NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Midwest regional Bank stocks on Friday had a very strong showing, as investors cheered stronger-than-expected November employment numbers.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.3%, while the S&P 500 added 1.1% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.7% after the Department of Labor announced that the U.S. unemployment rate for November improved to 7.0% from 7.3% in October. Economists polled by Reuters on average had estimated the unemployment rate would only improve slightly, to 7.2%.
The Labor Department also said the U.S. economy had added 203,000 nonfarm jobs during November, coming in ahead of the consensus estimate of 182,000.
The November unemployment rate is the lowest in five years. Here's the unemployment picture over the last decade:
The Labor Department also revised revised previous nonfarm job-growth numbers upward, to 174,000 from 153,000 for September and to 204,000 from 200,000 for October.
The KBW Bank Index (I:BKX) rose 1.4% to 67.41, with all 24 index component showing gains. U.S. Bancorp (USB) of Minneapolis was the leader among large-cap banks, with shares rising 2.7% to close at $39.65. Other major Midwest players showing strong gains included Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) of Cincinnati, which was up 2.6% to $20.34, and Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) of Columbus, Ohio, which rose 2.6% to $9.24.
All eyes this week were on the Friday unemployment figure, however, there's been plenty of other good news this week. The Bureau of Economic Statistics on Thursday made a major upward revision of its estimate for third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product growth to an annual rate of 3.6% from the previous estimate of 2.8%.
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:- [By Dan Caplinger]
On Friday, American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC ) will release its latest quarterly results. After the loss of its largest customer two years ago, the company has had to make a massive readjustment in its business model, and investors still aren't sure whether it can bounce back from that major setback.
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:- [By Monica Wolfe]
Full Circle Capital Corp (FULL)
Over the past week there were two insiders making four buys into Full Circle Capital.� These buys come as the company�� price has hit its lowest price since Nov. 2011.
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:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Fabrinet (NYSE: FN ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Seth Jayson]
Fabrinet (NYSE: FN ) reported earnings on April 29. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 29 (Q3), Fabrinet beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.
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:- [By Alex Planes]
Boeing is also continuing to scoop up defense contracts left and right. The Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, a joint venture between Boeing and the Textron (NYSE: TXT ) subsidiary, was awarded a $100 million contract from the Department of Defense to produce 17 to 21 V-22 Ospreys for the U.S. Navy, and one MV-22 for the U.S. Marine Corps by November 2016. Last month, the company also bagged two multi-billion dollar orders of $4.8 billion and $3.4 billion to build a total of 177 CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters for the Army. Boeing's dominant position seems assured for the time being, giving investors good reason to ponder adding its shares to their portfolio in spite of a less-than-perfect performance on our analysis today.
- [By Steve Symington]
Last month, I spent some time weighing in on whether it would be worth buying shares of�Textron (NYSE: TXT ) near their 52-week-high; after all, having worked at one of its subsidiaries for nearly seven years, I still have a small position in Textron through my old 401(k) plan, so like to keep tabs on my alma mater.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Invetsors in Textron (TXT) decided to buy the rumor and buy the news.
for The Wall Street JournalThe rumor, in this case, was that Textron would buy Beechcraft, which was first reported last week–and shares of Textron gained 14%. The news today that the rumor was indeed true, however, hasn’t prevented Textron’s shares from staying aloft.
The Wall Street Journal has the details:
Textron�Inc. agreed to pay $1.4 billion to acquire Beechcraft Corp., a deal that would combine the small U.S. plane maker into an industrial conglomerate that also produces Cessna planes and Bell helicopters.
The planned acquisition comes 10 months after Beechcraft exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under the control of several hedge funds that converted their debt into equity, including Bain Capital’s Sankaty Advisors, Angelo Gordon & Co. and Centerbridge Partners. The bankruptcy filing last year was prompted by a prolonged slump in sales and a heavy debt load following a leveraged buyout in 2007.
The deal unites two of the best-known makers of small business aircraft, demand for which collapsed in the global recession. Textron’s Cessna unit and Beechcraft, both based in Wichita, Kan., each have made deep job cuts and shrunk production in recent years in response to the slump.
Textron also held a conference call, where it said that it would miss its earnings forecast for $1.75 to $1.85 a share.
Citigroup’s Jason Gursky explains why he has kept Textron rated Neutral:
Company expects 20c of 2014 annualized accretion from the addition of the business, including $65m of synergies. This excludes one-time charges of ~35c in 2014. Accretion is expected to increase to 25-30c in 2015 as synergies ramp to $75-85m coupled with limited growth in the underlying portfolio. This is relatively in line with our conservative estimate of ~20c of EPS accretion in 2015.
Although accretion levels
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:- [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]
O��eilly Automotive Inc. (ORLY) �shares advanced 9.2% after it reported fourth-quarter earnings of $1.40 a share, above the $1.33 forecast by analysts. Shares of automotive parts retailer AutoZone Inc. (AZO) �rose 5.5%.
- [By WilliamBriat]
When it comes to U.S. retail sector sales, the automotive industry might be one of the bright spots as we head into 2014. Two affordable automotive stocks for small investors to consider are Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and auto parts store The Pep Boys Manny, Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY). At the other end of the scale, two major automotive stocks include Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM) and auto parts store OReilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY).
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:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Finally, we have CenturyLink� (NYSE: CTL ) coming through with encouraging bottom-line results. Its adjusted profit of $0.76 a share was ahead of the $0.68 a share it posted a year earlier. The pros were targeting flat earnings growth.
- [By Mike Deane]
CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) announced its third quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday, with core revenues tumbling 1% from last year’s Q3 figure.
CTL Earnings In Brief
-The company announced operating revenues of $4.52 billion, which was slightly above the analyst consensus of $4.51 billion.
-The company’s adjusted earnings came in at $375 million, or 63 cents per share; this is in line with analysts’ EPS estimates.
-CTL gave EPS guidance for the fourth quarter of 55 cents to 60 cents, which is below the 63 cents that analysts are expecting.
-Q4 guidance for revenue is in the range of $4.5 billion to $4.55 billion, which is in line with analysts’ views.CEO Commentary
Glen F. Post III, the CEO and president of CenturyLink, had the following to say about the company’s quarterly results:
“Overall, we continue to perform well with particular strength in our Business segment where sustained demand for high-bandwidth services and solid sales momentum continue to drive strong results.�Despite this overall solid operating performance in the third quarter, there was a special item which significantly impacted our�financial results�for the quarter. We were required, under GAAP, to recognize a non-cash $1.1 billion impairment to the goodwill assigned to our Data Hosting segment. While we continue to be optimistic and encouraged about the future growth potential and value of our Data Hosting business, we are not currently achieving the forecasted growth and cash flows we originally projected.�As part of our accounting valuation process, past performance was a factor in the development of growth projections for our Data Hosting business in future periods.”
No Mention of Dividend�
CTL did not mention its dividend in the quarterly report, and last paid a dividend on September 19. Look for CTL to declare a dividend in mid-November. The company’s last dividend mov
- [By Ben Levisohn]
We continue to view the dividend as the main attraction for Frontier shares, supported by FCF stability and limited near-term debt maturities. While the copper-based telephone business is largely in decline, there is a significant growth opportunity to increase share in acquired Verizon properties that Frontier management appears to have begun monetizing. Our target price implies 5.7x 2014E EBITDA and an 8% dividend yield, which we find attractive versus CenturyLink (CTL) at 5.5x with a 6.5% yield.
- [By Katie Spence]
As a writer for The Motley Fool, it's easy for me to be critical of companies -- that's my job. But watching million- and billion-dollar companies look past their bottom-line to help fire victims reaffirmed to me why there's more to evaluating a company than just finances. CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL ) offered free call forwarding to fire victims. Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ ) provided a $10,000 grant to The American Red Cross, offered one-to-one matching of employee donations, and set up a system in which Verizon wireless customers could donate $10 by texting, without a fee, STORM or REDCROSS. And unlike DIRECTV's initial response to a fire victim that resulted in widespread social-media outrage, DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) proactively issued a statement saying all equipment damage fees would be waived, fire victims could pause service, and there would be no reinstallation fees. �
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:- [By Andy Obermueller]
I'm talking about a company that's already up more than 60% since I first recommended it to my Game-Changing Stocks readers in July 2012 -- a company called NXP Semiconductors (Nasdaq: NXPI).
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.
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