Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Economy's Next Subprime Time Bomb Is Ticking Down to Zero
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Do Target-Date Retirement Funds Miss the Mark?
NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Holding more than $500 billion in assets, target-date funds rank among the most popular choices in retirement plans. The funds are designed to serve people who will retire on certain dates, such as 2020 or 2035.
But some financial planners argue that the target funds are not perfect solutions. Critics contend that the one-size-fits-all portfolios should be tweaked to lower risks or to boost returns. "The strategies of target-date funds do not make sense," says Ron Surz, president of Target Date Solutions, which seeks to lower risks of portfolios.
At a time when most observers praise the target-date funds, the critics remain a distinct minority. Still, their views are worth considering because they suggest ways that retirement portfolios could be improved or customized by do-it-yourself investors.
The target-date approach has attracted millions of investors by offering balanced portfolios of stocks and bonds. For 401(k) participants, the diversified funds represent a step forward from the days when many savers put all their money in cash or the stock of their employers. Much of the criticism focuses on the asset allocations. Funds for people in their 20s and 30s typically have 70% to 90% of assets in equities and the rest in fixed income. As savers age, the equity allocations gradually decline according to schedules known as glide paths. Portfolios for retirees have from 20% to 50% in equities. The thinking is that older people must be more conservative because they have little time to recover from market downturns. Critics charge that the glide paths should be changed. Surz says that the funds for older people are hazardous because the equity allocations are too big. He points to the losses that equity portfolios recorded in the financial crisis. During the downturn of 2008, funds with target dates of 2000 to 2010 declined an average of 22.5%, according to Morningstar. For retirees, such losses could be devastating. To avoid being caught in a downturn, Surz says that investors should begin shifting to cash 10 years before the retirement date. At the time of retirement, the funds should be entirely in cash. That way savers won't suffer big losses just before withdrawals start.
As they move into retirement, investors should seek customized solutions, Surz says. People of moderate means may decide to hold mostly annuities that provide guaranteed annual income.
Rob Arnott, chief executive of Research Affiliates, says that glide paths should be scrapped. Instead of gradually shifting allocations, investors would be better served by always holding half the assets in bonds and half in stocks.
To demonstrate the impact of allocations, Arnott looked at a hypothetical employee who saved $1,000 annually for 41 years. The saver followed a standard glide path, starting with an 80% equity allocation and tapering to 20% on retirement. Another saver in the study held 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds throughout the period.
Arnott examined the outcome over many different 41-year periods from 1871 through 2011. On average, the standard glide path produced a nest egg of $124,000, about $13,000 less than the 50-50 portfolio. The glide path was also more erratic, lagging badly during many periods when stocks fared poorly. Arnott says that the problem with the glide path is that the portfolio is stock-heavy during the earlier years when the nest egg is small. Big gains from a small asset base don't add many dollars to the final portfolio. To improve results and manage risks, Arnott proposes using a 50-50 portfolio and adjusting it with several tweaks. To lower risk for retirees, he suggests gradually reducing the maturities of bonds. During the first 20 years, the bond portfolio would focus on securities with 20-year maturities. Those tend to have higher yields and stronger long-term returns than shorter bonds do. But the long bonds can be volatile, suffering losses when interest rates rise. To limit the hazard, Arnott suggests gradually reducing maturities during the 20 years before retirement. On the retirement date, the fixed-income allocation would be in Treasury bills, which could hold their value in a bond bear market. So far, Arnott has won few followers. But some funds have moved in his direction recently, shortening bond maturities or increasing equity allocations for retirees. Follow @StanLuxenberg This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.
Stan Luxenberg is a freelance writer specializing in mutual funds and investing. He was executive editor of Individual Investor magazine.Top 5 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015
Top 5 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Provectus Pharmaceuticals Inc (PVCT)
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on May 1, 1978, is a development-stage pharmaceutical company that is primarily engaged in developing ethical pharmaceuticals for oncology and dermatology indications. The Company develops and focuses to license or market and sells its two prescription drug candidates, PV-10 and PH-10. The Company has transferred all its intellectual property related to over the counter (OTC) products and non-core technologies to its subsidiaries and designated, such subsidiaries as non-core to its primary business of developing its oncology and dermatology prescription drug candidates. The Company focuses on developing its prescription drug candidates PV-10 and PH-10. The Company is developing PV-10 for treatment of several life threatening cancers, including metastatic melanoma, liver cancer, and breast cancer. The Company is developing PH-10 to provide minimally invasive treatment of chronic severe skin afflictions such as psoriasis and atop ic dermatitis, a type of eczema. All of the Company's prescription drug candidates are in either the pre-clinical or clinical trial stage.
PV-10
As of December 31, 2011, the Company is developing PV-10, a sterile injectible form of rose bengal disodium (Rose Bengal), for direct injection into tumors. Its PV-10 is retained in diseased or damaged tissue but dissipates from healthy tissue. The Company had conducted Phase I and Phase IIstudies of PV-10 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and Phase I studies of PV-10 for the treatment of liver and breast cancers.
PH-10
The Company's prescription drug candidate PH-10 is an aqueous hydrogel formulation of Rose Bengal for topical administration to the skin. The Company is developing PH-10 for the treatment of cutaneous skin ! disorders, specifically psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In August 2011, the Company completed follow-up of all Phase IIc patients.
Over-th e-Counter Pharmaceuticals
The Company had desi! gnated its subsidiary that holds its OTC products, GloveAid and Pure-ific, Pure-Stick, Pure N Clear as non-core. The Company's GloveAid is a hand cream with both antiperspirant and antibacterial properties, for the comfort of users' hands during and after the wearing of disposable gloves. Its Pure-ific line of products includes two quick-drying sprays, Pure-ific and Pure-ific Kids, that immediately kill up to 99.9% of germs on skin and prevent regrowth for six hours. Pure-ific products prevent the spread of germs and thus complement its other OTC products designed to treat irritated skin or skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, dandruff and fungal infections. Its Pure-ific sprays have been designed with convenience in mind and are targeted towards mothers, travelers, and anyone concerned about the spread of sickness-causing germs.
The Company's acne products Pure-Stick and Pure N Clear work by decreasing the production of fats, oils and sweat that create an environment conducive to unchecked growth of bacteria. Secondly, the products also act to reduce the number bacteria already present. The Pure-Stick and Pure N Clear are applied topically to affected areas there are no safety concerns with healthy skin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Luke Jacobi]
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals (NYSE: PVCT) was also down, falling 3.38 percent to $3.01, letting out some air after the company's opening on the NYSE Friday.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals (NYSE: PVCT) was also down, falling 3.02 percent to $3.01, letting out some air after the company's opening on the NYSE Friday.
source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-information-t! echnology! -companies-to-invest-in-2015-2.html
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Best Trucking Stocks To Own Right Now
Best Trucking Stocks To Own Right Now: Repligen Corporation(RGEN)
Repligen Corporation engages in the manufacture and supply of biologic products used to manufacture biologic drugs. The company offers commercial bioprocessing products based on protein A and IFG-1 growth factors; and pre-packed chromatography columns under the Opus brand, which are used in the production of monoclonal antibodies and other biopharmaceutical products. It also develops SecreFlo, a synthetic human hormone that has completed a Phase III clinical trial and is to be used in combination with magnetic resonance imaging to improve the detection of pancreatic abnormalities in patients with pancreatitis; RG3039, which is in Phase I study for the treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy; and RG2833, a class I histone deacetylase inhibitor that is in Phase I study for the treatment of patients with Friedreich?s ataxia. In addition, the company licenses its biologics intellectual property to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Repligen Corporation sells its bioproc essing products to life science companies, diagnostics companies, biopharmaceutical companies, and laboratory researchers through its direct sales force, partners, and distributors in certain foreign markets. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Healthcare shares fell 0.13 percent on Friday. Top losers in the sector included AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACRX), down 18 percent, and Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN), off 3.7 percent.
- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Any company that creates products and relies on other companies to use and distribute them will inevitably forge strong relationships with its customers. It's an important thing to look into when investing, yet easy to overlook. Investors should know whether customers are reliable, which are lea! ned on the most, and if the company they own is too dependent on any customer (or a select few). Bioprocessing product company Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN ) may make consumables that are the lifeline of the biotech industry, but its customer relationships are absolutely critical for smooth operations. Let's look at how the company interacts with the Life Sciences division of General Electric (NYSE: GE ) , EMD Millipore from Merck (NYSE: MRK ) , and Sigma-Aldrich (NASDAQ: SIAL ) -- the three most important customers.
source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-trucking-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html
Monday, January 26, 2015
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now
An hour and a half into trading, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ) is trading down 0.11% after opening slightly up. All of the Big Four banks and the markets are on a rollercoaster today as a mixed-message labor report keeps investors uneasy, and JPMorgan investors in particular face bad news out of Alabama.
First, the confusing news
The Labor Department is reporting that initial jobless claims were down by 11,000 for the week ending June 1. This puts total jobless claims for said week at 346,000, not far off from forecasts of 345,000. That's good. But the four-week moving average showed that jobless claims increased for the week: a mixed message if there ever was one.
In addition, The New York Times is reporting that JPMorgan stands to lose up to $1.6 billion in a deal to sort out the bankruptcy of Jefferson County, Alabama: "$842 million on the $1.22 billion of sewer debt that [JPMorgan] holds ... on top of $647 million [the bank] forgave in termination fees on derivatives contracts with the county."�
Top 10 Cheapest Companies For 2015: Alaska Communications Systems Group Inc.(ALSK)
Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. provides integrated communications services primarily in Alaska. The company operates in two segments, Wireline and Wireless. The Wireline segment offers voice, broadband data, internet access, long distance, and other communications products and services; local exchange network and network connectivity solutions; voice and broadband termination services to inter and intrastate carriers; and multi-protocol label switching, metro Ethernet, network access, and other information technology infrastructure hosting and management services. This segment serves business customers; multi-national corporations; municipal, state, and federal governments; residential customers; small and medium sized businesses; governmental entities; and other telecommunications carriers. The Wireless segment provides facilities-based voice, data, and other value-added services, as well as equipment sales services; and operates 14 retail stores. As of Decembe r 31, 2011, its wireless network supported approximately 118,000 connections. Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Equities Lab]
The stocks that currently pass the stock screen in order of market cap are Frontier Communications Corp , Crown Media Holdings (CRWN), Vonage Holding (VG), MCG Capital Corp (MCGC), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), MTR Gaming Corporation (MNTG), Alaska Communications (ALSK), and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN).
- [By Dan Radovsky]
For what that means to a telecom operating in the 49th state, read what Alaska Communications (NASDAQ: ALSK ) CEO Anand Vadapalli touted during his company's second quarter 2012 earnings conference call after it got the iPhone:
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Beam Inc (BEAM)
Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.
The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.
The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Beam (NYSE: BEAM) shot up 24.41 percent to $83.32 after the company agreed to be acquired by Suntory Holdings for $83.50 per share in cash.
Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) was also on the rise, gaining 6.16 percent to $8.96 after the company reaffirmed its long-term outlook, announced a $275 million buyback, and lifted its fourth quarter and fiscal year guidance above street consensus.
- [By Sean Williams]
As the owner of both hard liquor and beer lines, Diageo must split its focus along two fronts. In spirits it must grapple against its two primary foes, Brown-Forman� (NYSE: BF-B ) , maker of Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort, and Beam (NYSE: BEAM ) , which (surprise, surprise!) makes Jim Beam, as well as Maker's Mark and other brands of spirits. In beer, it goes up against domestic and global giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP ) .
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Virtual Piggy Inc (VPIG)
Virtual Piggy Inc., formerly Moggle, Inc., incorporated on February 11, 2008, is a development-stage company. The Company is a technology development company that delivers an online security platform, which consists of three separate products: Virtual Piggy, ParentMatch and ParentPlayback, and Age Verification Service. Its Virtual Piggy product enables online businesses to interact and transact with the Under 18 market in a manner consistent with the Children�� Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The Company�� Platform is designed to solve the friendly fraud problem for Website operators, providers, and online retailers, and permitting Website operators and online retailers to transact online business with children between the ages of 8 and 13 in compliance with COPPA.
Virtual Piggy
Virtual Piggy was developed in response to the growing need for parents/guardians to allow their children to transact online in a controlled manner in light of an increasing number of online services and products targeted towards children. Virtual Piggy provides an online payment profile that allows parents to set up, monitor and control their children�� online spending. Parents can establish how much a child can spend in a single transaction, or over time, and also control the merchants with which the child can transact business. Parents also have the ability to set up approval rules and notification methods. The Virtual Piggy product tracks all spending and parents can receive alerts and reports on spending patterns. Virtual Piggy has been certified by the Chase Paymentech system and can process transactions from all major credit and debit card systems, including MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.
ParentMatch and ParentPlayback
The ParentMatch and ParentPlayback Web services are designed to provide the parent/guardian with a higher level of control than is provided by nanny type services. In addition, the Web service ID will follow the child whenever he or! she is on a computer, as opposed to traditional controls that are resident on a personal computer (PC) by PC basis. ParentMatch will provide filtering for the parent or guardian to be able to control, such areas as the Web sites a child may access; the types of content they may view, and who they can interact with online. ParentPlayback will provide the parent or guardian with a video transcript of their child�� online session.
Age Check
Age Check will be a persistent software system and service designed to provide a verification mechanism for the age of a person online. The system and service will provide a secure checking mechanism to determine a person�� age. The main purpose of this system and service is to determine whether setup information supplied by a person to gain access to a social network or other online site is correct. The invention will provide an Application Programming Interface (API) that exposes software functions that Websites, Web services and Internet enabled desktop applications can utilize to enforce age checks when a person attempts to create an online account and/or gain access to a Website.
The Company competes PayPal and Teen Visa.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Last Friday, VPIG previously surged (+7.27%) up +0.16 at $2.33 with 89,577 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance June 28, 2013 ��Close).
Virtual Piggy, Inc. previously reported it has reached a membership of over 250,000 users.
Virtual Piggy promotes financial management while empowering youth under 18 to make purchasing, saving and other money management decisions for themselves, within the boundaries setup by parents. The technology serves as a family wallet that is available online or via mobile, and is always 100% free to use.
- [By CRWE]
Today, VPIG has shed (-4.37%) down -0.10 at $2.19 with 144,475 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:26PM EDT June 26, 2013), but don�� let this get you down.
Virtual Piggy, Inc. previously reported it has reached a membership of over 250,000 users.
Virtual Piggy promotes financial management while empowering youth under 18 to make purchasing, saving and other money management decisions for themselves, within the boundaries setup by parents. The technology serves as a family wallet that is available online or via mobile, and is always 100% free to use.
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Inca Minerals Ltd (ICG)
Inca Minerals Limited, formerly Condor Metals Limited, is an Australia-based exploration company. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company's principal activities were conducting exploration and evaluation work on its existing tenements, as well as seeking out additional tenements. It focuses on nickel, iron, manganese and base metals exploration in Australia. During fiscal 2011, it concentrated on the Kallona iron and manganese prospect in the East Pilbar, where the first drilling was commenced in June 2011. Results received confirmed the presence of manganese, along with consistent iron intersections. The Company also continued to explore on the Dingo Range tenements south east of Wiluna. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Fede Zaldua]
For its third quarter, Citi reported net earnings of $3.2 billion or Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $1, which was just below consensus expectations of $1.02 per share. The bank explained its poor performance through lower than expected earnings at the Institutional Clients Group (ICG) division (mainly trading activities in equities, commodities and fixed income) but also lower Consumer Banking revenues on weaker mortgage results. Its extremely relevant to stress that third quarter ICG and mortgage related results came weaker than expected at most banking institutions, including JP Morgan (JPM) and almighty Goldman Sachs (GS). On my opinion, much more relevant metrics (because they can be more directly affected by management's decisions) such as those metrics related to expenses and credit quality came in line with expectations.
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Credit Suisse Group(CS)
Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a financial services company. The company operates in three segments: Private Banking, Investment Banking, and Asset Management. The Private Banking segment offers advisory services and a range of wealth management solutions, including pension planning, life insurance products, tax planning, and wealth and inheritance advice for the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This segment also supplies banking products and services to affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, and corporates and institutions. The Investment Banking segment provides investment banking and securities products and services to corporations, governments, pension funds, and institutions. Its products and services include debt and equity underwriting, sales and trading, mergers and acquisitions advice, divestitures, corporate sales, restructuring, and investment research. The Asset Management segment offe rs integrated investment solutions and services to institutions, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, and individuals. It provides access to a range of investment classes across alternative investment, asset allocation, and traditional investment strategies. The company operates in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. Credit Suisse Group AG was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Nearly a year into a much-ballyhooed program to right its ship and save its business, the company's still losing money and burning cash like mad. Four months after negotiating a financial lifeline from Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) and Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS ) -- bankers who, if you ask me, would be just as happy to see Alcatel fail and forfeit its patent portfolio -- the company's just piling more debt atop an already top-heavy debt load.
- [By Jonathan Yates]
Wall Street hates uncertainty, and the company recently revised its pricing policy without providing any guidance for the future. As a result Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) downgraded the stock and others have dumped it.
Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Elite Pharmaceuticals Inc (ELTP)
Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Elite), incorporated on October 1, 1997, is a specialty pharmaceutical company principally engaged in the development and manufactures of oral, controlled-release products, using technology and the development and manufacture of generic pharmaceuticals. Elite has four products: Phentermine 37.5 milligram tablets, Methadone 10 milligram tablets, Lodrane D Immediate Release capsules and Hydromorphone Hydrochloride 8 milligram tablets. During the fiscal years ended March 31, 2012 (Fiscal 2011), the Company manufactured and sold Lodrane 24 and Lodrane 24D (the Lodrane Extended Release Products).
The Company has a pipeline of additional generic drug candidates under active development, including, without limitation, ELI-154, a once-a-day oxycodone product and ELI-216, an abuse resistant oxycodone product which utilizes the Company�� propriety formulation for abuse resistant products utilizing the pharmacological approach (Elite�� Abuse Resistant Technology). ECR Pharmaceuticals (ECR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hi-Tech Pharmacal, Inc. and the owner and marketer of the Lodrane Extended Release Products. Elite also purchased from Mikah Pharma LLC, an approved Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Naltrexone 50 milligram tablets.
For ELI-154, Elite has developed a once-daily oxycodone formulation using its technology. An investigational new drug application (IND) has been filed and Elite has completed two pharmacokinetic studies in healthy subjects that compared blood levels of oxycodone from dosing ELI-154 and the twice-a-day product that is on the market, OxyContin marketed in the United States by Purdue Pharma LP. ELI-216 utilizes the Company's abuse-deterrent technology that is based on a pharmacological approach. ELI-216 is a combination of a narcotic agonist, oxycodone hydrochloride, in a sustained-release formulation intended for use in patients with moderate to severe chronic pain, and an antagonist, naltrexone hydrochloride, formulat! ed to deter abuse of the drug. Products utilizing the pharmacological approach to deter abuse such as Suboxone, a product marketed in the United States by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Embeda, a product marketed in the United States by Pfizer, have been approved by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). ELI-216 demonstrates a euphoria-blocking effect when the product is crushed. Elite has developed ELI-154 and ELI-216 and retains the rights to these products.
The Company competes with Collegium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Purdue Pharma LP, Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Durect Corporation, Mylan Laboratories, Inc., Par Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alkermes, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Aptalis Pharma, Impax Laboratories, Inc., and Watson Pharmaceuticals.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
Exactly one month ago today I penned some bullish thoughts on Elite Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCBB:ELTP). If you're familiar with the company - or a regular reader of this site - then you may know why that sounds a little "off." See, at the time, ELTP shares were falling rather quickly, giving up all the gains they had made just a few days before. Almost needless to say, my premise was not a well received one. Let's just say I received some "colorful disagreements" by being optimistic about the biopharma company.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Judging from the company it's keeping Green Automotive Co. (OTCMKTS:GACR) may have just made its way into the upper echelon of small cap stock opportunities. The electric car company joins Elite Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCBB:ELTP), Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:AMBS), and only three other companies as Wall-Street.com's "Best 6 Stocks" for January of 2014. As one of the top information resources for investors - particularly in terms of information regarding small and micro cap stocks - being named among the site's top pick is an accolade for AMBS, ELTP, and GACR. Even more impressive is that Green Automotive Co. was the only consumer-goods name among those six. Amarantus Bioscience Holdings and Elite Pharmaceuticals are biotechnology names... an industry that can and often does attract a lot of attention just by the nature of the business. The other three names making the "Best 6" list were an energy explorer, a power-management technology manufacturer, and prescription/medical food producer. For an electric car manufacturer to make the list speaks quite highly of GACR.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now
Last week was a great week to be a dividend investor. Not only did two of my top stocks declare fresh dividends, but both companies also raised those payouts. The ability to enjoy a rising dividend is one reason why I much prefer the income from my dividend stocks than the fixed rate I could be earning on a bond.
But not all dividend-paying stocks are equal. Some companies pay unsustainably high dividends, which is why it is important to double check the company's ability to actually pay its dividend, even if a raise would suggest investors have nothing to fear. With that in mind, let's drill down a bit deeper into the two companies that just gave me a raise.
A gushing of income growth
Oil and gas production company, ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP ) , announced that it was providing investors with a 4.5% raise this week. The company's CEO, Ryan Lance, pointed out that "[a] compelling dividend is a key part of our offering to shareholders and this increase is aligned with our commitment to target consistent dividend growth over time." This is actually the first raise investors have seen in a while because the company has been in the process of a major three-year repositioning program in which it shed billions of dollars in assets, including its refining arm Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX ) .
Hot Small Cap Companies To Own In Right Now: Acasti Pharma Inc (ACST)
Acasti Pharma Inc. (Acasti) is engaged in developing a product portfolio of long-chain omega-3 phospholipids. Acasti is a majority owned subsidiary of Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc. (Neptune). The Company has one operating segment: the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical applications of its licensed rights for cardiovascular diseases. The Company�� product portfolio includes concentrated phospholipids which functionalize eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Acasti is the producer of anti-dyslipidemic prescription drugs (CaPre), medical foods (Onemia) and over-the-counter (OTC) products (Vectos). During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company has completed the development and launched medical food, Onemia. Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
What do Acasti Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ACST), Kandi Technologies Group Inc. (NASDAQ:KNDI), and Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:AMBS) have in common? Not a lot, if you're simply looking at their business lines. Kandi Technologies Group makes electric cars, and even though Amarantus Bioscience Holdings and Acasti Pharma are both in the pharmaceutical arena, they're not too much alike. There is one common element among AMBS, ACST, and KNDI right now, however... they're three of the market's most bullish setups. Anyone looking for a new trading idea here should start with one of these three.
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA)
ThyssenKrupp AG is a Germany-based technology holding company operating in seven business areas. The Steel Europe division produces carbon steel flat products. The Steel Americas division is engaged in production, processing and marketing of high-grade carbon steels. The Materials Services division is engaged in global distribution of materials and the provision of complex technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. The Elevator Technology division is engaged in the area of passenger transportation systems. The Plant Technology division focuses on specialty and large-scale plant construction. The Components Technology division is engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive, construction and engineering sectors as well as for wind turbines. The Marine Systems division focuses on naval and civil shipbuilding. Apart from its business areas, it provides business services, which are diversified into Business Services and Information Technology (IT) Services. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Corinne Gretler]
ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA) slumped 9.3 percent after Germany�� largest steelmaker raised 882.3 million euros ($1.21 billion) through a share sale. Standard Chartered Plc lost 8.1 percent. Sage Group (SGE) Plc, the U.K.�� biggest software maker, rose 6.8 percent after reporting revenue growth that exceeded analysts��estimates. AZ Electronic Materials SA surged 43 percent after Merck KGaA (MRK) agreed to buy it for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.6 billion).
- [By Corinne Gretler]
Telekom Austria (TKA) slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.
- [By Sofia Horta e Costa]
ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA), Germany�� largest steelmaker, rose to a five-week high. YOC AG (YOC) surged the most in more than three months after the mobile-phone advertising company said it sold 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million) of shares to increase capital. Lanxess AG (LXS), the chemical maker that joined the DAX in September, retreated 3.4 percent.
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: KBR Inc. (KBR)
KBR, Inc. operates as an engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, and industrial sectors worldwide. Its Downstream business unit provides front end engineering design; detailed engineering; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC); EPC management; and program management services to petrochemical, refining, coal gasification, and syngas markets. The company?s Government and Infrastructure business unit provides program and project management, contingency logistics, operations and maintenance, construction management, engineering, and other services to military and civilian branches of governments and private clients. Its Services business unit delivers engineering, construction, construction management, fabrication, maintenance, and turnaround services. It also offers maintenance, construction, and drilling support services for offshore oil and gas producing facili ties using semisubmersible vessels. This segment serves oil, gas, petrochemicals, and hydrocarbon processing industries, as well as power, alternate energy, pulp and paper, industrial and manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. The company?s Technology business unit offers various process technologies, including value-added technologies in the coal monetization, petrochemical, refining, and syngas markets. Its Upstream business unit constructs liquefied natural gas, gas-to-liquids, onshore oil and gas production facilities, offshore oil and gas production facilities, and onshore and offshore pipelines. The company?s Ventures business unit invests in and manages projects, where the company provides engineering, construction, construction management or operations, and maintenance services. KBR, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
KBR (NYSE: KBR) was down, falling 14.68 percent to $27.25 after the company reported fourth-quarter results and announced a new $350 million share buyback program. BB&T Capital downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold.
- [By Monica Gerson]
KBR (NYSE: KBR) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion.
Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is estimated to post a Q3 loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $142.67 million.
- [By Garrett Cook]
KBR (NYSE: KBR) shares tumbled 9.73 percent to $23.76 after the company reported a Q1 loss of $0.29 per share on revenue of $1.63 billion. The company said it would undergo a strategic review of its businesses.
- [By Garrett Cook]
KBR (NYSE: KBR) shares tumbled 8.17 percent to $24.17 after the company reported a Q1 loss of $0.29 per share on revenue of $1.63 billion. The company said it would undergo a strategic review of its businesses.
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd (IMUC)
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., incorporated on March 20, 1987, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of cancers, such as brain, ovarian and other solid tumors. Immunotherapy is an approach to treat cancer in which a patient�� own immune system is stimulated to target tumor antigens, which are molecular signals that the immune system uses to identify foreign bodies. The Company�� products include ICT-107, ICT-140, ICT-120, ICT-109 and DIAAD. ICT-107, the pipeline product, is a Phase II therapeutic dendritic cell (DC) vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the common and lethal type of brain cancer. ICT-107 is designed to activate a patient�� immune system to target six different tumor-associated antigens. In February 2012, it acquired a world-wide license from the University of Pennsylvania and The John Hopkins University (JHU).
The Company in addition to ICT-107, is also developing other therapeutic DC vaccines: ICT-140 for ovarian cancer and ICT-121 for recurrent GBM. ICT-140 targets seven tumor-associated antigens expressed on ovarian cancer cells. ICT-107 is a DC vaccine that targets six different tumor-associated antigens that are found on patients��tumor cells; four of the six antigens are expressed on CSCs. The therapeutic vaccine is used subsequent to conventional therapy or concomitantly with chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed GBM. ICT-140 is a DC vaccine that targets seven different ovarian cancer antigens. ICT-121 is a DC vaccine that targets CD133 antigens; it has the potential to be a universal cancer vaccine because CD133 is widely expressed on CSCs from a majority of cancers. Data from this small study demonstrated that ICT-109 had a statistically ability to discriminate between cancerous and non-cancerous samples, suggesting the potential to detect pancreatic and lung cancer in plasma and serum study sets. The DIAAD (differential immunization for an! tigen and antibody discovery) platform it acquired from Molecular Discoveries utilizes immunological tolerization to accelerate the discovery of the molecular differences between diseased cells and their normal counterparts. The monoclonal antibodies produced by DIAAD provide the basis for the discovery and development of its potential diagnostic and therapeutic products.
The Company competes with Dendreon, Oncothyreon, Galena, Bavarian Nordic and Immunovaccine, Northwest Biotherapeutics, Prima Biomed, DCPrime, Roche/Genentech, Seattle Genetics, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Immunogen.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Shares of ImmunoCellular (IMUC) �jumped after the drug developer said data on a mid-stage brain cancer drug study were looking encouraging.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd.(IMUC) said its leading product candidate, a dendritic cell-based vaccine for brain cancer, didn’t show a statistically significant advantage in overall survival in a Phase II study. In a research note, Maxim Group said it is pushing its EU approval date target to 2019 and lowered its estimate on the stock to $12 a share from $18 a share. The stock plunged 62% to $1.04 premarket.
- [By Monica Gerson]
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics (NYSE: IMUC) dropped 11.05% to $1.3699. ImmunoCellular's trailing-twelve-month ROE is -59.80%.
Posted-In: market losersNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: Westport Innovations Inc(WPRT)
Westport Innovations Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of low-emission engine and fuel system technologies that enable light, medium, heavy-duty, and high-horsepower petroleum-based fuel engines to use natural gas and alternative fuels. The company designs, produces, and sells alternative fuel engines, systems, and components for automotive and industrial markets. It also designs, engineers, and produces natural gas engines for the urban buses, refuse collection trucks, and conventional trucks and tractors, as well as for specialty vehicles. In addition, the company offers 15 litre natural gas engines for the heavy-duty trucking market, as well as is involved in the engineering, design, and marketing of natural gas-enabling technology for the heavy-duty diesel engine and truck market. Westport Innovations Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Could Cummins run out of gas?
The downside to Cummins' business is that many of the factors that can affect its demand are well beyond its control. Low natural gas prices, for instance, help push trucking companies and government agencies to switch their existing gasoline and diesel engine fleets over to cleaner burning natural gas engines. In fact, the joint venture between Cummins and Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT ) is built upon getting heavy-duty fleets to make this change. However, with natural gas prices having doubled over the past year from $2/mbtu to more than $4/mbtu, it threatens to close the price gap advantage that natural gas held over traditional fuels and could slow demand for this joint venture. - [By Selena Maranjian]
When seeking the best stocks for your child's portfolio, it's also good to focus on industries of interest to him or her, such as, perhaps, smartphones or alternative energies. In those arenas, consider Cirrus Logic (NASDAQ: CRUS ) and Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT ) . Audio-chip maker Cirrus has been pounded due to an apparent slowdown in Apple, which is a major customer. It's now looking attractive to some, though, and is forecasting continued double-digit revenue growth rates. Westport, meanwhile, is designing engines powered by natural gas, including some heavy trucks. It's looking to expand in China, as well. These kinds of companies are riskier than stalwarts such as Waste Management, but following and investing in some can deliver profits or lessons or both.
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: CVR Refining LP (CVRR)
CVR Refining, LP, incorporated on September 17, 2012, is an energy limited partnership with refining and related logistics assets that operates in the mid-continent region. As of January 8, 2013, the Company owned two of only seven refineries in the underserved Group 3 of the PADD II region of the United States. It owns and operates a 115,000 barrels per day (bpd) coking medium-sour crude oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas and a 70,000 bpd medium complexity crude oil refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma capable of processing 20,000 bpd of light sour crude oils (within its 70,000 bpd capacity). In addition, it also controls and operates supporting logistics assets, including approximately 350 miles of owned pipelines, over 125 owned crude oil transports, a network of strategically located crude oil gathering tank farms, and over six million barrels of owned and leased crude oil storage capacity. On December 15, 2011, the Company�� subsidiary Coffeyville Resources, LLC (Coffeyville Resources) acquired Wynnewood Energy Company, LLC, formerly Gary-Williams Energy Corporation.
The Company�� Coffeyville and Wynnewood refineries are located approximately 100 miles and 130 miles from the crude oil hub at Cushing, Oklahoma. As of January 8, 2013, the Company gathered approximately 50,000 bpd of price-advantaged crudes from its gathering area, which includes Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. The Company also has 35,000 bpd of contracted capacity on the Keystone and Spearhead pipelines that allows it to supply price-advantaged Canadian and Bakken crudes to its refineries. As of January 8, 2013, the Company had 145,000 bpd pipeline system that transports crude oil from its Broome Station tank farm to its Coffeyville refinery, as well as a total of 6 million barrels of owned and leased crude oil storage capacity, including approximately 6% of the total crude oil storage capacity at Cushing.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP) led all MLPs in 2013 with a capital gain of 136 percent. IEP is an unconventional MLP involved in nine primary business segments: Investment, Automotive, Energy, Gaming, Railcar, Food Packaging, Metals, Real Estate and Home Fashion. IEP invests in energy-related companies such as CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) and American Railcar Industries (Nasdaq: ARII), but nearly 60 percent of its assets are invested in the automotive sector and in investment funds. Since 2000, IEP has achieved an average annual return of 23.8 percent, and units currently yield 4.4 percent. MLP Profits subscribers had a chance at a 58 percent capital gain between the Sept. 9 Buy recommendation for IEP and its Dec. 16 liquidation from the Aggressive Portfolio.
- [By Tyler Crowe]
As investors, though, it's important to know who this impacts in a positive way. In the video below, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe explains why Canadian oil sands producers Suncor (NYSE: SU ) and Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE: CNQ ) will benefit more than others from the movement of oil sands out of Canada, and why mid-continent focused refiners like HollyFrontier (NYSE: HFC ) and CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR ) are in the best position of the US refiners to capture value from these cheap rail shipments of Canadian crude.
- [By Tyler Crowe]
For refiners, though, that spread in price led to very lucrative refining margins. As that spread has narrowed, so too has margins for refiners.
Refining Margins Q4 2012� Q2 2013 Valero (NYSE: VLO ) $12.27 $9.26 Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX ) � $13.67 $9.88 HollyFrontier (NYSE: HFC ) $24.00 $20.28 CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR ) $28.08 $20.30Source: Company Earnings releases
10 Best High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now: Sabine Royalty Trust(SBR)
Sabine Royalty Trust receives a distribution of royalty and mineral interests from Sabine Corporation. Its royalty and mineral interests, include landowner?s royalties, overriding royalty interests, minerals, production payments, and other non-participatory interests in various producing and proved undeveloped oil and gas properties in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lawrence Meyers]
The Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR) is diversified from a geographical perspective, with interests spreading across both producing and undeveloped gas properties in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.� It essentially operates as a holding company into which all the royalties get deposited and all the money gets distributed to shareholders via its 9.2% yield.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
A Rental Housing REIT
The Intelligent REIT Investor's Brad Thomas discusses a new rental housing REIT and shares his view on whether it is something that investors should consider.
SPEAKER 1: My guest today is Brad Thomas and we are talking about housing rates. Hi, Brad, and thanks for joining me.
BRAD: Glad to be here, thank you.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, I know there is a new IPO of a company. It is called American Homes 4 You.
BRAD: 4 Rent, American Homes 4 Rent.
SPEAKER 1: 4 Rent, okay, and that is a REIT that it is my understanding is they go out into the single-family housing market, they buy some of these properties that need to be renovated, and then they are not selling them or flipping them, they are renting them. Is that correct?
BRAD: That is correct, and first of all, I want to make a point about this company specifically. When you invest in a REIT today, you are not only investing in these hard assets, which in this case, would be single-family housing for rent, but you are also investing in the management team.
SPEAKER 1: Sure.
BRAD: When you invest in a company, one value that you have in a REIT structure is you have not only the liquidity, the transparency, and the diversification but you also get a management team. One thing I can tell you about American Homes 4 Rent is that they have an exceptional management team. One of the key figures behind the company is a guy named Wayne Johnson. Wayne has a long history of creating shareholder value in a company that he created many years ago called Public Storage, which is the largest public storage company in the world. Mr. Johnson is, every year, in the Fortune billionaire list. He has made a large wealth but he has also made a lot of wealth for his shareholders so I want to point that out. That is what backing American Homes 4 Rent. Now, the business model itself is fairly new. We have only had I think now two public rental housing REITS, the other one being Silver Bay, that came out with their IPO I believe in December of last year.
SPEAKER 1: Correct, and they were a division of another larger company, right?
BRAD: That is correct. I believe they were an offshoot as well. Now, American Homes 4 Rent is now the second largest in the sector. The largest is actually a private equities firm.
SPEAKER 1: It is Blackstone.
BRAD: Blackstone, that is correct. American Homes 4 Rent, they are very scalable. Obviously, their name, American Homes, they are scaling this, trying to create the critical mass, so there are some questions out there in terms of how they can manage effectively at such a large portfolio and all of these multiple markets. My opinion is I think I would, on this particular IPO, I would wait it out. There is nothing better than patience and seeing how this company performs. I would personally like to see that company create the track record for managing the large groups of housing because, again, they are in subdivisions. It is not like an apartment complex where you are aggregated.
SPEAKER 1: Exactly.
BRAD: They are in a lot of different places so I would like to see some management track record and I would also like to see, for most investors, the most important thing is the dividend track record. I would like to see that.
SPEAKER 1: Sure, sure. And you are not a big fan of REIT IPOs in general.
BRAD: Correct. I mean, I think, you know, there is really no reason to invest in a REIT today who comes out. Let’s wait on that company to perform and let’s wait on a bargain. I like to buy with a margin of safety so let’s wait on that stock to fall, it will come down, and then you can pounce on it then and if you want to load up the truck, load up the truck.
SPEAKER 1: Are there any other housing type REITS that you like?
BRAD: You know there are. There is a niche sector, which is the modular housing sector, and they are not mobile homes. That is a misconception.
SPEAKER 1: Yes, right, right.
BRAD: The one I really like is called UMH. They are headquartered up in New Jersey, run by a fellow named Sam Landy. The family has been around a long, long time. They invest mostly in the Northeastern markets. They are getting down to the Southeast now but they have a really attractive dividend in the seven-plus range
Top Long Term Stocks To Buy For 2015
SPEAKER 1: That is very healthy.
BRAD: It is and they have been able to sustain that more recently so I like that sector some. I think there is a lot of demand for that space and, again, they are not mobile homes. They are really providing attractive housing for families.
SPEAKER 1: That is sort of like the Habitat for Humanity homes, right. Those are modular homes, that they bring in the walls.
BRAD: Exactly. I tell you, Warren Buffett owns a piece of Clayton Home, so that will tell you something.
SPEAKER 1: Sure, yes, exactly. Thanks for being here, Brad.
BRAD: Thank you.
SPEAKER 1: And thanks for joining us at the MoneyShow.com video network.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014
Will the price of oil collapse this year? Investors are worried they will and that could push refiners like�Phillips 66 (PSX) and PBF Energy (PBF) higher.
Bloomberg NewsHoward Weil’s Blake Fernandez and Richard Roberts explain:
We are witnessing a rotation from U.S. centric Independent E&P�� toward Independent Refiners in an effort to hedge the risk of collapsing domestic crude prices. From a global perspective, macro [refining & marketing] dynamics are improving into ��4 with significant crude supply growth placing a theoretical ceiling on oil prices / feedstock costs while underlying demand growth remains intact thereby supporting product prices…
That said we are recommending a slight tactical shift toward more defensive posturing with a focus on lower beta names and companies that screen at a discount from a valuation perspective. As a result, we are
downgrading [Delek US Holdings (DK)] and [Tesoro (TSO)] to Sector Perform and upgrading [Phillips 66] and [PBF Energy] to Sector Outperform.
Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Stemline Therapeutics Inc (STML)
Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (Stemline), incorporated on August 8, 2003, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics that target both cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor bulk. The Company is developing two clinical-stage product candidates, SL-401 and SL-701, for which it holds global marketing rights. The indication for SL-401, a biologic-drug conjugate, is acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The indications for SL-701, a synthetic peptide vaccine, are pediatric and adult brain cancer. It has a platform, StemScreen, for the discovery of CSC-targeted compounds, from which it has discovered or validated several of its clinical and preclinical product candidates. Stemline�� StemScreen consists of StemScreen-1 and StemScreen-2 for the identification of CSC-directed compounds.
SL-301 is a small molecule gamma-secretase inhibitor that inhibits Notch, a pathway expressed by CSCs and tumor bulk of multiple cancer types. SL-101 is a monoclonal antibody-based (mAb -based) compound that targets CD123 and has shown in vitro activity against certain hematologic cancers. SL-201 is a small molecule active against certain hematologic and solid tumor types. SL-601 is a mAb-based compound that targets a cell surface marker on bladder CSCs, which is also expressed on a variety of other solid tumor types. It has also in-licensed certain intellectual property directed to mAb-based therapeutics to validated oncology targets, including Glypican-3, Tie-1, CD133, Frizzled, Smoothened and Patched.
SL-401 - An IL-3R-Directed Compound Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Bulk
SL-401 is a clinically active biologic-drug conjugate consisting of human interleukin-3 (IL-3) genetically linked to a truncated version of diphtheria toxin. SL-401 targets the IL-3 receptor (IL-3R), which is overexpressed on both the CSCs and tumor bulk of multiple hematologic cancers, including AML. SL-401 has demonstrated preclinical in vit! ro and in vivo activity against both leukemia blasts (which includes tumor bulk) and CSCs of a range of human leukemia cell lines and primary leukemia cells from patients.
SL-701
SL-701 is a clinically active synthetic peptide vaccine that targets several epitopes on CSCs and tumor bulk of brain cancer. In two completed Phase 1/2 clinical trials, SL-701 demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed brainstem glioma (BSG) and other high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and in adult patients with refractory or recurrent GBM, and other HGGs.
StemScreen-1
StemScreen-1 is a drug discovery platform designed to identify CSC-targeted compounds based on the isolation of CSCs and evaluation of CSC gene expression profiles. CSCs are isolated from primary tumor tissue or cell lines, and then subjected to gene expression analysis using a variety of technologies, including microarray. A control tissue, such as normal bone marrow is analyzed as a comparator against the gene expression profile of the isolated CSCs. These data are then interfaced with an information base of compounds and their mechanisms of action (that is which gene products and pathways they impact). It has utilized StemScreen-1 to discover a number of its preclinical drug candidates. These include SL-201, SL-301, and SL-601. In addition, SL-401 demonstrated activity against CSCs as determined by both an in vitro colony formation and in vivo animal implantation assay, thereby validating certain StemScreen-1 anti-CSC assays.
StemScreen-2
StemScreen-2 is a high throughput drug discovery platform it is developing to discover anti-CSC compounds. StemScreen-2 utilizes a cell-based assay that can track and follow CSCs in their natural state during high throughput screening. In particular, StemScreen-2 utilizes a CSC-specific promoter linked to a reporter as a method for identifying and following CSCs in their native environment of surrounding tumor b! ulk. In t! his way, StemScreen-2 enables the identification of compound hits, in a high throughput manner, with anti-CSC activity.
The Company competes with Boston Biomedical, Inc., Eclipse Therapeutics, Inc., OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Verastem, Inc., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd., Geron Corp., GlaxoSmithKline plc, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd, Macrogenics Inc., Amgen, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Roche Holding AG, Sanofi U.S. LLC., Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Clavis Pharma ASA, Ambit Biosciences Corporation, Celgene Corporation, Eisai Co. Ltd., Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Eisai Co., Inc., Roche Holding AG, Novartis AG and Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Keith Speights]
Best-performing biotech IPO
Stemline Therapeutics� (NASDAQ: STML ) has only traded publicly this year, but what a year it's been. The stock's performance ranks Stemline as the best-performing biotech IPO so far in 2013. This week has been pretty good also, with shares moving up by 28%. - [By David Zeiler]
3. Stemline Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: STML): This biotech develops drugs that target cancer stem cells and tumors. Stemline went public January 29 at $10 a share and rose just 11.78% on its first day. But STML has climbed steadily since, and currently trades at $37.46, up 274.6% from its IPO price.
- [By Jay Silverman]
Some of the biggest leaders in that field, and there have been dozens in fields, if not more this year, such as Bluebird (BLUE) and Stemline Therapeutics (STML) and have all pulled back to significantly lower levels; even below, in Bluebird's case, the price that had actually opened up as an IPO, even though it's above its IPO price.
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: Atlatsa Resources Corp (ATL)
Atlatsa Resources Corporation is engaged in mining, exploration and development of mineral deposits located in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC), South Africa. The principal business activity is the mining and exploration of platinum group metals (PGM), through its mineral property interests. The Company�� subsidiaries include N1C Resources Incorporation, Anooraq Minera Mexicana, N2C Resources Incorporation, Plateau Resources Proprietary Limited, Bokoni Holdings Proprietary Limited, Bokoni Mines Proprietary Limited, Boikgantsho Proprietary Limited, Kwanda Proprietary Limited, Ga-Phasha Proprietary Limited, Middlepunt Hill Management Services (Proprietary) Limited and Lebowa Platinum Mine Limited. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Atlatsa Resources (ATL), which engages in the mining, exploration and development of platinum group metals properties located in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up a whopping 198%.
If you take a look at the chart for Atlatsa Resources, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months and change, with shares soaring higher from its low of 28 cents per share to its intraday high of 46 cents per share. During that uptrend, shares of ATL have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of ATL have now started to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at 43 cents to 44 cents per share. That move is quickly pushing shares of ATL within range of triggering another big breakout trade.
Market players should now look for long-biased trades in ATL if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at 50 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 170,178 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ATL will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at 63 cents to 73 cents per share, or even 80 cents per share.
Traders can look to buy ATL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of 39 cents per share, or near more support at 37 cents per share. One can also buy ATL off strength once it clears its 52-week high at 50 cents with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated(HBAN)
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated operates as the holding company for The Huntington National Bank that provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers various financial products and services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer loans, and small business loans and leases; and investments, insurance, interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging, and treasury management services to consumer and small business customers. Its Regional and Commercial Banking segment provides commercial lending; depository and liquidity management products; treasury management solutions; equipment and technology leasing; international services; and capital markets services, such as interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging and sales, trading of securities, mezzanine investment capabilities, and employee benefit programs to government, not-f or-profit, health-care, and publicly traded entities. The company?s Automobile Finance and Commercial Real Estate segment offers financing for the purchase of automobiles, and new and used vehicle inventory by automotive dealerships; and financing for land, buildings, and other commercial real estate owned or constructed by real estate developers, automobile dealerships, or other customers. Its Wealth Advisors, Government Finance, and Home Lending segment provides investment management; investment servicing; custody, and corporate trust and retirement plan services; and administrative and operational support to fund to high net worth customers. It also offers online, mobile, and telephone banking services; and operates approximately 1,300 automated teller machines. As of December 31, 2011, the company had 652 branches located in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jay Jenkins]
For the big banks, the gap was greatest and overall scores were generally lower. It seems that battered institutions like Citigroup (NYSE: C ) and Bank of America� (NYSE: BAC ) are still trapped in the mud of 2007 and 2008. Regional banks contrast that, though, with banks like Huntington Bancshares� (NASDAQ: HBAN ) and Suntrust (NYSE: STI ) scoring higher and with less of a gap between customers and non customers.
- [By David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer]
In this segment of The Motley Fool's everything-financials show,�Where the Money Is, banking analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson tell investors what they will be watching when PNC Financial Services (NYSE: PNC ) , Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN ) , and KeyCorp� (NYSE: KEY ) �report earnings this week
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: Grupo Simec S.A. de C.V. (SIM)
Grupo Simec, S.A.B. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, processing, and distribution of special bar quality (SBQ) steel and structural products primarily in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its steel products include I-beams; channels; structural and commercial angles; hot rolled bars, such as round, square, and hexagonal rods; flat bars; rebars; cold finished bars; wire rods; semi-finished tube rounds; and other semi-finished trade products. The company�s SBQ products are used in various engineered end-user applications, including axles, hubs, and crankshafts for automobiles and light trucks, machine tools, and off-highway equipment; and structural steel products are used in the non-residential construction market and other construction applications, as well as automotive industries. It also operates in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico. Grupo Simec, S.A.B. d e C.V. is a subsidiary of Industrias CH, S.A.B. de C.V.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Daniel Cross]
Grupo Simec (NYSE: SIM) is a relatively obscure company with a $1.7 billion market cap that makes special bar-quality steel for North American markets. The company has significant downside protection in the form of its cash and cash equivalents of $623 million and total liabilities of just $665 million. Simec is also aggressively buying back stock. On a technical level, the relative strength index is hovering around 31, signaling that the stock may be oversold.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Are Eli Lilly Earnings Headed Down?
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY ) will release its quarterly report tomorrow, and recent share-price declines show that investors are somewhat nervous about the company's prospects. Although Lilly earnings are expected to have grown substantially in the past quarter, longer-term prospects for the drugmaker have raised doubt among shareholders about whether it can stay on the earnings-growth path.
The key to any drug company is its pipeline of future drug prospects, and with major drugs like Zyprexa, Cymbalta, and Humalog all presenting major patent-cliff issues, Lilly badly needs some success with its best candidates. But with some recent failures in its pipeline, can Lilly overcome increasingly negative sentiment and sustain its business? Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Eli Lilly over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.
Stats on Eli Lilly
| Analyst EPS Estimate | $1.00 |
| Change From Year-Ago EPS | 20% |
| Revenue Estimate | $5.82 billion |
| Change From Year-Ago Revenue | 4% |
| Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters | 3 |
Source: Yahoo! Finance.
Where will Lilly earnings get their growth?
In recent months, analysts have kept their near-term views on Eli Lilly earnings stable, but looking forward, they've posed bigger concerns about future results, cutting their estimates for 2014 by $0.10 per share. The stock has responded to those concerns, falling almost 10% since mid-April.
The biggest threat to Lilly's long-term prospects comes from substantial pipeline problems. Some of the setbacks were fairly minor, such as the failure of its large b-cell lymphoma drug enzastaurin in a phase 3 trial. But Lilly was hoping for big things from Alzheimer's drug candidate solanezumab, which failed to meet endpoints in two different phase 3 trials, as well as rheumatoid arthritis treatment tabalumab, which failed to meet efficacy goals. Lilly is planning one more solanezumab study for those who have mild symptoms of Alzheimer's, but it's far from certain whether it will pay off. Those problems put more pressure on Lilly's mid-stage drugs to advance and succeed through the clinical trial process.
One area that has been more promising lately has been Lilly's Elanco animal health division, which has had its revenue climb almost 50% and its pre-tax profits more than double between 2010 and 2012. Elanco faces huge competition from the recently spun-off Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS ) , as well as the Merck (NYSE: MRK ) animal-health division, both of which managed to post stronger revenue growth in the first quarter than Elanco did. One big question that Lilly will face is whether it makes sense to follow Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE ) lead and spin off Elanco, but given Lilly's overall challenges elsewhere, it might want to hold onto Elanco if only to maintain a brighter spot in the gloom of patent expirations.
In the meantime, Lilly is preparing for generic competition by trying to cut costs. Last week, it froze base pay for most of its workers in 2014, including its executives. As more of its big drugs start going off patent, the possibility also exists for staffing cutbacks unless Lilly can get some pipeline success.
In the Lilly earnings report, look for CEO John Lechleiter, who recently returned from a medical leave, to provide guidance on how the drugmaker will overcome all its challenges and keep moving forward. At this point, though, Lilly doesn't seem to have the answers that will avoid a crushing earnings blow next year.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now
The success of Ford's hot Fusion, shown here in Hybrid trim, has put Toyota and its Camry on the defensive. Photo credit: Ford Motor Co.
Toyota's (NYSE: TM ) Camry isn't a bad car. It gets good reviews, and buyers seem to like it. But U.S. sales have fallen this year, as more compelling rivals, such as Ford's (NYSE: F ) Fusion, have gained ground. If this keeps up, Toyota's lead in the all-important midsized sedan segment could be at risk.
Toyota doesn't want that, and that's why the company has just launched a round of price cuts for its bread-and-butter sedan. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at what's behind Toyota's latest move in America's sedan wars -- and at whether this will help Toyota regain lost ground from Ford and other rivals.
Toyota has struggled to gain ground in China, but Ford's sales have been booming. A recent Motley Fool report, "2 Automakers to Buy for a Surging Chinese Market", says that Ford is one of two global giants poised to reap big gains in China's historic auto boom. You can read this report right now for free -- just click here for instant access.
Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Own For 2015: Esterline Technologies Corp (ESL)
Esterline Technologies Corporation (Esterline) is a manufacturing company serving aerospace and defense customers. The Company designs, manufactures and markets engineered products and systems. It operates in three segments: Avionics & Controls, Sensors & Systems, and Advanced Materials, including thermally engineered components and specialized elastomers and other complex materials, for aerospace and defense markets. Its products are mission-critical equipment, which have been designed into particular military and commercial platforms. It has divested non-core businesses operating as Pressure Systems, Inc., Muirhead Aerospace and Traxsys Input Products Limited. In July 2011, the Company acquired Souriau Group. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed acquisition of Joslyn Sunbank Company, LLC, a unit of Meggitt PLC.
Avionics & Controls
The Company�� Avionics & Controls business segment includes avionics systems, control systems, interface technologies and communication systems capabilities. Avionics systems designs and develops cockpit systems integration and avionics subsystems for commercial and military applications. Control systems designs and manufactures technology interface systems for military and commercial aircraft and land- and sea-based military vehicles. Interface technologies manufactures and develops custom control panels and input systems for medical, industrial, military and casino gaming industries. Communication systems designs and manufactures military audio and data products for severe battlefield environments. In addition, communication systems designs and manufactures secure voice and data switching systems for military airborne, ground-based, and shipboard applications. It is engaged in positioning systems (GPS), head-up displays, enhanced vision systems, and electronic flight management systems that are used in a range of control and display applications. In addition, it develops, manufactures and markets technology interface ! systems for commercial and military aircraft. These products include lighted push-button and rotary switches, keyboards, lighted indicators, panels and displays. Its products have been integrated into aircraft designs, including Boeing commercial aircraft platform in production. It manufactures control sticks, grips and wheels, as well as specialized switching systems. In this area, it serves commercial and military aviation, and airborne and ground-based military equipment manufacturing customers.
The Company�� products are incorporated in a range of platforms ranging from military helicopters, fighters and transports, to commercial wide- and narrow-body, regional and business jets. During fiscal year ended October 29, 2010 (fiscal 2010), its customers for these products included BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Canadian Commercial Corp., Hawker Beechcraft, Honeywell, Hamilton Sunstrand, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, and Sikorsky. It is also a supplier in custom input integration with a range of keyboard, switch and input technologies for specialized medical equipment, communications systems and comparable equipment for military applications. These products include custom keyboards, keypads, and input devices that integrate cursor control devices, bar-code scanners, displays, video, and voice activation. It also produces instruments that are used for point-of-use and point-of-care in vivo diagnostics. It has developed a range of technologies, including plastic and vinyl membranes that protect high-use switches and fully depressible buttons, and backlit elastomer switch coverings that are resistant to exposure from harsh chemicals. During fiscal 2010, its customers for these products included Alere, Dictaphone, DRS Tactical Systems, General Electric, IDEXX Laboratories, Jabil Circuit, Philips, Roche, Siemens, and WMS.
The Company designs and manufactures military personal communication equipment, primarily headsets. It is a sole supplier of active noise reduction (ANR)! headsets! to the British Army�� tracked and wheeled vehicle fleets under the Bowman communication system program. In the United States, it supplies ANR headsets to the U.S. Army�� tracked and wheeled vehicle fleets under the vehicle intercom system (VIS) and VIS-X programs comprising over 200,000 vehicles, and it is supplier to the United States Marine Corps for their M-ATV fleet. It is ANR headset supplier to the Canadian Army. During fiscal 2010, its customers for these products included Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Simex Defense, Sanmina-SCI, and the British Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Company competes with Astronautics, BAE, Bose, ELBIT, EMS, Eaton, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, IAI, L-3, Otto Controls, RAFI, Rockwell Collins, SELEX, Telephonics, Thales, Ultra Electronics, Universal Avionics Systems Corporation and Zodiac.
Sensors & Systems
The Company�� Sensors & Systems business segment includes power systems and advanced sensors capabilities. It develops and manufactures temperature, pressure and speed sensors, electrical power switching, control and data communication devices, and other related systems for aerospace and defense customers. It is a supplier of temperature probes for use on all versions of the General Electric/Snecma CFM-56 jet engine. The customers for its products in this business segment are jet engine manufacturers and airframe manufacturers. During fiscal 2010, some of its customers for these products included The Boeing Company, Bombardier, Dassault, Eurocopter, Flame, General Electric, Honeywell, Rolls Royce, and SAFRAN.
The Company competes with Ametek, Eaton, Goodrich, Hamilton Sundstrand, MPC Products, Meggitt, STPI-Deutsch, Tyco and Zodiac.
Advanced Materials
The Company�� Advanced Materials business segment includes engineered materials and defense technologies capabilities. It develops and manufactures elastomer products used in a range of commercial aerospace, space, and military appl! ications,! and engineered thermal components for commercial aerospace and industrial applications. It also develops and manufactures combustible ordnance and countermeasures for military applications. It specializes in the development of formulations for silicone rubber and other elastomer products. Its elastomer products are engineered to address specific customer requirements where high temperature, high pressure, caustic, abrasive and other difficult eis critical. These products include clamping devices, thermal fire barrier insulation products, sealing systems, tubing and coverings designed in custom-molded shapes. It is a the United States supplier of performance elastomer products to the aerospace industry, with its customers for these products being jet and rocket engine manufacturers, commercial and military airframe manufacturers, as well as commercial airlines. During fiscal 2010, its customers included Alliant Techsystems, The Boeing Company, Honeywell, KAPCO, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Pattonair. It also develops and manufactures lightweight metallic insulation systems for aerospace and marine applications. Its commercial aerospace programs include the 737, A320, and A380 series aircraft and the V2500 and BR710 engines. Its insulation material is used on diesel engine manifolds for earthmoving and agricultural applications. In addition, it specializes in the development of thermal protection for fire, nuclear, and petro-chemical industries. It designs and manufactures temperature components for industrial and marine markets. Its manufacturing processes consist of cutting, pressing, and welding stainless steel, Inconel and titanium fabrications. During fiscal 2010, its customers of these products included Airbus, The Boeing Company, Goodrich, GKN Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Pattonair, Rolls Royce, Short Brothers, Spirit AeroSystems, and Volvo.
The Company develops and manufactures combustible ordnance and warfare countermeasure devices for military customers. It manufactures ! molded fi! ber cartridge cases, mortar increments, igniter tubes and other combustible ordnance components for the United States Department of Defense. It also monitors safety metrics to ensure compliance. It is a supplier of combustible casings utilized by the United States Armed Forces. These products include the combustible case for the United States Army�� new generation 155 millimeters Modular Artillery Charge System, the 120 millimeters combustible case used with the main armament system on the United States Army and Marine Corps��M1-A1/2 tanks, and the 60 millimeters, 81 millimeters and 120 millimeters combustible mortar increments. It is a supplier of United States Army of infrared decoy flares used by aircraft to help protect against radar and infrared guided missiles. In addition it is a supplier of infrared decoy flares to the MoD and other international defense agencies.
The Company competes with Chemring, Doncasters, Hitemp, J&M, JPR Hutchinson, Kmass, Dunlop Standard Aerospace Group, Rheinmetall, Trelleborg, ULVA and UMPCO.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Since the initial drop, shares of United Tech have bounced back a bit. They’re down 0.8% at $106.93 at 12:03 p.m. That drop puts it out of step with other industrial stocks, which have been stronger today. General Electric (GE), for instance, has gained 1.1% to $24.16, Honeywell International (HON) has ticked up 0.2% to $83.19, Esterline (ESL) has risen 0.7% to $80.45 and Northrop Grumman (NOC) is up 0.6% at $95.87.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Esterline Technologies (NYSE: ESL) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $1.40 per share on revenue of $516.57 million.
Aceto (NASDAQ: ACET) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $134.23 million.
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Capital Bancorp Inc.(VA)
First Capital Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for First Capital Bank that offers a range of banking and related financial services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals in Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. The company?s deposit products include checking, individual retirement, negotiable order of withdrawal, and savings accounts, as well as other time deposits of various types, ranging from daily money market accounts to longer-term certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises short-to-medium term commercial loans, such as secured and unsecured loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery; and consumer loans comprising secured and unsecured loans for financing automobiles, home improvements, education, and personal investments. The company also originates fixed and floating-rate mortgage, and real estate construction and acquisition loans. In addition, it offers safe deposi t boxes, cash management services, traveler?s checks, direct deposit of payroll and social security checks, automatic drafts for various accounts, online banking services, small and medium-sized businesses courier services, and automated teller machine services. As of May 10, 2011, the company operated seven branches. First Capital Bancorp, Inc. is headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tiernan Ray]
Shares of hip carrier�Virgin America (VA) are flying, up $4.15, or almost 12%, at $39.96, after underwriters of its November 14th�initial public offering were freed up to initiate coverage and responded with mostly positive notes.
Of the eight underwriters — Barclays, Deutsche, Merrill, Cowen, Goldman, Imperial Capital, Loyal3 Securities, and Raymond James — I see five Buy-equivalent ratings today, and one Hold, from Raymond James.
Virgin, which began its U.S. operations in 2007, generated $56 million in net income off $1.12 billion in revenue in the first nine months of this year, according to its IPO prospects. That was up from a $4 million loss last year on revenue of $1.06 billion in the same nine-month period. As of September, the company had amassed a deficit of $334 million.
The shares have a heavy concentration of top stockholders, with the biggest chunk owned by Cyrus Aviation Holdings, at 39.9% before the IPO and an expected 33% following it; VX Holdings, with 22% pre-IPO and 25% post-IPO; and PAR Investments with 6.5%.
Cyrus, which as recently as 2010 held as much as 55.5% of the stock, is held by�Cyrus Capital Partners, a distressed-debt fund manager. VX is the employee holding company for employee share interests in the stock.
Imperial Capital‘s Bob McAdoo starts coverage with an Outperform rating, and a $52 price target, writing that after losing money its first six years in business, because of startup costs and the need to grab market share, Virgin changed focus last year to making money:
The company has since�reduced or even suspended service in various underperforming markets. More recently, five of the�past six quarters have produced net profits, a trend we expect to continue given management���current focus and with recent significantly lower jet fuel prices. Later in this report, we provide more�detail regarding some of the specific steps taken to improve profitabilit
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nevada Gold Corp (NVGC)
Nevada Gold Corp., incorporated on May 31, 2011, is an exploration-stage company. The Company is primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties.
The Company has an option to acquire certain claims located the Long Canyon Gold Trend of Northern Nevada State. As of February 28, 2013, the Company had no revenue.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Small cap OTC stocks Sovereign Lithium Inc (OTCMKTS: SLCO), Life Stem Genetics Inc (OTCMKTS: LIFS), Nevada Gold Corp (OTCMKTS: NVGC), Guar Global Ltd (OTCMKTS: GGBL) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCMKTS: MDDD) all saw their trading halted late last year by the SEC, but now all of these stocks are trading again. So what's going on and why the sudden crackdown? First, here is a quick look at what happened to the following five small cap stocks:
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Devon Energy Corporation(DVN)
Devon Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil in the United States and Canada. It also involves in transporting oil, gas, and natural gas liquids (NGL); and processing natural gas. The company owns oil and gas properties in the mid-continent area of the central and southern United States; the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico; the Rocky Mountains area of the United States; and the onshore areas of the Gulf Coast, principally in south Texas and south Louisiana. It also owns oil and gas properties in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition, the company offers marketing and midstream services, including marketing of gas, crude oil, and NGL, as well as constructing and operating pipelines, storage and treating facilities, and natural gas processing plants. As of December 31, 2010, it had 2,042 million barrel of oil equivalent of proved developed reserves. The company sells its gas production to various customers, such as pipelines, utilities, gas marketing firms, industrial users, and local distribution companies; crude oil production to refiners, remarketers, and other companies; and NGL production to customers in petrochemical, refining, and heavy oil blending activities. Devon Energy Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Arjun Sreekumar]
A drilling carry also featured prominently in Devon Energy's (NYSE: DVN ) transaction with Chinese oil behemoth Sinopec last year. Under the terms of the agreement, Sinopec purchased a third of Devon's equity in shale gas assets in the Niobrara, Utica, and Tuscaloosa Marine shales, as well as properties in Mississippi Lime play and the Michigan basin.
- [By David Smith]
The process, which was first used in Colorado, and has found its way to Pennsylvania, has already been responsible for some amazing statistics: Encana (NYSE: ECA ) has drilled 51 Piceance shale wells in northwestern Colorado from a single pad. And Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN ) �has completed 36 wells from a single pad in the Marcellus shale. Obviously, these companies -- among others -- are already benefiting from this staggering advancement.
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (JFR)
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund invests primarily in senior loans whose interest rates float or adjust periodically based on a benchmark interest rate index. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in adjustable rate secured senior loans and adjustable rate unsecured senior loans, which unsecured senior loans will be, at the time of investment, investment grade quality. In addition, at least 65% of the Funds assets will be invested in senior loans that are secured by claims on specific collateral. Nuveen Asset Management is the advisor of the Fund. The sectors covered by the portfolio include media, hotels, restaurants and leisure, healthcare providers and service, chemicals, United States of America, containers/packaging and other.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Global-Tech Advanced Innovations Inc. (GAI)
Global-Tech Advanced Innovations Inc., an investment holding company, manufactures and sells consumer electrical products primarily in the United States, Europe, and the People�s Republic of China. Its Electronic Components segment produces complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera modules primarily for sale to cellular phone and tablet manufacturers in Mainland China. The company�s Electronic Manufacturing Services segment engages in the provision of surface mount technology processing services for printed circuit boards; and assembly services for cellular phone marketers in Mainland China. Its Others segment is involved in the manufacture and sale of disposable medical devices. Global-Tech also engages in the trading of raw materials, and electronic and optical components; and in the provision of consultation services. The company was formerly known as Global-Tech Appliances Inc. and changed its name to Global-Tech Advanced Innovations Inc. in December 2008. Globa l-Tech Advanced Innovations Inc. was founded in 1963 and is based in Aberdeen, Hong Kong.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones]
According to the GuruFocus Value Screen for finding 52-Week Lows, Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. (TRQ), Global-Tech Advanced Innovations (GAI) and Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP (RNF) are companies on a low and still held by billionaire investors. All three companies are on a 52-week low, and more than 64% off a 52-week high.