Fastenal Co. (FAST) is a leading distributor of fasteners and other industrial supplies. Its shares fell after disappointing sales metrics, coupled with an ongoing investment in its sales force, weighed on recent earnings results. With improved business trends in the company's important manufacturing and construction end-markets, we are hopeful that Fastenal's growth will accelerate in 2014
From Baron Funds' fourth quarter letter 2013 to shareholders.
Also check out: Ron Baron Undervalued Stocks Ron Baron Top Growth Companies Ron Baron High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Ron Baron keeps buying
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right NowNEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Midwest regional Bank stocks on Friday had a very strong showing, as investors cheered stronger-than-expected November employment numbers. Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Goldminex Resources Ltd (GMX)Goldminex Resources Limited (Goldminex) is an Australia-based mineral exploration company. The Company is engaged in the exploration of its tenement portfolio within Papua New Guinea. The Company operates in two segments: Australia Head Office and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Exploration. The Company�� projects include Liamu Copper-Gold Project, Wavera Project, Jog Project, Gewoia Project, Mount Obree-Goari, Keveri Region Nickel Project, Awari and Karawari Project. Liamu is Goldminex�� flagship project, located within the Owen Stanley Region of PNG. The Liamu hosts a range of mineralized intermediate intrusive porphyries over a broad area and is prospective for hosting a porphyry copper-gold deposit. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, Liamu included 12 prospects, such as Nesei, Movei, Tikay, Dada, Unebu, Berefana, Imorobi, Biafa, Bubuafu, Iyiowai, Kiki and Maoba. Goldminex has 100% interest in nickel and platinum group metals found within its exploration licenses.Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Anika Therapeutics Inc.(ANIK)Anika Therapeutics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and commercializes therapeutic products for tissue protection, healing, and repair. Its products are based on hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring biocompatible polymer found in the body. The company offers orthobiologics products for providing relief from the pain of osteoarthritis, and regenerating damaged tissue, such as cartilage defects; ORTHOVISC for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and various joints; ORTHOVISC mini for the treatment of osteoarthritis in small joints; and MONOVISC, a single injection product used for the treatment of osteoarthritis in various joints. It also provides wound care products that comprise Hyalograft 3D for the regeneration of skin; and Hyalomatrix for the treatment of burns and ulcers. In addition, the company offers AMVISC, AMVISC Plus, STAARVISC-II, Optivisc, and AnikaVisc which are injectable HA products used as viscoelastic agents in o phthalmic surgical procedures, such as cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation. Further, it provides INCERT, a HA based product for the prevention of post-surgical adhesions; Hyalobarrier and Hyalobarrier Endo, which are post operative adhesion barriers for abdominal indications; and HYVISC, an injectable HA product used for the treatment of joint dysfunction in horses due to non-infectious synovitis associated with equine osteoarthritis. Additionally, the company offers Merogel, a product used for the treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders; and provides dermal fillers for facial wrinkles and scar remediation under the ELEVESS and HYDRELLE brand names. It markets its products directly, as well as through a network of distributors primarily in the United States and Europe. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts. Best Oil Stocks To Own For 2015: American Superconductor Corporation(AMSC)American Superconductor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wind and power grid products and services primarily in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company?s Wind segment designs, develops, and licenses engineered wind turbine designs to wind turbine manufactures; provides engineering and customer support services; supplies power electronics and software-based control systems to wind turbine manufactures to regulate voltage, control power flows, and maximize wind turbine efficiency; offers consulting services to the wind industry; and provides products that enhance power quality for industrial operations. This segment serves the transmission and distribution, wind power, and manufacturing industries. Its Grid segment manufactures high-temperature superconductor wire and coils; designs and develops superconductor products, such as power cables, fault current limiters, electric motors, generators, and synchronous condensers; manages large-s cale superconductor projects; and provides transmission planning services that identify power grid congestion, poor power quality, and other risks. This segment?s products enable electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit, and distribute power. Its products include D-VAR systems that provide the reactive power needed to stabilize voltage on the grid, and are used to connect wind farms and solar power plants to the power grid; SolarTie Grid Interconnection Systems, which provide the inversion and reactive compensation necessary to connect megawatt-scale solar photovoltaic power plants to the power grid; superconductor wires for various applications, including motors, generators, fault current limiters, and power cables; and power cable systems that are manufactured by third parties, as well as turnkey project management services to electric utilities. American Superconductor Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Devens, Massachusetts. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Spark Infrastructure Group (SKI.AX)Spark Infrastructure Group, invests in utility infrastructure in Australia and internationally. It primarily invests in electricity distribution businesses. It has interest in ETSA Utilities, which operates and maintains an electricity distribution network serving approximately 829,674 residential and business customers in the state of South Australia. The company also has interests in Powercor Australia, which owns and manages an electricity distribution network that serves approximately 730,273 customers in Victoria; and CitiPower that supplies electricity to approximately 313,409 customers in Melbourne�s central business district and inner suburbs. Spark Infrastructure Group is based in Sydney, Australia. Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Full Circle Capital Corporation (FULL)Full Circle Capital Corporation is a business development company and operates as an externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment company. It invests in debt and equity securities of smaller and lower middle-market companies with annual revenues between $3 million and $75 million. The company primarily invests in various categories of debt comprising asset-based senior secured loans, subordinated or unsecured loans, and mezzanine loans. It seeks to invest in a range of industries with a focus on media, communications, and business services. The company primarily seeks to invest between $3 million and $10 million. However, it can also make larger investments. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Exar Corporation(EXAR)Exar Corporation, a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the design, sub-contract manufacture, and sale of silicon, software, and subsystem solutions for industrial, telecom, networking, and storage applications. Its product portfolio includes power management and interface components, communications products, storage optimization solutions, network security, and applied service processors. The company?s products has applications in portable electronic devices, set top boxes, digital video recorders, telecommunication systems, servers, enterprise storage systems, and industrial automation equipment. Exar Corporation sells its products to distributors and original equipment manufacturers or their contract manufacturers worldwide. It markets its products through independent sales representatives, distributors, direct sales organization, and catalog distributors. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Fremont, California. Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Fabrinet (FN)Fabrinet, incorporated on August 12, 1999, provides optical packaging and precision optical, electro-mechanical and electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of complex products, such as optical communication components, modules and sub-systems, industrial lasers and sensors. The Company offers a range of optical and electro-mechanical capabilities across the entire manufacturing processes, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, advanced packaging, final assembly and test. The products that the Company manufactures for its OEM customers includes optical communications devices, such as selective switching products, such as reconfigurable optical add-drop modules (ROADMs), optical amplifiers, modulators and other optical components and modules that collectively enable network managers to route signals through fiber traffic at various wavelengths and over various distances; tunable transponders and transceivers that eliminate the need to stock individual fixed wavelength transponders and transceivers used in voice and data communications networks; and active optical cables providing high-speed interconnect capabilities for data centers and computing clusters, as well as Infiniband, Ethernet, fiber channel and optical backplane connectivity. Solid state, diode-pumped, gas and fiber lasers (industrial lasers) used across a array of industries, including semiconductor processing (wafer inspection, wafer dicing, wafer scribing), biotechnology (DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, hematology, antibody detection), metrology (instrumentation, calibration, inspection), and material processing (photo processing, textile cutting, annealing, marking, engraving); and sensors, including differential pressure, micro-gyro, fuel and other sensors that are used in automobiles, and non-contact temperature measurement sensors for the medical industry. The Company also designs and fabricates application-specific crystals, pri! sms, mirrors, laser components and substrates (customized optics) and other custom and standard borosilicate, clear fused quartz, and synthetic fused silica glass products (customized glass). The Company competes with Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Celestica Inc., Venture Corporation Limited, Benchmark Electronics, Inc, Browave Corporation, Fujian Castech Crystals, Inc., Research Electro-Optic, Inc. and Photop Technologies, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Textron Inc.(TXT)Textron Inc. operates in the aircraft, defense, automobile, industrial, and finance businesses worldwide. It operates in five segments: Cessna, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial, and Finance. The Cessna segment manufactures business jets, single engine turboprops, and single engine piston aircraft, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Bell segment manufactures and supplies military and commercial helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and related spare parts and services. The Textron Systems segment produces armored security vehicles, marine craft, precision weapons, airborne and ground-based surveillance systems and services, the unmanned aircraft system, training and simulation systems and countersniper devices, and intelligence and situational awareness software. The Industrial segment offers blow-molded plastic fuel systems, windshield and headlamp washer systems, engine camshafts, plastic bottles, and containers; powered equipment, electrical test and measurement i nstruments, hand and hydraulic powered tools, and electrical and fiber optic assemblies principally used in the electrical construction and maintenance, plumbing, wiring, telecommunications, and data communications industries; and golf cars, professional turf-maintenance equipment, and off-road, multipurpose utility, and specialized turf-care vehicles that are marketed to golf courses, resort communities, municipalities, sporting venues, and commercial and industrial users. The Finance segment provides finance for aircraft, helicopters, and golf and turf-care equipment. The company sells its products through a network of sales representatives, distributors, and authorized independent sales representatives, as well as directly to end users, home improvement retailers, and original equipment manufacturers. Textron Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Providence, the Rhode Island. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: O'Reilly Automotive Inc.(ORLY)O?Reilly Automotive, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States. The company?s stores provide new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, including alternators, starters, fuel pumps, water pumps, brake system components, batteries, belts, hoses, chassis parts, and engine parts; maintenance items comprising oil, antifreeze, fluids, filters, wiper blades, lighting, engine additives, and appearance products; and accessories, such as floor mats, seat covers, and truck accessories. Its stores also offer auto body paint and related materials, automotive tools, and professional service provider service equipment. The company?s stores sell its brand name and private label products for domestic and imported automobiles, vans, and trucks to do-it-yourself customers and professional service providers. As of March 31, 2011, it operated 3,613 stores. The company was foun ded in 1957 and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Chicago Rivet & Machine Co.(CVR)Chicago Rivet & Machine Co. operates in the fastener industry in North America. It operates in two segments, Fasteners and Assembly Equipment. The Fasteners segment involves in the manufacture and sale of rivets, cold-formed fasteners and parts, and screw machine products. The Assembly Equipment segment engages in the manufacture of automatic rivet setting machines, automatic assembly equipment, and parts and tools. The company primarily sells its products to manufactures of automobiles and automotive components. Chicago Rivet & Machine Co. was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: CenturyLink Inc.(CTL)CenturyLink, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated communications company. The company provides a range of communications services, including voice, Internet, data, and video services in the continental United States. Its services include local exchange and long distance voice telephone services, as well as enhanced voice services, such as call forwarding, caller identification, conference calling, voicemail, selective call ringing, and call waiting; wholesale local network access services; and data services, including high-speed Internet access services, data transmission services over special circuits and private lines, and switched digital television services, as well as special access and private line services. The company also offers fiber transport, competitive local exchange carrier, security monitoring, and other communications, as well as professional and business information services. In addition, it provides other related services, such as leasing, selling, installing, and maintaining customer premise telecommunications equipment and wiring; payphone services; and network database services, as well as participates in the publication of local telephone directories. Further, the company offers printing, direct mail services, and cable television services; and wireless broadband Internet access services and satellite television services. As of December 31, 2010, it operated approximately 6.5 million telephone access lines. CenturyLink, Inc was founded in 1968 and is based in Monroe, Louisiana. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: NXP Semiconductors N.V.(NXPI)NXP Semiconductors N.V., through its subsidiary, NXP B.V., provides mixed signal solutions and standard products worldwide. The company provides amplifiers, audio/radio products, bipolar transistors, data converters, diodes, identification and security products, interface and connectivity products, logic devices, media processors, microcontrollers, MOSFETs, power management integrated circuits (IC), radio frequency devices, sensors, thyristors, television and set-top-box front ends, and logic driver and controller ICs, as well as ESD, EMI, and signal conditioning products. Its products are used in automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, mobile, consumer, computing, and industrial applications. NXP Semiconductors N.V. markets its products directly and through distribution to various original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and distributors. The company was formerly known as KASLION Acquisition B.V and ch anged its name to NXP Semiconductors NV in May 2010. NXP Semiconductors N.V. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Avid Technology Inc.(AVID)Avid Technology, Inc. provides digital media content-creation products and solutions for audio, film, video, broadcast professionals, artists, and creative enthusiasts in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company offers various software and hardware professional video-editing solutions, including Media Composer product line, which is used to edit television programs, commercials, and films; NewsCutter and iNews Instinct editors for news production; and Avid Symphony Nitris DX and Avid DS, which are used during the online or finishing stage of post production. It also provides Pinnacle Studio and Avid Studio, which provide consumers and entry-level videographers with the ability to create professional-looking videos; broadcast newsroom graphics, ingest, play-to-air, and automation device control solutions that assist broadcasters as they bring programs from concept to air; and Avid ISIS shared storage system to store, share and manage large quantities of digital media assets. In addition, Avid Technology, Inc. offers Pro Tools digital audio software and workstation solutions that facilitate the audio production process; a range of complementary open audio and video control surfaces and consoles; ICON system for tactile control of Pro Tools software and hardware; VENUE, a family of console products for mixing audio for live sound reinforcement. Further, the company provides Fast Track recording interface products to deliver audio quality plus hands-on controls; MIDI keyboards/controllers and digital pianos, which are used by musicians in the recording studio and for live performances; speakers for use with desktop computer systems and in studios; and Sibelius-branded software allows users to create, edit, and publish musical scores. Additionally, it also offers project management, installation, integration, planning, training, and support services. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Bu rlington, Massachusetts. Top Regional Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Changjiang Fertilizer Hlgs Ltd (JA9.SI)Changjiang Fertilizer Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and trade of nitrogenous fertilizers, liquid ammonia, ammonia solution, and methanol in the People�s Republic of China. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Changsha, the People�s Republic of China. Changjiang Fertilizer Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of China Changjiang Chemical Fertilizer (International) Holdings Limited. Friday, February 14, 2014Corrections: Historical ObservationsHistory shows us that a new 5%+ correction occurs on average about every seven months during bull markets. Studies also show that a correction turns into a greater than 10% decline about once every two years, observes Jim Stack, market historian, money manager, and editor of InvesTech Market Analyst. The last time this bull market saw a 10%+ pullback was in 2011 (although there was a 9.9% sell-off in mid-2012). Thus, it would be within the realm of expectations to see a 10% correction at some point this year. The possibility is even more likely, given the typical volatility and weakness in mid-term election years. Although corrections usually come frequently, they don't last long. Even larger corrections with 10%+ market declines are often brief, lasting only a few months...and losses are recovered quickly. Since 1974, there have been six bull markets, and those have seen 13 market corrections that exceeded 10%. We looked at these corrections to determine the number of months after the low that it took the market to recover its correction losses and hit a new bull market high. The recovery time for these 13 corrections of 10%+ had a median duration of 2.3 months. The shortest such correction was 29 days in 1997, and the longest was 1.5 years during the high inflation period from 1976 to 1978. However, these deep corrections rarely lasted more than four months. The median time it took the S&P 500 to fully recover after a 10%+ correction was 3.6 months, with recovery time as brief as 32 days in 1999. With the exception of the extended 1976-78 decline, losses in all these larger corrections were fully recovered within six months. During corrections, cyclical stocks are the most vulnerable, but that doesn't mean they should be sold to avoid losses. In fact, maintaining a balanced sector strategy will speed your recovery. We looked at the sharp change in sector leadership that occurs once the correction low is in place, to determine the most and least resilient, based on their median losses during 10%+ corrections. Defensive stocks are the clear winners, with the non-cyclical Utilities, Staples, and Telecom sectors outperforming the S&P 500 at least 70% of the time. Conversely, the cyclical Financials, Industrials, and Technology sectors tend to suffer the biggest losses. After the market reaches the correction low, however, it's these vulnerable stocks that typically lead the recovery. Financials, Industrials, and Technology are among the leading recovery sectors in the three months following a correction, outperforming the S&P 500 the majority of the time. Meanwhile, the non-cyclical stocks also recover, but usually lag the Index as it moves on to new highs. Bottom line, if you panic and sell all your cyclical stocks during a correction, you have eliminated a substantial part of your recovery potential. Overall, market corrections are fairly frequent occurrences during a bull market, but they should not significantly affect your investment strategy. Actually, these pullbacks can be healthy, as they control speculation and exuberance, and may help extend the life of a bull market. Subscribe to InvesTech Market Analyst here… More from MoneyShow.com: S&P's Outlook for 2014 2014 and the Presidential Cycle Signs of a Top? Tuesday, February 11, 2014An Enticing Discount on MLPs Investors seeking exposure to master limited partnerships (MLPs) have many options. There are of course conventional energy MLPs, ranging from upstream (oil and gas producers) to midstream (logistics) and downstream (refiners). MLPs also offer niche opportunities in sectors as diverse as marine shipping and propane distribution. Further afield, the MLP structure is popular with private equity shops and also used to invest in forestry, amusement parks and fertilizer production. There are MLPs that are structured as partnerships, but have chosen to be taxed as corporations. This class will be covered in an upcoming issue. The main advantage for investors is that this structure somewhat simplifies tax reporting, while offering the attractive yields of an MLP. Mutual funds are another way to play the MLP space in a way that simplifies tax reporting. But because these mutual funds must pay corporate income tax on their earnings, most of the tax advantage of directly investing in MLPs is lost. Many of the funds use leverage to help overcome some of this disadvantage, but this can be a risky strategy and one that adds to costs.Nevertheless, at times the MLP-focused mutual funds may be attractive. Consider a closed-end fund (CEF). These funds trade on an exchange just like a stock or MLP unit, which means that the underlying value of the securities held by the fund can become disconnected from the price of the fund share. Some days the market capitalization of the fund is valued at more than the underlying securities (i.e., it trades at a premium) and other times the fund is valued at less than the securities it holds (i.e., it trades at a discount). A good source of information on MLP closed-end funds is MLPData.com. The following table shows the premium/discount for the MLP CEFs. Closed-end MLP funds. Data Source: MLPData.com As I write this, Tortoise Pipeline and Energy (NYSE: TTP) trades at a discount of 15.1 percent to its underlying assets, while at the other end of the spectrum Cushing MLP Total Return Fund (NYSE: SRV) trades at a 17.4 percent premium. The average MLP closed-end fund listed trades at a 4.9 percent discount, which is perhaps reasonable given the loss of certain tax advantages and the fact that management fees will eat into returns. Of course most of us like the idea of buying things for less than their inherent value. This is why Black Friday is such a popular event every year. But closed-end funds sometimes trade at a premium or discount for a good reason.Perhaps management doesn’t have a consistent track record. Or maybe market sentiment has turned against a particular group of MLPs (say, upstream ones) within a fund’s portfolio. In that case, though, investors exiting a fund could discount it excessively relative to its losses on unpopular holdings. This volatility can create opportunities for patient investors. Over time, a well-managed closed-end fund with reasonable management fees shouldn’t sustain a large discount. So investors interested in this space should watch the premium/discount of CEFs. A fund may be of interest if its discount widens well beyond historical norms.As for Tortoise Pipeline and Energy, it’s a two-year-old fund offered by a respected MLP asset manager, with the bulk of its portfolio in midstream energy infrastructure, mostly such corporate MLP sponsors as Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) and Williams (NYSE: WMB). Traditional MLPs make up the 25 percent maximum of the portfolio permitted by law, and oil and gas producing corporations account for another 15 percent. Net asset value increased 33.3 percent last year, while the unit price rose just 23.7 percent, helping to boost the NAV discount to its current levels. The current yield is 5.8 percent, but another useful site for closed-end funds, Nuveen’s CEFConnect.com, puts the total annual expense ratio at a hefty 3.4 percent. (Tortoise’s own site lists the management fee at 0.95 percent, excluding other expenses.) And unlike much of the traditional MLP distribution, TTP’s quarterly payouts are mostly not tax deferred, unless held in a tax-deferred IRA account.   Â(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.) Portfolio Update Boardwalk CratersThis is, fortunately, an update not on a current portfolio holding but rather one on Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE: BWP), the MLP we recommended selling in November at near $28 and ahead of a continuing decline that cost investors another 13 percent as of Friday. By last fall, it was already clear that the development of the Marcellus shale had undermined the long-term profitability of Boardwalk’s Texas-to-Northeast pipelines, and that the balance sheet was too stretched to absorb a protracted business downturn. But no one could have anticipated today’s announcement that the distribution would be slashed by 80 percent in response to an anticipated 30 percent decline in distributable cash flow. Not only are expiring gas shipping contracts not getting renewed at anything like the former rates, but the narrowing of regional differentials on natural gas has undermined the fundamentals of Boardwalk’s gas storage business. On top of that, last year’s cash flow was boosted by gas sales that won’t repeat.Boardwalk’s unit price plunged 46 percent in a single day on the news, all the way to $13.01. It’s only the latest reminder of the folly of comparing MLP distributions with bond yields, which cannot be unilaterally lowered by a board. MLPs are dynamic, often volatile businesses, and the cost of changing market conditions and excessive leverage can be drastic. There is no free lunch and no extra yield without extra risk. Our goal is to protect your portfolio from the next Boardwalk. – Igor Greenwald Stock Talk We encourage you to engage with our analysts and your fellow subscribers on our website. To ask a question or post a comment related to a particular article, please do so in the Stock Talk field at the bottom of that article.Or, to ask a general question, please go to the main Stock Talk page found under the Resources menu for each publication. Monday, February 10, 2014Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right NowThe Department of Defense awarded more than $562 million worth of contracts�on Wednesday. Publicly traded companies receiving contracts included: Eaton Corporation (NYSE: ETN ) , which was awarded a maximum $12 million firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract to supply various oil nozzles and parts to the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps with a May 22, 2015, performance completion date.� Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT ) subsidiary M7 Aerospace, awarded a $15.2 million option extension on a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for logistics support for 12 Navy/Marines UC-35 and seven Navy C-26 transport aircraft through May 2014. � Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) , winner of a $15.3 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract funding continued systems development and demonstrations of the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System. This is the same�drone that the Royal Australian Air Force recently expressed interest in acquiring. Curiously, the DOD clarified that the actual purpose of the latter contract is not so much to perform work on the new drone per se but rather to pay for an upgrade of software being used in the project -- from Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT ) Windows XP operating system to Windows 7. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: DepoMed Inc.(DEPO)Depomed, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes pharmaceutical products based on its proprietary oral drug delivery technologies. It sells Glumetza metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets that are used as a once-daily treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes in the United States and Canada. The company also focuses to commercialize Gralise gabapentin tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia. Its products under development include Serada, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes; DM-1992 that completed second Phase I study for the treatment of Parkinson's disease; and DM-3458, which completed proof of concept studies for gastroesophageal reflux disease. The company sells its Glumetza to wholesalers and retail pharmacies. It has collaboration or license arrangements with Santarus, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Covidien, Ltd.; Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.; Boehringer Ingelheim International GMBH; and PharmaNova, Inc. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Menlo Park, California. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Vicon Industries Inc.(VII)Vicon Industries, Inc. designs, assembles, and markets video systems and system components for use in security, surveillance, safety, and communication applications. Its product line consists of various elements of a video system, including network/digital/hybrid video recorders, video encoders, decoders, servers and related video management software, data storage units, virtual and analogue matrix video switchers and controls, and system peripherals, as well as analog, high definition, and Internet protocol fixed and robotic cameras. The company?s products are used by commercial and industrial users, such as office buildings, manufacturing plants, warehouses, apartment complexes, shopping malls, and retail stores; federal, state, and local governments for national security purposes, agency facilities, prisons, and military installations; and financial institutions, including banks, clearing houses, brokerage firms, and depositories for security purposes. Its products are also used by gaming casinos; health care facilities, such as hospitals; institutions of education comprising schools and universities; hotels; sports arenas; and transportation departments for highway traffic control, bridge and tunnel monitoring, as well as airport, subway, bus, and seaport security and surveillance. The company sells its products primarily to installing dealers, system integrators, government entities, and distributors principally in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific Rim. Vicon Industries, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York. 5 Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2015: HMN Financial Inc.(HMNF)HMN Financial, Inc. operates as the holding company for Home Federal Savings Bank that provides community banking services in Minnesota and Iowa. The company accepts deposits and originates or purchases loans. It offers various deposit products to retail and commercial customers, including passbook, negotiable order of withdrawal, money market, non-interest bearing checking, and certificate accounts, including individual retirement accounts. The company also provides one-to-four family residential, commercial real estate, and multi-family mortgage loans, as well as consumer, construction, and commercial business loans. In addition, it invests in mortgage-backed and related securities, the U.S. government agency obligations, and other permissible investments. HMN Financial serves the southern Minnesota counties of Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, and Winona, as well as portions of Steele, Dodge, Goodhue, and Wabasha through its corporate office in Rochester, Min nesota and 10 branch offices located in Albert Lea, Austin, La Crescent, Rochester, Spring Valley, and Winona, Minnesota; and the Iowa counties of Marshall and Tama through its branch offices located in Marshalltown and Toledo, Iowa. The company was founded in 1933 and is based in Rochester, Minnesota. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Xtierra Inc (XAG.V)Xtierra Inc. engages in the exploration and development of precious and base metal properties in Mexico. The company primarily explores for silver, zinc, lead, copper, and gold. It principally holds a 100% ownership interest in the Bilbao project that consists of 9 exploitation concessions covering an area of approximately 1,406.7 hectares in the Panfilo Natera district of Zacatecas. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Duke Energy Corp (DUK)Duke Energy Corporation (Duke Energy) is an energy company. Duke Energy�� segments are U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas (USFE&G), Commercial Power and International Energy. The remainder of Duke Energy�� operations is presented as Other. Its regulated utility operations serve four million customers located in five states in the Southeast and Midwest United States. Its Commercial Power and International Energy business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States. Duke Energy operates in the United States primarily through its direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy Carolinas), Duke Energy Ohio, Inc. (Duke Energy Ohio), which includes Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. (Duke Energy Kentucky), and Duke Energy Indiana, Inc. (Duke Energy Indiana), as well as in Latin America through Duke Energy International, LLC. In December 2012, the Company acquired a commercial solar power project located within the University of Arizona's (UA) Science and Technology Park. In August 2011, its Duke Energy Renewables purchased the Ajo Solar Project and Bagdad Solar Project from Recurrent Energy. Effective July 2, 2012, the Company merged with Progress Energy Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Chilean Campanario power plant. In December 2012, the Company's subsidiary acquired CGE Group's Iberoamericana de Energia Ibener S.A. (Ibener) subsidiary in Chile. The remainder of Duke Energy�� operations is presented as Other. Other primarily includes Bison Insurance Company Limited (Bison), Duke Energy�� wholly owned, captive insurance subsidiary, contributions to the Duke Energy Foundation, Duke Energy�� effective 50% interest in DukeNet Communications, LLC (DukeNet) and related telecom businesses, and Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC (DETM), which is 40%-owned by Exxon Mobil Corporation and 60%-owned by Duke. Bison�� principal activities! as a captive insurance entity include the indemnification of various business risks and losses, such as property, business interruption, workers��compensation and general liability of subsidiaries and affiliates of Duke Energy. DukeNet develops, owns and operates a fiber optic communications network, primarily in the southeast United States, serving wireless, local and long-distance communications companies, Internet service providers and other businesses and organizations. U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas USFE&G generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity in central and western North Carolina, western South Carolina, central, north central and southern Indiana, and northern Kentucky. USFE&G also transmits, distributes and sells electricity in southwestern Ohio. Additionally, USFE&G transports and sells natural gas in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. It conducts operations primarily through Duke Energy Carolinas, the regulated transmission and distribution operations of Duke Energy Ohio, including Duke Energy Kentucky, and Duke Energy Indiana (Duke Energy Ohio, Duke Energy Indiana and Duke Energy Kentucky collectively referred to as Duke Energy Midwest). Its service area covers 50,000 square miles. USFE&G supplies electric service to four million residential, general service and industrial customers. USFE&G provides regulated transmission and distribution services for natural gas to 500,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Electricity is also sold wholesale to incorporated municipalities, electric cooperative utilities and other load serving entities. Electric energy for USFE&G�� customers is generated by three nuclear generating stations with a combined owned capacity of 5,173 megawatts, including Duke Energy�� 19.25% interest in the Catawba Nuclear Station; 14 coal-fired stations with an overall combined owned capacity of 12,977 megawatts, including Duke Energy�� 69% interest in the East Bend Steam Station, and 5! 0.05% int! erest in Unit 5 of the Gibson Steam Station; 31 hydroelectric stations (including two pumped-storage facilities) with a combined owned capacity of 3,321 megawatts, 15 combustion turbine (CT) stations burning natural gas, oil or other fuels with an overall combined owned capacity of 5,012 megawatts, and two Combined Cycle (CC) stations burning natural gas with an owned capacity of 905 megawatts. In addition, USFE&G operates a solar Distributed Generation program with nine megawatts of capacity. Commercial Power
Commercial Power owns, operates and manages power plants and engages in the wholesale marketing and procurement of electric power, fuel and emission allowances related to these plants, as well as other contractual positions. Commercial Power�� generation operations, excluding renewable energy generation assets, consist primarily of coal-fired and gas-fired non-regulated generation assets, which are dispatched into wholesale markets. These assets are comprised of 7,550 net megawatts of power generation primarily located in the Midwestern United States. The asset portfolio has a diversified fuel mix with base-load and mid-merit coal-fired units, as well as combined cycle and peaking natural gas-fired units. Commercial Power also has a retail sales subsidiary, Duke Energy Retail Sales, LLC (Duke Energy Retail). Duke Energy Retail serves retail electric customers in southwest, west central and northern Ohio with energy and other energy services. Through Duke Energy Generation Services, Inc. (DEGS), Commercial Power engages in the development, construction and operation of renewable energy projects. In addition, DEGS develops commercial transmission projects. DEGS also owns and operates electric generation for energy consumers, municipalities, utilities and industrial facilities. DEGS managed approximately 3,700 megawatts of power generation at various sites throughout the United States during the year ended December 31, 2011. International Energy ! International Energy principally operates and manages power generation facilities and engages in sales and marketing of electric power, natural gas, and natural gas liquids outside the United States. It conducts operations through Duke Energy International, LLC (DEI) and its affiliates and its activities principally target power generation in Latin America. Additionally, International Energy owns a 25% interest in National Methanol Company (NMC), a producer of methanol and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) located in Saudi Arabia. International Energy has a 25% interest in Attiki Gas Supply S.A. (Attiki), a natural gas distributor located in Athens, Greece. International Energy�� customers include retail distributors, electric utilities, independent power producers, marketers and industrial/commercial companies. International Energy owns, operates or has interests in approximately 4,600 gross megawatts of generation facilities. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE)NextEra Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2010, NextEra Energy had approximately 43,000 mega watts of generating capacity. The company involves in the generation of renewable energy from wind and solar projects. It also generates electricity through natural gas, nuclear, oil and coal, and hydro power plants. The company serves approximately 8.7 million people through approximately 4.5 million customer accounts in the east and lower west coasts of Florida. In addition, it leases wholesale fiber-optic network capacity and dark fiber to telephone, wireless carriers, Internet, and other telecommunications companies. The company was formerly known as FPL Group, Inc. and changed its name to NextEra Energy, Inc. in May 2010. NextEra Energy, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Oroya Mining Ltd (ORO.AX)Oroya Mining Limited engages in the exploration and evaluation of mineral properties in Australia. It explores for copper, gold, and nickel deposits. The company primarily holds 100% interests in the Orbost copper project located to the north of the town of Orbost in eastern Victoria; and the Talc Lake project located to the east of the Kambalda nickel mining centre in Western Australia. It also holds interests in various properties located in Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia. The company is based in Melbourne, Australia. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Stmicroelec NV(STM.MI)STMicroelectronics N.V., an independent semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of semiconductor integrated circuits and discrete devices. Its products include discretes, microcontrollers, Smartcard products, standard commodity components, micro-electro-mechanical systems and advanced analog products, application-specific integrated circuits, and application-specific standard products for analog, digital, and mixed-signal applications. The company also offers subsystems and modules for the telecommunications, automotive, and industrial markets comprising mobile phone accessories, battery chargers, ISDN power supplies, and in-vehicle equipment for electronic toll payment. Its products are used in various microelectronic applications consisting of automotive products, computer peripherals, telecommunications systems, consumer products, industrial automation, and control systems. The company sells its products through d istributors and retailers. STMicroelectronics N.V. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Zale Corp (ZLC)Zale Corporation, incorporated on April 26, 1991, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a retailer of fine jewelry in North America. The Company operates in three segments: fine jewelry, kiosk jewelry and all other. As of July 31, 2012, the Company operated 1,124 specialty retail jewelry stores and 654 kiosks located mainly in shopping malls throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company�� fine jewelry segment consists of five brands: Zales Jewelers, Peoples Jewellers, Zales Outlet, Mappins Jewellers, and Gordon's Jewelers The Company�� kiosk jewelry operates under the brand names Piercing Pagoda, Plumb Gold, and Silver and Gold Connection (collectively, Piercing Pagoda) through mall-based kiosks. The Company provides insurance and reinsurance services for various types of insurance coverage, which is marketed primarily to its private label credit card guests, through Zale Indemnity Company, Zale Life Insurance Company and Jewel Re-Insurance Ltd. Fine Jewelry Each brand specializes in fine jewelry and watches, with merchandise and marketing emphasis focused on diamond products. Zales Jewelers is the Company's national brand in the United States providing moderately priced jewelry to a range of guests. Zales Outlet operates in outlet malls and neighborhood power centers and capitalizes on Zales Jewelers' national advertising and brand recognition. Gordon's Jewelers is a value-oriented regional jeweler. Peoples Jewellers, Canada's fine jewelry retailer, provides guests with shopping experience. Mappins Jewellers offers Canadian guests a selection of merchandise from engagement rings to fashionable and contemporary fine jewelry. The Company has extended its reach of certain brands through the use of its Webstores, mobile devices and social media to provide its guests access to its brands wherever and whenever they choose. In addition, the Company offers its guests the option to purchase warranty coverage on substantially all of its mercha! ndise in Fine Jewelry. The Company also offers repair services to guests who do not purchase warranty coverage. Zales Jewelers (Zales), the Company's United States based flagship, is a brand name in jewelry retailing in the United States, operating 639 stores in 50 states and Puerto Rico with an average store size of 1,681 square feet. Gordon's Jewelers (Gordon's) operates 147 stores in 27 states and Puerto Rico with an average store size of 1,534 square feet. The Company�� Zales brand is positioned as the Diamond Store emphasizing on diamond jewelry, especially in the bridal and fashion segments. Zales and Gordon's combined revenues accounted for 60% of the Company's total revenues during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012). Both brands operate as multi-channel retailers and serve Internet guests through the e-commerce sites www.zales.com and www.gordonsjewelers.com, which accounted for approximately 5% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal 2012. In Canada, the Company operates 206stores in nine provinces. The Company's Canadian operations consist of two brands, Peoples Jewellers (Peoples) and Mappins Jewellers (Mappins), and accounted for 17% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal 2012. The average store size is 1,605 square feet with an average transaction value of $332 in fiscal year 2012. Peoples serves Internet guests through the e-commerce site, www.peoplesjewellers.com. The Company operates 132 Zales Outlet (Outlet) stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico, sales from which accounted for 10% of its total revenues in fiscal 2012. The average store size is 2,362 square feet in fiscal 2012. Kiosk Jewelry The Company�� kiosk jewelry segment is focused on the opening price point jewelry guest. The Company's presence in Kiosk Jewelry has been expanded through the e-commerce site, www.pagoda.com. The Company also offers its guests the option to purchase warranty coverage on certain products. As of July 31, 2012, Piercing Pagoda op! erated 65! 4 locations in 41 states and Puerto Rico, sales from which accounted for 13% of the Company's total revenues in fiscal. Piercing Pagoda offers collection of bracelets, earrings, charms, rings, non-precious metal products and 14 karat and 10 karat gold chains, as well as a selection of silver and diamond jewelry, all in basic styles at moderate prices. Kiosk locations average 188 square feet in size in fiscal 2012. All Other The Company insurance companies are the insurers (either through direct written or reinsurance contracts) of the Company's guests' credit insurance coverage. In addition to providing merchandise replacement coverage for certain perils, credit insurance coverage provides protection to the creditor and cardholder for losses associated with the disability, involuntary unemployment, leave of absence or death of the cardholder. Zale Life Insurance Company also provides group life insurance coverage for the Company's eligible employees. In fiscal year 2012, 36% of the Company's private label credit card purchasers purchased some form of credit insurance. In fiscal year 2012, all other accounted for approximately 1% of the Company's total revenues. The Company competes with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., .C. Penney Company, Inc., Signet Jewelers Limited, and QVC, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Logistics Companies To Invest In Right Now: Mylan Inc (MYL.O)Mylan Inc. (Mylan), incorporated in 1970, is a pharmaceutical company, which develops, licenses, manufactures, markets and distributes generic, branded generic and specialty pharmaceuticals. The Company operates a specialty business, which is focused on respiratory, allergy and psychiatric therapies. Through Mylan Laboratories Limited, an Indian subsidiary, it manufactures and supply active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for its own products and pipeline, as well as for third parties. On December 23, 2011, Mylan completed the acquisition of rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize a generic equivalent to GlaxoSmithKline�� Advair Diskus and Seretide Diskus incorporating Pfizer Inc.��, (Pfizer) dry powder inhaler delivery platform (the Respiratory Delivery Platform). In February 2012, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. announced that it has completed the divestiture of 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (IDP-111), a generic version of Benzacl in, and 5% fluorouracil cream, (5-FU), an authorized generic of Efudex, to the Company. As of December 31, 2011, Mylan marketed a global portfolio of approximately 1,100 different products covering a range of therapeutic categories. It offers a range of dosage forms and delivery systems, including oral solids, topicals, liquids and semi-solids. In addition, it focuses on transdermal patches, high potency formulations, injectables, controlled release and respiratory delivery products. Mylan operates in two segments: Generics and Specialty. Its revenues are derived from the sale of generic and branded generic pharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals and API. Its generic pharmaceutical business is conducted in the United States and Canada (collectively, North America); Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (collectively, EMEA), and India, Australia, Japan and New Zealand (collectively, Asia Pacific). Its API business is conducted through Mylan Laboratories Limited, which is included within the Asia Pacific region in its Ge! n! erics segment. Its specialty pharmaceutical business is conducted by Dey Pharma, L.P. (Dey). Generics Segment The Company sales in the United States are derived through its wholly owned subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MPI), its primary United States pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution subsidiary, as well as through Mylan Institutional (MI). MPI�� net revenues are derived from the sale of solid oral dosage and transdermal patch products. MI�� net revenues are derived from the sale of its unit dose and injectable product offerings. In the United States, it has product portfolios consisting of approximately 340 products, of which approximately 305 are in capsule or tablet form in an aggregate of approximately 740 dosage strengths. Included in these totals are approximately 40 extended release products in a total of approximately 105 dosage strengths. Also included in it�� the United States produ ct portfolio are four transdermal patch products in a total of 18 dosage strengths, which are developed and manufactured by Mylan Technologies, Inc. (MTI), its wholly owned transdermal technology subsidiary, and marketed and distributed by MPI. The Company�� North America revenues also include those generated by its wholly owned subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC (MPC), which markets generic pharmaceuticals in Canada. MPC offers a portfolio of approximately 115 products in an aggregate of approximately 250 dosage strengths. Its generic pharmaceutical sales in EMEA are generated by its wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe, through which it has operations in 21 countries. In France, through the Company�� subsidiary Mylan S.A.S., it markets a retail portfolio of approximately 215 products in an aggregate of approximately 455 dosage strengths. In Italy, it markets through its subsidiary Mylan S.p.A. a portfolio of approximately 150 products in an aggregate of approximately 285 dosage strengths. In Ital! y, i! t h! as mar! ket share, based on value and volume, in the company-branded generic retail prescription market. In Spain, it markets through its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals S.L. a portfolio of approximately 100 products in an aggregate of approximately 220 dosage strengths. In Germany, it markets through its subsidiary Mylan dura a portfolio of approximately 150 products in an aggregate of approximately 330 dosage strengths. In the United Kingdom, it offers a product portfolio of approximately 175 products in an aggregate of approximately 315 dosage strengths. It markets generic pharmaceuticals in Asia Pacific through subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan and Taiwan. In Australia, the Company offers a portfolio of approximately 170 products in an aggregate of approximately 440 dosage strengths. Mylan Seiyaku, its wholly owned Japanese subsidiary, offers a portfolio of more than 380 products in an aggregate of approximately 500 dosage strengths. At Mylan La boratories Limited, its dosage business produces antiretroviral (ARV) products, which are sold outside of India, and other finished dosage form (FDF) products, which are sold to third parties by other Mylan operations globally. In addition, Mylan Laboratories Limited offers a line of FDF products in the ARV market and manufactures non-ARV FDF products that are marketed by Mylan. Specialty Segment The Company�� specialty pharmaceutical business is conducted through Dey. Dey�� portfolio consists of branded specialty injectable, nebulized and transdermal products for life-threatening conditions. Dey�� revenues are derived through the sale of the EpiPen Auto-Injector. The EpiPen Auto-Injector, which is used in the treatment of severe allergic reactions, is an epinephrine auto-injector that has been sold in the United States and internationally. Friday, February 7, 2014Don't go overboard with tax-free bonds Many a time we have seen people talking about losses in investing world and hence people seek to invest in low risk fixed income instruments such as the ongoing tax-free bonds. No doubt it is a good idea to invest in the ongoing long term tax free bond issues such as India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL), given the lower risk of default and a possibility to earn capital gains over the next couple of years as the interest rates are expected to come down. But that does not mean one should bet his all monies on one such idea. It has been observed that investors redeem money from equities as they obtain the cost of buying shares with rising markets, which they subsequently invest in bonds. The author is the co-founder and director of creditvidya.com
Thursday, February 6, 2014Will Toll Brothers Earnings Outgrow Pulte Group and Hovnanian?Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and on the whole, investors have seen the homebuilder's stock hold up reasonably well compared to some of its rivals. PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM ) and Hovnanian (NYSE: HOV ) have pulled back much more severely so far in 2013, with their shareholders worried about whether the big rebound in home prices will survive higher interest rates or whether another leg down for the housing market could hurt profits one more time. Toll Brothers has always stood somewhat apart from Hovnanian, Pulte, and many other homebuilders, as Toll aims itself at the luxury-end of the home market. Nevertheless, even high-end buyers have struggled during the housing bust, as a lack of ability for younger families to buy move-up homes has weighed on luxury-home demand. Yet with the tide having turned toward the lower end of the market, is it time for Toll Brothers to enjoy a trickle-up effect? Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Toll Brothers over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its report. Stats on Toll Brothers
Source: Yahoo! Finance. What's next for Toll Brothers earnings? One sign of strength recently has come from Toll Brothers' resilience even in the face of higher interest rates. In its July quarter, Toll Brothers managed to see net new signed contracts rise at a 26% pace, more than doubling rival D.R. Horton's (NYSE: DHI ) pace of growth. What's perhaps most impressive about those gains is that they defied big drops in order volumes at PulteGroup and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH ) , both of which saw double-digit percentage decreases in orders during the same period. Moreover, Toll Brothers continues to see opportunities to squeeze more revenue out of the improving housing sector. CEO Doug Yearley said that Toll Brothers has sought to raise prices aggressively in order to make the most of the recovery, and even with higher rates boosting financing costs somewhat, luxury buyers seem to have cooperated with that strategy. Indeed, with the wealth effect of rising stock markets generally making buyers more enthusiastic, Toll Brothers should keep getting support as long as the bull market continues. Top 5 Asian Stocks To Buy For 2015In fact, Toll Brothers is optimistic enough that it decided to buy the luxury-home unit of Shapell Industries for $1.6 billion. To help raise cash for the deal and support its balance sheet, Toll Brothers issued about $200 million in stock in a secondary offering last month. Yet the move didn't seem to weigh much on the stock's price. The challenge Toll Brothers faces is that the East Coast hasn't been quite as strong in its price-recovery than other areas of the country. That similar to the trouble that Beazer Homes faces, because most of the region hasn't shown very strong growth. By contrast, D.R. Horton arguably has a stronger presence in the red-hot Southwest and Florida. In the Toll Brothers earnings report, look closely to see if the company gives guidance about whether the home market seems to be improving or worsening. If the latest spike in mortgage rates only now starting to get serious, it could be next quarter before Toll Brothers sees any downward pressure from affordability concerns -- if indeed it ever does. Be smart about the stocks you pick Click here to add Toll Brothers to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks. Tuesday, February 4, 2014Ben Bernanke Joins Brookings InstitutionBen Bernanke has joined the 100-year-old Brookings Institution as a distinguished fellow in Residence at the Washington-based think tank’s Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. The announcement Monday from Strobe Talbott, Brookings’ president, came on the same day that Bernanke’s successor as Federal Reserve chief, Janet Yellen, was sworn in at the Federal Reserve building in Washington. David Wessel, the former Wall Street Journal editor who runs the recently established Hutchins Center, said in a note that the scholars at Brookings are “looking forward to helping Mr. Bernanke with the book he plans to write, and to getting his advice as we work to improve public understanding of fiscal and monetary policy and improve the quality and effectiveness of those policies.” Bernanke became chairman of the Fed in 2006 following his nomination by President George W. Bush; President Barack Obama nominated him to a second term in 2010. Bernanke previously was a professor of economics at Princeton University and chairman of the economics department at Princeton. Bernanke will be seeing several familiar faces at the Hutchins Center. Among the other Hutchins’ luminaries are two former Fed Vice Chairmen: Alice Rivlin and Donald Kohn. --- Check out 30 Best & Worst ETFs of Bernanke Era on ThinkAdvisor. Monday, February 3, 2014Student loan forgiveness: What you don’t know (…
If you just don't think about them, they're not real -- right?
That's how many students tend to think about the thousands or -- in extreme cases -- hundreds of thousands of dollars they borrow in student loans over the course of their higher education. After graduation, most students are entitled to one six-month "grace period" to get a job before they must start their federal loan payments, according to the National Student Loan Data System for Students. But when time's up, reality sinks in -- and fast. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, however, estimates that one-fourth of the American workforce may be eligible for repayment or loan-forgiveness programs, the Associated Press reported last month. GLOSSARY: Key student loan words and terms explained Figuring out which loan forgiveness programs you qualify for can require some legwork, but you could be surprised by the number of options, says Betsy Mayotte, director of regulatory compliance at Saltmoney.org, an organization that authored "60+ ways to get rid of your student loans (without paying them)". "When we counsel people, what we get all the time is that people don't know all these options exist, these lower payments, these programs," Mayotte says. "They think it's either you pay (your student loans), or you get in trouble. And it's just not like that." Many humanitarian and public-sector jobs are eligible for loan forgiveness, Mayotte says, so that "borrowers can follow their passions instead of their bills." That way, someone who wants to be a public defender, for example, will not be deterred by an expensive law degree. Of course, there is no way to escape student loan debt scot-free, as many federal programs require qualifications, research and lots of fine print. But doing your homework can pay off, Mayotte says. RELATED: Average debt up again for recent college grads What's the first step? Simply talk to your loan provider, Mayotte says. Loan providers are very famili! ar with federal programs and will be able to help borrowers determine which programs make sense for their circumstances. Below are four ways borrowers can have their federal student loans forgiven through a variety of government programs. 1. Become a public school teacher in a low-income area. Thanks to the government's Teacher Forgiveness Program, up to $17,500 of your federal Stafford loans or the entirety of your Perkins loans can be forgiven in exchange for five consecutive, full-time years as a teacher at certain low-income elementary or secondary schools. 2. Join the military. From the Army to the National Guard, each branch of the military has its own student loan forgiveness program. Forgiven loan amounts usually depend on the level of rank achieved. Those interested should contact their preferred branch to learn about their options, Mayotte suggested. 3. Apply for the Income-Based Repayment Plan. Just about everyone should consider applying for the Income-Based Repayment Plan, Mayotte says. The program adjusts students' monthly loan payments to be no more than 15% of their "discretionary" income (the amount of money they make that falls above the federal poverty level). Take, for example, a recent grad who makes $20,000. Because the federal income level within the contiguous United States is $11,490, that means he only makes $8,510 in discretionary income. Under the IBR, he would only have to make payments that were 15% of that $8,510, which equals about $106 a month. It's entirely possible, Maylotte says, that some recent graduates make so little that they qualify to make $0 payments. After 25 years of making these adjusted loan payments, the borrower's remaining balance is completely forgiven. 4. Get a public service, government or non-profit job. Those who borrowed money under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program can apply to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. In this program, full-time employ! ees in th! e public service or non-profit sector can have the remainder of their outstanding debt forgiven after they successfully make 120 qualified loan payments. What kinds of jobs qualify as public service? "Any employment with a federal, state or local government agency, entity, or organization or a not-for-profit organization that has been designated as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC)," according to the U.S. Office of Education's federal student aid website. Some 501(c)(3) organizations that pay taxes are still included in the program, however, if they fall under a specified list of public services such as early-childhood education or public-interest law services. Sunday, February 2, 2014Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right NowThe DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) , Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR ) , Sprint (NYSE: S ) , Softbank M&A extravaganza continues to become more confusing and fun to watch. As the CFIUS clears,�the Japanese bank for its proposed acquisition of telecom Sprint, competing bidder DISH, which also has a bid for Clearwire, which is also being bid on by Sprint, has now refocused on its offer for Clearwire, raising it substantially above its competitor's offer. The news has various stock moving in various directions, with Clearwire shareholders the latest winners. If you are trying to play this acquisition merry-go-round, good luck because -- like this paragraph -- the story is all over the place. Organizing thoughts Sprint is a major holder of Clearwire. Clearwire has been a struggling operation for some time now, but it holds very valuable assets -- mainly spectrum. Clearwire uses Sprint financing to maintain operations while it is shopped around -- mainly to Sprint. Clearwire's board wants Sprint to take the prize, though shareholders have argued that the deal undervalues Clearwire shares. There have been proxy battles mounting for some time, led by Crest Financial. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Labrador Tech Inc (LTX.V)Labrador Technologies Inc. engaged in the research and development, and marketing of data retrieval technology. The company specializes in Data-Flow Management software, which comprises data-plumbing, data-adaptors, data integration, portal solutions, and on-demand data query and reporting applications that helps software vendors, data vendors, and company developers to deliver data to their target audiences by plugging users in and eliminating the need for manual intervention. It offers eTriever, a WebMap-based generic data browser and query tool that provides comprehensive query, reporting, and exporting capabilities to the oil and gas data sectors; and Model-LAB, a development module, which is used to construct Labrador model files by reverse-engineering existing data models and extracting the metadata. The company�s products also include QueryJoiner that allows business users to query data from two or more different servers at the same time, and combine the data into one MS Excel report; and LABengine, a Labrador engine, which implements a high-level query language that permits application developers to write SQL queries. Labrador Technologies Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Hollywood Media Corp.(HOLL)Hollywood Media Corp. primarily provides advertising services. The company?s Ad Sales segment sells advertising on plasma TV displays; and on lobby display posters, movie brochure booklets, and ticket wallets distributed in cinemas, live theater, and other entertainment venues in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This segment also holds a 26.2% ownership interest in the MovieTickets.com, a seller of online movie tickets. Its Intellectual Properties segment owns or controls the rights to certain intellectual properties created by various authors and media celebrities, which it licenses for book and other media. This segment also owns a 51% interest in Tekno Books, a book development business. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. Best Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)YRC Worldwide Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various transportation services worldwide. The company?s YRC National Transportation unit offers a range of services for the transportation of industrial, commercial, and retail goods, such as apparel, appliances, automotive parts, chemicals, food, furniture, glass, machinery, metal, metal products, non-bulk petroleum products, rubber, textiles, wood, and other manufactured products. It serves manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and government customers. As of December 31, 2009, it had 11704 owned tractors, 1239 leased tractors, 50083 owned trailers, and 3244 leased trailers. Its YRC Regional Transportation unit?s service portfolio includes regional delivery, which comprises next-day local area delivery and second-day services, consolidation/distribution services, protect-from-freezing and hazardous materials handling, and various specialized offerings; expedited delivery, that comprises day-definite, hour-definite, and time definite capabilities; inter-regional delivery; cross-border delivery; and operation of my.yrcregional.com and NewPenn.com, which are e-commerce Websites offering online resources to manage transportation activity. The company?s YRC Logistics units? service portfolio consists of distribution services that include flow through and pool distribution, dedicated warehousing, and value-added services; global services, which comprise international freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and value-added services; and transportation services, such as truckload brokerage, domestic freight forwarding, and transportation management. Its YRC Truckload unit provides customized truckload services on regional and national level through the use of company and team-based drivers. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc.(PRAA)Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc., a financial and business service company, engages in the purchase, collection, and management of portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables. It detects, collects, and processes unpaid and normal-course accounts receivables owed primarily to credit grantors, governments, and retailers. The company also acquires receivables of Visa, MasterCard, and other credit cards; private label credit cards; installment loans; lines of credit; bankrupt accounts; deficiency balances of various types; legal judgments, and trade payables from various debt owners, including banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, telecommunication providers, retailers, utilities, insurance companies, medical groups, hospitals, auto finance companies, and other debt buyers. In addition, it provides fee-based services, including vehicle location, skip tracing, and collateral recovery services for auto lenders, governments, and law enforcement; revenue administra tion, audit, and debt discovery/recovery services for local government entities; and class action claims recovery services and related payment processing services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: OPNET Technologies Inc.(OPNT)OPNET Technologies, Inc. provides application and network performance management solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers AppCapacity Xpert to provide capacity planning for servers; AppInternals Xpert to extract performance and forensic data; AppMapper Xpert to produce run-time application maps; AppResponse Xpert to monitor and analyze end-user experience for various users and transactions; AppSQL Xpert to track database usage; AppTelemetry Xpert to capture performance information; and AppTransaction Xpert to analyze individual transactions. The company also provides IT Guru Network Planner and SP Guru Network Planner for network capacity planning and design optimization, and validation of network configuration changes; IT Sentinel that offers network configuration integrity and security auditing, and proactive change validation; nCompass for enterprises and service providers for visibility of network topology, traffic, and status; and Virtual Network Environment Server to maintain real-time data model of the production IT network. In addition, it offers SP Guru Transport Planner for designing optical networks; SP Sentinel to offer network configuration integrity and security auditing, and proactive change validation; and AppResponse Xpert to ensure application performance; OPNET Modeler, a network modeling and simulation product; Modeler Wireless Suite for wireless network R&D organizations; and Modeler Wireless Suite for defense. Further, the company develops and sells various software modules; and offers consulting services, product updates, technical support and services, and training services. OPNET Technologies, Inc. sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through distributors and value-added resellers. Its customers include corporate enterprises, government and defense agencies, network service providers, and network equipment manufacturers. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Boardroom Limited (B10.SI)Boardroom Limited, an investment holding company, provides various professional business and corporate services in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. The company offers corporate secretarial services, including acting as company secretary and providing corporate secretarial consultancy, advisory, assistance, and support services primarily to private limited companies and public listed corporations. It also provides share registration services comprising acting as share registrar, share transfer agent, warrant agent, employee equity plan administration, voting, shareholder analytics, investor solicitation, and executive remuneration services primarily for public listed corporations. In addition, the company offers accounting and payroll services consisting of book-keeping, preparation of financial statements, payroll and payment processing, goods and services tax accounting, tax advisory, human resource, risk management, and internal auditing for enterprises; investor r elations services; and business advisory and consultancy services. Further, it provides human resource services, such as consulting; executive search; onboarding and outboarding administration and processes; employee handbook review, preparation, and updating; and payroll services. Additionally, the company offers taxation services, including compliance, consulting, and incentive application, as well as general tax consultancy services. Boardroom Limited was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Singapore. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Rockville Financial Inc.(RCKB)Rockville Financial, Inc. operates as the holding company for Rockville Bank that provides a range of banking services to consumer and commercial customers. The company accepts deposit instruments, which include checking, savings, money market savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and fixed-rate time deposits. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial and industrial loans; residential mortgage loans; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans; commercial and residential construction loans; commercial business loans; and installment, collateral, and other loans. As of July 14, 2011, the company operated 21 branches in Tolland, Hartford, and New London counties in Connecticut. It operates 41 automated teller machines (ATM), including 9 stand-alone ATM facilities. The company was founded in 1858 and is based in Rockville, Connecticut. Rockville Financial, Inc. is a subsidiary of Rockville Financial MHC, Inc. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Euromax Resources Ltd (EOX.V)Euromax Resources Ltd. operates as an exploration and development company with three gold and base metal assets in Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Serbia. It focuses on identifying, acquiring, and developing mineral resources in south eastern Europe. The company primarily holds 100% interest in the Ilovitza gold-copper property located in Macedonia. Euromax Resources Ltd. is based in Vancouver, Canada. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: TAM S.A.(TAM)TAM S.A. provides passengers and cargo air transportation services in Brazil and internationally. It also engages in the aircraft acquisition, financing, and debt issuance activities. In addition, the company offers travel and tourism agency services, as well as is involved in the development and management of customer loyalty programs. It operates a fleet of approximately 156 aircrafts. The company was founded in 1961 and is based in S� Paulo, Brazil. TAM S.A. is a subsidiary of TAM-Empreendimentos e Participa珲es S.A. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Frank s International NV (FI)NA Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Goldcliff Resource Corporation(GCN.V)Goldcliff Resource Corporation, a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. It holds 100% interests in the Panorama Ridge gold project covering an area of 8,980 hectares, located in the Nickel Plate mining district, Osoyoos Mining Division, British Columbia; and the Ainsworth silver project that covers an area of 10,280 hectares, located in the Kootenay mining district, Slocan Mining Division, British Columbia. The company also holds 100% interests in the Tulameen copper project comprising 26,333 hectares, located in the Princeton mining district, Similkameen Mining Division, British Columbia. Goldcliff Resource Corporation was founded in 1986 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp (SBY)Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp., incorporated on June 29, 2012, is focused on the acquisition, renovation, leasing and management of single-family properties. The Company generates all of its revenue by leasing its portfolio of single-family properties.
As of September 30, 2012, the initial portfolio consisted of more than 2,540 single-family properties. As of September 30, 2012, Two Harbors owned a portfolio of approximately 1,660 single-family properties through its wholly owned subsidiary, Two Harbors Property Investment LLC. The Company is managed by PRCM Real Estate Advisers LLC. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Own Right Now: Tuesday Morning Corp.(TUES)Tuesday Morning Corporation engages in the retail sale of decorative home accessories, housewares, and gifts in the United States. The company?s merchandise primarily consists of lamps, rugs, furniture, kitchen accessories, small electronics, gourmet housewares, linens, luggage, bedroom and bathroom accessories, toys, stationary, and silk plants, as well as crystal, collectibles, and silver serving pieces. It also offers apparel and accessories. In addition, the company provides brand name merchandise, including cookware, appliances, linens, bath towels, luggage, flatware, tabletop, crystal, collectibles, dolls, china and giftware, and rugs. As of September 21, 2011, it operated 861 discount retail stores in 43 states. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Advisors' Opinion:
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