Saturday, May 31, 2014

The top 5 reasons why you're broke

In the event of a financial catastrophe such as a job loss, would you be able to cover your bills and expenses for three months? What about six months? If you answered "no" to either of these questions, you fall into the same category as around half of Americans. According to a Bankrate survey, 55% of women and 45% of men do not have at least three months' worth of emergency savings.

The official poverty rate in the U.S. is 15%. That's 46.5 million people earning less than $11,670 per year ($972.50 per month) for single-person households. Families of four in this category are earning $23,850 or less annually.

Although many of the lower-income earners are among those who have no emergency savings and are in essence broke, they are not the only ones. Most Americans -- 76%, in fact -- live paycheck to paycheck. This category includes those across many income levels, particularly middle-income earners. Why is this? Why is the average consumer who is earning a middle-class income broke? Here are five reasons why.

1. Employment and earnings

In all likelihood, you're earning less than the middle-class members of some of the previous generations. A family that earns a median household income of $51,017 today is a fairly accurate representation of a middle class household in the United States. In 1969, a middle-class household earned $54,817 in today's money. In 1979, that number went up to $54,993 in today's money. By 1999, middle-class households were earning $59,758 in today's dollars — more than $8,700 per year more than they are making today.

In addition to the middle class earning less than it did in the past, the recent economic downturn caused a spike in unemployment in 2009, where rates reached 10% in October and then remained at 9% or above for the next 23 months. When there are that many people unable to find a job who are actively looking, many of them end up obtaining low-paying positions for which they are overqualified.

2. Prices

While you're earning less! , you're also paying more for the goods and services you purchase. A publication by Daily Finance compares prices between 1999 and 2009. A gallon of gas was $1.30 in 1999, and by 2009, that price went up to $2.56. Today, you pay an average price of $3.65 per gallon at the pump. For a McDonald's Big Mac, you'd shell out $2.50 in 1999 and today, you're looking at an average of around $4.60.

3. Lifestyle and overspending

Consumerism is such a strong ideology in today's society. One estimate indicates that 52% of Americans are spending more than they earn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer expenditure surveys reflects this sentiment. Annual expenditures exceed income across several locations, income levels, and demographics.

Each time the newest piece of technology hits the market, consumers rush out to purchase it. Wants have turned into perceived necessities, resulting in more spending and less savings.

4. Student loans

In addition to earning less and spending more, you may also begin your career in debt. Starting out behind, it may be difficult to get caught up while paying your loans on top of a home, vehicle, and all of your other expenses. Student loan debt in the U.S. adds up to a combined total of more than $1 trillion.

5. Credit and debt

Interest on revolving lines of credit may result in long-term high monthly payments. The result is you end up paying for a single credit card purchase or series of purchases for several years. As of late 2013, Creditcards.com reports the total revolving debt in the U.S. was around $860 billion, with the average cardholder owning 3.7 credit cards each.

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So while you are earning less, spending more, and starting your adult life in debt, you are also borrowing additional funds at high interest rates just to get by – that is why you are broke.

Wall St. Cheat Sheet is a USA! TODAY co! ntent partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Hot Tech Companies To Buy Right Now

Hot Tech Com panies To Buy Right Now: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

    Chinese solar-products company Renesola Ltd.(SOL) on Monday said it had appointed Daniel Lee as its chief financial officer, effective May 5. Mr. Lee will take over for Henry Wang, who is resigning May 4 for personal reasons, the company said.

  • [By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

    ReneSola Ltd.(SOL) said it is being probed as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s antidumping investigation of solar products imports. The Chinese solar-products company said it has temporarily stopped shipping products to the U.S. that fall within the scope of the probe and it intends to fully cooperate with the investigation proceedings. Shares dropped 3.6% to $3.78 premarket.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-tech-companies-to-buy-right-now-2.html

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Own For 2015

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Own For 2015: Nikon Corp (NINOF)

NIKON CORPORATION is mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of image and video equipment. The Company operates in four business segments. The Precision Equipment segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The Image segment provides digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, compact digital cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides LC photomask substrates and optical components. As of March 31, 2013, the Company has 87 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By MARKETWATCH]

    LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- With the yen holding on to its gains and investors cautious as earnings season kicks off, Japanese stocks slid lower Friday after closing the previous day with some late-session gains. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) fell 0.9% to 14,358.28, with the Topix down 0.8%, as the dollar bought 97.36 yen, little changed from 24 hours earlier. The relatively strong yen weighed on some names with high global exposure, as Sharp Corp. (JP:6753) (SHCAF) lost 1%, Pioneer Corp. (JP:6773) (PNCOF) dropped 1.6%, and Bridgestone Corp. (JP:5108) (BRDCF) fell 1.2%. An outlook cut from Canon Inc. (JP:7751) (CAJ) helped send its shares down 1%, while rival Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (N! INOF) lost 1.8%, though Olympus Corp. (JP:7733) (OCPNF) gained 1%. Telecoms were weak, with Softbank Corp. (JP:9984) (SFTBF) falling 2.5%, KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) (KDDIF) down 1.7%, and NTT DoCoMo Inc. (JP:9437) (NTDMF)

  • [By MARKETWATCH]

    LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened lower Thursday, as gains for the yen and losses for Wall Street conspired to drive the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) down 1.2% to 15,333.35, extending Wednesday's 0.6% loss. The Topix fell 0.7%, with the U.S. dollar (USDJPY) slipping to 102.46 yen, down from around 楼102.80 at the start of the previous session, but off its lows in late Wednesday trade. Electronics firms and other techs helped lead the loss, with Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) falling 1.4%, Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (NINOF) off 2.4%, and Alps Electric Co. (JP:6770) 1.8% lower. The Nikkei Asian Review reported Thursday that Japan looked set to post its first trade deficit for electronics goods this year. Shares of Yahoo Japan Corp. (JP:4689) (YAHOF) lost 1.4%, even as Bloomberg reported the firm was offering its stake in marke! t-researc! h firm Macromill Inc. (JP:3730) to U.S. private-equity firm Bain Capital at a premium to its most recent close. Shares of Macromill were untraded. Among gainers, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (JP:9432) (NTT) rose 2.1%, following a 1.1% gain for its U.S.-listed shares.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-recreation-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Top US Stocks To Own Right Now

Top US Stocks To Own Right Now: Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation(CTSH)

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation provides information technology (IT), consulting, and business process outsourcing services in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its IT consulting and technology services include business and knowledge process consulting; IT strategy consulting; program management consulting; technology consulting; application design, development, integration, and re-engineering, such as complex custom systems development, data warehousing/business intelligence, customer relationship management (CRM) system implementation, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation; and software testing services. The company?s outsourcing services comprise application maintenance, including custom application, CRM, and ERP maintenance; IT infrastructure outsourcing; and business and knowledge process outsourcing. It offers its services to various markets, such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics and retail, hospitality, con sumer goods, communications, and high technology, as well as information, media, and entertainment markets. The company markets and sells its services directly through its professional staff, senior management, and direct sales personnel. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Mani]

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSH) plans to announce its results for the third quarter of 2013 onTuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, before the market open. Following the release, the company will conduct a conference call at8:00 a.m.(Eastern) to discuss operating performance for the quarter.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-us-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

5 Best Beverage Stocks To Own For 2015

5 Best Beverage Stocks To Own For 2015: Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (CCLAF)

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of carbonated soft drinks, still and mineral waters, fruit juices, coffee and other alcohol-free beverages. CCA operates in four business segments: The Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and Indonesia and PNG segments. CCA is also engaged in the processing and marketing of fruits, vegetables and other food products, and the manufacture and distribution of alcohol ready-to-drink products, and the distribution of premium spirits and beer brands. The Companys principal operations are in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). On January 13, 2012, the sale of CCAs 50% interest in Pacific Beverages to SABMiller was completed. On February 21, 2011, the Company acquired Vending business, a non-alcohol beverage in Australia. On September 7, 2012, CCA acquired an 89.6% shareholding in Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Ltd (Paradise Beverages). Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By MARKETWATCH]

    LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks seesawed in early Monday trade, with gains for miners and energy names helping support the market, as the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) sat 0.1% higher at 5,325.90 after changing direction several times. Official Chinese data showing manufacturing holding its growth rate in October appeared to help some miners, as did gains for some commodity prices. Shares of Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) rose 0.5%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) added 0.7%, Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) ! advanced 1%, and Whitehaven Coal Ltd. (AU:WHC) improved by 1.9%. Likewise, an advance for gold futures sent Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) rallying 3.4%, and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) up 2.9%. Energy shares also traded higher, with Oil Search Ltd. (AU:OSH) (OISHF) up 1.3%, and Karoon Gas Australia Ltd. (AU:KAR) (KRNGF) adding 1.7%. On the downside, retailers were mostly lower, with David Jones Ltd. (AU:DJS) (DVDJF)

  • [By Daniel Inman]

    Also in Sydney, Coca-Cola Amatil (AU:CCL) (CCLAF) dropped 4.7% after warning that its fiscal 2014 operating profit was likely to fall 5% to 7% on the previous year.

  • [By MARKETWATCH]

    LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks rose modestly in early Tuesday trade, with the market reacting to a mixed batch of earnings. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) added 0.2% to 5,391.80, with BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) rising 1.7% after its July-December profit almost doubled from a year earlier, beating forecasts. However, smaller rival Arrium Ltd. (AU:ARI) ! (AR! RMF) added 2.5% after reporting a swing back to profit. Other miners got a bump up from rising commodity prices, as Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) gained 2.3% and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) added 1.2%, though Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) slipped 0.4%. Shares of Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. (AU:CCL) (CCLAF) slumped 5.1% after the drinks firm saw a more than 80% drop in 2013 profit, weighed by a writedown on its fruit-processing business. Packaging firm Amcor Ltd. (AU:AMC) (AMCRF) lost 4.6% after its fiscal-first-half profit fell by about a third.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-beverage-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

Gold finds no bounce from February lows

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — Gold's drop to levels not seen since early February still wasn't enough to lure buyers back, as prices weakened further on Wednesday.

Gold for June delivery (GCM4)  lost $1.40, or 0.1%, to $1,264.10 an ounce in electronic trade, finding no rebound from its 2% retreat a day earlier. July silver (SIN4) , however, managed to tack on 2 cents, or 0.2%, to $19.09 an ounce.

AFP/Getty Images

A day earlier, gold was hammered as traders seemed to react to perceived stability in Ukraine in the wake of last weekend's decisive election result. The fact that investors are moving back into global equities lately isn't helping, and there are also some technical headwinds in play.

Seeing as this is an historically weak time of year for gold, Dow Theory Letters editor Richard Russel says that the precious metal could get a seasonality boost.

"Gold has the tendency to decline in these months [May and June] while bottoming in July. If gold does not decline appreciably between now and July, I will consider it bullish for the metal," Russel said.

Elsewhere in metals trading, July platinum (PLN4)  rose $3.90, or 0.3%, to $1,466.20 an ounce, while June palladium (PAM4)  edged fractionally higher to $831 an ounce.

High-grade copper for July delivery (HGN4)  gave up a penny to $3.17 a pound.

Other must-read MarketWatch stories include:

Here's the real reason gold is falling

5 dividend stocks that offset inflation in retirement

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Time Warner Cable and CBS Kiss and Make Up — Dueling Press Releases

From CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS):

CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) and Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks have reached an agreement for carriage of CBS owned stations on Time Warner Cable systems across the country, as well as Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network and Smithsonian Channel, it was announced today by representatives for the companies. Programming on all networks will resume at 6:00 PM, ET today.  Though specific terms of the deal are not being disclosed, the agreement includes retransmission consent, as well as Showtime Anytime and VOD, for CBS stations on Time Warner Cable systems in New York (WCBS and WLYW), Los Angeles (KCBS and KCAL) and Dallas (KTVT and KTXA.)

From Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC):

We can't even tell you how happy it makes us to write this:

Our long, frustrating blackout with the CBS Corporation is now over. We have reached an agreement that returns CBS and CBS-owned programming to your channel lineup. We're restoring the programming as fast as we can – everyone will have it back within the next 24 hours.

As in all of our negotiations, our main goal was to hold down costs and retain our ability to deliver a great video experience for our customers. We're pleased that we successfully achieved both.

We know these disputes are frustrating, and we're sorry they have to happen. But we hope the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain of keeping your costs down and providing the best possible viewing experience.

It's also really encouraging that over 50 consumer organizations and legislators have joined us in calling for Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to reassess the 21-year-old rules that allow this sort of broadcaster brinksmanship to happen in the first place. We hope that Congress and the FCC will pay attention to this growing call to action and reform these outdated laws.

Nobody likes it when fights like these happen – not the networks, not our customers, and certainly not our hardworking employees who absorb a lot of understandable frustration until these get resolved.

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But most of all, we'd like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty and understanding. Without customers, we wouldn't have a business – and that's why we fight to keep costs as low as possible.

Monday, May 26, 2014

What Coke can teach us about Whole Foods' future

If you've bought Whole Foods Market stock anytime in the past two years, you're probably not very happy about what's happened. In a nutshell, one of the great growth stocks of the past 15 years has been an absolute dud, unless you decided to sell out last October.

While the rest of the market was on a tear, Whole Foods' stock has fallen, as much as 41% if you bought at the peak. Instead of telling you why you should hold your shares -- I have no intention to sell mine -- I want to share an investing parallel from almost 40 years ago. A little context about the importance of patience and time will serve us all well in the interim.

Let's talk about The Coca-Cola Company, and 1975.

Selling the world a Coke, but Mr. Market wasn't buying it

Back in the '70s, Coca-Cola was already all over the world, but it was still relatively early in its expansion. Most of the world was much poorer than today, and consumer goods like Coca-Cola weren't either affordable or readily available to the masses.

However, the stock market wasn't buying it:

Coke's stock price, May 1975-February 1980.(Photo: The Motley Fool)

We're talking about almost five years of being handily outperformed by the market. This is by far a worse beating than Whole Foods investors like me have taken, and for a much longer period of time.

The Whole Foods/Coca-Cola parallel

On the surface, these don't seem to be very similar businesses at all -- I get that. But when you peel back the layers, there are a handful of characteristics that today's Whole Foods shares with 1975 Coca-Cola.

Very high-quality businesses A stock that is perceived as "expensive" based on price-to-earnings valuation. Serious competitive challenge on the ris! e.

The market sentiment for Whole Foods right now is that the company's growth days and fat margins are long gone. Wal-Martis making a big push into organics; Sprouts and other upstarts are all trying to take a slice from what has been a relatively unchallenged market for Whole Foods over the past 20 years. All of a sudden, it seems that the worst is happening.

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In 1975, PepsiCo launched its "Pepsi Challenge" marketing campaign, and actually started taking market share from Coca-Cola. At one point in 1978, Pepsi's stock had actually gone up almost 50% while Coke shares were basically flat. However, Coca-Cola the business would continue to sell its trademark product, produce profits, and expand sales both domestically and internationally over the half-decade that its stock was a loser.

But what has Coca-Cola stock done since 1980?

It's only been one of the best stocks to own over the past 35 years, is all. An investment of $1,000 turned into $56,200, before dividends. With dividends, we are talking about turning a grand into more than $101,000. It gets even better: That $1,000 investment in 1980 would be paying about $1,600 in annual dividends today.

Think about that for a second: paying back 160% of your original investment to you, every single year!

The long view is really hard to take The thing is, we're hard-wired to think that what's happening right now will keep happening. The result? It's hard to imagine that Whole Foods -- much like Coca-Cola back in 1975 -- is still a best-of-breed company, with raving fans of the brand and what it stands for. Businesses face competition all the time. Think about today: There's arguably more competition in most industires today than there has ever been. Yet corporate profits are higher than ever.

The point? Competition isn't always (or even usually) a death knell; especially for the excellent ! business ! with real advantages, like the power of its brand, the quality of its product, and the loyalty of its customers. And just like Coca-Cola for the past 120 years, Whole Foods Market has an enduring brand that engenders loyalty from its customers.

Foolish final thoughts

Am I telling you that Whole Foods will be the once-in-a-generation stock that Coca-Cola was 35 years ago? Maybe not in so many words. But what I most certainly am saying is that -- even with increased competition -- Whole Foods is an undeniably well-run business with some very real -- and very durable -- advantages that its price-driven competitors won't be able to erode as easily as it seems.

If you've bought Whole Foods stock in the past couple of years, relax. It's been only a couple of years, and you still own the same portion of the same great business. Don't mistake Mr. Market's reaction for an indication that the business is failing. Plenty of investors did that with Coca-Cola, and you see what they missed.

John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors.

Jason Hall owns shares of and has options on Whole Foods Market, and also manages an account with shares of Coca-Cola. The Motley Fool recommends Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Whole Foods Market; owns shares of PepsiCo and Whole Foods Market; and has options on Coca-Cola. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Sunday, May 25, 2014

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Watch For 2015: Verifone Systems Inc.(PAY)

Verifone Systems, Inc. designs, markets, and services electronic payment solutions in North America and internationally. It provides system solutions, including countertop electronic payment systems that accepts magnetic, smart card, contactless/ radio frequency identification(RFID) cards, and near field communication(NFC) enabled mobile phones; secure PIN pads that support credit and debit transactions; and wireless system solutions that support Internet protocol-based code division multiple access, general packet radio service, bluetooth, and wireless fidelity technologies. The company also offers products for consumer-activated functionality at the point of sale; contactless/NFC payment solutions consisting of contactless readers primarily for consumer-activated transactions with contactless cards, tokens, and NFC-enabled mobile phones; and Gemstone family of products comprising integrated electronic payment systems for petroleum companies. In addition, it provides serv er-based payment processing software and middleware; unattended and self-service payments hardware and software integration modules, such as vending machines, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, petroleum dispensers, public transportation turnstiles and buses, self-checkout, bill payment, and photo finishing kiosks; retail bank branch solutions; mass transportation solutions; and network access solutions. Further, the company offers client services, customized application development, advertising publishing, taxi payments and advertising, cardholder data security, annual software maintenance program, and repair services. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, petroleum companies, large retailers, taxi fleets, government organizations, healthcare companies, independent sales organizations, and advertisers. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, I! nc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose , California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Burrows]

    VeriFone (PAY) surged Wednesday on quarterly results showing that although the electronic payments processor is under assault from all sides, the market-share leader still has plenty of life left — as does PAY stock.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Breaking news

    Energy XXI (NASDAQ: EXXI) and EPL Oil & Gas (NYSE: EPL) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Energy XXI will acquire all of EPL's outstanding shares for total consideration of $2.3 billion, including the assumption of debt. To read the full news, click here. Achaogen (NASDAQ: AKAO) announced today the pricing of its initial public offering of 6,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $12.00 per share. To read the full news, click here. Geron (NASDAQ: GERN) announced today that the company has received verbal notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for imetelstat has been placed on full clinical hold, affecting all ongoing company-sponsored clinical trials. To read the full news, click here. VeriFone (NYSE: PAY) jumped 9.5% in pre-market trading after the company reported its first quarter results. The firm reported a Q1 EPS of $0.31 versus the Street estimate of $0.27. To read the full news, click here.

    Posted-In: Credit Suisse US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Shares of VeriFone (PAY)  rose 9.4% to $32 on moderate volume after the point-of-service payment system company reported adjusted fiscal first-quarter earnings of 31 cents a share on revenue of $431.6 million. ! !

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-consumer-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Hot Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015

Hot Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015: Tim Participacoes SA (TIMP3)

TIM Participacoes SA (TIM) is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the telecommunications segment. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, TIM Celular SA (TIM Celular) and Intelig Telecomunicacoes Ltda (Intelig), it provides telecommunication services throughout Brazil. TIM Celular and Intelig are active as Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN) providers in the local and national and international long-distance modalities in all Brazilian states. Additionally, the Company provides multimedia communication services and personal mobile services, mobile data services and a third generation (3G) network, as well as international roaming agreements, multimedia messaging services, blackberry services and sale of related equipment. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Zahra Hankir]

    Brazil's Ibovespa extended its weekly decline to 3.3 percent. Mobile carrier Tim Participacoes SA (TIMP3) sank after parent Telecom Italia SpA (TIT)'s chief executive officer said its Brazilian assets are strategic, damping speculation the local unit will be sold.

  • [By Jonathan Morgan]

    Telecom Italia SpA (TIT) jumped 6.2 percent to 65.6 euro cents. The phone company that was stripped of its investment-grade rating is seeking at least 9 billion euros for its controlling stake in Brazilian wireless carrier Tim Participacoes SA (TIMP3), according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Telecom Italia climbed 5.2 percent to 64.2 euro cents, its highest price since May. The telecommunications operator would gain enough funds to improve its domestic business if it sells at least 4 billion euros ($5.4 billion) of shares or its stake in Tim Participacoes SA (TIMP3) in Brazil, according to Goldman Sachs.

  • source from Top S! tocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-wireless-telecom-companies-for-2015.html

Friday, May 23, 2014

Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In Right Now: International Game Technology (IGT)

International Game Technology (IGT) designs, manufactures, and markets electronic gaming equipment and systems worldwide. The company offers casino-style slot machines that determine the game play outcome at the machine; wide area progressive jackpot systems with linked machines across various casinos; central determination system machines connected to a central server that determines the game outcome, encompassing video lottery terminals used primarily in government-sponsored applications and electronic or video bingo machines; and amusement with prize games. Its systems products include applications for casino management, customer relationship marketing (CRM), and server-based games and player management. IGT?s casino management solutions comprise integrated modules for machine accounting, patron management, cage and table accounting, ticket-in/ticket-out, bonusing (jackpots and promotions), and table game automation. The company?s CRM solutions feature integrated market ing and business intelligence modules that provide analytical, predictive, and management tools for maximizing casino operational effectiveness; and server-based solutions enable game delivery to slot machines, computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other networked devices. Its gaming markets comprise the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and South/Central America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    All good things must come to an end. And so it is with the S&P 500′s six-day winning streak, as AT&T (T), Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), International Game Technology (IGT), Amgen (AMGN) and Netflix (NFLX) helped lead the market lower.

  • !
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) shares fell 8.96% to reach a new 52-week low of $12.81 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.20 per share on revenue of $512.80 million.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) was down, falling 8.82 percent to $13.54 after the company announced its plans to lower 7% of its workforce and cut its earnings guidance for the year.

  • [By John Divine]

    International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT  ) , which largely lives and dies with the success of the casino industry, saw shares slump 2.5% today. Not only is International Game Technology in the traditional business of offering products like video poker and slot machines, but it's at the forefront of social, mobile, and online gaming, all of which are enormous avenues for growth in the industry going forward. Unfortunately for IGT, its $500 million investment in social gaming company Double Down in 2012 is starting to look like a dud, with Double Down's founders leaving IGT earlier this year, just as the company announced an earnings hit from the two-year-old acquisition.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-heal-care-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Best Stocks to Play the Housing Trend: AvalonBay Communities, Essex Property Trust, and Equity R


Source: Flickr / archer10.

The U.S. Census Bureau's recent housing construction report for April showed a 43% month over month surge in the number of multi-family housing starts, while single-family homes barely moved, showing a paltry 0.8% increase. Since last April, authorizations for buildings with five or more units rose by 29%, compared to a 12% increase in single-family houses.

Apartment REITs: The new housing play?
The upturn in the multifamily space looks like the new normal, with single-family home ownership below the 50-year average of 65.4% -- and some analysts predicting that it will fall even further.

With 93% of the multifamily units breaking ground in the first quarter slated for rental, apartment REITs like AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB  ) , Essex Property Trust Inc. (NYSE: ESS  ) and Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR  ) are looking like a great way to invest in the new "renter nation".

Stocking up on rentals
The apartment REIT sector has been buying up a storm, investing in $1.5 billion apartments in just the first quarter – not counting Essex Property's purchase of BRE Properties, which closed on April 1. That deal, the terms of which included $6.2 billion in cash and stock, created the biggest REIT on the west coast. The combined value of the company is now a little over $1 billion.

In late 2012, AvalonBay and Equity Residential banded together to purchase Archstone, the huge, high-end multifamily landlord whose acquisition in 2007 helped bankrupt Lehman Brothers. In addition to acquiring Archstone's nearly $10 billion in debt, the two REITs put up $6.5 billion in cash and stock to close the deal. AvalonBay acquired 22,000 apartments, while Equity took on 23,000.

As for 2014, AvalonBay management notes that it is on track to deliver over 5,000 new apartments by the end of the year, and Equity bought a five-year-old apartment project in Los Angeles in the first quarter, after selling one of their older San Diego assets in late 2013. Equity is planning to continue in this vein, selling its older, more suburban properties in order to buy apartments in well-populated urban locations.

Source: Flickr / Kevin Dooley.

Apartment REITs are having a great year
All in all, this sector is having a wonderful year. Vacancies are the lowest in the sector since 2001, and rents are rising nicely, averaging $1,089 per month last quarter, compared to $1,055 one year earlier. In its first-quarter earnings call, AvalonBay management noted that, as the job market has begun to recover, the stronger economy will be able to support not only higher rents, but more apartment deliveries, as well .

So far, all three REITs have gained at least 19% since the beginning of the year, and yields are sweet, at around 3%. According to NAREIT, the apartment REIT sector was up 16.4% from January to April of this year.

With the economy healing and the employment market improving, rising rents will likely fuel higher dividends, too. For investors looking for a place to put their real-estate investment dollars, the multifamily sector looks hard to beat.

More great dividend stocks for the next decade
The smartest investors know that dividend stocks simply crush their non-dividend paying counterparts over the long term. That's beyond dispute. They also know that a well-constructed dividend portfolio creates wealth steadily, while still allowing you to sleep like a baby. Knowing how valuable such a portfolio might be, our top analysts put together a report on a group of high-yielding stocks that should be in any income investor's portfolio. To see our free report on these stocks, just click here now.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin’

LinkedIn Logo RSS Logo James Brumley Popular Posts: 5 Beaten-Down Stocks to Buy4 Small-Cap Stocks to Scoop Up While They’re on SaleThis Year’s 5 Hottest Marijuana Stocks Recent Posts: 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin’ 4 (More) Industries Google Could Dominate Sears Holdings (SHLD): A Ticking Time Bomb That’s Speeding Up View All Posts

Most of the market’s best dividend stocks are well-known, and well-owned.

Money Cash 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'AT&T (T). Verizon (VZ). McDonald’s (MCD). Consistent payers-and-raisers for years, and everyone knows it.

Thing is, there’s more than another handful of stocks with strong dividend yields that are either off-the-radar, unrecognized as solid dividend stocks or both.

So, if you’re looking for a few possibly underestimated and underappreciated dividend stocks out there, consider this list of five of the best names with a great dividend yield that might surprise most investors.

Dividend Stocks to Buy: Cisco (CSCO)

Cisco185new 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'Dividend Yield: 3.1%

The networking and router company pays a dividend? Yes, and a pretty good one too. The current dividend yield for Cisco (CSCO) is just north of 3% — so no, it’s not the market’s best dividend payer, but CSCO certainly is one of the best dividend stocks within the tech sector.

“But isn’t Cisco a struggling brand?” Yes, challenges remain on all fronts, with year-over-year sales as well as earnings slipping in each of the past two quarters. But much of the reason Cisco hasn’t grown of late is that CEO John Chambers didn’t want to open up the company’s $50 billion war chest.

That’s changing, though. Recently, Chambers has been more keen to invest in growth.

CSCO stock might be one of the market’s dark-horse stories of 2014; the dividend yield is the icing on the cake.

Dividend Stocks to Buy: Tupperware Brands (TUP)

Tupperware185 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'Dividend Yield: 3.2%

The idea of selling plastic kitchen bowls by hosting parties might seem antiquated. But the fact that Tupperware Brands (TUP) has continued to grow sales for years now says, antiquated or not, it’s an effective approach.

That said, there’s another reason that income-seekers may like TUP stock … it has a surprisingly strong dividend yield of 3.2%. Again, there are higher-yielding dividend stocks out there, but there aren’t too many that doubled their quarterly dividend between 2011 and 201. Tupperware’s quarterly payout has gone from 30 cents in 2011 to 68 cents as of this writing.

While the pace of that dividend growth will have to slow sooner or later (and probably sooner) for TUP stock, it’s pretty clear that Tupperware Brands is listening to its shareholders and giving them what they want — cash.

Dividend Stocks to Buy: ABB Ltd (ABB)

ABB Group 185 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'Dividend Yield: 3.4%

A power-management hardware company might not be riveting stuff, but if the dividend yield is solid enough, some investors could be swayed.

And what kind of payout does Swiss company ABB Ltd (ABB) offer? A solid 3.4% currently, paid once annually.

Not only does it pay a dividend religiously, it raises it like clockwork. ABB stock has upped its payout every year, from 9 cents per share in 2006 to 78 cents this year, making ABB one of the better dividend stocks in addition to offering investors some overseas exposure.

But what about its recently reported quarter, which could only be described as miserable? Yes, ABB blew it in Q1 thanks to weak sales of high-voltage equipment. And, ABB stock suffered a handful of downgrades in the shadow of the setback, tumbling 8% as a result.

The time to go bargain shopping, though, is when a stock is actually on sale. And that setback means a better yield on cost for anyone buying now.

Dividend Stocks to Buy: Canon (CAJ)

Canon 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'Dividend Yield: 4%

Contrary to popular belief, the paperless office isn’t going to become a reality anytime soon. In fact, our ability (and willingness) to create a paper document is as strong now as it’s ever been.

That’s why photocopier and printer maker Canon (CAJ) is still alive and kicking. Well, it’s not the only reason. While photographic film is all but extinct, Canon is waist-deep into cameras, camcorders and a wide variety of other lens-centric products, all of which remain highly marketable.

But what does CAJ stock offer to income seekers? A dividend yield hovering around 4%, and reliable increases of that payout (paid semiannually) over time, make it one of the market’s more attractive dividend stocks.

Dividend Stocks to Buy: Paychex (PAYX)

paychex 5 Dividend Stocks You Never Saw Comin'Dividend Yield: 3.4%

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of Paychex (PAYX) — a lot of people haven’t. The company provides outsourced human resources services, including benefits administration services.

In other words, PAYX stock is a temporary staffing play.

It’s not a bad business to be in, either. Following the economic implosion of 2007 and the subsequent recession of 2008, temporary staffing employment following a recession has grown faster than it ever has before. It’s apt to stay that way as well, as businesses now recognize that a permanent workforce is an unnecessary liability.

That’s not the only reason an investor might want to own PAYX stock, however. The current dividend yield for Paychex is a healthy 3.4%, and the payout has been steadily rising for years. There are better-paying dividend stocks out there, but there aren’t many that offer the same combination of income, growth and reliability that Paychex does.

As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Have a Payment Due

You can call it a bailout, a rakeover - I mean, takeover - or socialism for cash. It's all that and more.

But, whatever you call it, it's not going to last.

The $187.5 billion bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back in 2008 was absolutely necessary.

Before you tell me I'm crazy, let me tell you why...

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Forget that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused their own demise - that's another discussion. Once they imploded, they had to be saved for the sake of every American bank, more than a few giant global banks, the U.S. economy, and probably the global economy.

Fannie Mae and Freddie MacTo live and die another day, Fannie and Freddie had to issue senior preferred securities to the U.S. Treasury for bailing them out. The preferreds paid a 10% dividend to the Treasury.

(Remember that Fannie and Freddie don't make mortgages. They buy mortgages from lenders, package them to sell to investors, and guarantee the securities they issue. This all makes them a pretty good investment, so they buy their own stuff by the fistful.)

Top 5 Machinery Stocks To Watch For 2015

Of course, there was a problem. Neither could make the payments. So, our government being the generous sort it is, lent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac money to pay the government. How's that for good business sense?

Well, wouldn't you know it, by 2012, this pair of government-sponsored enterprises were again enterprising and making tons of money.

That's when the Obama administration, never one to miss an opportunity to extract or extort cold hard cash from any wounded-warrior veterans of the economic drain game, changed the rules for being paid back. In August 2012, the Treasury made the dynamic duopolies deliver all their profits to the saviors who bailed them out.

There would be no more piddling 10% dividends - Uncle Sam wanted all their profits. And he got them. To date, Fannie and Freddie have paid the Treasury more than $200 billion. By June, that amount will have risen to an estimated $213 billion.

OK, so they got paid back. We, the taxpayers, got paid back. That's good, that's very good.

So here's what's not very good. We might even call it.... oh, I don't know, bad.

Last Thursday, just as the dumb-ass duo was forking over another $10.2 billion to the Treasury, the Senate Banking Committee, on the same day, lost control of its opportunity to revamp the whole stupid arrangement that gave life to the world's biggest government-sponsored enterprises (aka GSEs). Come to think of it, there are pretty much no other GSEs. Well, there are, but they're "state-owned" entities, some of which are sponsored by communists and socialists. As they say, if the shoe fits... wear it.

But I digress.

And who stopped the reform efforts in the Senate? A few good Democrats, that's who.

You can't blame them. Honest extortion tactics are hard to come by these days.

Don't get me wrong, I don't give a hoot that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have to pay back everything they make to the government. I care that this stupid government of ours spends - make that wastes - this money like a drunken sailor.

But that's another discussion.

What's really galling is that these two Frankenstein monsters weren't broken up when they should have and could have been.

Fannie and Freddie's moneymaking ways are about to end. The extortion game is going to turn into another black hole when they stop extorting money themselves. The two are making so much money because they're suing big banks for billions upon billions of losses they incurred on the crappy mortgages they bought from the banks. Fannie and Freddie then packaged this junk into crappy mortgage-backed pools that they themselves bought, which is really what sunk them.

When it comes to making the same mistakes again and again, it's not a question of "if," but "when."

The government has to get out of the mortgage business. They got into it during the Great Depression, and it made sense then, for a while. But that's a long, long time ago.

Fannie and Freddie have spent hundreds of millions of dollars paying lobbyists to make sure Congress doesn't take away their GSE stinking badges. They can't pay out money directly anymore. But that doesn't mean they won't be able to down the road when this past little kerfuffle is all forgotten about.

It's extortion all around. And who's the biggest victim of this rakeover? The taxpayers, as usual.

For heaven's sake, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Expressway to Hell has to be derailed before it steam-rolls the economy again.

More from Shah Gilani: The numbers are in, and they're ugly. First-quarter U.S. GDP is only 0.1%, despite the Federal Reserve spending $3.2 trillion to boost the economy. Simply put, the Fed's "growth-buying" scheme is failing...

Friday, May 16, 2014

J.C. Penney's Friday Pop -- Is It Time to Get Into the Shares?

The lowest weekly initial jobless claims figure in seven years was not enough to lift U.S. stocks on Thursday, with the benchmark S&P 500 and the narrower Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) down 0.9% and 1%, respectively. Unusually, the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC  ) was less volatile than the former two indexes, losing just 0.8%. In company-specific news, it appears that disappointing results from Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT  ) and Kohl's this morning weighed on the retail sector today, including J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) , which fell 2.8%. But J.C. Penney shares will make that up -- and more -- tomorrow, as the shares surged by nearly a fifth in today's after-hours session on better-than-expected first-quarter results. Is it time for investors to take a look at this turnaround story?

On the numbers: J.C. Penney beat Wall Street's expectations for revenues and earnings per share, as the following table demonstrates.

 

Actual/ Year-on-year growth (decline)

Analysts' c onsensus estimate

Revenues

$2.8 billion

6.3%

$2.7 billion

Earnings-per-share

($1.15)

(27.2%)

($1.25)

Source: J.C. Penney, Thomson FN

A same-store sales increase of 6.2% is impressive compared to its larger (and more stable) rivals – U.S. same-store sales at Walmart were flat, for example. However, this is partially a reflection of the challenges J.C. Penney faces and, consequently, greater volatility in its operating results.

Nevertheless, the company's outlook for the full year was pretty upbeat, including a mid-single-digit increase in same-store sales, significantly improved gross margin versus 2013, and free cash flow at breakeven. Moreover, the company appears to have warded off the risk of a cash crunch with an increased credit facility of $2.35 billion.

Where does that leave investors?
In early February when J.C. Penney announced its first instance of quarterly same-store sales growth in two-and-a-half years, I nevertheless wrote that individual investors ought to avoid the stock. Since the publication of that article on Feb. 4, the stock is up by nearly two-thirds – and that doesn't even include the pop the shares will experience tomorrow.

Was I wrong? In a very basic sense, the answer is, "Obviously, yes." In hindsight, it's now clear that the pessimism surrounding the stock was culminating as I was writing the article (literally so -- the shares put in their 52-week low of $4.90 on the publication date.) However, it's worth reviewing the rationale I invoked at the time, which had nothing to do with trying to second-guess investor sentiment:

Turnarounds are very difficult to pull off. Turnarounds in the brutally competitive retail sector are even more challenging, and the results can't always be maintained -- at which point, another turnaround becomes necessary. J.C. Penney belongs in the "too hard" pile – investors would be better off focusing their limited time and resources on outstanding, durable businesses.

Furthermore, one decent quarter does not diminish the challenges still ahead for J.C. Penney. The company isn't expected to earn a profit this year or the next; meanwhile, larger, profitable competitors -- bricks-and-mortar and online -- aren't exactly standing still. J.C. Penney may provide market-beating returns for investors who are either lucky, or a combination of knowledgeable and dedicated (or all three), but I continue to think the shares are generally unsuitable for individual investors.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) Q4 Earnings Preview: Clearance Sales To Hurt Margins?

Ralph Lauren Corp (NYSE:RL) will release its Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2014 results for the period ended March 29, 2014 at approximately 8:00 A.M. Eastern, Friday, May 9, 2014. At 9:00 A.M. Eastern, on the same day, the Company will host a conference call for analysts, investors and other interested parties.

Wall Street anticipates that the clothing company will earn $1.63 per share for the quarter, which is $0.22 more than last year's profit of $1.41 per share. iStock expects Ralph Lauren to beat Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $1.68, a nickel more than expected.

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Sales, like earnings, are expected to increase, rising by 11.3% year-over-year (YoY). RL's consensus revenue estimate for Q4 is $1.83 billion, more than last year's $1.64 billion.

Ralph Lauren Corporation is engaged in the design, marketing and distribution of products, including men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories (including footwear), fragrances and home furnishings. The Company operates in three segments: Wholesale, Retail and Licensing.

Beating estimates is nothing new for the fashion company. Ralph Lauren's profits have exceeded Wall Street's consensus number 14 of the last 16 quarters. EPS were on-target for the two outstanding quarterly checkups. On average, RL actual profits bypass projected EPS by $0.23 with a range of $0.11 to $0.50 more than forecasted. That's makes the iEstimate look small by comparison.

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For the most part, RL's earnings-driven, price sensitivity has tracked the bullish nature of earnings announcements. The stock price moved higher 10 of the last 16 quarters, gaining anywhere from 2.2% to 13% with an average increase of 7.28%. Meanwhile, RL's price backed up a half-dozen times by an average of 3.93%.

Unfortunately for shareholders, May has been the worst performing quarter. Shares lost ground three of the last four emerald month announcements, dropping -2.9%, -4.4%, and -4.9% in the days surrounding the news. Once, May 2012, RL managed a 3.8% gain.

For most retailers, margins are the key to bullish or bearish surprises. As it is with RL, we do have some concerns in this regard for Friday morning. In Q3, the cost of goods sold increased 8.34% versus sales gains of 3.08%.  It might now sound like too big of a deal, but it's a $40 million difference had costs increased at the same pace as sales. It works out to $0.45 per share.

RL's balance sheet has some margin eyesores, too. Inventory was up 35.6% during the third quarter, which could mean clearance sales in Q4 i.e. smaller profit margins. Additionally, some customers might be slow to pay their bills as account receivables climbed 25.98%.

Overall: Ralph Lauren Corp (NYSE:RL) history and iEstimate suggest another bullish surprise is coming. However, RL's financial statements raise some concerns. The may not show up this quarter, but they will eventually if not corrected. 

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Pfizer, AstraZenaca CEOs to give deal testimony

LONDON — The chief executive of drug maker Pfizer, Ian Read, was grilled Tuesday in London by British lawmakers who wanted to know more about the New York-based firm's proposed takeover plans for rival AstraZeneca.

Read, Pfizer's Scottish-born CEO, and Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's French boss, appeared before the first of two separate panels about the deal's potential impact, which, if successful, will be the largest ever takeover of a British company by a foreign firm.

AstraZeneca has already rejected a bid worth more than $100 billion from the maker of erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra.

In his testimony, Read rebuffed the idea that Pfizer was primarily interested in the deal as a means to cut costs while AstraZeneca's boss said his firm would not rule out a more compelling offer were one to be forthcoming.

"We don't see any substantial antitrust issues on this deal anywhere in the world," Read told the committee of lawmakers. He said that one of the motives behind the approach to AstraZeneca was to increase efficiency. He acknowledged that the deal could lead to some job losses but gave few details about the precise timing or the amount at stake.

The company has previously disputed allegations that it wants to use the merger as a way to lower its corporate tax rates.

"It's impossible to say we would never accept any offer," AstraZeneca's Soriot said. "We are very well aware of our fiduciary duty and an offer that would value the company at the right value and would basically be an offer and a proposal that we would find implementable without execution risk — or with execution risk that we could manage — such an offer we would have to consider."

Critics of the deal say losing AstraZeneca, which employs around 6,700 workers in Britain and makes a sizable contribution to its R&D efforts, would weaken Britain's claim to being a major global player in science and technology. Foes of the proposal, including the opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, acc! use British Prime Minister David Cameron of being a "cheerleader" for the takeover, arguing that Pfizer has failed to provide sufficient assurances that it won't shed jobs or gut a planned research center AstraZeneca is building in the technology hub of Cambridge.

Pfizer recently gave a five-year pledge to continue investing in R&D in Britain and to retain at least 20% of its workforce as part of any deal.

"Investing in the U.K. is attractive to Pfizer for a variety of reasons, including the strong skills base of researchers, clinicians and technicians and the strong track record of innovative research, and thriving biomedical environment that encourages connectivity between academics, industry, investors, clinicians and the government," Pfizer said in a statement Monday.

DRUG INDUSTRY: M&A frenzy as Pfizer amasses AstraZeneca critics

Monday, May 12, 2014

Comics Creators Find Superpowers in Business Alter Ego

ASBURY PARK, N.J. (TheStreet) -- To hear Cliff Galbraith tell it, he might just be the only guy ever to conceal a business text behind a comic book -- an act that turns a time-worn cliche on its ear, even as it reinforces the fact that the New Jersey-based comics creator keeps up with the latest titles by Gladwell and Ben Horowitz "like they were Game of Thrones."

With two self-published Crucial Comics titles in circulation, and lordship over a pair of buzz-generating commercial Web sites, Galbraith could already be said to have enough on his drawing board. But it's his newly minted status as co-founder of a growing empire of ComiCon events that's got the veteran cartoonist hitting the books over such topics as subcontracted security, guest accommodations and the sweet science of customer service.

Cliff and his partner in the Con game -- fellow Red Bank, NJ resident and "popculturist" authority Rob Bruce -- recently wrapped a successful fourth edition of their Asbury Park ComiCon, a "relatively small" two-day extravaganza that drew some sought-after star talent and thousands of fans to this salty Jersey Shore resort. Just weeks from now, they'll be doing it all again, during a first-ever New York Comic Fest that commandeers the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.Y. for a single Saturday on June 14.

Sponsored by the pair's online outlets 13th Dimension and Monsters and Robots, the spring 2014 events represent a quantum leap forward from the "microscopic" bowling-alley origins of the first Asbury Park gatherings. At the same time, they remain manageably scaled affairs designed to "promote the people who create comics," in an age when the major conventions have been effectively hijacked by the entertainment conglomerates behind the top titles, publishers and properties. "The corporate shows are like multiplex blockbusters, and we're like the endearing indie film," says Galbraith. "If you're booking William Shatner, the cast of The Walking Dead or Twilight, that's fine . . . but when the creators don't have top billing, at what's supposed to be a comics convention, then it's something else entirely." <P To be sure, there exists a certain degree of star quality attached to the event promoters. Bruce, the consummate collector and liaison to the shows' base of vendors and dealers, has become a nationwide cult celebrity courtesy of his connection to multi-media mogul Kevin Smith, and recurring appearances on the Smith-produced AMC Networks  (AMCX) AMC TV series Comic Book Men. This fall, he spins off into his own, as yet untitled, cable series project. That fame could make him, quite possibly, the only TV star who can still be found on Sunday mornings, in any kind of weather, manning a table at New Jersey's near-legendary Collingwood Flea Market. >>Read More: The Ninja's Guide to Complete Social Life Restructuring Galbraith, for his part, is well known as the creator of the book Rat Bastard and its genetically altered private-eye protagonist Rosco Rodent -- a property that was optioned as a prime-time animated series for the former UPN network in 2001, and which made it as far as a completed mini-pilot episode before executive-suite turnovers pulled the plug. Lesser known -- but perhaps even more significant from a business standpoint -- is the fact that back in the 1980s, young Cliff created the Saurus Gang, a collection of instantly familiar dino characters (Partyasaurus, Rockasaurus, Shopasaurus, et al.) that appeared on countless t-shirts and gift items; produced by a Galbraith-owned screen printing concern that at one time employed as many as 40 people.

Stock quotes in this article: AMCX 

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"My mother taught me art; my father taught me business . . . I can empathize with both sides," says the entrepreneur whose own experiences as an underwhelmed vendor at apparel, gift and comics expos spurred the creation of the Asbury event. "You keep at a problem until you come up with the solution...you get underneath that screen printing machine until it's working again, and I apply that to my other activities in life."

Put into practice, it's an approach that's served Galbraith well as a Con promoter, a breed not always recognized for its people skills or bedside manner. The planning stages of the event can find him making sure to put sufficient floor distance between competing "longbox guy" back issue dealers -- or, conversely, grouping his small independent publishers and creators together in a fan-friendly Indie Room space. The day of the event can find him briefing his corps of volunteers on the ever-present threat of "inappropriate photography;" diplomatically defusing a front-door situation involving a frustrated ticket buyer, or making the rounds of guest vendors that range from (X-Men exponent) Chris Claremont, to the kettle-corn lady at the outdoor food court.

"It's all part of customer service; being accessible to people," says the black-clad Galbraith. "There's so much terrible customer service out there -- and so many clueless promoters, that it doesn't take much to be one of the good guys."

It didn't take long for the fledgling good-guy promoters to outgrow their original host venue Asbury Lanes -- an atom-age bowling alley turned quirky music club and performance space. They first moved the flagship ComiCon to Asbury's venerable but weatherworn Convention Hall complex in 2013. And, when code issues with the landmark building left it unavailable for event use by 2014, the now weekend-long event moved across the street to the Berkeley Hotel, a Whitney Warren-designed throwback once co-owned by Johnny Cash. >>Read More: 3 Top Secret Weapons Apple Gets by Buying Beats by Dre By this time the guest list had grown to feature attractions like vintage underground comics publisher Denis Kitchen (recipient of an inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from 13th Dimension), Ren and Stimpy co-creator Bob Camp, 1960s Marvel icon Jim Steranko - and Claremont, who packed the room for his panel appearance, and who had such a good time that he stuck around for an extra day beyond the single Saturday he'd signed on for. The weekend climaxed with a costume contest judged by cast members from Comic Book Men and other Kevin Smith specialties. "Everyone I talked to was thrilled with their sales," says Galbraith. "And the kids were happy because we gave them the kind of experience that nobody's putting on anymore." The warm feelings apparently didn't extend to relations between the promoters and the venue, as Galbraith and Bruce announced at the conclusion of the 2014 Con that they'd be leaving Asbury Park in favor of the Meadowlands Convention Center for a Summer 2015 date to be announced. With the move, the name will change to New Jersey ComiCon.

Stock quotes in this article: AMCX 

"The new people at the hotel outright told me they're not interested in conventions, and wouldn't commit to a multi-year arrangement, whereas the Meadowlands people are a delight to deal with," offers Cliff by way of explanation. "It turns out that conventions are held inside convention centers for a reason . . . because that's the business they're in."

The ComiCon partners have plenty to keep them occupied until then, from preparations for Bruce's AMC TV series, to Unbearable -- a comic collaboration between Galbraith and his wife J.C. Luz, and a sequential soap opera drawn from the couple's years in New Brunswick, N.J. The two sister Web sites, 13th Dimension and Monsters and Robots, have also exploded with activity.

The June 14 New York Comic Fest will feature appearances by Steranko, master monster portraitist Basil Gogos (the Norman Rockwell of magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland), PUNK magazine founder John Holmstrom -- and a "Batman Then and Now" panel pairing the seminal Bat-writer Denny O'Neill with current Caped Crusader chronicler Scott Snyder. 

>>Read More: Play Call of Duty and Win an X-Games Gold Medal  King Digital's Tiny Troubles 5 Biggest Ripoffs in Major League Baseball

Stock quotes in this article: AMCX  Tom Chesek is a freelance writer and curator of the Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park, N.J. He also manages the blog site, Upper Wet Side, focusing on culture in the New Jersey Shore area.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Berkshire Hathaway  (BRK.A) chief Warren Buffett challenged Wall Street's most commonly used valuation metric in his annual letter to shareholders, as corporate merger and private equity buyout activity rises to levels not seen since the before the financial crisis.

Buffett criticized bankers' reliance on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and said that the metric excludes real costs like depreciation expense. Those comments came as Buffett sought to explain the operating performance of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries like BNSF Railways and MidAmerican Energy, and their ability to handle debt.

"Every dime of depreciation expense we report, however, is a real cost. And that's true at almost all other companies as well. When Wall Streeters tout EBITDA as a valuation guide, button your wallet," Buffett said. In particular, Buffett said, adding back depreciation expense for businesses with long-lived assets would understate a company's costs.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Xylem Inc (XYL)

Xylem Inc. (Xylem), formerly ITT WCO, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 2011, is a provider of equipment and service for water and wastewater applications with a portfolio of products and services addressing the full cycle of water, from collection, distribution and use to the return of water to the environment. It operates in two segments: Water Infrastructure and Applied Water. The Water Infrastructure segment focuses on the transportation, treatment and testing of water, offering a range of products, including water and wastewater pumps, treatment and testing equipment, and controls and systems. Key brands in this segment include Flygt, Wedeco, Godwin Pumps, WTW, Sanitaire, AADI and Leopold. The Applied Water segment encompasses the uses of water and focuses on the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural markets. The segment�� products include pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls and dispensing equipment. Key brands in this segment include Goulds Water Technology (Goulds), Bell & Gossett, AC Fire, Standard, Flojet, Lowara, Jabsco and Flowtronex. The Company sells its products in more than 150 countries through a distribution network consisting of its direct sales force and independent channel partners. On October 31, 2011, ITT Corporation completed Spin-off of Xylem, formerly ITT�� water equipment and services businesses. The Spin-off was completed pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2011, among ITT, Exelis Inc. (Exelis) and Xylem. In July 2012, it acquired MJK Automation A/S. In March 2013, it acquired MultiTrode Pty Ltd.

Water Infrastructure

Water Infrastructure involves the process that collects water from a source and distributes it to users, and then returns the wastewater to the environment. Water Infrastructure serves three applications: transport, treatment and test of water and wastewater for two types of customers: public utilities and industrial facilities. The Transport application includes all of the equipment and s! ervices involved in the movement of water from sources, such as oceans, lakes, rivers and ground water, to treatment facilities, and then to users. It also includes the movement of wastewater from the point of use to a treatment facility and then back into the environment. The Company serves the equipment markets, such as water and wastewater submersible pumps, monitoring controls, and application solutions. With operations on six continents, it also has dewatering rental fleet, serviced with the Company�� Flygt and Godwin brands. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Transport accounted for approximately 73% of its consolidated revenue during the year ended December 31, 2011. Flygt is the manufacturer of submersible pumps, mixers, and aeration equipment for use in environments, such as water and wastewater treatment, raw water supply, abrasive or contaminated industrial processes, mining and crop irrigation. Flygt products have applications in various markets, including wastewater lift stations, water and wastewater treatment facilities, pressurized sewage systems, oil and gas, steel, mining and leisure markets. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, oil and gas platforms, and steel manufacturing companies.

Godwin Pumps is engaged in pump manufacturing. It manufactures, sells, rents and services products that are customized to the specific needs of its clients. Godwin Pumps��products include the fully automatic self-priming Dri-Prime pump, a range of Sub-Prime electric and Heidra hydraulic submersible pumps, Wet-Prime gasoline-powered contractor pumps and a line of generators and portable light towers. Godwin products are primarily used in construction, disaster recovery, flooding, heavy industry, marine use, mining, oil, gas and chemical extraction, refineries, temporary fire protection and water and wastewater transport. Customers include industrial plants, construction contractors, public utility wastewaters and clean water treatment and tr! ansportat! ion facilities, oil, gas and chemical drilling outfits, and refineries. Godwin�� fleet of equipment is rented through 33 United States branches and a global network of distributors. The Treatment application includes equipment and services that treat both water for consumption and wastewater to be returned to the environment. Leopold is the Company�� filtration brand. Disinfection systems, both ultraviolet (UV) and ozone oxidation, treat both public utility drinking water and wastewater, as well as industrial process water, and are provided through its WEDECO brand. Biological treatment systems are key to the treatment of solids in wastewater plants, which is provided through its Sanitaire brand. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Treatment accounted for approximately 18% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Sanitaire brand provides biological wastewater treatment solutions for public utility and industrial applications. Sanitaire�� offering includes diffused aeration, sequencing batch reactors, drum filters and state-of-the-art controls. Sanitaire is a brand in diffused aeration, which is a process that introduces air into a liquid, providing an aerobic environment for degradation of organic matter. Principal Sanitaire customers are public utility and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. WEDECO develops chemical-free and environmentally friendly water treatment technologies, including ultraviolet light and ozone systems. There are over 250,000 installed WEDECO systems for UV disinfection and ozone oxidation globally in private, public utility and industrial locations. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, power plants, pulp and paper mills, food products manufacturers and aquaculture facilities. Leopold is a gravity media filtration and clarification solutions for the water and wastewater industry. Nova Analytics, its served market is focused on water and the environment for quality levels throughout the water in! frastruct! ure loop.. Analytical systems are applied in three primary ways: in the field, in a facility laboratory, or real time, online monitoring in a treatment facility process. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Test accounted for approximately 9% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

In wastewater treatment facilities, WTW-branded systems monitor parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity throughout the water process. WTW�� product offering includes meters, sensors, data-loggers, photometers and software. Aanderaa Data Instruments AS (AADI) offers sensors, instruments and systems for measuring and monitoring in environments, such as rivers, oceans and the polar regions through networked systems using wireless technology that monitors temperature, salinity, oxygen, turbidity, current and waves for ecosystem health. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction. Oceanography International Corporation (OI Analytical) provides products used for chemical analysis. The Company develops, manufactures, sells, and services analytical instruments that detect, measure, analyze, and monitor chemicals in liquids, solids, and gases. Yellow Springs Instrument Company (YSI) develops and manufactures sensors, instruments, software and data collection platforms for environmental and coastal water quality monitoring and testing. YSI also offers life sciences products, including biochemical analyzers for bioprocess monitoring, food and beverage processing, and sports physiology. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction.

Applied Water

Applied Water encompasses all the uses of water. Its served market consists of the main uses of global water: Building Services, Industrial Water and Irrigation. The Building Services is defined by four main uses of water in building services ! applicatio! ns, such as in residential homes and commercial buildings, including offices, hotels, restaurants and malls. The first is the supply of potable water for consumption, such as for drinking and hygiene. The Goulds brand offers pumps and boosting systems utilized within buildings, sourcing water from distribution networks or from wells. The second application is wastewater removal with sump and sewage pumps. The third application is in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), where Bell & Gossett specializes in pumps and valves that are used in water-based heating and cooling systems. The fourth water-related building service area is fire protection, where its AC Fire brand supplies full pump systems for emergency fire suppression. In Europe, Lowara is a brand in the commercial and residential water market with applications in the four main uses of water. In its Applied Water Segment, Building Services accounted for approximately 51% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Goulds brand supplies vertical multistage pumps to boost pressure for purposes , such as circulating water through a manufacturing facility to cool machine tools. Its Lowara brand focuses on water treatment, industrial washing equipment and machine tool cooling. The Standard brand delivers heat exchangers for combined heat and power (CHP) applications within power generation plants. It also provides applications, such as flexible impeller pumps for wine processing facilities served by its Jabsco brand, and water-based detergent dispensing and water circulation within car washes served by Flojet and Goulds air-operated diaphragm and end suction pumps. In its Applied Water Segment, Industrial Water accounted for approximately 42% of its consolidated net sales in 2011. The irrigation business consists of irrigation-related equipment and services associated with bringing water from a source to the plant or livestock need, including hoses, sprinklers, center pivot and drip irrigation. The Company focuses ! on the pu! mps and boosting systems that supply this ancillary equipment with water. Its Goulds brand brings mixed flow pumps, and its Flowtronex group specializes in equipment solutions, such as the Hydrovar boosting system, which incorporates monitoring and controls. Its Lowara brand also produces pumps for agriculture applications and irrigation of gardens and parks. In its Applied Water Segment, Irrigation accounted for approximately 7% of the Company�� consolidated net sales in 2011.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    After giving a downbeat revenue forecast three months ago, Xylem Inc.'s(XYL) results weren’t nearly as bad as feared. But the water firm during the summer saw a “strong performance in emerging markets and better-than-expected activity in Europe.” The cherry on top is Xylem undoing some of July’s cut to 2013 estimates. Shares surged 11% to $32.20 premarket.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Water and waste-water systems provider Xylem (XYL) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 12.8 cents per share, payable on Mar. 19 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 19.
    XYL Dividend Yield: 1.39%

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Dominion Diamond Corp (DDC)

Dominion Diamond Corporation, formerly Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, incorporated on March 26, 2013, is focused on the mining and marketing of rough diamonds to the global market. The Company supplies rough diamonds to the global market from production received from its 40% ownership interest in the Diavik Diamond Mine (the Diavik Diamond Mine) and its 80% interest in the Ekati Diamond Mine (the Ekati Diamond Mine). Both mineral properties are located at Lac de Gras in Canada�� Northwest Territories. On March 26, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its Harry Winston luxury brand business to the Swatch Group Ltd.

The Diavik Joint Venture (the Joint Venture) is an unincorporated joint arrangement between Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI - 60%) and Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership (DDDLP - 40%), where DDDLP owns an undivided 40% interest in the assets, liabilities and expenses. DDMI is the operator (the Operator) of the Diavik Diamond Mine. During 2012, production at the Diavik Diamond Mine was approximately 7.2 million carats, consisting of approximately 4.3 million carats produced from 1.2 million tons of ore from the A-418 kimberlite pipe, 1.9 million carats produced from 0.4 million tons of ore from the A-154 South kimberlite pipe, and 0.9 million carats produced from 0.5 million tons of ore from the A-154 North kimberlite pipe. The Diavik Diamond Mine has three ore bodies: A-154 South, A-154 North, and A-418. An additional body of mineralization, A-21, is classified as resource.

The Ekati Diamond Mine consists of the Core Zone, which includes the operating mine and other permitted kimberlite pipes, as well as the Buffer Zone, an adjacent area hosting kimberlite pipes having both development and exploration potential. It encompasses 176 mining leases, totaling 173,024 hectares, and hosts 111 kimberlite occurrences including the Koala, Koala North, Fox, Misery, Pigeon, and Sable kimberlite pipes. The Buffer Zone is held 58.8% by the Company. It contains! 106 mining leases covering 89,151.6 hectares, and hosts 39 known kimberlite occurrences including the Jay and Lynx kimberlite pipes. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Diavik Diamond Mine has totaled 76.6 million carats of diamonds. As of December 31, 2012, production from the Ekati Diamond Mine has totaled approximately 53.54 million carats of diamonds.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    Toronto-based diamond miner Dominion Diamond (NYSE: DDC  ) -- the company formerly known as Harry Winston Diamond -- has completed its purchase of BHP Billiton's (NYSE: BHP  ) stake in the Ekati Diamond Mine, "as well as the associated diamond sorting and sales facilities in Yellowknife, Canada, and Antwerp, Belgium," Dominion Diamond announced Wednesday.

Best Valued Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc.(CBST)

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs in the acute care environment. The company markets CUBICIN (daptomycin for injection), a once-daily, bactericidal, intravenous, antibiotic with activity against gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Its clinical development product pipeline consists of CXA-201, which is in the phase III clinical trial for patients with complicated urinary tract infections; and in phase II clinical trial for patients with complicated abdominal infections. The company is also developing CXA-201 for the treatment of hospital acquired pneumonia. In addition, its product under development comprises CB-183,315, an oral, bactericidal lipopeptide with in vitro bactericidal activity against C. difficile, for the treatment of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Further , the company?s pre-clinical programs include therapies to treat various bacterial infections and agents to treat acute pain. Additionally, it promotes MERREM I.V. (meropenem for injection), a carbapenem class intravenous antibiotic, in the United States under a commercial services agreement with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP; and DIFICID as the treatment for CDAD in adults under the co-promotion agreement with Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The company also has collaborations with Forma Therapeutics, Inc. to discover and develop antibacterial compounds; an agreement with the Broad Institute to transform natural products discovery; a collaboration with Hydra Biosciences, Inc., to develop ion channel drugs; and a collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for the development and commercialization of Alnylam's RNAi therapeutics as a therapy for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Lexington, Mas sachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alyssa Oursler]

    Another company with a megatrend in its corner is Cubist Pharmaceuticals (CBST) — the midcap stock that will replace Smithfield Foods in the S&P 400.

  • [By Victor Selva]

    Forest Laboratories has a current ratio of 2.69% which is higher than the ones registered by Endo International Plc (ENDP), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX) and Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CBST). For investors looking for a higher ROE, Allergan Inc. (AGN) and Actelion Ltd. (ATLN.VX) are good options.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Leerink Swann.

    Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Canaccord Genuity.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Arcadis NV (ARCAD)

Arcadis NV is a Netherlands-based international engineering and consultancy firm, providing consultancy, design, engineering and management services in infrastructure, water, environment and buildings. The Company develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. The Company divides its business into four business lines: Infrastructure, which encompasses services for transportations, land development, energy and mining; Water, focused on water planning, wastewater and water management and consulting services; Environment, focused on activities that protect the environment and enhance sustainability, and Buildings, related to homebuilding as well as commercial and industrial buildings and facilities construction. Additionally, it works in partnership with UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    Companies like Expedia Inc. (EXPE), which provides online travel booking services, and Arcadis NV (ARCAD), a Dutch designer of bridges and dikes, are likely to increase profit at a faster pace than larger firms during an improving economy, Duret said. Smaller companies are also less leveraged, with U.S. mid-caps holding 46 percent less debt per share than firms listed on the S&P 500, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Clarke(t)

T.Clarke plc, a building services contractor, provides electrical and mechanical installation services and supplies associated equipment. The company offers information communications technology (ICT) services in the areas of structured cabling and connectivity, network infrastructure and security, networked energy management, data centre infrastructure, and managed and support services; facilities management services, such as preventative, reactive, and planned maintenance solutions; and green technologies services, which comprise photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting, biomass boilers, ground source heating, air source heating, wind turbines, lighting, and carbon reduction audit services. It also provides massive reading station redevelopment, cross rail, border rail link, and underground power upgrade services for the rail sector; lifecycle building services combining mechanical and electrical works with ICT for utilities and technologies sectors; lifecycle services for ho tel and residential sectors, which include electrical, ICT, and mechanical systems design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance; and mechanical and electrical contracting services for education, healthcare, government/local authority, retail and leisure, stadiums, transport, towers, media, and residential sectors. In addition, the company manufactures and prefabricates elements of an installation, as well as engineering components. T.Clarke plc was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alex Planes]

    Theodore Roosevelt's ascent to the presidency following President William McKinley's assassination revived the Sherman Antitrust Act from near-death, and it was finally used to dismantle a company in 1904. That year, the Northern Securities railroad trust -- controlled by J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller, among others -- was found to control an unreasonably large part of American railroad traffic, and was broken back up into its component railroads. This reestablished the Act as a potent weapon against monopolies, and it was used many times over the following century against major companies, if not always successfully. Here are some of the landmark decisions issued under an interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, with brief explanations provided below (you can also click on their links for more information):

    Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, 1911. United States v. Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) , 1945. United States v. AT&T (NYSE: T  ) , 1982. United States v. United States Steel (NYSE: X  ) , 1920. United States v. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , 2001. United States v. American Tobacco, 1911.

    The Standard Oil breakup in 1911 is the most important turning point of the Act's early history. It set a standard for "reasonableness" that has since been applied many times to determine what made a monopoly truly anticompetitive. Between this decision and the one that broke the American Tobacco trust several weeks later, the Supreme Court of 1911 is responsible for creating three long-tenured members of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) -- two of which (both oil companies) are still on the index today.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Telecom leads the list
    At the top of the volume-leader list are AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon. AT&T trades almost 70 million shares on a typical day, while Verizon is lower at 47 million. Even when you take Verizon's higher share price into account, AT&T still tops its rival on a dollar-volume basis.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Jabil Circuit Inc.(JBL)

Jabil Circuit, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides electronic manufacturing services and solutions worldwide. The company offers electronics and mechanical design, production, product management, and after-market services to companies in the aerospace, automotive, computing, consumer, defense, industrial, instrumentation, medical, networking, peripherals, solar, storage, and telecommunications industries. Its services comprise integrated design and engineering; component selection, sourcing, and procurement; automated assembly; design and implementation of product testing; parallel global production; enclosure services; and systems assembly, direct-order fulfillment, and configure-to-order services. The company also provides set-top boxes, mobility products, and display products, as well as peripheral products, such as printers and point of sale terminals; and aftermarket services consisting of warranty and repair services. Jabil Circuit, Inc. was founded in 196 6 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alex Dumortier, CFA]

    Meanwhile, BlackBerry's troubles and its decision to pull out of the consumer market are having a real impact on the relationships it has with its partners, with wireless operator T-Mobile USA already announcing it will no longer stock its devices in its stores. Meanwhile, Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL  ) , one of BlackBerry's main contract manufacturers, said it is examining how to wind down their relationship, which represents 12% of its revenue.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)

Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.

Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).

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

    Well, as it turns out, the snake that bit L&L Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:LLEN) and Sovereign Lithium Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLCO) didn't end up biting Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD). And in retrospect, that's probably how it should be. Indeed, the fact that MDDD didn't even come close to suffering the same fate as SLCO or LLEN did may be the biggest assurance Makism 3D fans could hope for that the company is everything it says it is.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    In retrospect, their pullbacks come as no real surprise. Neither Voxeljet AG (NYSE:VJET) nor Camtek LTD. (NASDAQ:CAMT) saw their shares soar on any news that was meaningfully sustainable, and after the "shoot first, ask questions later" market had a chance to start asking questions, it became clear that - even with the largest of glimmers of corporate progress unveiled a few weeks ago - CAMT and VJET both had been bid up more on hype and less on substance. Meanwhile (and this could be bitterly ironic to some), a small cap play in the same 3D printing space that (1) didn't beat the daylights out of its hype-drum, and (2) is actually much closer to bringing a revenue-bearing product to the market [per today's news - more on that below] isn't getting anywhere near the same attention. That company? Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB:MDDD). The good news is, MDDD finally looks like it's revving its engine, while Camtek and Voxeljet AG shares continue to deteriorate.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: PTC Therapeutics Inc (PTCT)

PTC Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on March 31, 1998 , is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of orally administered, small-molecule drugs that target post-transcriptional control processes. The Company�� lead product candidate includes ataluren, which is used for the treatment of patients with genetic disorders that arise from a type of genetic mutation known as a nonsense mutation. Ataluren is in late stage clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy caused by nonsense mutations (nmDMD) and cystic fibrosis caused by nonsense mutations (nmCF).

Ataluren is orally administered small-molecule compound that targets nonsense mutations. The Company is engaged in the development of ataluren for the treatment of genetic disorders in, which a nonsense mutation is the cause of the disease. Genetic tests are available for many genetic disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis, to determine if the underlying cause is a nonsense mutation. The EMA has designated ataluren as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of nmDMD and nmCF. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Phase III clinical trial completed. The Company�� Ataluren clinical trials in patients with nonsense mutation genetic disorders include Ataluren for nmDMD: Phase 2b clinical trial complete; Confirmatory Phase III clinical trial initiated, and Ataluren for nmCF: Phase III trial completed.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Kell]

    PTC Therapeutics Inc.(PTCT) said the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a negative opinion on the biopharmaceutical company’s marketing authorization application for its muscular dystrophy treatment. Shares slumped 21% to $20.60 in premarket trading.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS)

Hydrogenics Corporation, incorporated on June 10, 2009, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops and provides hydrogen generation and fuel cell products based on water electrolysis technology and proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology. The Company conducts its business through two business units: OnSite Generation, which focuses on hydrogen generation products for renewable energy, industrial and transportation customers, and Power Systems, which focuses on fuel cell products for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) systems integrators and end users for stationary applications, including backup power, and motive applications, such as forklift trucks. The Company�� products include HySTAT hydrogen generation equipment in its OnSite Generation business and HyPM fuel cell products in its Power Systems business.

The Company maintains operations in Belgium, Canada and Germany. Its OnSite Generation business segment is based in Oevel, Belgium and develops products for industrial gas, hydrogen fueling and renewable energy storage markets. The Company�� Power Systems business segment is based in Mississauga, Canada, with a satellite facility in Gladbeck, Germany, and develops products for energy storage, stationary and motive power applications.

OnSite Generation

The Company�� OnSite Generation business segment, is based on water electrolysis technology, which includes the decomposition of water into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) by passing an electric current through a liquid electrolyte. Its brand includes HySTAT electrolyzer products, which is configured for both indoor and outdoor applications. Its OnSite Generation products are sold to merchant gas companies, such as Air Liquide and Linde Gas and end-users requiring hydrogen produced on-site for industrial applications. The Company also sells and services products for oil and gas companies, such as Shell Hydrogen, requiring hydrogen fueling stations for transportation applications.

Power Systems

The Company�� Power Systems business segment is based on PEM fuel cell technology, which transforms chemical energy liberated during the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. It also develops and delivers hydrogen generation products based on PEM water electrolysis, which can also be used to serve the energy storage markets. Its target markets include backup power for telecom and data centre installations and motive power applications, such as buses, trucks and utility vehicles. The Company�� Power Systems products are sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as CommScope, Inc. (CommScope) to provide backup power applications for telecom installations and vehicle and other integrators for motive power, direct current (DC) and alternative current (AC) backup. In addition, its products are sold for prototype field tests. The Company also sells its Power Systems products to the military.

HySTAT Hydrogen Stations

HySTAT Hydrogen Stations offer an on-site supply of hydrogen for a range of hydrogen applications, including vehicle fuelling, distributed power, and a variety of industrial processes. It also provides spare parts and service for its entire installed base.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company offered its HySTAT Hydrogen Station in multiple configurations based on the amount of hydrogen required. This product is suitable for producing continuous or batch supplies of hydrogen for industrial processing applications and generates between 10 - 60 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/hr) of hydrogen.

HyPM Fuel Cell Products

The Company�� HyPM fuel cell products provide electrical power from clean hydrogen fuel. Its HyPM fuel cell products include HyPM Fuel Cell Power Modules, HyPX Fuel Cell Power Pack, Integrated Fuel Cell Systems and Engineering Development Services. Its HyPM power module runs on hydrogen and produces direct current (DC) power. This product! is suita! ble for a range of stationary, mobile and portable power applications. The HyPM XR model is targeted at backup power applications and the HyPMHD model is targeted at motive power applications. The Company�� HyPX Power Pack includes a HyPM power module integrated with hydrogen storage tanks and ultracapacitors that provide higher power in short bursts. Its integrated fuel cell systems are built around its HyPM power modules and used for portable and stationary applications, including portable and auxiliary power units for military applications and DC backup power system for cellular tower sites. The Company also enters into engineering development contracts with certain customers for new or custom products.

The Company competes with Air Liquide and Linde Gas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Peers Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP), and Hydrogenics Corp. (NASDAQ: HYGS) have also shared in the stock price run-up. Any investor expecting more from FuelCell�� results was, perhaps, being irrationally exuberant.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: Frontier Communications Company(FTR)

Frontier Communications Corporation, a communications company, provides regulated and unregulated voice, data, and video services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in the United States. It offers local and long distance voice services, including basic telephone wireline services to residential and business customers; switched access services that allow other carriers to use the facilities to originate and terminate their long distance voice and data traffic; and directory services that provide white and yellow page directories for residential and business listings. The company also provides data and Internet services, which include residential services comprising high-speed Internet, dial up Internet, portal and e-mail products, and hard drive back-up services; and commercial and carriers services, such as metro Ethernet; dedicated Internet; Internet protocol, optical, multiprotocol label switching, and TDM data transport services. In addition, it offers di rect broadcast satellite services and fiber optic video services, as well as provides online access to video content, entertainment, and news available on the worldwide Web through its Web site myfitv.com. The company was formerly known as Citizens Communications Company and changed its name to Frontier Communications Corporation in July 2008. Frontier Communications Corporation was founded in 1927 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Insider Monkey]

    The number of shares in Frontier Communications (FTR) remained unchanged over the quarter, with Y/Cap owning 2.291 million of them. The value of the position, however, advanced to $9.6 million, versus $9.3 million. The revenue of the company declined slightly to $1.19 billion in the second quarter of the year, from $1.26 billion in the April-June period of 2012. Amid the revenue decline, the company also reported a net loss of $38.5 million, or $0.04 per share, versus an income of $18 million a year ago (The non-GAAP net income of $0.06 per share was in line with the analysts expectations).

  • [By David Dittman]

    Question: How about Frontier Communications Corp (NYSE: FTR)?

    Answer: I�� leery of the rural telecoms right now. I do recommend Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (NSDQ: CNSL) in the UF Income Portfolio, but it benefits from a JV with Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) that generates substantial cash flow and sets it apart from its peers, who are otherwise struggling against declines in traditional wireline businesses as well as intense competition from bigger, better-funded national players in broadband and business service.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Stocks turned early morning losses into gains today, as the market continues to digest yesterday’s Fed meeting, and AT&T (T), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), First Solar (FSLR) and�Frontier Communications (FTR) gain.

  • [By Dan Burrows]

    A regional telecommunications company, Frontier Communications (FTR) has seen its shares lose more than 50% since 2010 — and gain less than 5% for the year-to-date. Heavy competition and the erosion of its key small business customer in a sluggish recovery are among the biggest culprits for the drop.