement accounts, and non-retail time deposits consisting of jumbo certificates greater than or equal to $100,000. As of December 31, 2011, its deposit portfolio was consisted of 54.9% of core deposits. Its financial products include Internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment, lock box services, remote deposit capture services, courier services, merchant processing services, cash vault, co! ntrolled ! disbursements, positive pay and cash management services (including account re conciliation, collections and sweep accounts). ! Sources o! f Fund The Company offers a range of deposit accounts, including checking, savings, money market and time deposits. Deposits are obtained primarily from its service area. As of December 31, 2011, the total deposits grew to $1.58 billion. Investment Activities The Company's investment securities portfolio consists of United States Treasury, government agency and mortgage-backed securities (guaranteed by an agency of the United States government and non-agency guaranteed), municipal securities, domestic corporate debt, and asset-backed securities. In addition to generating revenue, it maintains the investment portfolio to manage interest rate risk, provide liquidity, provide collateral for other borrowings and diversify the credit risk of earning assets. As of December 31, 2011, $79.1 million of its investment securities were classified as available for sale (AFS). As of December 31, 2011, the fair value of its investment securities por tfolio was approximately $409.9 million. As of December 31, 2011, it held $319.5 million of investment securities that were classified as held to maturity (HTM). Advisors' Opinion: - [By Rich Smith]
Wyomissing, Pa.-based Customers Bancorp (NASDAQ: CUBI ) has a new CFO. On Tuesday, Customers Bancorp announced that Interim Chief Financial Officer James D. Hogan intends to retire from the bank on Aug. 13. Replacing Hogan will be Robert E. Wahlman, a new hire from Doral Financial, who will join Customers initially in the post of executive vice president on Aug. 5, and then be promoted to permanent CFO on the 13th. source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-bank-stocks-for-2014.html
International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (ITH) is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and evaluating mineral properties, and either joint venturing or developing these properties further or disposing of them when the evaluation is completed. As of December 31, 2011, the Company controlled a 100% interest in its Livengood project in Alaska, the United States. The Livengood property is located approximately 115 kilometers northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska in the Tolovana Mining District within the Tintina Gold Belt. The property is approximately 145 square kilometers and consists of fee land leased from the Alaska Mental Health Trust. The project area is centered on Money Knob. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Anthony Mirhaydari]
For now, I continue to recommend investors maintain a cautious stance, focusing on the buying interest coming into safe-haven assets like U.S. Treasury bond and precious metals while booking profits in biotech stocks that have been red hot this month. The leveraged Direxion 3x Treasury Bond Bull (TMF) is up nearly 7% in my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio since it was added on Jan. 10. I just sold Tower Hill Mines (THM) and Rosetta Genomics (ROSG) for gains of 46% and 18% respectively. - [By Bryan Murphy]
With no revenues, and therefore no profits, International Tower Hill Mines Ltd (NYSEMKT:THM) shouldn't qualify as "investment worthy" in any way, shape, or form. Indeed, the near-100% loss that THM shares have suffered since early 2011 might scare off even the gutsiest of trade! rs. Yet, there's something undeniably bullish about this stock right now. - [By Holly LaFon]
He increased his holdings in gold companies in the fourth quarter accordingly. Gold stocks he found attractive in the fourth quarter are: Novagold Resources (NG), Randgold Resources (GOLD), Iamgold Corp. (IAG), Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), Agnico Eagle (AEM) and International Tower Hill (THM). source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-japanese-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html
When Chinese officials reported late Friday that the country's exports had fallen 18.1% in February, the news came on top of another event that was perhaps even more nerve-rattling. The country had experienced its first onshore bond default when a solar energy company failed to make its full interest payment. China's trade deficit in February totaled $23 billion, compared with a surplus of $14.9 billion in February 2013, and a consensus estimate for a surplus of $14.5 billion. Other signs are also cautionary: Inflation posted a 13-month low in February, and producer prices fell for the 24th consecutive month according to a Bloomberg News report. Last week, the country set its 2014 GDP growth target at 7.5%, but the weak export showing has put China behind the pace it needs to maintain in order to meet that growth target. An even bigger question is how strong is demand for Chinese products? Will domestic demand make up for weakness in foreign demand? Part of the reason for the February decline is timing. This year, the Lunar New Year holiday had a clear negative impact on manufacturing and exports compared with 2013, when the holiday came 10 days later and boosted the February numbers. Lower demand from the United States, where unusually cold weather tamped down consumer spending, likely contributed to the drop in exports as well. For the first two months of the year, China's, exports have declined 1.6% compared with the first two months of 2013. That's the worst showing in five years, and compares poorly with a 23.6% gain in 2013 compared with 2012. What could be happening is that China is focusing more on domestic demand. Wages have been climbing which should boost domestic spending and increase imports. That, in turn, could be pushing the trade balance into deficit. Unfortunately, domestic demand would have to grow at a much faster rate to make up for the drop in exports, and that's what has people worried.
 Related ARO Stocks Hitting 52-Week Lows Benzinga's Top Downgrades Related CZR Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Monday March 3, 2014 Market Wrap For March 3: Markets Lower On Ukraine Tension Several retailers are set to release earnings reports next week against the backdrop of a tense situation between the US and Russia. Markets will be heavily dependent on news from Ukraine as the Crimean peninsula remains in turmoil. Key Earnings Reports Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO), Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR), Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN), Williams-Sonoma, Inc (NYSE: WSM). Aeropostale Aeropostale is expected to report a loss of $0.31 per share on revenue of $684.93 million, compared to last year's EPS of $0.24 on revenue of $797.71. Topeka Capital Markets gave Aeropostale a hold rating with a price target of $10.00 on December 5. The analyst team at Topeka said the company was likely to continue facing headwinds, but that the possibility of a takeover would underpin prices. "ARO had a more disappointing 3Q with a bleak outlook on holiday, but with glimmers of traction for its new fashion product and a much lower comp decline over Thanksgiving weekend. The intense promotional cadence at the mall is likely to keep it a tough season for ARO. ARO is managing expenses, inventory, and cash tightly while pushing forward with its fashion initiatives. Takeover talk should keep a bottom in the shares, but we'd like to see more evidence of a turn before we get more positive. ARO remains rated Hold." On March 5, Morgan Stanley gave Aeropostale an underweight rating with a $6.50 price target, saying the company's liquidity problems are likely to interfere in the short term. "We predict ARO runs out of cash in 2Q14, requiring the company to draw from its $175M cash revolver which does not expire until September 2016. This credit facility could support ARO through a 2014 liquidity pinch, but there would still need to be a significant acceleration in the business to stop the cash burn." On March 1S&P Capital IQ gave Aeropostale a hold rating with a $10.00 price target. The analyst team at S&P said the company's shares are fairly valued and that the company's product lines have recently improved. "We view the shares as appropriately valued at recent levels .We are impressed with changes ARO has made to strengthen Aeropostale's apparel offering in recent months. Given a more balanced mix of fashion, basics and activewear now in stores, we see the brand positioned to meet a wider variety of customers' outfitting needs. That said, with the company reporting a slow pace of customer adoption, our near-term outlook remains guarded. We expect top-line performance to improve starting with spring receipts. We also continue to view P.S. from Aeropostale and international expansion (through licensees) as promising growth vehicles for the company. ARO expects its licensees to operate nearly 100 international stores by the end FY 14." Caesars Entertainment Caesars Entertainment is expected to report a fourth quarter loss of $1.49 per share on revenue of $2.12 billion, compared to last year's loss of $3.75 per share on revenue of $2.02 billion. Merrill Lynch gave Caesars Entertainment an underperform rating with an $11.00 price objective, citing the company's disappointing rebound following Hurricane Sandy. "We are lowering our 4Q13 EBITDA estimate from $468.1M to $445M (after corporate expense). Our biggest change comes from Caesars' Atlantic Coast properties which consist of Atlantic City and Pennsylvania. We are taking EBITDA down from from $43.1M to $23.1M, as we were expecting a much larger rebound than actually happened as we are lapping Hurricane Sandy last year. Revenues in this region only increased an anemic +1% versus our expectation for a +15% increase (note that revenues were down -19% last year in 4Q12)." Vail Resorts Vail Resorts is expected to report second quarter EPS of $1.87 on revenue of $471.16 million, compared to last year's EPS of $1.65 on revenue of $422.45 million. Merrill Lynch gave Vail Resorts a buy rating with an $80.00 price objective on February 10. The analysts at Merrill Lynch cited increased snowfall for their optimism. "After basically no snow from mid-December until late January, Tahoe snowfall is finally normalizing as a recent storm has brought 61 inches of snow to the region in the last 3 days. This comes after another large storm left over 2 feet of snow at Heavenly at the end of January (see our January 31 snow update), and we believe these conditions could drive pent up demand for the upcoming Presidents' Day holiday weekend." On February 18, Credit Suisse gave Vail resorts an outperform rating with an $84.00 price target saying the company has been benefitting from reduced snowfall in other areas and in turn gained market share. "We recently checked in with Evan Reece, CEO of privately held Liftopia, the leading e-commerce platform for the ski industry which provides B2B/B2C ticket sales/pricing optimization technology for 330-plus resorts. Mr. Reece noted that CO/UT resorts are picking up market share from certain regions where snowfall has been less optimal (BC and Tahoe). In addition, he highlighted that the East Coast is having a strong year given cold weather (good for snowmaking) and overall snowfall." S&P Capital IQ gave Vail Resorts a buy rating with an $86.00 price target on March 1st. The analysts at S&P noted the company's recent efforts to diversify its revenue streams. "Our recommendation is buy. We think marketing opportunities across properties through its unique EPIC pass will enhance destination travel to core properties while engendering greater loyalty in local markets. The recent addition of Canyons in Utah provides a particularly strong offering that fits well with its premium portfolio, in our view. Summer EPIC discovery programs provide opportunity to drive full-year visitation and better leverage existing facilities." Williams-Sonoma Williams-Sonoma is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $1.36 on revenue of $1.43 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $1.34 on revenue of $1.41 billion. Merrill Lynch gave Williams-Sonoma a neutral rating with a $66.00 price objective, citing the improving market conditions. "We value Williams-Sonoma at $66, representing 19x the midpoint of our 2014-15 EPS estimates. This valuation is above its median P/E multiple over the past few years in order to reflect company initiatives and an improving backdrop, yet also represents limited upside as we believe these factors are largely priced into share. The upside risks to our price objective are: earlier-than-expected success in international, a material improvement in the economic environment or in the housing sector, or further improvements within brand segments, which would also be viewed very positively and thus provide upside to our price objective. Downside risks are further deterioration of the housing market, an intensified promotional environment, or if same-store sales at emerging brands do not make up for the slower growing maturing concepts." On January 15, Credit Suisse gave Williams-Sonoma a neutral rating with a $60.00 price target. The analyst team at Credit Suisse noted that the company was facing headwinds in the home furnishings market. "WSM's high internet presence likely protected against the sales shortfall seen at BBBY and PIR. However, the promotional environment in home furnishings may have weighed on merchandise margins greater than we originally projected, so we are tweaking our estimates here." S&P Capital IQ gave Williams-Sonoma a hold rating with a $60.00 price target on March 1, citing falling consumer spending and headwinds in the home furnishings markets. "We view the shares as fairly valued, recently trading at approximately 18X our FY 15 EPS estimate, a modest premium to peers but about in line with historical averages. We think economic headwinds such as the relatively weak housing market and tight consumer credit will dampen consumer spending over the near term. Although we believe WSM has done an admirable job of managing inventory levels, we think additional margin improvement will be more difficult in future years. While we expect furniture sales to remain relatively weak over the medium term, we think effective marketing will continue to lead to strong e-commerce results and market share gains." Economic Releases Economic data next week will be thin, but investors will be watching for further data from the US to confirm whether or not the economy is back on track after a severe winter. Eurozone data will also be on investors' minds after the region's central bank elected not to ease further at this week's policy meeting. Daily Schedule Monday Earnings Releases Expected: Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), United Natural Foods, Inc (NASDAQ: UNFI), Hill International, Inc. (NYSE: HIL) Economic Releases Expected: Spanish CPI, Italian industrial production, eurozone investor confidence Tuesday Earnings Expected: The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: BONT), American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (NYSE: AEO), Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), Verifone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) Economic Releases Expected: Indian trade balance, German trade balance, British industrial production, British manufacturing production Wednesday Earnings Expected: Express, Inc (NYSE: EXPR), Vail Resorts, Inc (NYSE: MTN), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (NYSE: KKD) Economic Releases Expected: British trade balance, eurozone industrial production, Indian industrial production, Reserve Bank of New Zealand interest rate decision, Australian unemployment rate Thursday Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland's, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial production Friday Earnings Expected From: Buckle, Inc. (NYSE: BKE), Brown Shoe Company (NYSE: BWS) Economic Releases Expected: German CPI, Swiss PPI Posted-In: Crimea Reserve Bank of New ZealandEarnings News Guidance Previews Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. 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Things never get dull for the country's lone satellite-radio provider. Shares of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI ) moved sharply higher this week, closing 7.7% higher to hit $3.36. The general market moved higher, but Sirius XM's gain was better than Nasdaq's 3% pop. There was more going on beyond the share-price gyrations, though. Sirius XM also posted encouraging quarterly results. CEO Jim Meyer had the "interim" stripped out of his title. Automakers posted strong car sales for April. And Sirius XM also took advantage of low interest rates by issuing $1 billion in senior notes. Let's take a closer look. Earn this
Sirius XM posted first-quarter results on Tuesday morning. Revenue climbed 12% to $897.4 million, and comprehensive net income rose 15% to $123.4 million -- or $0.02 a share. Wall Street was expecting more. Analyst targets called for $0.03 a share in earnings on $906 million in revenue. Still, the stock didn't take a hit on the dual miss. By sticking to its full-year guidance and raising its free cash flow target, Sirius XM is telegraphing a healthy run through the next nine months of the financial year. Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (IEO) iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Oil Exploration & Production Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the oil exploration and production sub-sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes companies that are engaged in the exploration for and extraction, production, refining and supply of oil and gas products. The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. Since all of the securities included in the Index are issued by companies in the oil exploration and production sub-sector, the Fund will be concentrated in the exploration and production industry. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Michael Burnick]
The big E&P (exploration and production) and major integrated oil stocks see profits rise and fall with the price of crude. The iShares US Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (IEO) is one way to play this part of the oil patch. - [By Selena Maranjian]
Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some gas and oil stocks to your portfolio, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil and Gas Exploration Index ETF (NYSEMKT: IEO ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this gas and oil ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.
The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The gas and oil ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is a relatively low 0.47%. The fund is on the small side, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in to this gas and oil ETF.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC) China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Daniel Inman]
China Life Insurance Co. (HK:2628) � (LFC) �rose 2.7% after China�� largest life insurer by premiums reported that it had made a 7.5 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) profit in the third quarter, reversing a 2.2 billion yuan loss in the same period last year. - [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Chinese stocks advanced early Monday, with strong gains for insurers helping support the market. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) improved by 0.5% to 22,816.23, with the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index up 0.9%, while the Shanghai Composite (CN:SHCOMP) added 0.3%. China Life Insurance Co. (HK:2628) (LFC) added 2.5% in Hong Kong and 1.6% in Shanghai after swinging to a quarterly profit, while strong earnings for rival Ping An Insurance Group Co. (HK:2318) (PNGAY) (CN:601318) sent its shares up 2.2% in Hong Kong and 1.7% in Shanghai. Among other Hong Kong-listed financials, China Construction Bank Corp. (HK:939) (CICHF) (CN:601939) rose 1.1% despite posting earnings that trailed average expectations, while China Merchants Bank Co. (HK:3968) (CIHHF) (CN:600036) climbed 1.3% ahead of its own quarterly report due later in the day. Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co. (HK:1157) (ZLIOF) shot 7.8% higher after a Chinese journalist admitted to taking bribes to write reports damaging to the company. News reports had accused the major contruction-machinery firm of acc
MFS High Yield Municipal Trust operates as a nondiversified, closed-end management investment company. The trust invests primarily in medium and lower quality bonds and notes issued by or on behalf of state and local government units. Its portfolio primarily comprises investments in health care, tax-backed, utilities, transportation, housing, education, industrials, resource recovery, industrial, manufacturing, oil and gas, and refunded/escrowed sectors. Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. serves as the investment advisor of the trust. The trust was formerly known as Colonial Municipal Income Trust and changed its name to MFS High Yield Municipal Trust in 2007. MFS High Yield Municipal Trust was founded in 1987 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. Advisors' Opinion: Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Guggenheim CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (FXC) Guggenheim CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust, formerly CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust, is a grantor trust. The Trust issues shares (the Shares) in blocks of 50,000 (a Basket) in exchange for deposits of Canadian dollars and distributes Canadian dollars in connection with the redemption of Baskets. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price of Canadian Dollars. The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Trustee. The Trust�� sponsor is Rydex Specialized Products LLC, which is doing business as Rydex Investments. The Shares are focused on offering investors an opportunity to participate in the market for the Canadian Dollar through an investment in securities. The Shares are backed by the assets of the Trust, which does not hold or use derivative products. The Trust�� each outstanding Share represents a proportional interest in the Canadian dollars held by the Trust. The Trust�� assets primarily consist of Canadian dollars on demand deposit in two deposit accounts maintained by JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. (the Depository): a primary deposit account, which may earn interest, and a secondary deposit account that does not earn interest. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Sean Bellamy McNulty]
The Bank of Canada (BOC) interest rate decision Wednesday precipitated much positioning in the USDCAD (FXC) Tuesday. As soon as traders were in from their Memorial Day holiday, they started selling CAD. This resulted in the currency being one of the worst performers against the USD, losing 0.56% by the close. - [By Karen Canella]
The best way for direct exposure to a rising Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar is through foreign exchange (forex) trading. If you'd rather keep it simple, the Rydex CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar ETF (NYSE: FXC) will do the job. - [By Dan Caplinger]
One of the primary worries that would-be Bitcoin users have about digital currency is that its existence relies on computer networks beyond their control. By contrast, existing currency and commodity ETFs can in many cases point to actual physical assets. SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV ) , for instance, publish lists of physical bullion bars to support the underlying value of their shares. Currency ETFs CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar (NYSEMKT: FXC ) and CurrencyShares Japanese Yen (NYSEMKT: FXY ) usually turn to short-term investments denominated in their respective currencies.�
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: ING US Inc (VOYA) ING U.S., Inc., incorporated on April 7, 1999, is a retirement, investment and insurance company serving the financial needs of approximately 13 million individual and institutional customers in the United States. The Company offers its products and services through a group of financial intermediaries, independent producers, affiliated advisors and dedicated sales specialists throughout the United States. The Company operates its principal businesses through three business lines: Retirement Solutions, Investment Management and Insurance Solutions. In addition, it also has closed Blocks and corporate reporting segments. Closed Blocks consists of three businesses where it has placed its portfolios in run-off-Closed Block Variable Annuity, Closed Block Institutional Spread Products and Closed Block Other. The Company�� corporate segment includes its corporate activities and corporate-level assets and financial obligations. Retirement Solutions The Company is a provider of retirement services and products in the United States. The Company provides a product range addressing both the accumulation and income distribution needs of customers, through a distribution footprint of nearly 2,500 affiliated representatives and thousands of non-affiliated agents and third party administrators (TPAs). The Company�� Retirement Solutions business consists of two financial segments: Retirement and Annuities. Retirement provides tax-deferred, employer-sponsored retirement savings plans and administrative services to more than 49,000 plan sponsors covering approximately 5.3 million plan participants in corporate, education, healthcare and government markets. Retirement also provides rollover IRAs, and other retail financial products as well as comprehensive financial advisory services to individual customers. Annuities provide fixed and indexed annuities, tax-qualified mutual fund custodial products and payout annuities for pre-retirement wealth accumulation and post-retirement i! ncome management sold through multiple channels. Investment Management The Company is a service asset manager delivering client-oriented investment solutions and advisory services. The Company serves both individual and institutional customers, offering them domestic and international fixed income, equity, multi-asset and alternative investment products and solutions across a range of geographies, investment styles and capitalization spectrums. Insurance Solutions The Company is a provider of life insurance in the United States. The Company�� Insurance Solutions business consists of two financial segments: Individual Life and Employee Benefits. Individual Life provides wealth protection and transfer opportunities through universal, variable, and term products, distributed through independent channels to meet the needs of a range of customers from the middle-market through affluent market segments. Employee Benefits provides stop loss, group life, voluntary employee-paid and disability products to mid-sized and large businesses. Closed Blocks The Company separated its Closed Block Variable Annuity and Closed Block Institutional Spread Products segments from its other operations, placing them in run-off, and made a strategic decision to stop actively writing new retail variable annuity products with substantial guarantee features and to run-off the institutional spread products portfolio over time. The Company�� focus in managing its Closed Block Variable Annuity segment is on protecting regulatory reserves. The Company competes with Fidelity, Vanguard, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, TIAA-CREF and Ameriprise. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jessica Alling]
The life and retirement segments at Genworth Financial (NYSE: GNW ) , Hartford Finanical (NYSE: HIG ) , and ING (NYSE: VOYA ) were among 11 insurers slapped with a new settlement for unpaid benefits. In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Jessica Alling discusses how the insurers misconduct lead to unpaid monies, how much the settlement is, and how investors should be looking at the situation. - [By Jay Jenkins]
In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Jay Jenkins highlights three banks that are ahead of the curve:�Citigroup (NYSE: C ) , Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , and Capital One's (NYSE: COF ) 360 product (originally developed by ING U.S. (NYSE: VOYA ) ). - [By Mike Deane]
On Friday, Dutch company ING Groep announced that it will be selling off shares in the American arm of its firm, ING US Inc (VOYA). VOYA went public in May of this year, and its Dutch parent company currently holds a stake in 71% of the company. ING US will rebrand as Voya Financial, according to the Associated Press. ING Groerp did not disclose the timing or size of the sale. VOYA shares were down 48 cents, or 1.62%, at market close on Monday. YTD the company’s stock is up over 44%.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gyrodyne Company of America Inc.(GYRO) Gyrodyne Company of America, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the investment, acquisition, ownership, and management of a portfolio of medical office and industrial properties in the northeast region of the United States. The company also involves in the development of industrial and residential properties. It focuses on acquiring, developing, owning, leasing, and managing medical, commercial, and industrial real estate. The company has elected to be taxed as REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax purposes, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in St. James, New York. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Sally Jones]
Highlight: Gyrodyne Company of America (GYRO) The GYRO share price is currently $73.85 or 35.7% off the 52-week high of $114.80. The company does not pay a dividend. - [By Lisa Levin]
Gyrodyne Co. of America (NASDAQ: GYRO) shares dipped 8.66% to reach a new 52-week low of $10.86. Gyrodyne Co. of America's trailing-twelve-month ROA is -5.29%.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI) iShares Dow Jones U.S. Medical Devices Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Medical Equipment Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the medical equipment sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes medical equipment companies, such as manufacturers and distributors of medical devices, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, prosthetics, pacemakers, x-ray machines and other non-disposable medical devices. The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. Since all of the securities included in the Index are issued by companies in the medical equipment sector, the Fund will be concentrated in the medical equipment industry. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors. Advisors' Opinion: - [By John Udovich]
On Thursday, small cap medical device stock Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: IART) jumped 9.90% after the FDA completed its inspection of the company's manufacturing facility which led to positive comments from analysts, meaning it might be time to take a look at its performance verses that of medical device ETFs like iShares Dow Jones US Medical Device ETF (NYSEARCA: IHI) and SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF (NYSEARCA: XHE).
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Eastern Virginia Bankshares Inc.(EVBS) Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for EVB, a state-chartered community bank that provides a range of personal and commercial banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses primarily in eastern Virginia. The company offers various interest-bearing deposits, including checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposit and other time deposit accounts, as well as noninterest-bearing demand deposits. It also provides commercial business, industrial, agricultural, one-to-four family residential real estate, multi-family residential real estate, construction, farmland, non-farm and non-residential real estate, and consumer loans. In addition, the company, through the subsidiaries of its bank, offers investment brokerage services; originates and sells residential mortgages; underwrites and sells title insurance to mortgage loan customers; and sells various insurance products as an agent. As of December 31, 2010, it own ed and operated 24 full-service branch offices that serve customers in Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Richmond, Northumberland, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex counties, as well as in the city of Colonial Heights. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Tappahannock, Virginia. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Bristol Voss]
Eastern Virginia Bankshares (Nasdaq: EVBS) is a bank holding company. It received $24 million in financial bailout funds, but it's been released from its agreement with regulators because it raised enough money through private placement. Its $66.7 million market cap puts it in the middle of the group, although its share price is currently the lowest at just over $6. It has a forward P/E of 9.2, but its 1.1% dividend yield is the least of the three. Net income and earnings were down for the most recent quarter, mainly on charge-offs for non-performing and uncollectible assets and other losses.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Brooks Macdonald Group PLC (BRK) Brooks Macdonald Group plc is an integrated wealth management group, consists of three principal companies: Brooks Macdonald Asset Management Limited; Brooks Macdonald Financial Consulting Limited, which provides a bespoke, fee based, investment management service to private high net worth individuals, charities and trusts, and also provides in-house custody, nominee and dealing services; Brooks Macdonald Funds Limited, which provides fee-based, independent advice to high net worth individuals, families and businesses, and Brooks Macdonald Financial Consulting Limited, which acts as fund manager to its regulated open ended investment Companies, under the name Brooks Macdonald Funds, as well as providing specialist funds in the property and structured return sectors. It also manages property assets on behalf of the funds and other clients. Its segments include investment management, financial planning, and fund and property management. On July 1, 2012, it acquired JPAM Limited. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Bob Bogda]
The track record of the annual list is equally as impressive. Since the inaugural edition in 2003, "top stocks" have beaten the market 7 out of 10 years (the jury is still out on the current year). That beats the performance of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK) by one year during the same span.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG) iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the German market, as measured by the MSCI Germany Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the German equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Mark Salzinger]
iShares MSCI Germany (EWG) and iShares MSCI Switzerland (EWL) continue to have relatively attractive valuations. EWG recently sported an average price/earnings (P/E) ratio on 2013's projected earnings of 12.6 and a price/book value (P/B) of just 1.4. - [By Matthew McCall]
iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSE: EWG) The mess in the Ukraine has spread to Western Europe. Germany led the region lower with a three percent loss this morning. The German economy is the largest in Europe and with their trading ties to Eastern Europe, it is not surprising to see the country falling on the news. Many Western Europe ETFs have gotten ahead of themselves in the short-term and the pullback on the conflict could result in a great buying opportunity by the end of the week, depending on how the situation plays out.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Reinsurance Group of America Inc (RGA) Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) is an insurance holding company. RGA is engaged in the reinsurance of individual and group coverages for traditional life and health, longevity, disability income, annuity and critical illness products, and financial reinsurance. During the year ended December 31, 2011, approximately 65.8% of the Company�� net premiums were from its operations in North America, represented by its United States and Canada segments. Its subsidiaries include RGA Reinsurance Company (RGA Reinsurance), Reinsurance Company of Missouri, Incorporated (RCM), RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. (RGA Barbados), RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (RGA Americas), RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (RGA Atlantic), RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada (RGA Canada), RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia, Limited (RGA Australia) and RGA International Reinsurance Company (RGA International). The Company has five geographic-based operational segments: United States, Canada, Europe & South Africa, Asia Pacific and Corporate and Other. On January 1, 2012, it dissolved its United Kingdom reinsurance subsidiary and transferred its business to RGA International, the Company�� Ireland-based subsidiary, to better manage capital resources. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has operation in Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, People�� Republic of China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The Company provides reinsurance products to the life insurance companies worldwide. The Company obtains its revenues through reinsurance agreements, which cover a portfolio of life and health insurance products, including term life, credit life, universal life, whole life, group life and health, joint and last survivor insurance, critical illness, disability income, as well as annuities and financial reinsurance. ! United States Operations During 2011, the United States operations represented 54.4% of the Company�� net premiums. The United States operations market traditional life and health reinsurance, reinsurance of asset-intensive products, and financial reinsurance, primarily to the United States life insurance companies. The United States Traditional sub-segment provides life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a range of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. Premiums vary for smokers and non-smokers, males and females, and may include a preferred underwriting class discount. Reinsurance premiums are paid in accordance with the treaty. Automatic reinsurance treaty provides that the ceding company will cede risks to a reinsurer on specified blocks of policies where the underlying policies meet the ceding company�� underwriting criteria. The United States facultative reinsurance operation involves the assessment of the risks inherent in multiple impairments, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes; cases involving policy face amounts, and financial risk cases, which include cases involving policies disproportionately in relation to the financial characteristics of the proposed insured. During 2011, approximately 20.4% of the United States gross premiums were written on a facultative basis. Canada Operations During 2011, the Canada operations represented 11.4% of the Company�� net premiums. During 2011, approximately 85.2% of the recurring new business was written on an automatic basis. The Company operates in Canada through RGA Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary. RGA Canada is a life reinsurer in Canada, based on new individual life insurance production. It assists clients with capital management and mortality and morbidity risk management and is primarily engaged in traditional individual life reinsurance, as well as creditor, group life and health, critical illness, and longev! ity reins! urance. Creditor insurance covers the outstanding balance on personal, mortgage or commercial loans in the event of death, disability or critical illness and is shorter in duration than traditional life insurance. Clients include the life insurers in Canada. Europe & South Africa Operations During 2011, the Europe & South Africa operations represented 16.3% of the Company�� net premiums. This segment serves clients from subsidiaries, licensed branch offices and/or representative offices located in France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. These offices operate primarily through the Company�� subsidiaries RGA International and RGA South Africa. The principal types of reinsurance for this segment include life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, the reinsurance of critical illness coverage, which provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and the reinsurance of longevity risk related to payout annuities. The reinsurance agreements of critical illness coverage may be either facultative or automatic agreements. Premiums earned from critical illness coverage represented 20.5% of the total net premiums for this segment during 2011. During 2011, the United Kingdom operations generated approximately 62.9% of the segment�� gross premiums. Asia Pacific Operations During 2011, the Asia Pacific operations represented 17.8% of the Company�� net premiums. The Company has a presence in the Asia Pacific region with licensed branch offices and/or representative offices in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Labuan (Malaysia) and the People�� Republic of China. The principal types of reinsurance for this segment include life, critical illness, health, disability income, superannuation, and financial reinsurance. Superannuation is the Australian government mandated c! ompulsory! retirement savings program. Superannuation funds accumulate retirement funds for employees, and in addition, offer life and disability insurance coverage. Reinsurance agreements may be either facultative or automatic agreements covering primarily individual risks and, in some markets, group risks. During 2011, the Australian operations generated approximately 52.3% of the total gross premiums for the Asia Pacific operations. The Hong Kong, Labuan, Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea offices provide full reinsurance services and are supported by the Company�� United States and International Division Sydney office. Corporate and Other Corporate and Other operations include investment income from invested assets not allocated to support segment operations and undeployed proceeds from the Company�� capital raising efforts, in addition to unallocated investment related gains or losses. Corporate expenses consist of the offset to capital charges allocated to the operating segments within the policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses line item, unallocated overhead and executive costs, and interest expense related to debt. In additionally, Corporate and Other includes results from, among others, RGA Technology Partners, Inc. (RTP), a wholly owned subsidiary that develops and markets technology solutions for the insurance industry and the investment income and expense associated with the Company�� collateral finance facilities. The Company competes with Munich Re, Swiss Re, Hannover Re, SCOR Global Re, Berkshire Hathaway and Generali. Advisors' Opinion: - [By David Sterman]
2. Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA) I've been singing the praises of insurance stocks throughout 2013, and though they have started to make solid upward moves, they are still quite undervalued. As long as their balance sheets are worth more than the public market value of their stocks, then you should pounce. This reinsurer (which insures the insurance companies against catastrophic payouts) is a perfect example. At the end of the second quarter, tangible book value stood at $82.97 a share. That's roughly 24% above the current stock price. And RGA is doing what any "below book" stock should do: buying back shares. The current buyback will be fueled by a $400 investment that should shrink shares outstanding by more than 5%. - [By Selena Maranjian]
The biggest new holdings are Philip Morris International and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA ) . Other new holdings of interest include Radian Group (NYSE: RDN ) . To say that mortgage insurer Radian had a good past year would be an understatement, as the stock more than tripled. That's partly due to expectations of a boom in business as the housing market picks up, with tighter lending rules probably leading to greater need for the coverage. The stock recently got an upgrade, with an analyst expecting a possibly bumpy 2013 because of a high level of delinquent loans, but much smoother sailing in following years. - [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of life and health reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA ) sank 10% today after its quarterly results disappointed Wall Street.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM) Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business include owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending; alternative assets funds; and financial and advisory services. Through its power generation business the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its funds and private capital business the firm invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. It also makes investments in privately held investment management and equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management is base d in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Holly LaFon]
Berkowitz�� top holdings continue to be: American International Group Inc. (AIG), AIA Group Ltd. (AAIGF.PK), Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (BAM). - [By GuruFocus]
5. Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM) - 3,116,419 shares, 4.0% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 1.65% New Purchase: Synalloy Corporation (SYNL)
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Morgan Stanley Technology Etf (MTK) SPDR Morgan Stanley Technology (ETF) (the Fund), formerly Morgan Stanley Technology ETF, seeks to replicate as closely as possible the performance of the Morgan Stanley Technology Index (the Index). The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing approach and attempts to approximate the investment performance of its benchmark Index, by investing in a portfolio of stocks intended to replicate the index. The Fund�� industry breakdown includes communications equipment, software, computers and peripherals, semiconductors and semiconductor equipment, information technology (IT) services, Internet software and services, Internet and catalog retail, and electronic equipment and instruments. The Fund�� portfolio includes AMAZON.COM, INC, FIRST DATA CORP., JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC., APPLE, INC. and EMC CORP. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Selena Maranjian]
Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some tech-heavy stocks to your portfolio, but don't have the time or expertise to hand-pick a few, the SPDR Morgan Stanley Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: MTK ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this technology ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.
The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The technology ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is a relatively low 0.50%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gotesco Land Inc (GO) Gotesco Land, Inc. (GLI) is the holding company of Ever-Gotesco Group of Companies for its property development projects. The Company is primarily engaged in acquiring, developing, administering, selling, managing or otherwise dealing in real estate transactions. The Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates in two business segments. The real estate segment is engaged in the development and sale of real properties. The leasing segment is egnaged in the leasing of clubhouse and resort facilities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's wholly owned subsidiaires included Chateau Royale Sports & Country Club, Inc. (CRSCCI), Evercrest Cebu Golf Club & Resort, Inc. (ECGCRI), Gulod Resort, Inc. (GRI), Multiresources Holding Company, Inc. (MHCI) and Nasugbu Resort, Inc. (NRI). Advisors' Opinion: - [By Mark Salzinger, Editor and Publisher, No-Load Fund Investor]
The former are called General Obligation (GO) bonds, while the latter are generally called revenue bonds. In the old days, GOs were considered safer, because they were backed by the full taxing authority of the issuer. Now, revenue bonds are more in vogue.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (FCH) FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated is a publicly owned real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment and management of properties in the hospitality industry. It invests in the real estate markets of the United States. The firm primarily invests in hotels with a focus on the ownership of upper-upscale, full-service hotels and resorts. It was formerly known as FelCor Suite Hotels, Inc. FelCor Lodging Trust was founded in 1994 and is based in Irving, Texas. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Rich Duprey]
Luxury hotel REIT�FelCor Lodging Trust (NYSE: FCH ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividends for two series of preferred shares. For its Series A cumulative convertible preferred stock, it would pay�$0.4875 per share, while on its 8% Series C cumulative redeemable preferred stock it would pay�$0.50 per depositary share. - [By Rich Smith]
Irving, Texas-based FelCor Lodging Trust (NYSE: FCH ) will soon have a new chief financial officer. On Monday, the real estate investment trust announced that CFO Andrew J. Welch intends to retire from the company at the end of this year. He will resign his post on July 1 but remain with the company a few months longer to facilitate the transition to a new CFO. Said new CFO will be Michael C. Hughes, the current company treasurer and senior vice president for finance, who will be promoted to CFO on July 1. - [By George Putnam]
Steve Halpern: Now, one of the positions that you've looked at is FelCor Lodging (FCH). Could you tell us a little about that? George Putnam: Sure. Well, it grew fairly rapidly before the downturn in 2008 and didn't really have a great focus. With the new management team after 2008, they have sold off a lot of non-core properties and are focusing on more upscale properties and strong markets, and they've used the proceeds from asset sales to help the balance sheet. They have paid down a lot of high-priced debt, which also helps the bottom line.
Hot Financial Companies To Watch In Right Now: American Capital Agency Corp (AGNC) American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company earns income primarily from investing on a leveraged basis in agency mortgage-backed securities. These investments consist of residential mortgage pass-through securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by government-sponsored entities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), or by a United States Government agency, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) (collectively, GSEs). It may also invest in agency debenture securities issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB). The Company is managed by American Capital AGNC Management, LLC, which is an affiliate of American Capital, Ltd. AGNC funds its investments primarily through short-term borrowings structured as repurchase agreements. The agency mortgage-backed securities in which the Company invests consist of agency residential pass-through certificates and CMOs. Agency residential pass-through certificates are securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans secured by residential real property. Agency CMOs are securities that are structured instruments representing interests in agency residential pass-through certificates. Agency CMOs consist of multiple classes of securities. Advisors' Opinion: - [By David Hanson]
The primary reason for the sell-off of�Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY ) ,�American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC ) , and Armour Residential (NYSE: ARR ) , just three of the funds that mainly invest in MBSes backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is the fear that the inevitable rise in interests rates will damage firms' book values and further squeeze net interest margins, thus shrinking net income and dividend payouts. - [By Amanda Alix]
Stock prices take a dive amid the panic
Mortgage REITs have been in the grips of a Fed-induced taper terror ever since the Federal Open Market Committee ended its two-day meeting in June. Sector heavy Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY ) has been hit by an 11% dip in share price since June 18, with Armour Residential (NYSE: ARR ) experiencing the same percentage drop. Meanwhile, American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC ) has seen its own stock take a 14% dive.
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