Friday, February 28, 2014

Penn Virginia is For Lovers (of Price-Target Increases)

Virginia might be for lovers, but analysts love Penn Virginia (PVA).

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

The independent oil & gas explorer reported earnings last week, and promptly surged 11%. Now analysts are coming out with reports about why Penn Virginia can head even higher.

Imperial Capital’s Kim Pacanovsky, for instance, raised her price target on Penn Virginia to $18 from $13 today. She explains why:

We believe [Penn Virginia's] Eagle Ford position has been nearly fully derisked, and with 1,125 locations in the play, consistently improving IP rates, and decreasing costs per stage, we believe the company is in an excellent position to continue to grow earnings, EBITDA, and cash flow as well as to continue to improve debt metrics.

Howard Weil’s Brian Corales, meanwhile, lifted his price target to $23 from $16 with a Sector Outperform rating. He explains why:

[Penn Virginia] continues to deliver very impressive well results, and we are starting to see that translate into production and cash flows. The most recently drilled wells have 30 day rates that average greater than 1 MBoepd, much higher than our current type curve. Additionally, the impressive reserve results in 2013, along with the continued increase in acreage, significantly boosts our NAV. Even on a cash flow basis, [Penn Virginia] continues to trade at a discount to Eagle Ford and Small-Cap peers.  The balance sheet is more stretched than most peers, but there is a clear line of sight to improve the debt metrics. The Company has already sold the EF gas gathering and processing, bringing in $94MM and is planning to sell some non-core E&P assets to offset the cash flow outspend. We have the balance sheet steadily improving as production and cash flows continue to grow.  [Penn Virginia] has really just started accelerating drilling plans, and the 80,000 net acre position could grow relatively quickly. Finally, the upper Eagle Ford looks encouraging, and we do not give any value for this potential. If successful as a separate reservoir, the upper Eagle Ford could provide another increase to the existing location count.

These positive comments came on top of those made by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey on Feb. 20, and KLR Group’s Gail Nicholson, who raised her price target to $26 from $16 on Feb. 21, while noting that Penn Virginia trades at a 15% discount to peers even after gaining about 50% so far this year.

Shares of Penn Virginia have gained 6.2% to $15.02 today at 3:03. p.m., while Sanchez Energy (SN) has risen 5.6% to $30.92, EQT Corp (EQT) has advanced 1.1% to $101.94 and EOG Resources (EOG) is up 1.7% at $180.99.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Men's Wearhouse increases bid for Jos. A Bank

There's yet a new knot in the tightening tie of the ongoing men's clothing war.

The Men's Wearhouse clothing chain is adding fuel to its relentless pursuit of arch-rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, by increasing its previous takeover offer by 10% to roughly $1.78 billion, the company announced Monday morning.

Stock in each company is up in the 8% neighborhood.

It's been a wild, cat and mouse chase between the two men's clothing giants, as each has ambitions to remain among the last national men's store chains standing in the highly competitive, $57 billion men's apparel business. The move comes just 10 days after Jos. A. Bank, in a protective move, announced that it planned to purchase the parent of Eddie Bauer for about $825 million. Even then, Jos. A. Bank said at the time that it would considering dropping the Eddie Bauer deal if it received a better acquisition offer.

STOCKS MONDAY: How markets are doing

Which may explain why, on Monday, Men's Wearhouse opted to up it offer to $63.50 per share, up from its prior bid of $57.50 per share. The new offer, set to expire on March 12, is conditioned on Jos. A. Bank ending its deal for Eddie Bauer. Other conditions include Jos. A. Bank's directors redeeming or invalidating the shareholder rights plan that's in place.

But the 1,133-store Men's Wearhouse chain didn't stop there. The chain, founded in 1973, said it may even raise the bid further, to $65 per share, if it is able to examine Jos. A. Bank's books and given access to the company's management team.

Men's Wearhouse President and CEO Doug Ewert said in a statement that it would even be willing to talk about offering Jos. A. Bank shareholders the opportunity to choose to receive Men's Wearhouse stock for part of its proposal.

"We have had extensive dialogue with shareholders of both companies over the last several months and have received widespread support for this transaction," said Ewert, in a statement.

Jos. A. Bank did not immediately respond to ! an email seeking comment.

The Associated Press contributed.

Friday, February 21, 2014

SEC Starts Exam Sweep of Never-Examined Advisors

Fulfilling its promise to zero in on advisors who have never been examined, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday its exam sweep of such advisors through its Never-Examined Advisor Initiative.

Jane Jarcho, national associate director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations’ exam program for advisors and investment companies, said Thursday that the initiative would be directed at never-examined advisors registered with the SEC for three or more years.

“Our examinations will focus on areas most important to protecting investors,” Jarcho said. “We will also promote compliance by engaging with these advisors through outreach efforts.”

OCIE will conduct examinations of a “significant percentage of advisors” that have not been examined since they registered with the SEC. These examinations, Jarcho said, will concentrate on the advisors’ compliance programs, filings and disclosure, marketing, portfolio management and safekeeping of client assets.

Andrew Bowden, the OCIE director, said last October that the agency would take aim at the group of about 4,000 RIAs that have never been examined.

Excluded from the initiative, however, will be advisors to private funds, which are being examined pursuant to the “Presence Exam” initiative launched in October 2012.

David Tittsworth, executive director of the Investment Adviser Association in Washington, told ThinkAdvisor that IAA is "extremely pleased" with OCIE’s announcement. Citing statistics released by the SEC in recent years, Tittsworth says that the number of investment advisory firms that have never been examined "approaches 40%" of all SEC-registered entities. "There is absolutely no doubt that the SEC can and should do a better job – even within its constrained resources – of taking steps to ensure that all advisory firms are touched by SEC examiners."

The Never-Before Examined Initiative includes two distinct approaches: risk assessment and focused reviews. The risk assessment approach is designed to obtain a better understanding of a registrant, the letter says. This type of exam may include a high-level review of an advisor’s overall business activities, with a particular focus on the compliance program and other essential documents needed to assess the representations made on disclosure documents.

Duane Thompson, senior policy analyst at fi360, says he expects "the vast majority of the ‘never-inspected’ group to [receive] deficiency letters, meaning they will have to make adjustments to their compliance programs." However, Thompson doesn't believe they'll be "any Madoff headlines. Over the years only a tiny percentage [of advisors] are referred to the SEC’s Enforcement Division for serious problems." Overall, he adds "most advisor’s compliance programs will be improved by the experience." 

In a letter to these advisors, Jarcho sets out further parameters of the exam program, and familiarized advisors with the agency’s National Exam Program. However, the letter states that receiving the letter “does not necessarily mean your firm will be examined. The NEP staff will contact you separately if your firm is selected for an examination.”

Starting later this year, Jarcho said that OCIE will invite SEC-registered investment advisors who have yet to be examined to attend regional meetings where they can learn more about the examination process.

She also directed these advisors to review the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and “other useful guidance” on the SEC’s website to find information regarding their obligations.

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Securities America Hybrid RIA Platform Adds Sales Director

Two groups affiliated with independent broker-dealer Securities America shared news Monday on how they expect to recruit both more hybrid advisors and wirehouse reps to their platforms.

Arbor Point Advisors — formed by Securities America and NorthStar Financial Services Group as a joint venture in July to support hybrid advisory firms — has hired Jeffrey Schmaltz as a regional sales director in Fort Worth, Texas.

“When hiring a business development professional, we strive to find someone who already understands the complexities associated with the independent advisory model,” said Curtis Reed, president of Arbor Point Advisors, in a press release. "Jeff’s years of experience working with large, complex advisory firms, and being an advisor himself, make him the perfect addition to our team. His leadership and insight into the ever-changing investment advisory landscape has helped hundreds of firms grow, compete and succeed.”

Schmaltz began work in the financial services industry in 1986 as a Fidelity Investments representative in Dallas. He was with Bear Stearns from 1989 to 1995, when he returned to Fidelity Investments. He joined the institutional division of Fidelity in 2001 and became responsible for developing new business relationships with advisors in transition, RIAs, family offices, broker-dealers, financial planners and consulting firms.

Securities America, which is owned by Ladenburg Thalmann (LTS) and has about 1,700 affiliated reps, says Arbor Point’s platform allows hybrid advisory firms “to better serve fee-based clients directly with major custodians such as TD Ameritrade, Schwab and Fidelity Institutional, while retaining the ability to seamlessly service their commission-based accounts.”

When Securities America announced the formation of Arbor Point, Reed said that RIAs with $50 million to $250 million in client assets can have trouble keeping their overhead costs under control.

“For every advisor with $1 billion in assets looking to form or join an RIA, there are hundreds of firms with $100 million who need the same support to serve their clients,” he explained in a press release. “We’re not an RIA consolidator. We’re a support platform — an RIA ‘easy button,’ so to speak — for independent advisors who want the freedom to choose a custodial firm and serve their clients the way they want.”

Both Securities America and Arbor Point are based in La Vista, Neb.

New Partnership

Meanhile, John C. Lindsey, an advisor affiliated with Securities America in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has launched a website to share information and support for wirehouse reps thinking about going independent. TheBoldAdvisor.com includes details on Lindsey’s move to independence from Edward Jones.

“I have been getting calls and emails from advisors all over the country who are emboldened by my story, but who have struggled to move the ball forward and make their own transition to independence,” Lindsey said. “With the Bold Advisor website, I hope to give wirehouse advisors some of the tools and support they will need during this move. This process can be extremely stressful and many advisors don’t know where to begin the journey.”

Two court rulings that went Lindsey’s way “make it clear that advisors are free to service clients who wish to follow them from the wirehouse," he says on his bio page. "Bottom line, firms can do nothing to stop clients from working with the advisor of their own choice.”

After 16 years with Edward Jones, Lindsey partnered with Securities America branch office Cooper McManus in April 2012. Cooper McManus is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm with more than 40 advisors.

“Going from the captive environment to the independent model can be overwhelming, and the transition can cause a lot of frustrations for the advisor,” said Arthur Cooper, managing director of Cooper McManus, in a statement.

“When advisors make the move to the independent world, they realize they are facing a significant learning curve — not just by having to master a new operating system, but also because they are now responsible for every small detail of keeping an office up and running that used to be handled for them,” Cooper added.

Lindsey, a CFP, had $100 million under management when he joined Cooper McManus in April 2012. He currently has $120 million in client AUM.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Ensco PLC

For his top conservative stock pick for the coming year, J. Royden Ward, Chief Analyst of Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Investor, looks to a leading offshore oil and natural gas drilling company.

Ensco PLC (ESV) owns and operates shallow water and ultra-deepwater rigs, located in many parts of the world.

Two new drilling rigs are ready to begin multi-year contracts with major international oil companies. Six more rigs are under construction.

In addition, Ensco is spending heavily on standardizing and modernizing its drilling fleet, which will help the company maintain its advantage over competitors.

Demand for Ensco's drilling rigs is solid, and will likely strengthen further during the next several years. Sales will rise 15% in 2014, and EPS will climb 17% to 7.20.

Ensco has been named Number One in total customer satisfaction for the third consecutive year. The low current P/E (price to 2013 earnings) ratio of 8.9 and the high dividend yield of 5.5% are very attractive.

ESV shares are currently selling right at book value. I expect Ensco PLC to reach my Minimum Sell Price target of $88.49 within one year.

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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now

Popular Posts: 9 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now3 Communications Equipment Stocks to Buy Now4 Pharmaceutical Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 17 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy 17 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy 17 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy View All Posts

This week, 17 stocks get A’s (“strong buy”) in Portfolio Grader‘s three main grading categories, Total Grade, Overall Fundamental Grade and Quantitative Grade.

These are the best of the best in the entire Portfolio Grader database. This week, there are 4,307 stocks and only these 17 get top marks in all categories to make the elite “Triple A” stocks list. Here they are:

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Moko Social Media Ltd (MKB)

Moko Social Media Ltd , formerly MOKO.mobi Limited, is an Australia-based integrated global social media company. The Company was engaged in delivering mobile social networking services to global consumers within the youth and young adult demographic. The Company operates in four segments: mobile social networks, mobile advertising, mobile content & gaming, and mobile commerce. The Company operates in five geographical segments: Australia, Europe, Asia, United States and Africa. On July 26, 2011, the Company acquired the mBuzzy assets from SendMe Inc (mBuzzy). On December 16, 2011, the Company acquired 100% interest in the Paper Tree Limited group of entities (PTL Group). The Company�� subsidiaries include MOKO.mobi Inc, Paper Tree Limited and Southern Breeze Trading 3 Pty Ltd.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the brands V! odafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It supplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, picture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The Company ! serves mo! re than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. Vodafone Alw! ays Best ! Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    Barrow, Hanley reduced its stake in lots of companies, including Vodafone (NASDAQ: VOD  ) , which holds a 45% stake in the successful Verizon Wireless business, with Verizon�holding the other 55%. Vodafone shareholders are watching to see whether Verizon buys out the remaining 45%. The company may be less attractive without the Wireless stake, so there isn't uniform support for the buyout.

  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

    Vodafone seems undervalued given that it is trading at a relatively low forward price to earnings multiple of 11.40, pays an industry-leading 7 percent dividend, and is exposed to several upcoming positive catalysts. There is downside risk in that the European economy��here the majority of Vodafone�� operations are located��ill not recover as quickly as expected. Additionally, those bearish on the stock argue that Vodafone�� high dividend is not sustainable; however, there has been no evidence that its solid dividend history will cease. Given that investors can purchase exposure to several upcoming beneficial catalysts and a high dividend yield for a relatively low price, Vodafone is an OUTPERFORM.

  • [By Harvey Jones]

    LONDON -- If you look at recent Fool articles about�Vodafone� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) , it's all dividends, dividends, dividends. That's hardly surprising, given that the mobile communications giant yields 5.2%, more than 10 times Bank of England base rate. Only a handful of FTSE 100 companies yield more, and they're mostly troubled insurers such as�Resolution,�RSA Insurance, and�Aviva. So yes, Vodafone is a happy, honking dividend machine, and hooray for that. But is that all?

Top Trucking Stocks To Watch For 2014: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.O)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communication s Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the bran! d! s Vodafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It su pplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, pic ture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The ! Compa! ny! serves! more than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. V! odafone !! Always Be! st Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Intelsat SA (I)

Intelsat S.A., incorporated on July 18, 2011, is a satellite services business, providing a layer in the global communications infrastructure. The Company operates satellite capacity, holds orbital location rights, contract backlog, serve commercial customers and deliver services. It provides diversified communications services to the world�� media companies, fixed and wireless telecommunications operators, data networking service providers for enterprise and mobile applications, multinational corporations and Internet service providers (ISPs). It is also the provider of commercial satellite capacity to the United States government and other select military organizations and their contractors.

The Company has a satellite fleet comprised of more than 50 satellites, covering 99% of the Earth�� populated regions. Its fleet, combined with the IntelsatOne terrestrial fiber network and a collection of teleports, form a singular unmatched global infrastructure to meet any communications requirement. As the provider of satellite services, the Company provides mission critical communication services.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Satellite services provider Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.71875 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Satellite services provider�Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.799 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

  • [By The Specialist]

    Subject to ongoing evaluation and analysis, the Reporting Person may consider certain plans or proposals to increase shareholders' value that may relate to or may result in (I) a change in the present board of directors or management of the Issuer, including any plans or proposals to change the number or term of directors or to fill any existing vacancies on the board; and/or (ii) a material change in the present dividend policy of the Issuer

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    My guess is that few traders are at their desks this morning–there’s almost no one at Barron’s office either–and stocks reflect that. Some, like Tesla�(TSLA) and CalAmp (CAMP), are seeing sizable� news-related moves.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results. CalAmp shares jumped 9.90% to $20.54 in the after-hours trading session.

    Analysts expect Xyratex (NASDAQ: XRTX) to post its Q3 earnings at $0.05 per share on revenue of $209.31 million. Xyratex shares gained 0.18% to close at $11.16 yesterday.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) shot up 14.13 percent to $21.33 after the company reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results.

    Shares of HomeAway (NASDAQ: AWAY) was up as well, gaining 8.69 percent to $29.88 on speculation of takeover talks with Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN).

  • [By Jason Shubnell]

    Yesterday, CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) issued a downbeat outlook for the fourth quarter.

    CalAmp expected adjusted earnings of $0.19 to $0.23 per share on revenue of $60 million to $63 million. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $0.24 per share on revenue $63.2 million.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sprint Nextel Corp (S.C)

Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint), incorporated on November 15, 1938, is a holding company, with its operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries. The Company operates in two segments: Wireless and Wireline. Sprint is a communications company offering a range of wireless and wireline communications products and services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. Its operations are organized to meet the needs of its targeted subscriber groups through focused communications solutions that incorporate the capabilities of its wireless and wireline services. Its services are provided through its ownership of extensive wireless networks, an all-digital global long distance network. The Company offers wireless and wireline voice and data transmission services to subscribers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands under the Sprint corporate brand, which includes its retail brands of Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless on networks that utilize third generation (3G) code division multiple access (CDMA), integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), or Internet protocol (IP) technologies. The Company also offers fourth generation (4G) services utilizing Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology through its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale relationship with Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC (together Clearwire) and, in October 2011, it announced its focus to deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as part of its network modernization plan, Network Vision. As of October 19, 2012, the Company controls 50.8% interest in Clearwire Corp.

Wireless

The Company offers wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale and affiliate basis, which includes the sale of wireless services that utilize the Sprint network but are sold under! the wholesaler's brand. The Company supports the open development of applications, content, and devices on its network platforms through products and services, such as Google Voice, which allows for functionality, such as one phone number for all devices (home, wireless and office), routing calls between devices, and in-call options to switch between devices during a call and Google Wallet, which provides the ability to store loyalty, gift and credit cards, and to tap and pay while the customer shop using their wireless device. The Company has also launched multiple Sprint ID packs that download applications, widgets and other content related to a person's interest at the push of a button. In addition, it enables a variety of business and consumer third-party relationships, through its portfolio of machine-to-machine solutions, which it offers on a retail postpaid and wholesale basis. Its machine-to-machine solutions portfolio provides a secure, real-time and reliable wireless two-way data connection across a range of connected devices, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances.

The Company offers price plans tailored to business subscribers, such as Business Advantage, which allows for the mix and match plans that include voice, voice and messaging, or voice, messaging and data to meet individual business needs and which also includes its Any Mobile Anytime feature with certain plans. Its prepaid portfolio includes multiple brands, each designed to appeal to specific subscriber segments. Virgin Mobile serves subscribers who are device and data-oriented with Beyond Talk plans and its broadband plan, Broadband2Go, that offer subscribers control and connectivity through various communication vehicles. Assuran! ce Wirele! ss provides eligible subscribers, who meet income requirements or are receiving government assistance, with a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of local and long distance monthly service. Wireless data communications services include mobile productivity applications, such as Internet access, messaging and email services; wireless photo and video offerings; location-based capabilities, including asset and fleet management, dispatch services and navigation tools, and mobile entertainment applications, including the ability to view live television, listen to satellite radio, download and listen to music, and game play with full-color graphics and polyphonic and real-music sounds from a wireless handset.

Wireless voice communications services include basic local and long distance wireless voice services throughout the United States, as well as voicemail, call waiting, three-way calling, caller identification, directory assistance and call forwarding. It also provides voice and data services to areas in numerous countries outside of the United States through roaming arrangements. It offers customized design, development, implementation and support for wireless services provided to companies and government agencies. Its services are provided using a variety of multi-functional devices, including smartphones, mobile broadband devices, such as air cards and hotspots, and embedded tablets and laptops manufactured by various suppliers for use with its voice and data services. It sells accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, batteries, battery chargers and other items to subscribers, and it sells devices and accessories to agents and other third-party distributors for resale.

The Company delivers wireless services to subscribers primarily through its existing networks or as a reseller of 4G services through its MVNO wholesale relationship with Clearwire. Its Sprint platform, an all-digital wireless network with spectrum licenses that allows the Company to provide! service ! in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, uses a single frequency band and a digital spread-spectrum wireless technology, code division multiple access (CDMA), that allows a number of users to access the band by assigning a code to all voice and data bits, sending a scrambled transmission of the encoded bits over the air and reassembling the voice and data into its original format. It provides nationwide service through a combination of operating its own digital network in United States metropolitan areas and rural connecting routes, affiliations under commercial arrangements with third-party affiliates (Affiliates) and roaming on other providers' networks.

The Company markets its postpaid services under the Sprint and Nextel brands. It offers these services on a contract basis typically for one or two-year periods, with services billed on a monthly basis according to the applicable pricing plan. As it deploy Network Vision, it will continue to focus on the Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base, including the migration of existing Nextel platform subscribers to other offerings on its Sprint platform, which includes future offerings on its multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect. It markets its prepaid services under the Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless brands as a means to provide value-driven prepaid service plans to particular markets. Its wholesale customers are resellers of its wireless services rather than end-use subscribers and market their products and services using their brands.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Wireless (Verizon), T-Mobile, Metro PCS Communications, Inc., Leap Wireless International, Inc. and TracFone Wireless.

Wireline

The Company provides a suite of wireline voice and data communications services to other communications companies and targeted business and consumer subscribers. In addition, it provides voice, data and IP communication services to its Wireles! s segment! , and IP and other services to cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs). Cable MSOs resell its local and long distance services and use its back office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities primarily to residential end-user subscribers. The Company is a provider of long distance services and operate all-digital global long distance and Tier 1 IP networks.

The Company�� services and products include domestic and international data communications using various protocols such as multiprotocol label switching technologies (MPLS), IP, managed network services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) and traditional voice services. Its IP services can also be combined with wireless services. Such services include its Sprint Mobile Integration service, which enables a wireless handset to operate as part of a subscriber's wireline voice network, and its DataLinkSM service, which uses its wireless networks to connect a subscriber location into their primarily wireline wide-area IP/MPLS data network.

The Company also provides wholesale voice local and long distance services to cable MSOs, which they offer as part of their bundled service offerings, as well as traditional voice and data services for their enterprise use. The Company also continues to provide voice services to residential consumers. Its Wireline segment markets and sells its services primarily through direct sales representatives. It offers VoIP-based services to business subscribers and transport VoIP-originated traffic for various cable companies.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications, Inc.

Top Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP.O)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

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Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personne l or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Util! it! ies, oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enter prises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV ) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold prim! arily ! t! o EchoSt! ar, an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014

By many measures, the United States is the wealthiest economy in the world. However, according to a recent survey, women do not benefit nearly as much as men. The U.S. ranked 23rd in the world for gender equality, behind countries including South Africa, Cuba, and the Philippines.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) report, the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, measured the disparities between men and women in 136 countries. In the nations that scored the worst, economic and educational opportunities, as well as political representation and health outcomes, were far worse for women than for men. According to the report, Iceland was the best country for gender equality, while Yemen was the worst. 24/7 Wall St.��reviewed the 10 nations with the worst gender-based inequality.The world's worst countries for gender inequality consistently failed to provide the same education opportunities for women that were available for men. Five of these nations were among the bottom 10 countries measured for equality of educational attainment.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Banca Carige(CRGI.MI)

Banca Carige S.p.A. engages in the banking, insurance, trustee, instrumental, and financial businesses in Italy and internationally. The company?s products and services include current accounts, free and term deposits, lending repurchase agreements, mortgages, credit cards, personal and salary backed loans, leasing, factoring services, financial instruments and currency trading, asset management, securities custody and administration, custodian services, placement of securities, receipt and issue of orders, insurance products, and collection and payment services. It operates approximately 668 branches. The company is headquartered in Genova, Italy.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: U308 Ltd(UTO.AX)

U3O8 Limited engages in the acquisition and exploration of uranium in Australia. It controls approximately 31 exploration licenses in Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia. The company primarily focuses on the Ashburton project comprising 18 granted exploration tenements prospective for gold, silver, rare earths, base metals, and uranium located to the south of Paraburdoo in Western Australia; the Saltwater Pool Joint Venture project area prospective for gold and silver in the Ashburton area of Western Australia; the Ardmore project prospective for base metal and uranium mineralization located to the south of Mt Isa in Queensland; and the Olary Creek iron ore project located in South Australia. U3O8 Limited is based in West Perth, Australia.

Top 5 Canadian Companies To Own For 2015: PLX Technology Inc.(PLXT)

PLX Technology, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor devices worldwide. It offers semiconductor devices, such as PCI express switches that allow aggregation of multi-channel Ethernet, fiber channel, graphics, and SAS cards to the host; PCI express bridges, which allow devices with other standards to be used in systems that need to interoperate with PCI express; and 10G Ethernet over copper PHY devices that provide a seamless migration from the slower connections to the faster ones. The company?s products also include direct attached storage products, which allow external storage to connect to a PC through USB connection; network attached storage products that provide storage to a local area network; PCI bridges consisting of general purpose bridges that translate and extend the PCI bus; and universal serial bus (USB) interface chips, which are used by computer peripherals and consumer products to interoperate through an external cabled connection. Its semiconductor devices accelerate and manage the transfer of data in microprocessor-based systems, including networking and telecommunications, enterprise storage, servers, personal computers (PCs), PC peripherals, consumer electronics, imaging, and industrial products. The company markets its products through direct and indirect sales force, manufacturers, and distributors to electronics manufacturers. PLX Technology, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    PLX Technology (Nasdaq: PLXT  ) reported earnings on April 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), PLX Technology met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Banro Corporation Com Npv (BAA.TO)

Banro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of gold properties. It operates in three segments: Mining Operations, Exploration, and Development. The company holds 100% interests in 4 gold properties, including Twangiza, Namoya, Lugushwa, and Kamituga covering an area of approximately 2,612 square kilometers with 13 exploitation permits in the South Kivu and Maniema provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also owns 14 exploration permits covering an area of 2,638 square kilometers located in the vicinity of Twangiza and Namoya properties. The company was formerly known as Banro Resource Corporation and changed its name to Banro Corporation in January 2001. Banro Corporation was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Wayside Technology Group Inc.(WSTG)

Wayside Technology Group, Inc., an information technology channel company, resells software and hardware, as well as provides technical services to software development and information technology professionals primarily in the United States and Canada. It offers various products from publishers of software and tools for virtualization, networking, software development, database modeling, security, and other technical domains. The company operates in two segments, Lifeboat Distribution and TechXtend. The Lifeboat segment distributes technical software through a network of corporate and value-added resellers, consultants, and systems integrators. The TechXtend segment sells technical software, hardware, and services for microcomputers, servers, and networks to individual programmers, corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions. Wayside Technology Group, Inc. markets products through its Web sites, local and online seminars, and print and electronic catalo gs, as well as through direct e-mail and printed materials. The company was formerly known as Programmer?s Paradise, Inc. and changed its name to Wayside Technology Group, Inc. in August 2006. Wayside Technology Group, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Open Ec Technologies Inc. (OCE.V)

Open EC Technologies, Inc. provides e-business software, services, and solutions. It develops and markets electronic data interchange (EDI) software primarily to retailers, financial and public institutions, utility and pharmaceutical companies, and wholesalers in North America and Asia. It also offers e-commerce software; software through Internet portals and licenses; and consulting and support services. In addition, the company provides a healthcare information exchange solution to connect healthcare providers and healthcare payers, for healthcare claims, eligibility, payments, purchasing, and records, as well as medical claim clearing and billing services. Its products are used by customers, software companies, and resellers to implement standards based electronic commerce, EDI, business to business commerce, and business document exchanges. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada. As of October 25, 2012, Open EC Technologies Inc . operates as a subsidiary of QHR Technologies Inc.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Monument Mining Limited(MMY.V)

Monument Mining Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of gold mineral properties. The company?s principal properties include Selinsing Gold Project, Damar Buffalo Reef Prospect, and Famehub properties are located in the Central Gold Belt of Western Malaysia. It also holds interest in the Mersing Gold Project located in the Jahore State of Malaysia. Monument Mining Limited is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: La Doria(LDO.MI)

La Doria SpA engages in the production and marketing of food products in the vegetable and juices processing sector primarily in Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Scandinavian countries. Its products include tomato-based products, fruit juices, and canned vegetables and pasta. The company offers peeled, chopped, and cherry tomatoes; tomato puree; traditional and mixed fruit juices; pulses, such as beans, chick peas, and lentils; minestrones and soups; and carrots and legumes. It also markets canned tomatoes, fruits, fishes, shrimps, pet food, and other products. The company sells its products under the La Doria, LA ROMANELLA, VIVI G, and VIVI G BIO brand names. La Doria SpA was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Angri, Italy.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Messina Minerals Inc. (MMI.V)

Messina Minerals Inc. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties primarily in Canada. The company explores primarily for zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold deposits. It principally holds 100% interests in the Tulks South property consisting of 713 mineral claims covering 17,835 hectares located in central Newfoundland; and the Long Lake property comprising 351 mineral claims covering 8,784 hectares located in Newfoundland. The company was formerly known as Mishibishu Gold Corporation and changed its name to Messina Minerals Inc. in January 2003. Messina Minerals Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: VeriSign Inc.(VRSN)

VeriSign, Inc. provides Internet infrastructure services to various networks worldwide. The company provides domain name registry services and infrastructure assurance services. It offers registry services that operate the authoritative directory of various .com, .net, .cc, .tv, and .name domain names, as well as the back-end systems for various .jobs and .edu domain names; and network intelligence and availability services that provide infrastructure assurance to organizations comprising Verisign iDefense security intelligence services, managed domain name system services, and distributed denial of service mitigation. VeriSign, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

    VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) �shares lost 5%. The Internet-domain company on Thursday said its fourth-quarter profit rose to $1.94 a share from 65 cents a share a year ago. However, the stock has come under pressure following comments from an analyst that it is losing growth traction.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Highway Capital(HWC.L)

Highway Capital plc does not have significant operations. It intends to seek and acquire a suitable business. The company is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Astaldi Spa(AST.MI)

Astaldi S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and management of public infrastructure and civil engineering works in Italy and internationally. It offers transport infrastructure services, including roads, motorways, railways, undergrounds, ports, and airports; and water and renewable energy works, such as dams, hydroelectric plants, waterworks, oil pipelines, gas pipelines, and treatment plants. The company is also involved in the civil and industrial construction projects, such as hospitals, car parks, and transport infrastructure. Astaldi S.p.A. is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc.(SPB)

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer products company worldwide. It offers consumer batteries, including alkaline and zinc carbon batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers, and hearing aid batteries and other specialty batteries; pet supplies, such as aquatic equipment and supplies, dog and cat treats, small animal foods, clean up and training aids, health and grooming products, and beddings; and home and garden control products comprising household insect controls, insect repellents, and herbicides. The company also provides electric shaving and grooming devices; small appliances, including small kitchen appliances and home product appliances; electric personal care and styling devices; and portable lighting. Its sells its products through various trade channels, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors, hearing aid professionals, industrial distributors, and original equipment manufacturers primarily under t he Rayovac, Remington, Varta, George Foreman, Black & Decker, Toastmaster, Farberware, Tetra, Marineland, Nature?s Miracle, Dingo, 8-in-1, Littermaid, Spectracide, Cutter, Repel, Hot Shot, Black Flag, and TAT brands. The company was headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As of January 7, 2011, Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Harbinger Group Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Consumer products manufacturer Spectrum Brands (SPB) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 30 cents per share, payable on Mar. 18 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 19.
    SPB Dividend Yield: 1.58%

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Allos Therapeutics Inc.(ALTH)

Allos Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of anti-cancer therapeutics. It focuses on the development and commercialization of FOLOTYN (pralatrexate injection), a folate analogue metabolic inhibitor. The company?s FOLOTYN is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). It is also developing FOLOTYN in other hematologic malignancies. The company has a strategic collaboration agreement with Mundipharma International Corporation Limited (Mundipharma) to co-develop FOLOTYN. Allos Therapeutics has full commercialization rights for FOLOTYN in the United States and Canada; and Mundipharma have exclusive rights to commercialize FOLOTYN in all other countries. Allos Therapeutics and Mundipharma are seeking regulatory approval to market FOLOTYN in the European Union and other geographies for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL; and are developing FOLOTYN in other potential indications. The company was formerly known as HemoTech Sciences, Inc. and changed its name to Allos Therapeutics, Inc. in October 1994. Allos Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado.

Top 10 Quality Stocks For 2014: Petroleum Resources Corporation(PEO)

Petroleum & Resources Corporation operates as a nondiversified investment company. It primarily invests in the equity of energy and natural resource companies. The company also has investments in various sectors, including energy, services, basic industries, and paper and forest products. Petroleum & Resources was founded in 1929 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- All three major indices closed near the highs of the day on Friday.

On CNBC's "Fast Money" TV show, Guy Adami, managing director of stockmonster.com, said Exxon Mobil (XOM) could still have upside potential, but those looking to buy now are a "little late to the game."

Warren Buffett recently purchased 40 million shares of Exxon Mobil for $3.1 billion, so the price is naturally rising.

Brian Kelly, founder of Brian Kelly Capital, said WTI crude oil keeps going lower because more and more supply keeps coming online. He suggested shorting Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD).

Tim Seymour, managing partner of Triogem Asset Management, said he likes XOM and General Electric (GE). Stuart Frankel & Company's Steve Grasso said the refinery stocks should keep benefiting if WTI crude keeps going lower, but acknowledged the stocks seem to be getting a little too extended. Bill McDermott, co-CEO of SAP AG (SAP), was a guest on the show and said his company is very focused on China. He added that the country has a ton of potential with the cloud and in big data. McDermott said that constant innovation allows it to stay ahead of its competition and it is currently focused on growing organically, not through M&A. Seymour said emerging markets won't be able to rally without the participation of China. He added that likes SAP, Pepsico (PEP) and Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN). If China continues to lessen restrictions within the country, Grasso said he likes Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). Kelly said he would be a buyer of J.P. Morgan (JPM) if it can break above, and hold, $55. Grasso said investors could keep buying the dip in shares of Pandora (P), but should use a 3% trailing stop-loss. Adami said GameStop (GME) will likely rally into earnings but investors should sell out and possibly even get short if it can't get through $61.

U.S. Steel (X) was the first stock on the show's "Pops & Drop" segment and Grasso said he is neither a buyer or a short-seller of the stock. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) fell 3% and Kelly said an unfavorable EPA decision will hinder it going forward. Zulily (ZU) cruised 71% higher and Adami said there's no reason for investors to buy the the stock. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (JOSB) was up 1% and Seymour said management will continue to hunt for the best way to unlock more value for shareholders. Kelly said investors should be cautious of Japanese equities after its yields jumped so high in the overnight session. He added that he is still long the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DXJ), but suggested investors be aware of the situation. For their final trades, Seymour was a buyer of Clean Energy (CLNE) and Adami was buying Cisco Systems (CSCO). Grasso said to buy Disney (DIS) and Kelly was a buyer of iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (EWW). -- Written by Bret Kenwell in Petoskey, Mich. Follow @BretKenwell Follow TheStreet.com on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Dun & Bradstreet Corp (DNB)

The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (D&B), incorporated on April 25, 2000, is the source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling customers to Decide with Confidence. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� global commercial database contained more than 220 million business records. The database is enhanced by its DUNSRight Quality Process, which transforms commercial data into valuable insight which is the foundation of its global solutions. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions to mitigate credit and supplier risk, increase cash flow and drive profitability; D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to provide data management capabilities that provide marketing solutions to increase revenue from new and existing customers, and D&B Internet Solutions to convert prospects into clients by enabling business professionals to research companies, executives and industries.

The Company operates in three segments: North America (which consists of its operations in the United States and Canada); Asia Pacific (which primarily consists of its operations in Australia, Greater China, India and Asia Pacific Worldwide Network), and Europe and other International Markets (which primarily consists of its operations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Latin America and its European Worldwide Network). The Company conducts its business internationally through its wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned joint ventures, independent correspondents, strategic relationships through its D&B Worldwide Network and minority equity investments.

Risk Management Solutions

The Company provides traditional, value-added and supply management solutions. The Company�� Traditional Risk Management Solutions, which primarily includes its core DNBi product line, as well as reports from its database which are used primarily for making decisions about new credit applications, constituted 74% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 47% of its total revenue for the ye! ar ended December 31, 2012. Its Value-Added Risk Management Solutions, which constituted 20% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 12% of its total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2012, generally support automated decision-making and portfolio management through the use of scoring and integrated software solutions. The Company�� Supply Management Solutions, which can help companies understand the financial risk of their supply chain, constituted 6% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 4% of its total revenue in 2012. Risk Management Solutions accounted for 63% of its total revenue in 2012.

Effective January 1, 2013, the Company began managing and reporting its North America Risk Management Solutions business as DNBi subscription plans, Non-DNBi subscription plans, and projects and other risk management solutions.

The Company�� principal Risk Management Solutions are DNBi, various business information reports, eRAM, and D&B Direct. DNBi is the Company�� interactive, customizable online application that offers customers a subscription based real time access to its complete and up-to-date global DUNSRight information, comprehensive monitoring and portfolio analysis. It is also focused on helping more customers protect their business from risk through additions of DNBi products: DNBi Corporate, offering flexible pricing options allowing credit departments of all sizes to get data and options they need and Portfolio Risk Manager for DNBi, a module which allows DNBi users to create strategic one -click analytic reports to see risk and opportunity across their customer base. Various business information reports include Business Information Report, its Comprehensive Report, and its International Report that are consumed in a transactional manner across multiple platforms, such as DNB.com. eRAM is an enterprise solution for large global and domestic customers for automated decisioning and portfolio analytics. D&B Direct is a software application programming inter! face (API! ) that enables data integration inside enterprise applications, such as ERP, and enables master data management.

Sales & Marketing Solutions

The Company�� Sales & Marketing Solutions is a customer solution set, which accounted 29% of its total revenue in 2012. Within this customer solution set, it offers traditional and value-added solutions. Its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions generally consist of its marketing lists and labels used by the Company�� customers in direct mail and marketing activities, its education business and its electronic licensing solutions. These solutions constituted 30% of its Sales & Marketing Solutions revenue and 9% of its total revenue in 2012. Effective January 1, 2013, The Company began managing and reporting its Internet Solutions business as part of its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions set. Its Value-Added Sales & Marketing Solutions generally include decision-making and customer information management solutions, including data management solutions like Optimizer (its solution to cleanse, identify and enrich its customers' client portfolios) and products introduced as part of its Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) Strategy, which integrates the Company�� data directly into the applications and platforms that its customers use every day. The Value-Added Sales & Marketing Solutions constituted 70% of Sales & Marketing Solutions revenue and 20% of its total revenue in 2012

Internet Solutions

The Company�� Internet Solutions business provides organized and easy-to-use products that address the online sales and marketing needs of professionals and businesses, including information on companies, industries and executives. Internet Solutions, primarily representing the results of its Hoover's business, accounted for 7% of its total revenue in 2012. Effective January 1, 2013, the Company began managing and reporting its Internet Solutions business as part of its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions set.

T! he Company competes with Equifax, Inc., Experian Information Solutions, Inc., infoGROUP, Graydon, and Sinotrust.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon] street costs $80.27 a share. So $100 will buy you 1.25 shares of Dun & Bradstreet. Dun & Bradstreet has $5.29 in earnings per share. So, 1.25 shares would deliver $6.61 a share in earnings. We can think of $6.61 a share in earnings as the amount of present earnings your $100 can buy you in Dun & Bradstreet stock.

    Coach grew revenue per share 20% over the last five years. While Dun & Bradstreet grew revenue per share 9% a year over the last five years.

    Let�� imagine ��just for the sake of argument ��what would happen if Dun & Bradstreet and Coach both grew their earnings for the next five years at the same pace they grew them over the last five years.

    This is how much earnings my same $100 would buy in each stock:

    Coach (COH) Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) Today $4.39 $6.61 2012 $5.27 $7.20 2013 $6.32 $7.85 2014 $7.59 $8.56 2015 $9.11 $9.33 2016 $10.93 $10.17

    In four years, my $100 investment in Coach would be earning nearly the same amount per year as my $100 investment in Dun & Bradstreet. And in five years, Coach�� earnings would pass Dun & Bradstreet�� earnings.

    If Coach�� growth prospects still looked good in five years, the stock might have a P/E of 20. Meanwhile, Dun & Bradstreet�� growth might still be barely inching along. Actual sales growth at DNB is only around 3% a year. The per share growth is due to constant share buybacks. Check out Dun & Bradstreet�� 10-year financial summary for evidence of the mammoth stock buyback they��e done over the last decade. Shares outstanding have declined almost 40%.

    Anyway, if DNB�� organic sales growth was around 3% or so five years from now ��the stock could easily have a P/E of 12. So, you could certainly imagine a scenario five years from now where Coach�� price per share is $219 ($10.93 * 20) while Dun & Bradstreet�� stock price is only $122 ($10.17 * 12).

    I can�� argue with that. It�� certainly possible. Personally, I�� not at all sure a P/

  • [By Geoff Gannon] ly doesn�� need working capital even when it grows say 3% a year or so. And some companies always need a ton of working capital like Lakeland (LAKE) or ADDvantage (AEY). How you feel about how those companies use working capital has a lot to do with whether or not you like those stocks long-term.

    Then there are companies that have increased working capital very, very fast over the last decade or so ��but they��e also increased sales at a startling clip.

    That�� Carbo.

    Let�� look at where the difference between EBITDA and operating cash flow is coming from.

    Cash flow from others as shown on GuruFocus�� 10-year financials page for Carbo ��I��l use this as a proxy for working capital changes ��was positive in only two years. And not by much. Usually, it�� been negative. Over the 10 years, that single line has added up to a negative $173 million. Wow.

    Okay. Then there�� the difference between free cash flow and owner earnings. Owner earnings as you��l remember is Warren Buffett�� calculation of what a business could pay out to owners in cash at the end of the year ��if it stopped growing. But didn�� shrink. More on that later. For now, let�� look at the difference between Carbo�� depreciation and Carbo�� spending on property, plant and equipment.

    Over the last 10 years, cap-ex has been: $546 million (or $425 million if you allow cap-ex to provide cash flow in certain years, this is a weird issue I don�� want to touch right now)

    And over the last 10 years, depreciation has been: $201.52 million

    That�� a big gap. We��e got some combination of Carbo underreporting economic depreciation by anywhere from $225 million to $350 million or so ��or we��e got Carbo investing something like $225 million to $350 million in growth.

    Which is it?

    Let�� check the growth angle first.

    Over the last 10 years, Carbo has grown total sales by just under 18% a year. Now, I happen to

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Quantum Energy Ltd (QTM.AX)

Quantum Energy Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and distribution of energy saving hot water, heating, and cooling systems for residential and commercial markets in Australia and internationally. It provides solar power systems, hot water heaters, and pool heaters, as well as commercial and industrial building heaters. The company is also involved in the distribution of medical products primarily in the field of nuclear medicine. Quantum Energy Limited is based in Alexandria, Australia.

Top Oil Companies To Invest In 2015: Network Exploration Ltd (NET)

Network Exploration Ltd. is an exploration and development-stage company. The Company�� principal business activities include the exploration of minerals in its mineral properties. It focuses on base and precious metal properties in North and South America. Its activities include the process of exploring its mineral properties, reviewing and subsequently acquiring mineral properties and conducting exploration programs to determine whether these properties contain ore reserves that are recoverable. The Picha copper-silver project is located within the Tertiary Volcanic Arc of Southern Peru. The Pistala project is located east of the NW-SE trending Incapquio fault system in the Department of Tacna, Southern Peru. The Company is in the business of mineral exploration in Canada, Chile and Peru. Network Exploration Chile Limitada is its wholly owned subsidiary. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Patience Investing Inc.]

    Sl. No Portfolio Style Description Annualized Performance (Net) Since Inception or Longest Period Primary Benchmark Relative Performance 1 Emerging Markets Equity Stocks of companies in emerging countries 8.35% 6.29% 2.06% 2 European Equity Stocks of companies in European countries 8.48 6.20 2.28 3 Global Balanced Mix of global stocks and bonds 7.60 6.37 1.23 4 Global Equity Stocks of U.S. & non-U.S. companies 12.40 9.24 3.16 5 Global Mid Cap Equity Stocks of mid-sized U.S. and Non-U.S. companies 3.85 6.14 -2.29 6 Global Small Cap Equity Stocks of smaller U.S. and Non-U.S. companies 6.00 6.26 -0.26 7 International Equity Stocks of non-U.S. companies 9.57 4.56 5.01 8 International Mid Cap Equity Stocks of mid-sized non-U.S. companies 5.61 5.93 -0.32 9 International Small Cap Equity Stocks of smaller non-U.S. companies 7.84 5.87 1.97 10 U.S. Mid Cap Value Equity Stocks of mid-sized U.S. companies 3.40 7.05 -3.65 11 U.S. Small Cap Value Equity Stocks of smaller U.S. companies 3.07 4.84 -1.77 12 U.S. Value Equity Stocks of U.S. companies 6.91 7.81 -0.90 Source: Compiled from http://www.brandes.com/Inv/Pages/Performance.aspx

  • [By Jason Rivera]

    Assets:Book Value:Reproduction Value:Current AssetsCash And Cash Equivalents506506Accounts Receivable (Net)3,6193,076Inventories10,0006,000Deferred Income Taxes919460Prepaid Expenses799400Total Current Assets15,8439,986PP&E Net2,4151,449Equity and Other Investments4,5763,432Intangible Assets3,1391,570Deferred Income Taxes991496Total Assets26,96417,387
    Number of shares is 7,383.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    The MSCI World ex U.S. Small Cap Index (Net) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure global developed market equity performance, excluding the U.S. The MSCI Small Cap Indices target 40% of the eligible Small Cap universe within each industry group, within each country. MSCI defines the Small Cap universe as all listed securities that have a market capitalization in the range of USD200-1,500 million. This benchmark calculates reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes using Luxembourg tax rates. This index is unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly in this index.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Brooks Automation Inc.(BRKS)

Brooks Automation, Inc. provides automation, vacuum, and instrumentation solutions for semiconductor manufacturing, life sciences, and clean energy markets worldwide. The company?s Brooks Product Solutions segment provides a range of products critical to technology equipment productivity and availability. This segment?s products include atmospheric and vacuum tool automation systems, atmospheric and vacuum robots and robotic modules, and cryogenic vacuum pumping, thermal management, and vacuum measurement solutions, which are used to create, measure, and control critical process vacuum applications. Its Brooks Life Science Systems segment offers automated sample management systems, including automated sample storage, automated blood fractionation equipment, sample preparation and handling equipment, consumables, parts, and support services to various life science customers, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, biobanks, national laboratories, rese arch institutes, and research universities. The company?s Brooks Global Services segment provides a range of support services, including on and off-site repair services, on and off-site diagnostic support services, and installation services to enable the customers to maximize process tool uptime and productivity. This segment also offers spare part support services to end-user customers. Brooks Automation, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Brooks Automation Inc.'s(BRKS) fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell 95% as the technology-products company’s revenue slipped on weak demand from semiconductor customers and a much smaller tax benefit. Results beat expectations, but the company gave a weak outlook for the first quarter. Shares edged lower.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Suburban Propane Partners L.P.(SPH)

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail marketing and distribution of propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels. Its Propane segment is involved in the distribution of propane to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers, as well as in the wholesale distribution to industrial end users. This segment offers propane primarily for space heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying in the residential and commercial markets; for use as a motor fuel in internal combustion engines to power over-the-road vehicles, forklifts, and stationary engines, as well as to fire furnaces and as a cutting gas to the industrial customers; and for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding, and weed control in the agricultural markets. The company?s Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment engages in the retail distribution of fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline to residential and commercial customers primarily for use as a sourc e of heat in homes and buildings. Its Natural Gas and Electricity segment markets natural gas and electricity to residential and small commercial customers in the deregulated energy markets of New York and Pennsylvania. The company also sells, installs, and services of a range of home comfort equipment, including whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, hearth products, and space heaters; and sells and installs natural gas and propane gas grills, fireplaces, and related accessories and supplies through retail stores. As of September 24, 2011, it served approximately 750,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers primarily in the east and west coast regions of the United States, including Alaska, as well as operated 2 retail stores in the northwest and northeast regions in the United States. Suburban Energy Services Group LLC serves as a general partner of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. The company was founded in 1945 and is based in Whippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP  ) will release its quarterly report on Friday, and shares of the propane distributor have jumped to two-year highs recently. Yet with a somewhat different exposure to the industry than rivals AmeriGas (NYSE: APU  ) and Suburban Propane (NYSE: SPH  ) , will Ferrellgas earnings be able to grow enough to make optimistic investors satisfied?

  • [By Traders Reserve]

    Suburban Propane (SPH) does one thing ��it distributes propane ��and while the stock is down because sales are booming and profits are not. Revenue in 2012 was up almost 65% I 2012 (in part due to an acquisition), and will be up another 10% or more in 2013 despite the fall in most prices. I expect this to turn around this year, in part because of increased supplies of propane from shale fields.

  • [By Vanin Aegea]

    Investors are very often turned off by a cyclical business. Nonetheless, such behavior gives investors the chance to take a position in a profitable business model at a low entry price. With a recent boom in the U.S. market, prices are not expected to be in the low end. Let us look at AGL Resources (GAS) and Suburban Propane (SPH) to see whether any of them offer a profitable business model at a low entry price.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Rand Logistics Inc.(RLOG)

Rand Logistics, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides bulk freight shipping services in the Great Lakes region. It offers domestic port-to-port services and River Class bulk freight shipping services in Canada and the United States. The company operates a fleet of 12 self-unloading bulk carriers, including 3 integrated tug/barge units and 3 conventional bulk carriers. Its vessels operate under the U.S. Jones Act, which reserves domestic waterborne commerce to vessels that are U.S. owned, built, and crewed; and the Canada Marine Act that requires only Canadian registered and crewed ships to operate between Canadian ports. The company services the construction, electric utility, integrated steel, and food industries through the transportation of limestone, coal, iron ore, salt, grain, and other dry bulk commodities. Rand Logistics, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in New York, New York.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Stockland(SGP.AX)

Stockland Corporation Limited engages in the development and management of real estate projects in mainland Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. It invests in retail, office, industrial, and office park properties, as well as residential properties and retirement living facilities. The company also offers property trust management and property management services. Stockland Corporation was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: P.F.Chang's China Bistro Inc.(PFCB)

P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of restaurants in the United States. The company owns and operates two restaurant concepts, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Pei Wei Asian Diner. As of January 1, 2012, it owned and operated 204 full service Bistro restaurants and 170 quick-casual Pei Wei restaurants; and operated 15 Bistro restaurants in Mexico, the Middle East and Puerto Rico under development and licensing agreements. P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Class Editori(CLE.MI)

Class Editori SpA engages in newspapers, magazines, digital satellite television (TV), digital terrestrial TV, radio, and electronic publishing businesses. The company publishes newspapers that provide news, features, and information of interest to economists, lawyers, tax specialists, bankers, and other professionals; and various magazines for business professionals and consumers. It also operates Class CNBC, an Italian business TV channel, which provides activities and events of Italian stock exchange and Davos world economic forum; Class TV Msnbc, a terrestrial digital information TV channel that offers information on the lives of Italians and weather news; ClassHorseTV, which provides horse events; and Class TV Moda, an Italian fashion channel that offers international events, fashion shows, and interviews with fashion celebrities and VIP guests at fashion shows, as well as other TV channels, such as Class Life. In addition, the company provides a mix of classical musi c and Italian, and international financial news. Further, it supplies data, information, and financial news through various platforms, including cable, satellite, Intranet, and the Internet. Class Editori SpA was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Bally Technologies Inc (BYI)

Bally Technologies, Inc. (Bally), incorporated on September 30, 1968, is a global gaming company, which designs, manufactures, operates, and distributes advanced technology-based gaming devices, systems, server-based solutions, custom mobile applications, and interactive applications. The Company also provides hardware, including spinning-reel and video gaming devices, specialty gaming devices, and wide-area progressive systems. The Company supports customers include land-based, riverboat, and Native American casinos, video lottery and central determination markets. The Company derives its revenue from sale of gaming devices and related equipment, parts and conversion kits; operation of linked progressive systems, video lottery and centrally determined systems, and the rental of gaming devices and content, and sale and support of specialized systems-based software, hardware and interactive products and related recurring maintenance revenue. In July 2011, the Company acquired MacroView Labs, a company in mobile-application development and mobile platforms for the casino gaming industry.

Game Cabinet Hardware

The Company's Pro Series is available in upright, slant, spinning-reel, curve, V32 and V22/32 formats. They come with features, such as the touch-screen, iDeck. The Company can configure the top-box in Pro Series cabinets in a range of ways, including with upright wheel, as a hammerhead with an oversized 32-inch cinematic display, using the commanding digital ladder 32-inch high definition (HD) video display, and the soon to be released 42-inch vertical display. The Pro Curve Upright, which emulates a spinning-reel cabinet, but is actually a video slot machine with a curved LCD display, features a video-reel technology.

Game Platform

The Company support two gaming platforms; the ALPHA and the ALPHA 2. ALPHA and ALPHA 2 were designed to support industry protocols, as well as various kinds of game bonuses and multi-denomination, multi-game and mu! lti-pay table game configurations. It can operate with stand-alone, local, and progressive products. The ALPHA 2 platform incorporated all the attributes of ALPHA, which featured a layered architecture and modular design, as well as INTEL Core 2 processor; four gigabytes of dual-channel memory; Realtek HD audio, and video technology. ALPHA 2 supports both game content, as well as network and server-based applications. It is operable with the Bally Command Center, which will allow downloadable access to the Company's game content through a central server.

Game Development and Game Content

The Company's game content features original themes, licensed themes using brands, and adaptations of Bally brands, such as Cash Spin, Hot Shot, Quick Hit, and Blazing 7s. The Company has deployed its game content across wide-area progressive, local-area, and near-area progressive slots, spinning-reel and video gaming devices, specialty gaming devices, and multi-suite games. The Company's game-development teams cover the globe, with centers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Australia, and India. In addition, the Company has partnered with brands, such as Michael Jackson, GREASE, Betty Boop, and the Playboy franchise. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced new levels of iDeck interaction on games, such as All That Jazz, Total Blast, and Fish'n for Loot. These games enable players to use the iDeck as an arcade-like device. Players touch and play a virtual piano on All That Jazz. Fish'n for Loot and Total Blast introduced the Company's new U-Shoot virtual shooting gallery bonus-game play mechanic, in which the player touches the iDeck to create weapons for shooting at targets on the main game screens.

Game Parts and Conversion Kits

The Company's gaming device customers purchase replacement parts, upgrades, game conversion kits, and other products from the Company. The Company's Pro Series cabinets, with their all-digital display! s and iDe! ck digital, configurable touch-screen button deck, make game conversions not to change the button configuration or replace game glass.

Maintenance, Trade, and Resale Market

The Company offers a 90-day parts, labor, and performance warranty/guarantee for new gaming devices. The Company provides after-sale services to its customers, including customer education programs, an around-the-clock customer service telephone hotline, a Website for technical support, field service-support programs, and spare parts programs. The Company sells used gaming devices, including products made by the Company, as well as those produced by its competitors. The Company acquires used devices as trade-ins toward the purchase of new gaming devices.

Gaming Operations

Through the Company's Gaming Operations, the Company offers gaming operators a range of rental options for its gaming devices and content. The Company offers its customers gaming devices featuring a common jackpot or prize awards that can be linked (within a casino, in a local-area network, or among multiple casinos within a market or jurisdiction) in a wide-area network. The Company offers progressive gaming devices to customers under a daily-fee arrangement based on a percentage of the money wagered on the participating gaming devices. In many cases, the Company uses a portion of these revenues to fund the ultimate payment of the jackpot awards. The Company markets its linked progressive systems under titles such as Betty Boop's Love Meter, Golden Pharaoh, Money Vault, Instant Fortune, Ultimate Tower of Power, Quarter Million$, Millionaire Sevens and 1,000,000 Degrees. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had a total of 1,792 linked progressive systems.

The Company offers a range of non-linked games and content on a rental basis for either a fixed daily fees or a fee based on the percentage of the net win generated by the gaming device. Many of these games are available as both wide-area progressive! s (WAP) a! nd flat-fee near-area progressives (NAP). This category includes both gaming devices, in which the Company retains ownership and charges a daily fees for the use of the gaming device, and gaming devices its customers purchase which are classified as game sales revenue. Gaming devices, in which the Company retains ownership and charges a daily fees, include rental and maintenance of the gaming device and licensing of the game content. For gaming devices the Company's customers purchase, the Company provides the game content under a usage-fee arrangement, which results in a lower daily-fee than leasing the entire gaming device. The Company markets its rental and daily-fee games under titles, including greases, Michael Jackson King of Pop, Money Vault, Money Talks, Golden Pharaoh, Cash Spin Jackpot, Money Wheel, Vegas Hits Roadtrip, Betty Boop's Love Meter, Cash Spin, Hot Spin, Vegas Hits, Cash Wizard, Ultimate Tower of Power, Hot Shot Progressive Cash Wheel, Fireball, 77777 Jackpot, Reel Money, Hot Shot Progressive, Quick Hit Platinum, Reel Winners, Hee Haw, and Monte Carlo. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had a total installed base of rental and daily fee games of 14,890 units.

The Company offers video and spinning-reel devices, which can operates either as stand-alone devices or as units, which interact with (or can be monitored by) a central system maintained by government agencies. The financial model for this market requires the Company to build, deploy, and maintain the devices, along with providing the related equipment in return for a share of the net win generated by the device for a contractually fixed period of time. As of June 30, 2012, the Company earned recurring revenue from its installed base of 9,281 video lottery devices operated by New York State Lottery (NYSL). The Company also earns recurring revenues from 2,437 video lottery devices deployed at horseracing and other gaming facilities under agreements with the Delaware State Lottery Commission and Maryland State Lottery ! Commissio! n.

The Company offers video and spinning-reel devices, which connects to a central server, which determines the outcome of the games. These systems operate in Native American casinos in Washington, Oklahoma, and Florida, as well as Mexico. In each case, for the use of the Company's central determination software, the Company receives either a fixed daily fee or a percentage of the net wins generated by the devices connected to the system. As of June 30, 2012, the total installed base of gaming devices connected to the Company's centrally determined systems totaled 47,633. In Mexico, the Company sells gaming devices for an upfront fees, and classify the purchases as game sales revenues. The Company also derives a daily fee equal to a percentage of the net win for providing a system network, gaming content, and monitoring, maintenance and consulting. As of June 30, 2012, 9,449 of the total installed base of gaming devices connected to the Company's centrally determined systems were deployed in Mexico. Included in the total installed base of centrally determined games in Mexico are 6,981 iVIEW in-game player-communication units installed in non-Bally games, in which the Company charges a system connection fee.

System Solutions

The Company offers core, slot, casino and table management systems (collectively, casino management systems). The Company's comprehensive suite of technology solutions provides gaming operations of every size with a range of marketing, data management and analysis, accounting, player tracking, security, and other software applications and tools to more manage their operations. The Company also provides technologies to deploy a networked, server-based gaming environment, complete with a command center solution for centralized management and control. Version 11 provides gaming operators with easy-to-use graphical interfaces; vertical and horizontal scalability; distributed architectures, and support for multiple languages and currencies. As of Ju! ne 30, 20! 12, there were more than 300 casinos that have installed Version 11.

The Company partners with its customers to help them add network and server-based solutions to their existing systems, whether on a floor-wide basis, in smaller sections of the floor, or on selected banks of games. The Company's Systems business comprises three facets: hardware, including the Company's iVIEW and Display Manager (DM) player-user-interface devices and specialized system-based products; software and services, including licenses of the Company's core systems and suite of player tracking, bonusing, and marketing applications and customized system solutions, and maintenance, providing access to future enhancements or upgrades to the system software for a fee based on a percent of the license fee.

The system-based hardware and software products in the Company's casino management systems offer gaming operators benefits, including player-loyalty solutions, which are comparable to frequent guest programs found in other leisure and retail industries; database marketing and table-game accounting solutions, including the calculation of all revenue and expense-related items, and cage and credit accountability for all extensions of cage and credit cash balancing functions. The Company designed and deployed these systems in both domestic and international markets so that they would be and adaptable to foreign languages and currencies.

The Company's solutions, which support Gaming Standard Association (GSA) protocols, operate on common platforms, such as Windows, AS/400 (iSeries), Linux, and UNIX. By supporting these platforms, the Company allows its customers to choose a technology solution. The Company designs its slot-management systems with features for handling slots monitoring, accounting, and operations, as well as bonusing, sweepstakes, promotions, cashless transfer, ticketing, jackpots, promotional coupons, redemptions, and soft count. The Bally Business Intelligence applications, which! span acr! oss all the Company's casino management systems, bring data analytics to a gaming operator's key executive and marketing-management teams.

The Company's server-based iVIEW network serves as a way to communicate with players directly at the point-of-play. This network allows gaming operators to present messages in a split or full screen format on the main game display of any touch-screen- equipped gaming device. The Company's iVIEW network also works with the Company's Bally Command Center for server-based download of content, its Elite Bonusing Suite of floor-wide bonusing applications, its Bally CoolSign media management solution, and other new technologies under development. iVIEW and iVIEW DM work on almost any manufacturers' gaming devices that have a touch screen and are backward and forward compatible.

The iVIEW DM solution is for marketing to players at the point of play. This picture-in-picture-style technology facilitates enhanced communication and customer-service functions, such as beverage service, floor mapping, and real-time perishable promotions without interrupting game play. iVIEW DM also used to create excitement on the casino floor with floor-wide bonusing events; game-in-games; second-chance-to-win games; floor-wide slot tournaments; interactive virtual racing events; time-based promotions; targeted, customized player messaging, and bonuses on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. iVIEW and iVIEW DM can even work in conjunction with the casino's player data to offer customized content based on gender, age, and provide player preferences. The Company can implement iVIEW DM across entire gaming floors, in smaller sections of floors, or bank-by-bank based on casino operator preference and capital budgets. Bonusing applications on the Elite Bonusing Suite server allow operators to tailor and automate promotions using server-based applications, such as Virtual Racing, DM Tournaments, U-Spin Bonusing, Power Winners, Dynamic Random Bonusing, Video Poker Bonusing,! iVIEW Me! ssaging, Flex Rewards and Lucky Match Bonusing. Bally CoolSign is the gaming industry's gaming centric media management tool, which enables gaming promotions and/or gaming information, triggered through any of the Company's products, to be displayed onto any digital display in the casino resort or the casino enterprise.

The Company's server-based command center enables gaming operators to download marketing content on iVIEW and iVIEW DM displays. They can also configure gaming device pay tables and game play options, deliver new game content and game libraries, and perform updates of game firmware, such as ticket printers and bill acceptors through a central server, rather than having to implement updates on each device.

Interactive Solutions

Bally Interactive encompasses the Company's mobile and online initiatives and related product offerings, which provide operators a range of solutions. The Company's online solutions are designed to enable casino operators the ability to offer players a online gaming experience through the Company's iGaming Platform and Remote Gaming Server on computers or mobile devices. The Company's open, cloud-based iGaming Platform, enable operators to choose poker, slot, table, and other gaming content from various providers. This content is delivered through the Company's Remote Gaming Server, allowing access to the entire library of games and one-time integration.

The Company offers or has created mobile apps and mobile Websites for dozens of casinos globally. The Company's apps are designed as casino concierge apps, providing operators the opportunity to attract new players, enhance their patrons' casino resort visit, and sell more to them through their phones or mobile tablets. Apps can include casino games, player's club sign-up and account information, hyper-targeted offers, show previews, room and restaurant bookings, feedback surveys, menus, interactive maps, and many other features. Utilizing the Company's cloud-b! ased mobi! le technology platform, casinos can manage their portfolio of mobile Websites and native apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, BlackBerry, and other devices from a single content management system.

The Company competes with International Game Technology, Game Technology Ltd., Aristocrat Leisure Limited, Aruze Gaming America, Inc., GTECH Holdings Corporation, Konami Co. Ltd., Novomatic AG, Recreativos Franco, S.A., Unidesa Gaming and Systems, and WMS Industries, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Consolidation among gaming suppliers is continuing, and now it's with an eye on the future of online gaming. Earlier this year, Scientific Games said it would buy WMS Industries�for $1.5 billion, creating a company with lottery equipment and slot machines. Today, Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI  ) agreed �to buy SHFL entertainment (NASDAQ: SHFL  ) for $1.3 billion, or $23.25 per share, creating a casino supplier that can offer nearly all products or services needed to run a casino.�

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Gaming specialist Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI  ) has teamed up with U.K.-based payment processor Optimal Payments to offer online gamblers�payment options and related services.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: First Citizens Banc Corp.(FCZA)

First Citizens Banc Corp operates as the holding company for The Citizens Banking Company, which provides various banking products and services in Ohio. It accepts various deposit products that include non interest-bearing and interest-bearing demand deposits; savings accounts comprising money market deposit accounts; and certificates of deposit, such as individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial and agricultural loans, commercial real estate loans, residential real estate loans, real estate construction loans, consumer loans, leases, and credit card and other loans. First Citizens also provides trust services, item-processing services for financial institutions, and third party insurance services. It operates in Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Franklin, Logan, Summit, Huron, Ottawa, Union, and Richland Counties, Ohio. The company was founded in 1884 and is based in Sandusky, Ohio.

Best Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Lornex Capital Inc (LOM.V)

Lornex Capital Inc., a natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the AMI copper-molybdenum-silver-lead property consisting of 50 contiguous mineral claims covering approximately 1,045 hectares located to the west of Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The company was formerly known as Grid Capital Corporation and changed its name to Lornex Capital Inc. in September 2008. Lornex Capital Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.