Saturday, January 31, 2015

Top 5 Undervalued Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top 5 Undervalued Companies To Watch In Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    We think KMB will be perceived as the safest of the multinationals. Its sales outside the US are about 55% of total; this compares to 65%-70% for Procter & Gamble (PG) and Cot! y (COTY) and 80%-90% for Colgate (CL), Avon and Tupperware (TUP). In general, its risk to the most volatile currencies is below average (its exposure to Eastern Europe is less than 2% of sales), though it is still translating results in Venezuela (about 3% of sales and profit) at the official rate of 6.3 VEF/$ (the parallel rate just hit 175 VEF/$) and Argentina (also 3% of sales) may devalue again. The cost of important raw materials has started to weaken; as they follow oil's decline they could boost gross margins in 2H15. Of note, polypropylene and natural gas are off 17% 4Q-to-date; pulp prices, while not declining much, seem manageable.

  • [By James Brumley]

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

    Dividend Stocks to Buy: Tupperware Brands (TUP)

    Dividend Yield: 3.2%

  • [By Jonathan Berr]

    Multilevel marketing (MLM) groups such as Herbalife operate through independent sales representatives, who earn money both through the sales of product and by recruiting other people to join their team. This business model — which is used by scores of companies, including Pampered Chef, which is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Tupperware (TUP) and Mary Kay Cosmetics — is legal provided that actual products are sold.

  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Corporate earnings took a back seat today to the Fed's latest policy decision. Still, quarterly financial results, and other news sent shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) and Tupperware (TUP), falling during regular market hours Here's a rundown of several of today's moves:

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-undervalued-companies-to-watch-in-right-now-3.html

Thursday, January 29, 2015

What Happened Last Year in Credit, Debit Cards

NEW YORK (LowCards.com) -- Identity theft and actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dominated the credit card headlines last year, including these Top 10 stories: One of the largest data breaches in history took place at Target stores between Black Friday and Dec. 15, the busiest shopping time of the year. The breach may have affected as many as 40 million people who used their credit or debit cards in Target stores throughout the country. Two years after the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency finally got a permanent director. On July 16, the Senate voted 66-34 to confirm Richard Cordray to lead the CFPB. He had been serving as the acting director since January 2012 after being installed by President Barack Obama as a recess appointment. That move angered Republicans, who stalled his nomination for 18 months. Cordray is likely to remain in the post through the completion of Obama's second term in 2016. The CFPB made its presence known under its new director. It began a crackdown on debt collectors, investigating how collectors verify borrowers' information and communicate with consumers. It is also investigating credit card rewards and whether customers are being misled when they sign up for complex credit card reward programs. It started regulating the nation's largest student-loan servicing firms, which manage student accounts, process monthly payments and respond to borrower questions. Finally, the CFPB put its mark on the loose lending that caused the housing crisis, tightening the rules on documentation.
Also see: 10 Tips for Reducing Credit Card Debt in 2014>> In July, federal indictments were handed down on foreign hackers who stole and sold 160 million credit card numbers from more than a dozen companies during the past seven years, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. The scheme was run by four Russian nationals and a Ukrainian. The victims in the scheme, which prosecutors said ran from 2005-12, included J.C. Penney, 7-Eleven, JetBlue and Heartland Payment Systems. In May, federal prosecutors charged eight people in New York with cyber attacks on the global financial system. They were called part of an international ring that hacked into a database of prepaid debit cards and stole $45 million from ATMs around the world. Prepaid cards have fewer protections and regulations than credit and debit cards issued by a bank. They do not provide information about credit history or individual behavior, which makes them a good option for people with bad credit or no bank account  but also for thieves. Social Security benefits went paperless in March. In a cost-saving measure, the government started a program in May 2011 to eventually eliminate the paper checks distributed for Social Security, Veteran Affairs, Supplemental Security Income and other government programs. According to Treasury officials, a mailed check costs the government 92 cents more than a payment made by electronic transfer. Eligible recipients were required to move to direct deposits or the prepaid debit cards called "Direct Express" by March 1, 2012.

Also see: CFPB Warns Companies to Investigate Credit Report Errors>> Delinquency rates on credit card accounts dropped to the lowest level in 18 years, signaling that more cardholders are paying their bills on time. Figures released by the American Bankers Association in March showed that the number of accounts 30 days or more overdue dropped to 2.47% in the fourth quarter of 2012. The delinquency rate for credit card accounts peaked at 5.01% in 2009, but the rate dropped rather steadily since then. The number of young Americans living without credit cards has doubled since the recession. About 16% of consumers ages 18 to 29 didn't have a single credit card by the end of 2012  up from 8% in 2007, according to data that credit score provider FICO. As a result, credit card debt has declined by about a third among this age group, from an average $3,073 to $2,087 per person. JPMorgan Chase was ordered by the CFPB to refund $309 million to credit card customers that were improperly billed for add-on products. Many of the 2.1 million cardholders were billed for services they never got, such as identity theft protection and fraud monitoring. In addition to the $309 million in refunds to cardholders, JPMorgan Chase was ordered to pay fines of $60 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as well as $20 million to the CFPB's Civil Penalty Fund. After years in court, federal judge John Gleeson finally gave Visa and MasterCard approval in December on the $5.7 billion class-action settlement to resolve retailer objections over the interchange fees charged every time a consumer uses a debit or credit card -- the largest private antitrust settlement in history. Retailers are still upset by the ruling, claiming the settlement does not stop credit card companies from increasing the fees in the future.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Own For 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014

WASHINGTON ��Labor-management agreements that help unions organize workers in exchange for concessions ran into skepticism at the Supreme Court Wednesday, but perhaps not enough to end a common practice that has served both sides well for decades.

The case involves a Hollywood, Florida, racetrack and casino that gave a hospitality services union a list of employees, access to its property and a pledge to remain neutral in the union's labor-organizing bid. In exchange, the union agreed not to strike or picket, and it spent $100,000 to support a state ballot initiative that led to legalizing slot machines.

A groundskeeper opposed to the union took the case to court and won a surprising victory at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that Mardi Gras Gaming gave the union "things of value" barred under the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947. If the Supreme Court upholds that verdict, labor groups say, it would cut off an increasingly important avenue for union organizing.

Top 5 Recreation Companies For 2015: William Hill PLC (WMH)

William Hill PLC is a United Kingdom-based gambling company. The Company�� business is to provide its customers with a range of sports betting and gaming opportunities. It is a bookmaker providing fixed odds sports betting. It also offers gaming opportunities. The Company�� segments include Retail distribution channel, which includes activity undertaken in LBOs, including gaming machines; Online segment, which includes activity undertaken online, including an online sportsbook, online casino, online poker sites and other gaming products; Telephone segment, which includes its telephone betting services; US segment, comprises all activity undertaken in the United States; Other activities include on-course betting and greyhound stadia operations. In April 2013, it acquired the remaining 29% stake in William Hill Online from its joint venture partner Playtech Ltd. Effective September 2, 2013, William Hill PLC acquired Miapuesta.es, a provider of gaming and sports betting services. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Prudential Plc (PRU), which generated 32 percent of its operating income from Asia last year, climbed to its highest price since at least 1988. William Hill (WMH) Plc lost 3.2 percent after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its rating on the bookmaker. Anglo American Plc (AAL) declined 1.4 percent after saying that production at its Kumba (KIO) Iron Ore Ltd. unit fell.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc sank 3.3 percent after reporting results and naming the head of its U.K. consumer unit as chief executive officer. William Hill Plc (WMH) dropped the most in four years after the bookmaker posted earnings that missed analysts��projections. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) rose to a five-year high as the parent of British Airways reported an operating profit in the second quarter.

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: Tropicana Entertainment Inc (TPCA)

Tropicana Entertainment Inc. (TEI) is an owner and operator of regional casino and entertainment properties located in the United States and one casino resort development located on the island of Aruba. TEI�� United States properties include three casinos in Nevada, three casinos in Mississippi, and one casino in each of Indiana, Louisiana and New Jersey. Its properties offer a range of gaming options. TEI�� properties include Tropicana AC in the East; Casino Aztar in Central; Tropicana Laughlin, River Palms and MontBleu in the West; Lighthouse Point, Jubilee, Belle of Baton Rouge, Horizon Vicksburg and Tropicana Aruba in the South and Other.

Tropicana AC

Tropicana Casino and Resort, Atlantic City (Tropicana AC) is situated on a 14-acre site with approximately 660 feet of ocean frontage in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In addition to gaming facilities, the property features The Quarter, a Havana-themed, Las Vegas-style, approximately 200,000 square-foot indoor entertainment and retail center, hosting several restaurants, shops and an IMAX theatre. Other amenities include a 2,000-seat showroom, a full service spa and salon, a health club and indoor pool, a beach and pool bar and approximately 99,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

Casino Aztar

Casino Aztar Evansville (Casino Aztar) is a casino hotel and entertainment complex in the state of Indiana. Over 60% of Casino Aztar's revenues come from customers within a 50-mile radius. The property's casino operations are located dockside on the three-deck City of Evansville riverboat. Located adjacent to the casino, the Company owns two distinctive hotels: the Casino Aztar Hotel, a 251-room hotel that offers guests a restaurant, conference rooms and banquet facilities; and Le Merigot Hotel, a luxurious 96-room boutique hotel with an upscale martini lounge. A 44,000-square-foot pavilion adjacent to the riverboat features three restaurants, an entertainment lounge, gift shop, coffee shop, pla! yers club and VIP lounge. The District at Casino Aztar includes two restaurants and the Le Merigot Hotel. Casino Aztar also includes a seven-story parking garage, as well as surface parking.

Tropicana Laughlin

Tropicana Laughlin Hotel and Casino (Tropicana Laughlin) is located on an approximately 31-acre site on Casino Drive, Laughlin. The casino at Tropicana Laughlin features a gaming floor. Non-gaming amenities include a heated outdoor swimming pool, seven restaurants, three full service bars, an entertainment lounge with live music, a lounge for high-end players, an 800-seat multi-purpose showroom and concert hall, meeting space, retail stores, an arcade and a covered parking structure. The property features 1,495 hotel rooms.

River Palms

River Palms Hotel and Casino (River Palms) is located on an approximately 35-acre site also on Casino Drive, with approximately 1,300 feet of frontage on the Colorado River. Non-gaming amenities include 1,001 hotel rooms, 10,500 square feet of meeting and convention space, an outdoor pool, fitness center, three restaurants, three full service bars, a showroom, two entertainment lounges with live music and a covered parking structure.

MontBleu

MontBleu Casino Resort & Spa (MontBleu) is situated on approximately 21 acres in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In addition to the casino, the property offers guests a choice of three restaurants and various non-gaming amenities, including retail shops, two nightclubs, a 1,500-seat showroom, approximately 14,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a parking garage, a full service health spa and workout area, an indoor heated lagoon style pool with whirlpool and a 120-seat wedding chapel.

Lighthouse Point

Lighthouse Point Casino (Lighthouse Point) is a 210-foot, three-deck, dockside riverboat located in Greenville, Mississippi. In addition to slot machines, the riverboat inc! ludes a d! eli and bars on each floor while the dockside facility includes a buffet, a bar and 386 onsite surface parking spaces.

Jubilee

Bayou Caddy's Jubilee Casino (Jubilee), a 240-foot dockside riverboat, is located in Greenville. In addition to the casino facilities, the property includes a bar on each floor, a deli and approximately 700 parking spaces. The property also owns and operates the Greenville Inn & Suites, a 41-room suite hotel located less than a mile away, which offers free shuttle service to and from Jubilee and Lighthouse Point.

Belle of Baton Rouge

Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel (Belle of Baton Rouge) is a dockside riverboat situated on approximately 23 acres on the Mississippi River in the downtown historic district of Baton Rouge, across from the River Center, a 70,000-square-foot convention center. The three-deck, dockside riverboat casino is one of two casino facilities in the Baton Rouge market. Baton Rouge is located 75 miles north of New Orleans. Non-gaming amenities include 300 hotel rooms, 25,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, two restaurants, a deli, and an entertainment venue inside a 50,000-square-foot glass atrium that also encloses a tropical lobby.

Horizon Vicksburg

Horizon Vicksburg Casino (Horizon Vicksburg) is a dockside riverboat situated on approximately six acres in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi. The property features a 297-foot multi-level, antebellum style, dockside riverboat casino housing. Additional amenities include 117 hotel rooms, a restaurant, two covered parking garages as well as additional surface parking. In December 2010, the Company entered into an agreement to sell all of the assets and certain liabilities associated with the operation of Horizon Vicksburg.

Tropicana Aruba

The Company operates timeshare and rental units at Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino (Tropicana Aruba), a casino resort und! er develo! pment in Noord, Aruba. This resort will have approximately 361 timeshare and rental units, an approximately 16,000 square foot permanent casino, two pools, a swim-up bar & grill, a fitness center and tennis courts, which will be located on approximately 14 acres near Eagle Beach.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Igor Greenwald]

    A majority stake in casino operator Tropicana Entertainment (TPCA) also began with a Chapter 11 restructuring.

    From January 1, 2000 to June 10, 2013, Icahn Enterprises has averaged a 20% annual return, multiplying investors' money nearly 12-fold. Berkshire-Hathaway (BRK-B) has managed only a triple over the same span.

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: Monarch Casino & Resort Inc (MCRI)

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (Monarch), incorporated in 1993, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. (Golden Road), owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa(the Atlantis), a hotel/casino facility in Reno, Nevada. Monarch�� other wholly owned subsidiaries, High Desert Sunshine, Inc. (High Desert) and Golden North, Inc. (Golden North), each own separate parcels of land located adjacent to the Atlantis. The Company owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which is located approximately three miles south of downtown in the area of Reno, Nevada. The Atlantis features approximately 61,000 square feet of casino space; a hotel with 824 guest rooms and suites; ten food outlets; an enclosed year-round pool with waterfall; an outdoor pool; a health spa; two retail outlets offering clothing and resort gift shop merchandise; a full service salon for men and women; an 8,000 square-foot family entertainment center; and approximately 52,000 square feet of banquet, convention and meeting room space. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired 1.5 acre parcel of developable land contiguous to the Riviera Black Hawk Casino.

In April 2012, it acquired Riviera Black Hawk, Inc.

The Atlantis Casino offers approximately 1,450 slot and video poker machines; approximately 39 table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette and others; a race and sports book; keno and a poker room. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with 824 rooms and suites. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with a total of 824 rooms and suites. The first of the three hotel towers contains 160 rooms and suites in 13 stories. The 19-story second hotel tower contains 278 rooms and suites. The third tower contains 386 rooms and suites in 28 stories.

The Atlantis hotel rooms feature designs and furnishings consistent with the Northern Nevada market, as well as nine-foot ceilings (most standard hotel rooms have eig! ht-foot ceilings), which create an open and spacious feel. The third hotel tower features a four-story waterfall with an adjacent year-round swimming pool in a climate controlled, five-story glass enclosure, which shares an outdoor third floor pool deck with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and year round whirlpool. A full-service salon (the Salon at Atlantis) overlooks the third floor sundeck and outdoor seasonal swimming pool and offers salon-grade products and treatments for hair, nails, skincare and body services for both men and women. A health spa is located adjacent to the swimming areas, which offers treatments and amenities. The hotel rooms on the spa floor are designated as spa rooms and feature decor that is themed consistent with the spa. Certain spa treatments are also available in spa floor hotel rooms. The hotel also features glass elevators rising the full 19 and 28 stories, of the respective towers providing views of the Reno area and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The Atlantis has eight restaurants, two gourmet coffee bars and one snack bar. It includes 160-seat Atlantis Steakhouse gourmet restaurant; the 200-seat upscale Bistro Napa featuring a centrally located wine cellar; the Oyster Bar restaurant in the Sky Terrace offering fresh seafood, soups and bisques made to order; the Sushi Bar, also in the Sky Terrace, offering a variety of fresh raw and cooked sushi specialties, including all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner selections. The Oyster Bar and Sushi Bar can accommodate up to 139 guests; The 178-seat 24-hour Purple Parrot coffee shop; the 122-seat Cafe Alfresco restaurant serving a full menu, pizzas prepared in a wood-fired, brick oven and a variety of gelato deserts; the 170-seat Manhattan Deli restaurant specializing in piled-high sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts; two gourmet coffee bars, offering specialty coffee drinks, pastries and desserts made fresh daily in the Atlantis bakery; a snack bar and soda fountain serving ice cream and arcade-style refreshmen! ts.

The Sky Terrace is a structure with a diamond-shaped, blue glass body suspended approximately 55 feet, and spanning 160 feet across, South Virginia Street. The Sky Terrace connects the Atlantis with additional parking on its 16-acre site across South Virginia Street from the Atlantis. The structure rests at each end on two 100-foot tall Grecian columns with no intermediate support pillars. The interior of the Sky Terrace contains the Oyster Bar, the Sushi Bar, a video poker bar, banks of slot machines and a lounge area with oversized leather sofas and chairs.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Monarch Casino & Resort (MCRI) fell 15% to $18.71 after revenue missed forecasts today.

    Stamps.com (STMP) fell 6.2% today ahead of its earnings results. It beat earnings after the close today.

  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ: MCRI  ) were cooling off today, falling as much as 20% after the company's earnings report failed to impress.

  • [By Vanina Egea] ong>Risks and Valuation

    Although the Chinese government will maintain its gambling restrictions in the mainland over the next decade, Sand Corp�� market share and leverage in fixed costs will continue to riel in strong revenue growth from this region. Fiscal 2013 marked a 24.80% revenue increase ($13.8 billion) and operating margins continue to expand at the same pace. Despite the inherent risk of an economic slowdown in Asia or a recession in the U.S., which could put a halt to leisure spending, the company is well prepared to balance out any short-term losses. The casino operator�� EBITDA growth of 65.30%, for example, is an impressive result when compared to the industry�� average of 4.90%.

    Looking forward, earnings per share are expected to continue their fast-paced upward trend, having jumped from $1.56 in 2011 to $2.79 at the end of fiscal 2013. The 21.6% return on equity, as well as 1.80% dividend yield should also be attractive to shareholders and future investors. Although Las Vegas Sand Corp is currently trading at a 24% price premium relative to the industry average of 22.60x trailing earnings, I feel very bullish about this firm�� long term profitability, given its strong market position in Asia.

    Disclosure: Vanina Egea holds no position in any stocks mentioned.


    Also check out: Andreas Halvorsen Undervalued Stocks Andreas Halvorsen Top Growth Companies Andreas Halvorsen High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Andreas Halvorsen keeps buying
    About the author:Vanina EgeaA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics

    Visit Vanina Egea's Website

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.(PNK)

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns, develops, and operates casinos, and related hospitality and entertainment facilities in the United States. It operates casinos, such as L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles, Louisiana; River City Casino and Lumiere Place in St. Louis, Missouri; Boomtown New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana; Belterra Casino Resort in Vevay, Indiana; Boomtown Bossier City in Bossier City, Louisiana; and Boomtown Reno in Reno, Nevada. The company also operates River Downs racetrack in southeast Cincinnati, Ohio. As of May 26, 2011, it operated seven casinos and one racetrack. The company was formerly known as Hollywood Park, Inc. and changed its name to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in February 2000. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1935 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) has gained 56% this year; Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has climbed 38%. And Deutsche Bank has nice things to say about both today.

    Bloomberg

    First Pinnacle. Deutsche Bank’s Carlo Santarelli ponders the stock’s big move and comes away still seeing value in its shares. He writes:

    When we upgraded PNK in April, our thesis centered on the FCF strength of the combined entities [Pinnacle completed its acquisition of Ameristar Casinos on Aug. 14], a handful of favorable catalysts, easing regional gaming comps, & an inexpensive relative valuation. Given the shares’ sizeable move since then, we believe it is worth revisiting the investment case. Post the announcement of several asset sales and the closing of the transaction, we are adjusting our estimates, raising our PT to $30 from $24, and maintaining our bullish view at current levels given what we still believe to be an attractive free cash flow valuation, meaningful potential synergy realization beyond the $40 mm of announced benefits, and a free option on a lagging regional recovery.

    Santarelli also revisited Las Vegas Sands and there too, he likes what he sees. He writes:

    With…LVS at [a share price level] that have been challenging to break from over the last year plus, we believe this time is different and hence we see continued upward momentum…In the case of LVS, we see; 1) meaningful mass market strength continuing through year end, setting the stage for upward company and market estimate revisions for 2014, 2) continued cash flow appreciation and capital returns serving as downside protection and positive catalysts, and 3) continued shared gains, largely driven by table optimization and mass market strength, driving both estimates and sentiment.

    He also likes Wynn Resorts (WYNN), despite its 34% gain.�Santarelli writes:

    As for WYNN, we believe near-term estimates continue to take a back seat to capital return

  • [By Dan Radovsky]

    Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) has reached an agreement in principle with the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission that would allow the company to complete its proposed acquisition of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) , Pinnacle announced today.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) and Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) fell as much as 11% today after the government brought into question the merger of the two companies.

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: MGM Resorts International(MGM)

MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, primarily owns and operates casino resorts in the United States. The company?s resorts offer gaming, hotel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. It also owns and operates golf courses and a golf club. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned and operated 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan; and has 50% investments in 4 other casino resorts in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau. In addition, MGM Resorts International has an agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates a casino resort in Connecticut, to carry the ?MGM Grand? brand name. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was founded in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    On Friday, Amazon announced that its European LOVEFiLM subsidiary is teaming up with MGM (NYSE: MGM  ) Television to bring the hit new History Channel television show VIKINGS to viewers in the U.K., and Germany as well. Beginning May 24, LOVEFiLM will be the only service offering streaming video of all nine episodes of Vikings' first season to viewers in the U.K. and Germany. (Season 2 is scheduled to arrive in 2014). Additionally, Amazon points out that it will be streaming the show through LOVEFiLM before Vikings even goes into broadcast in Europe.

  • [By Monica Wolfe]

    MGM Resorts International (MGM)

    Paulson�� fifth largest holding is in MGM Resorts where he maintains 29,800,000 shares of the company�� stock. His position makes up for 3.9% of his total portfolio and 6.09% of the company�� shares outstanding.

Top Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: Scientific Games Corp (SGMS)

Scientific Games Corporation (Scientific Games), incorporated on July 2, 1984, is a global supplier of solutions to lottery and gaming organizations worldwide. The Company�� products and services include instant lottery games, lottery gaming systems, terminals and services, and Internet applications, as well as server-based interactive gaming machines and associated gaming control systems. The Company reports its operations in three segments: Printed Products Group, Lottery Systems Group and Diversified Gaming Group. Printed Products Group is a provider of instant lottery tickets in the world. The Company�� Lottery Systems Group is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. Its Diversified Gaming Group provides services and systems to private and public operators in the wide area gaming industry, including server-based gaming machines and sports betting systems and services. On September 23, 2011, the Company acquired Barcrest Group Limited. During 2011, the Company launched MDI Interactive, a content services powerhouse dedicated to delivering gaming solutions for the Internet, mobile and all digital things. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of WMS Industries Inc.

Printed Products

Printed Products segment is primarily consists of instant ticket lottery business. The Company generates revenue from the manufacturing and sale of instant tickets, as well as the provision of value-added services, such as game design, sales and marketing support, specialty games and promotions, inventory management and warehousing and fulfillment services. It also provides lotteries with cooperative service programs (CSPs), to help them manage and support their operations. The Company also provides licensed games, promotional entertainment and Internet-based services to the lottery industry. It operates six instant ticket printing facilities across five continents.

!

The Company provides lotteries with access to some entertainment brands on lottery products through its subsidiary MDI Entertainment LLC (MDI). The Company�� licensed entertainment brands include Harley-Davidson, Major League Baseball, Monopoly, National Basketball Association, The Price is Right, Wheel-of-Fortune and World Poker Tour. It also provides branded merchandise prizes, advertising, promotional support, turnkey drawing management services and prize fulfillment programs. In addition, it offers lotteries a Web-based platform called Properties Plus, which features players clubs, reward programs, second chance promotional websites, interactive games and, subject to applicable law, a subscription system that enables players to purchase lottery games securely over the Internet. The Company owns 20% interests in LNS ad Northstar, and 49% in CSG.

Lottery Systems

The Company is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. In the United States, the Company typically provides the necessary equipment, software and maintenance services pursuant to long-term facilities. Internationally, it typically sells terminals and/or computer software to lottery authorities and may provide ongoing fee-based systems and software support services. The Company�� lottery systems business includes the supply of transaction-processing software, draw lottery games, keno, point-of-sale terminals, central site computers and communication platforms as well as ongoing operational support and maintenance services. The Company is the instant ticket validation network provider to the China Sports Lottery.

The Company has lottery systems operating in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition, it provides video lottery central monitoring, and control systems and networks primarily to lotteries an! d gaming ! regulators. It also provides software, hardware and support for sports wagering systems. The Company has 50% interest in Guard Libang, a provider of instant ticket activation and validation and inventory management systems and services.

Gaming

The Company is a provider of server-based gaming machines and systems and other products and services to operators in the gaming industry. The Company�� Gaming segment includes The Global Draw Limited (Global Draw), a supplier of server-based gaming machines and systems, and game content primarily to bookmakers that operate licensed betting offices (LBOs) in the United Kingdom, and to gaming operators outside the United Kingdom. The Gaming segment also includes Barcrest Group Limited (Barcrest) and Games Media Limited (Games Media), suppliers of gaming machines, systems and game content to pubs, bingo halls and arcades in the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

The Company provides its Gaming customers with gaming machines, remote management of game content and management information, central computer systems, secure data communication and field support services. It develops its own game content, and supplements its offering with content from third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company installed approximately 23,100 LBO gaming machines in the United Kingdom, which included approximately 8,000 LBO gaming. As of December 31, 2011, it had an installed base of approximately 6,100 gaming machines in its United Kingdom pub, bingo hall and arcade business, and installed approximately 6,500 gaming machines outside of the United Kingdom. During 2011, the Company owned a 50% interest in Sciplay, a joint venture with Playtech Services (Cyprus) Limited. It also owns 29.4% interests in RCN, and 20% in Sportech.

The Compnay competes with Pollard Banknote Limited, GTECH, BI Worldwide Ltd., Alchemy3, LLC, ePrize, LLC, GTECH, Pollard, Intralot Technologies, Inc., International Lottery and Totalizator Systems, Inc.! , Inspire! d Gaming Group Limited, Danoptra Ltd, Sceptre Leisure plc, Games Warehouse Limited, International Game Technology, Lottomatica, Bally Technologies, Inc., Inspired, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, Novomatic AG, Multimedia Games, Inc., WMS Industries Inc., Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., Amaya Gaming Group, Inc., Cryptologic Ltd., IGT, Microgaming Software Systems Ltd., Net Entertainment NE AB, NYX Gaming Group, OpenBet Technology Ltd. and Playtech Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Scientific Games (SGMS) is placing a big bet on Bally Technologies (BYI).

    Early today, the seller of instant ticketing systems and game-control software announce it was buying the slot machine maker for $5.1 billion, including debt, marking the latest deal in the gaming equipment industry.

    Bally shareholders will get $83.30 a share or a 38% premium to the stock’s closing price on Thursday. Scientific Games will take on $1.8 billion of Bally’s debt.

    As expected, the news sent Bally�� share soaring 20% to $77.72. But investors aren�� going all in on the deal, with Scientific Games��share price down 2% to $8.33 a share.

    The deal looks good on paper. As the WSJ reports:

    The two companies generated combined revenue of about $3 billion in the one-year period ended March 31. The merger plan calls for $220 million of cost synergies and $25 million of capital-expenditure savings through consolidating operations and creating efficiencies across a range of activities.

    Scientific Games said it expects the deal to immediately benefit the company’s per-share earnings and cash flow and help reduce the company’s leverage over the next three to four years.

    This is not the first coupling for Scientific Games. In late 2013, it bagged WMS Industries, a maker of gambling equipment, for $1.42 billion, while Bally acquired fellow casino-device maker SHFL Entertainment for $1.3 billion. And in mid-July, casino-equipment maker International Game Technology (IGT) agreed to be acquired by Italian lottery-operator Gtech in a deal worth $4.7 billion.

  • [By Jayson Derrick]

    According to Bloomberg, major banks including JPMorgan have put off syndicating $3.19 billion of loans for Scientific Games (NASDAQ: SGMS) that would have been used to finance its acquisition of Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI). Shares of Scientific Games lost 6.56 percent, closing at $9.26 while shares of Bally Technologies lost 2.07 percent, closing at $77.97.

  • [By Stock Maelstrom]

    We are likely approaching the last time I will be reporting on WMS Industries (WMS), the former Williams Electronics. It has agreed to be acquired by Scientific Games (SGMS) for $26 per share, plus the assumption of WMS' modest debt. The deal is scheduled to close by the end of this year. On its own, WMS is having a dismal fiscal year, which ends June 30. For this year, the company, no doubt with distracted management, earnings are likely to end at about $0.90 per share, compared with fiscal 2012's $1.31 per share. Helping drive earnings lower are additional measures the company is taking to drive up revenues, which remain well below last decade's peak. WMS' stock has flat lined the past few months at within three percent of the $26 price. There is virtually no upside, though there is downside if the deal collapses. I see no reason to get invested in WMS.

  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    In corporate news: Scientific Games (SGMS) announced it is buying slot-machine maker Bally Technologies (BYI) for $5.1 billion, including debt. The Bally shareholders will get $83.30 a share or a 38% premium to the stock�� closing price on Thursday. The deal sent Bally soaring more than 29% to $77.70, while Scientific Games rose almost 2.8% to $8.78.

Killer Smog, Overpriced Coffee, & 4 More Things to Know Today

A Starbucks coffee shop in downtown Beijing, China. 25-May-2012AlamyA Starbucks coffee shop in downtown Beijing, China. • There are prices to be paid for expanding your economy at a gallop, and China pays plenty of them. Today, anyone looking out across that nation's northern cities can see that winter has arrived there -- or rather, they can't, because the smog is so appallingly bad. In the city of Harbin, for example, visibility dropped to around 11 yards Monday, and small-particle pollution soared to 40 times higher than the international safety standard -- a record, by the way, though one we're sure nobody would want to break. It's a pretty clear case of cause and effect: Harbin's city heating systems were fired up on Sunday, and by Monday, you could barely see your hand in front of your face. • While we're on the subject of the world's rising economic superpower, China has a big complaint with Starbucks (SBUX) -- and it's probably the same one you have: Why does it charge so much for coffee? This may shock those of us in the U.S. who feel we're paying through the nose for our lattes, but Starbucks charges more in China than it does elsewhere -- about a third more than in the United States. • But back in America, the biggest news involving your money today is a no-brainer: the continuing glitches in the Obamacare websites. The administration has called out the computer cavalry, expanding the team that's trying to get the system working properly. And President Obama plans to speak publicly about the problems Monday. But in the meantime, the website is producing far more complaints than anything else. • We all know that taking out a student loan requires filling out a raft of complicated paperwork, but paying it back, at least, ought to be simple. Unfortunately, it's not, the advocates over at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau inform us in a new report. Some loan servicers -- the companies lenders hire to collect payments on private student loans -- make a concerted effort to maximize fees and penalties for borrowers, making the already expensive endeavor of getting an education that much costlier. • The Federal Trade Commission is on the verge of giving the thumbs up to Office Depot's (ODP) merger with Office Max (OMX). Though the marriage of the two big brick-and-mortar office supply stores might seem at first glance to raise an antitrust issue, the FTC doesn't see that as a problem, because Amazon (AMZN) and the rest of the e-commerce crowd will keep competition robust and prices reasonable.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Best Retail Stocks To Watch Right Now

Best Retail Stocks To Watch Right Now: L Brands Inc (LTD)

L Brands, Inc., formerly Limited Brands, Inc, incorporated on March 16, 1982, operates in the specialty retail business. The Company is a specialty retailer of womens intimate and other apparel, beauty and personal care products and accessories. The Company operates in two segments: Victorias Secret and Bath & Body Works. It sells its merchandise through Company-owned specialty retail stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, which are primarily mall-based, and through Websites, catalogue and international franchise, license and wholesale partners. The Company operates in brands, such as Victorias Secret, Victorias Secret Pink, Bath & Body Works, La Senza, and Henri Bendel. The Companys business for both the Victorias Secret and Bath & Body Works segments is principally conducted from office, distribution and shipping facilities located in the Columbus, Ohio area.

As of February 2, 2013, it operated 255 retail stores located in leased facilities, primarily in malls and shopping centers, throughout the Canadian provinces. As of February 2, 2013, it operated two retail stores in London. As of February 2, 2013, it operated 2,619 retail stores located in leased facilities, primarily in malls and shopping centers, throughout the United States. As of February 2, 2013, it also had 339 licensed La Senza stores in 32 countries; 38 franchised Bath & Body Works stores in nine countries; three franchised Victoria's Secret stores in two Middle Eastern countries, and 108 independently owned Victorias Secret Beauty and Accessories stores and various small-format locations in over 50 countries.

Victorias Secret, including Victorias Secret Pink, is a specialty retailer of womens intimate and other apparel with fragrances and cosmetics, supermodels and runway shows. The Company sells its Victorias Secret products at more than 1,000 Victorias Secret stores in the United States, Cana da, United Kingdom and t! hrough the Victorias Secret catalogue and online at www.VictoriasSecret.com. Additionally, Victorias Secret brand products are also sold in stores operated by partners under a franchise or wholesale model throughout the world.

Bath & Body Works is a specialty retailer of home fragrance and personal care products, including shower gels, lotions, soaps and sanitizers. The Company sells its Bath & Body Works products at more than 1,600 Bath & Body Works stores in the United States and Canada and online at www.BathandBodyWorks.com. Additionally, Bath & Body Works brand products are available at franchise locations throughout the world.

La Senza is a specialty retailer of womens intimate apparel. The Company sells its La Senza products at more than 150 La Senza stores in Canada and online at www.LaSenza.com. Additionally, La Senza has more than 330 stores in 32 countries operating under franchise and licensing arrangement s. Henri Bendel sells upscale accessory products through its New York flagship and 28 other stores, as well as online at www.HenriBendel.com.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    It’s gotten bad enough that Lazard Capital Market’s Jennifer Davis posed the question “What’s happened to the consumer?” in a report released today, as she considers next week’s announcements from American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), Aeropostale (ARO), the Gap (GPS), L Brands (LTD) and TJX (TJX). She writes:

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-retail-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html

Monday, January 26, 2015

Best Communications Equipment Companies To Buy For 2015

Best Communications Equipment Companies To Buy For 2015: Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI)

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Motorola Solutions), incorporated March 9, 1973, provides communication infrastructure, devices, software and services. The Company provides these products and services for enterprise and government customers worldwide. The Company operates in two segments: Government and Enterprise. The Government segment includes sales of public safety communications systems, commercial two-way radio systems and devices, software and services. The Enterprise segment includes sales of rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imaging/RFID-based data capture products, wireless local area network (WLAN) and integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN) infrastructure, software and services. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired Twisted Pair Solutions, a provider of push-to-talk over broadband applications for secure, real-time communication anywhere, on any device.

Government

The Government segment designs, manufactures, sells, and provides services around voice and data communications systems, devices, security products and applications. These products and services are sold to a range of customers, including government, public safety and first responder agencies, as well as commercial customers who operate private communications networks and manage a mobile workforce.

The Company offer a portfolio of network infrastructure, devices, applications and services, based on Association for Public Safety Communications Officials 25 (APCO), terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA), and digital mobile radio (DMR) standards, as well as broadband technologies (Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and WiFi). Its products and services are sold stand alone, as well as part of an integrated system. In addition, Motorola Solutions offer critical app! lications in the public safety command center, including voice, computer aided dispatch and multimedia/video. The Company's service offering includes mobility consulting, system design and installatio! n, network and device management and product support.

The Company competes with Cassidian/EADS, Harris, Hytera, Kenwood, Sepura and Tait.

Enterprise

The Enterprise segment designs, manufactures, sells and provides services around WLAN infrastructure, rugged and enterprise-grade advanced data capture and mobile computing devices, security products and applications. These are sold to a range of enterprise customers, including those in retail and hospitality, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, energy and utilities, education and healthcare. Motorola Solutions offers a portfolio of devices, infrastructure, applications and services, which include rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imager/RFID based data capture devices and kiosks, WLAN switches/controllers and access points, network and device management software, network and device security software, voice-based devices and software, and systems bas ed iDEN technology.

The Company competes with Apple, Aruba, Bluebird, Cisco, Datalogic, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard, Intermec, Psion, Panasonic and Samsung.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Vigna]

    Motorola Solutions Inc.(MSI) reported sales and profit that exceeded the company’s expectations, while it unveiled a new share-repurchasing plan.

  • [By Sara Murphy]

    As part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, representatives from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI  ) , Ford (NYSE: F  ) (NYSE: F  ) , and Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG  ) participated in a round-table discussion on responsible minerals sourcing, hosted by the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress. Each of these companies ! has devel! oped robust systems that aim to eliminate the terrible human cost associated with the minerals they need to make their products. They are working with the Enough Project, an NGO that works to provide a framework for best practices.

  • [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

    Zebra Technologies made a bid to substantially grow its business, agreeing to buy Motorola Solutions Inc.'s(MSI) enterprise business for $3.45 billion in cash. The deal represents a large expansion for Zebra as the barcode-printing and asset-tracking company looks to strengthen its presence in retail, logistics, transportation and manufacturing. Zebra shares rose 5.54% to $72.04 and Motorola Solutions shares increased 3.5% to $66.01.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-communications-equipment-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014

October 17, 2013: U.S. markets opened lower Thursday morning following the agreement last night to end (for now) to the federal government shutdown and to raise the debt ceiling temporarily. Disappointing earnings results from some big names pushed futures down before markets opened, as did a poor report on new jobless claims. The major indexes finished the day mixed, with the DJIA never rising into positive territory.

European and Asian markets closed mixed today while Latin American markets were lower.

Friday�� calendar includes speeches by Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, and Fed Governor Jeremy Stein and the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern).

10:00 a.m. – Leading indicators

Here are the closing bell levels for Thursday:

S&P500 1733.15 (+11.61; +0.67%) DJIA 15370.49 (-2.18; -0.01%) NASDAQ 3863.15 (+23.71; +0.62%) 10YR TNOTE 2.597% (+0.59375) Gold $1,323.00 (+9.10; +0.7%) WTI Crude oil $100.67 (+40.70; +3.2%) Euro/Dollar: 1.3677 (+0.0144; +1.06%)

Big Earnings Movers: International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is down 6.4% at $174.83 and gets the blame for dragging the DJIA down today. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) is down 2.5% at $158.14 on lighter revenues. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is down 5.1% at $71.36 after so-so earnings and a cautious outlook.

Top 10 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN)

Brandywine Realty Trust is a publically owned real estate investment trust. The firm invests in real estate markets of the United States. It makes investments in office, mixed-use, and industrial properties. Brandywine Realty Trust was founded in 1985 and is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania with additional offices in Mount Laurel, New Jersey; Richmond, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; Falls Church, Virginia; Oakland, California; Austin, Texas, and Carlsbad, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

     

     

    You don't have to be an expert technical trader to figure out what's going on in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) -- this chart pattern is about as simple as it gets. Brandywine has been bouncing higher in a well-defined uptrending channel since last summer, giving traders a high-probability range to buy the dips.

     

    More specifically, the ideal buying opportunity has come up for BDN bulls every time this stock has bounced off of trendline support along the bottom of the channel. Waiting for a meaningful bounce off of support is crucial for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's also the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong).

     

    Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring BDN can actually still catch a bid along that line before you put your money on shares. At current levels, BDN pays out a whopping 4% dividend yield.

     

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc (RH)

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (Restoration Hardware Holdings), incorporated on August 18, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is merchants of home furnishings. Restoration Hardware Holdings offers merchandise assortments across a number of categories, including furniture, lighting, textiles, bath ware, decor, outdoor, garden, and baby and child products. The Company�� business is integrated across its multiple channels of distribution, consists of its stores, catalogs and Websites. As of July 28, 2012, the Company�� operated a total of 73 retail stores, consisted of 71 Galleries and two full line Design Galleries, and 10 outlet stores throughout the United States and Canada. RH is a brand in the home furnishings. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened five stores and closed 22 stores. In fiscal 2011, the Company distributed approximately 26.1 million catalogs, and its Websites logged over 14.3 million visits.

Restoration Hardware Holdings operates a Website for its Baby & Child brand at www.rhbabyandchild.com. The Company opened its two full line Design Galleries in Los Angeles in, June 2011 and Houston in November 2011. In May 2011, the Company launched catalog applications for Apple�� iPad and iPhone that enable customers to view and purchase its product assortment. Restoration Hardware Holdings operates three store types: the Company's full line Design Gallery format, approximately between 22,000 and 28,000 gross square feet; its Gallery format of approximately 7,000-15,000 gross square feet, and its Baby & Child Gallery format of approximately 2,000-3,000 gross square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Myra P. Saefong , Sital S. Patel]

    Restoration Hardware (RH) reported fourth-quarter earnings of 83 cents a share on revenue of $471.7 million. The company beat analyst expectations and also reported increasing sales growth. Forward looking statements were also positive as the firm looks to expand and transform its retail stores in 2014, according to Chairman and Chief Executive Gary Friedman.

  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH  ) were looking as good as new today, climbing as much as 30% after it bumped up its first-quarter forecast today.

  • [By Peter Graham]

    The Q1 2014�earning report for furniture retailer Williams-Sonoma, Inc (NYSE: WSM), a peer of stocks like Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ: BBBY), Pier 1 Imports Inc (NYSE: PIR) and Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc (NYSE: RH), is scheduled for after the market closes on�Wednesday. Aside from the Williams-Sonoma's earnings report, it should be said that Bed Bath & Beyond Inc reported Q4 2013 earnings on April 9 and will report Q1 2014 earnings on June 23rd; Pier 1 Imports Inc reported Q4 2014 earnings on April 10 and will report Q1 2014 earnings around June 16th; and Restoration Hardware Holdings reported Q4 2013 earnings on March 27 and will report Q1 2014 earnings on June 2nd. However and unlike many other retailers,�Williams-Sonoma is going into the first quarter after having a great holiday season.

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: Ambit Biosciences Corp (AMBI)

Ambit Biosciences Corporation, incorporated on May 17, 2000, is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs to treat unmet medical needs in oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by inhibiting kinases that are important drivers for those diseases. The Company�� lead drug candidate, quizartinib, is in Phase IIb clinical development in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The Company�� second drug candidate in clinical development, AC410, is a potent, selective, orally-administered, small molecule inhibitor of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) that has potential utility for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Company�� third program consists of two selective small molecule compounds, AC708 and AC855, which inhibit the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), a receptor tyrosine kinase.

Quizartinib

The Company�� lead drug candidate, quizartinib, is a once-daily, orally-administered, potent and selective inhibitor of FLT3, a validated target in the treatment of AML, and is in Phase IIb clinical development. The FLT3-ITD mutation acts like a power switch that causes leukemic cells, or blasts, to spread more aggressively and grow back more rapidly following chemotherapy, conferring an especially poor survival outcome. Quizartinib is designed to turn off this switch. The Company is developing a companion diagnostic test with Genoptix Medical Laboratory, a Novartis company, to identify FLT3-ITD positive patients.

AC410

The Company�� advanced drug candidate, AC410, is a potent, selective, orally-administered, small molecule inhibitor of JAK2, which has potential utility for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Signaling through JAK controls the activation, proliferation and survival of various types of immune cells, and overactivation of such cells can exacerbate a range of normal inflammatory processes, resulting i! n inflammation. The Company�� initial JAK2 drug candidate, AC430, is a racemic mixture (50/50) of two enantiomers (mirror images), AC410 and AC409, and was studied in a Phase I clinical trial.

CSF1R Program

The Company is developing two potent and exquisitely selective small molecule compounds, AC708 and AC855 that both inhibit CSF1R and have potential utility in oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Signaling through CSF1R controls the activation, proliferation and survival of macrophages, which are key mediators of immune system function and over-activation of macrophages, may result in exacerbation of certain diseases.

The Company competes with Abbvie Inc., Akinion Pharmaceuticals AB, Amgen Inc., ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AROG Pharmaceuticals, LLC, ArQule, Inc., Astellas, AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, Celgene Corporation, Daiichi-Sankyo Company Limited, Galapagos NV, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Incyte Corporation, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pfizer, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., F. Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Ambit Biosciences Corp. (AMBI) �shares fell more than 37% to $8 in moderate volume. The small-cap biotech said it will not file an accelerated approval application with the Food and Drug Administration for its leukemia drug quizartinib after the agency disagreed with the company about the use of certain study data to support the drug�� efficacy.

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: Foresight Energy LP (FELP)

Foresight Energy LP, incorporated on January 26, 2012, is an underground coal producer in the United States. The Company operates four underground mining complexes, all in the Illinois Basin region of the United States. The Company�� mining complexes consist of: Williamson Energy, LLC, Sugar Camp Energy, LLC, Hillsboro Energy, LLC and Macoupin Energy, LLC.

Williamson Energy, LLC is a longwall mining complex in southern Illinois, producing coal with one longwall mining system and two continuous miner units, with a productive capacity in excess of approximately 7.5 million tons per year. Sugar Camp Energy, LLC is a longwall mining complex in southern Illinois, producing coal with one longwall mining system and three continuous miner units. Hillsboro Energy, LLC is a longwall mining complex in central Illinois, producing coal with one longwall mining system and two continuous miner units. The complex has a productive capacity of 24.0 million tons per year with all three of its longwall mining systems operational. Macoupin Energy, LLC is a continuous miner operation in central Illinois, producing with one continuous miner. The complex has a productive capacity of 8.7 million tons per year with the operation of a second continuous miner unit and the development of a new mine with a longwall mining system accessing its additional reserves.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    The upshot: “The fundamental case for coal is strengthening but requires several years of patience,” Bridges says. in the meantime, he recommends Consol Energy(CNX), Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) and Foresight Energy (FELP), as the yield from coal MLPs are the “only segment that [is] resonating with investors.” Last week, Consol said it may form an MLP for coal assets.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Foresight Energy Partners�(NYSE: FELP), a coal producer operating four underground mining complexes in the Illinois Basin. FELP is one of the largest owners of coal reserves in the US, and claims to be the lowest cost and highest margin domestic thermal coal producer

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Foresight Energy Partners�(NYSE: FELP) is a coal producer operating four underground mining complexes in the Illinois Basin. The partnership was formed in 2006 to develop and operate the Illinois mining assets of the Cline Group, a prominent mine developer. The $350 million IPO represented a 13.5 percent limited partner interest, putting the total market capitalization at $2.6 billion. The partnership has $1.3 billion of debt, giving it an enterprise value (EV) of $3.9 billion. The Cline Group owns 70 percent of the general partner, while private equity group Riverstone owns the other 30 percent.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Nonmetallic Mineral Mining:
    This industry declined 0.62% by 11:00 am with Foresight Energy LP (NYSE: FELP) moving down 2.2%. Foresight Energy's trailing-twelve-month EPS is $0.50.

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: Peerless Systems Corporation(PRLS)

Peerless Systems Corporation holds the right to license imaging and networking technologies and components to the digital document markets. It licenses technologies and components for the original equipment manufacturers of color and monochrome printers, and multifunction office products. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Peerless Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: PRLS) agreed to be acquired by Mobius Acquisition, LLC for $7.00 per share in cash. Peerless Systems shares jumped 27.25% to $6.72 in the after-hours trading session.

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: NII Holdings Inc.(NIHD)

NII Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides wireless communication services under the Nextel brand name to businesses and individuals in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Its services include mobile telephone service; Nextel Direct Connect service, which allows subscribers to talk to each other on a push-to-talk basis for private one-to-one calls or on group calls. The company also provides value-added services, including text messaging services; mobile Internet services; e-mail services; location-based services, such as the use of global positioning system technologies; digital media services; and a set of applications available via its content management system and the Android open application market. In addition, it offers business solutions, such as security, work force management, logistics support, and other applications to improve productivity; and international roaming services. NII Holdings, Inc. sells its products and services through direct sales representatives, indirect sales agents, retail stores, kiosks, and Website. The company was formerly known as Nextel International, Inc. and changed its name to NII Holdings, Inc. in December 2001. NII Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Reston, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    NII�Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: NIHD)�is trading as though the worst case scenario is headed its way. This is effective Nextel international, and the closure of its communications sites in Mexico sale did not seem to help matters. That call from a week earlier where HSBC abandoned ship after NII reported a wider loss, predicting that the stock would now go to $2.00 per share, is looking like that could be possible. This one fell another 8.6% to $2.63 on Friday on about 200% of normal volume, and the stock put in a new low over the last decade or so of $2.60 with wide losses expected in 2013 and 2014 on declining sales. Timber!

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    NII Holdings (NASDAQ: NIHD) shares dropped 2.19% to reach a new 52-week low of $2.91. NII Holdings' trailing-twelve-month ROE is -72.60%.

    Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ: FMI) shares tumbled 7.58% to reach a new 52-week low of $21.23. Foundation Medicine's trailing-twelve-month profit margin is -147.08%.

Top 10 Asian Stocks For 2014: Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (CMLP)

Crestwood Midstream Partners LP engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas primarily on the Barnett Shale formation of the Fort Worth Basin in north Texas. The company conducts its operations through its Cowtown System, Lake Arlington Dry System, and Alliance Midstream Assets, as well as the Fayetteville Shale and the Granite Wash plays. As of December 31, 2010, it managed approximately 500 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines. Crestwood Gas Services GP LLC serves as the general partner of Crestwood Midstream Partners LP. The company was formerly known as Quicksilver Gas Services LP and changed its name to Crestwood Midstream Partners LP in October 2010. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP was founded in 2004 and is based in Houston, Texas. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP is a subsidiary of Crestwood Gas Services Holdings LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    Inergy (NYSE: NRGY  )
    With operations that include a natural gas storage business as well as natural gas liquids assets, Inergy is another MLP to consider if you are on the lookout for a dividend-paying stock. There are a lot of moving parts with this company, which makes it an interesting stock to watch. The company, along with its affiliate Inergy Midstream (NYSE: NRGM  ) , is in the process of merging with Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP  ) to create a company boasting increased size, scale, and diversity, as you can see below. Once the transformational transaction is complete, the company can pursue its opportunity-rich organic growth projects which should drive both returns and income growth for investors.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    This deal follows three midstream transactions already this month. Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) will acquire PVR Partners LP (NYSE: PVR) for $5.6 billion, Crestwood Midstream LP (NASDAQ: CMLP) will acquire Arrow Midstream LLC for $750 million, and Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) will pay $650 million to Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) for 20 petroleum products terminals along the East Coast.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Mortgage Rates Slip as Doubts Simmer About Recovery

mortgage rates home buying housing market real estate federal reserveJonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg via Getty Images Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined this week amid signs the economic recovery is slowing. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.50 percent from 4.57 percent last week. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage slipped to 3.54 percent from 3.59 percent last week. The retreat in the average rate of a 30-year mortgage comes just a couple of weeks after the rate reached a two-year high of 4.58 percent on Aug. 22. The average rate on a 15-year mortgage also hit a two-year high -- 3.60 percent -- that day. Overall, mortgage rates remain low by historical standards. Long-term mortgage rates have risen more than a full percentage point since May, when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke first signaled that the central bank could begin reducing its monthly $85 billion in bond purchases this year if the economy looked strong enough. The purchases have been intended to keep long-term loan rates extremely low to encourage borrowing and lending. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. Many economists had expected the Fed would to decide at its policy meeting this earlier this week to scale back the bond purchases. But on Wednesday, the central bank voted to continue the bond-buying program at the current levels. It also cut its economic growth forecasts for this year and 2014, warning that the upcoming debt ceiling and budget battles between the White House and Congress could pose risks to financial markets and the economy. Growth and hiring remain modest by the standards of a robust economic recovery. Employers have added an average of 180,000 jobs a month this year, about the same as last year and in 2011. From April through June, the economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate, little changed from its 2.8 percent rate in the quarter when the Fed began its bond buying. Concerns over the possibility that interest rates will continue to rise have spurred some homeowners to close deals quickly. U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose 1.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That's the highest level since February 2007. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country Monday through Wednesday each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was steady at 0.7 point. The fee for a 15-year loan also was unchanged at 0.7 point. The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate mortgage slipped to 2.65 percent from 2.67 percent. The fee was unchanged at 0.4 point. The average rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage fell to 3.11 percent from 3.22 percent. The fee was unchanged at 0.5 point.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now

Some people believe it's important to never let any stock position grow too large. While I understand that reasoning, I have no problem letting Amazon.com� (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) stock continue to grow as a part of my portfolio. Currently, it's my largest personal position, accounting for 9% of all my real-life holdings.

There are two big reasons every investor should consider owning Amazon stock -- and two threats every investor needs to know about before buying in.

An equation for greatness
Wide moat + innovation = excellence. That represents the DNA of the world's greatest companies. By a wide moat, I mean that a company has sustainable competitive advantages that will make it nearly impossible for any serious competition to arise.

Amazon's moat comes from its laser focus on customer satisfaction. The company's network of fulfillment centers across North America, Europe, and China ensures that when you order something online, it will arrive at your doorstep just 48 hours later. Each of these centers costs billions to build, stock, and man.

Hot Semiconductor Companies To Invest In 2015: EZCORP Inc.(EZPW)

EZCORP, Inc. provides specialty consumer financial services. The company offers pawn loans that are non-recourse loans collateralized by tangible personal property, including jewelry, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods, and musical instruments, as well as sells merchandise consisting of second-hand collateral forfeited from its pawn lending activities or purchased from customers, and new or refurbished merchandise from third party vendors. It also provides a range of financial services, such as signature loans consisting of payday loans, installment loans, and lines of credit; and auto title loans, which include single payment auto title loans, and auto title lines of credit. In addition, the company offers fee-based credit services to customers seeking loans; and advice and assistance to customers in obtaining loans from unaffiliated lenders, as well as provides debit cards. As of September 30, 2011, it operated a total of 1,111 locations consisting of 433 pawn s tores under the EZPAWN or Value Pawn names, and 436 financial services stores under the EZMONEY name in the United States; 178 pawn stores under the Empe� F�il or Empe� Su Oro names in Mexico; 49 financial services stores under the CASHMAX name in Canada; and 15 financial and retail services stores under the Cash Converters name in Canada. Further, the company operates as a franchisor for 13 franchised Cash Converters stores in Canada. EZCORP, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By alicet236]

    EZCorp Inc (EZPW) Reached $8.72

    The prices of EZCorp shares have declined to $8.72, which is only 5.4% above the 5-year low of $8.25. It is now 78.7% off the 5-year high of $38.66. EZCorp is owned by five Gurus we are tracking. Among them, three have added to their positions during the past quarter. One reduced their position. EZCorp lends or provides credit services to individuals who do not have cash resources or access to credit to meet their short-term cash needs. EzCorp has a market cap of $467.2 million; its shares were traded at around $8.72 with a P/E ratio of 26.90 and P/S ratio of 0.50. EzCorp had an annual average earnings growth of 24% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated EzCorp's�business predictability rank of 4-star.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    EZCORP (NASDAQ: EZPW) shares fell 9.74% to touch a new 52-week low of $14.01 on FQ4 results.

    Posted-In: 52-Week LowsNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Health Care REIT Inc (HCN)

Health Care REIT, Inc., incorporated on April 4, 1985, is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� portfolio has range of seniors housing and healthcare real estate, including seniors housing communities, skilled nursing/post-acute facilities, medical office buildings, inpatient and outpatient medical centers and life science facilities. The Company operates in three segments: seniors housing triple-net, seniors housing operating and medical facilities. Its properties primarily consists of land, building, improvements and related rights. The Company�� hospitals and seniors housing triple-net properties are leased to operators under long-term operating leases. Its medical office building portfolio is primarily self-managed and consists principally of multi-tenant properties leased to health care providers. On January 9, 2013, the Company acquired Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. property portfolio, and the sale of the Sunrise management company. In October 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of the Willows at Hamburg from Health Care REIT, Inc.

Seniors Housing Triple-Net

The Company�� seniors housing triple-net properties include independent living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer��/dementia facilities, skilled nursing/post-acute facilities and combinations thereof. It invests primarily through acquisitions and development. Its properties are primarily leased to operators under long-term, triple-net master leases. Its properties include stand-alone facilities that provide one level of service, combination facilities that provide multiple levels of service, and communities or campuses that provide a range of services. Independent living facilities are age-restricted, multifamily properties with central dining facilities that provide residents access to meals and other services, such as housekeeping, linen service, transportation and social and recreational activities. Continuing care retirement comm! unities include a combination of detached homes, an independent living facility, an assisted living facility and/or a skilled nursing facility on one campus.

Assisted living facilities are state regulated rental properties that provide the same services as independent living facilities, but also provide supportive care from trained employees to residents who require assistance with activities of daily living, including, but not limited to, management of medications, bathing, dressing, toileting, ambulating and eating. Certain assisted living facilities may include state licensed settings that specialize in caring for those afflicted with Alzheimer�� disease and/or other types of dementia. Skilled nursing/post-acute facilities are licensed daily rate or rental properties where the majority of individuals require 24-hour nursing and/or medical care. All facilities offer some level of rehabilitation services. Some facilities focus on higher acuity patients and offer rehabilitation units specializing in cardiac, orthopedic, dialysis, neurological or pulmonary rehabilitation. The Company leases 177 facilities to Genesis HealthCare, LLC pursuant to a long-term, triple-net master lease.

Seniors Housing Operating

The Company has relationships with eight operators to own and operate 154 facilities (plus 39 facilities in an unconsolidated joint venture). In each instance, its partner provides management services to the properties pursuant to an incentive-based management contract.

Medical Facilities

The Company�� medical facilities include medical office buildings, hospitals and life science facilities. It leases its medical office buildings to multiple tenants and provides varying levels of property management. The Company�� hospital investments are structured similar to its seniors housing triple-net investments. The medical office building portfolio consists of health care related buildings that include physician offices, ambulatory surgery! centers,! diagnostic facilities, outpatient services and/or labs. Approximately 92% of its medical office building portfolio is affiliated with health systems by having buildings on hospital campuses or serving as satellite locations for the health system and their physicians.

The Company�� hospitals include acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, and long-term acute care hospitals. Acute care hospitals provide a range of inpatient and outpatient services, including, but not limited to, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy and clinical laboratories. Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals provide inpatient services for patients with intensive rehabilitation needs. Long-term acute care hospitals provide inpatient services for patients with complex medical conditions that require more intensive care, monitoring or emergency support than is available in most skilled nursing facilities. The life science portfolio consists of laboratory and office facilities designed and constructed for use by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Health Care REIT (NYSE: HCN) shares tumbled 3.91 percent to $63.89 after the company priced 15,500,000 shares of common stock at $63.75 per share.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH)

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. designs, builds, and sells single-family and multi-family homes. The company offers homes for entry-level, move-up, or retirement-oriented buyers. It also engages in rental of previously owned homes that are purchased and improved by the company. The company sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers. It operates in 16 states, including Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Hill]

    Shares of EnerNoc (NASDAQ: ENOC  ) and Exelon (NYSE: EXC  ) lose energy in the wake of analyst downgrades. Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) falls after releasing the fourth season of Arrested Development. And Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) benefits from rising home prices. In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts discuss four stocks making moves.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    One sign of strength recently has come from Toll Brothers' resilience even in the face of higher interest rates. In its July quarter, Toll Brothers managed to see net new signed contracts rise at a 26% pace, more than doubling rival D.R. Horton's (NYSE: DHI  ) pace of growth. What's perhaps most impressive about those gains is that they defied big drops in order volumes at PulteGroup and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) , both of which saw double-digit percentage decreases in orders during the same period.

  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Beazer Homes USA (BZH) dropped 3.38% to close at $18.60, despite beating analyst forecasts for earnings and revenue, and posting its first full fiscal year of profitability since 2006.

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Records fell on Wall Street Friday as another solid report on housing lifted the market for the second day in a row. There's a three-day weekend coming up -- something that often prompts investor caution -- but the gains were broad-based even though volume was fairly light. The VIX, which measures volatility, fell to its lowest level this year. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) gained 63 points, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) rose 31, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) added 8, topping the record high set last week. The Dow Transportation average also raced to an all-time high, lifted by airline stocks. United (UAL) soared more than 4 percent; Delta (DAL) gained more than 1 percent and Southwest (LUV) gained 2 percent. Southwest is at an all-time high, up 79 percent from a year ago. New home sales bounced back with a better than expected 6.4 percent increase last month. Lennar (LEN) and D.R. Horton (DHI) both rose 4 percent. Pulte (PHM), Beazer (BZH) and Hovnanian (HOV) also solid posted gains. Earnings continue to drive retail stocks. Gap (GPS) edged higher even though net fell. Foot Locker (FL) gained 1½ percent after topping expectations. GameStop (GME) rose 4 percent. Its net rose, helped by the rollout last year of new Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Zumiez (ZUMZ) rose 5½ percent on an earnings beat. But Aeropostale (ARO) tumbled 24 percent. Its loss widened and sales declined. The retailer continues to struggle with teen fashion trends. Also on the earnings front, TiVo (TIVO) rose 2 percent as it swung to a profit from a year ago loss. It also reported an increase in the number of subscribers. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) rose 6 percent on news the company plans to eliminate up to 16,000 additional workers in an effort to cut costs. And several stocks extended big moves from yesterday. Best Buy (BBY) rose more than 3 percent for the second straight day after earnings beat expectations. Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) jumped

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Baltic Trading Limited (BALT)

Baltic Trading Limited engages in shipping business in the dry bulk industry spot market worldwide. The company operates a fleet of dry bulk ships that transport iron ore, coal, grain, steel products, and other dry bulk cargoes. Its fleet consists of 2 Capesize vessels, 4 Supramax vessels, and 3 Handysize vessels with an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 672,000 deadweight tons. The company charters its vessels to trading houses, including commodities traders, as well as producers and government-owned entities. Baltic Trading Limited was founded in 2009 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    Baltic Trading (BALT) got slammed by 17% last week as the Baltic Dry Index continued its decline. The global recovery is going to have fits and starts and the sector will be quite volatile. Baltic Trading works in the spot market for cargo like iron ore, coal, grain, and steel products so the stock price will likely jump around with the BDI reading.

  • [By GuruFocus]

    George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2014

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Air Products and Chemicals (APD) continue to rise, up 0.21% to $131, in after-hours trading today.

By the end of trading, 8.99 million shares of Air Products exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of about 721,000 shares.

The company, which is a worldwide supplier of industrial gases and equipment, specialty and intermediate chemicals, and environmental and energy systems, reached a high of 7.50% to $130.72 before the close, after announcing it has named Rockwood Holding Inc. (ROC) CEO Seifi Ghasemi as its new CEO beginning in July.

Must Read: Warren Buffett's 25 Favorite Stocks  STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more

Top Low Price Stocks To Buy Right Now: News Corporation(NWSA)

News Corporation operates as a diversified media company worldwide. Its Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, sports, general entertainment, and movie programming for distribution through cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite operators primarily in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment produces and acquires live-action and animated motion pictures for distribution and licensing in entertainment media, as well as produces and licenses television programming worldwide. Its Television segment operates 27 broadcast television stations in the United States. The company?s Direct Broadcast Satellite Television segment distributes programming services via satellite and broadband directly to subscribers in Italy. Its Publishing segment provides newspapers and information services, such as publishing national newspapers in the United Kingdom, approximately 146 newspapers in Australia, and a metropolitan and a national newspaper in the United States; book publishing services, including the publishing of English language books worldwide; and integrated marketing services comprising the publishing of free-standing inserts, which are marketing booklets containing coupons, rebates, and other consumer offers, as well as provides in-store marketing products and services, primarily to consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the United States and Canada. The company also sells advertising, sponsorships, and subscription services on the company?s various digital media properties and outdoor advertising space on various media primarily in Russia and eastern Europe; and provides data systems and professional services that enable teachers to use data to assess student progress and deliver individualized instructions. News Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

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

    News Corp (NWS) � (NWSA) �added 8.4%. The media company said late Thursday its fiscal second-quarter profit slid to $150 million, or 26 cents a share, from $1.4 billion, or $2.42 a share, a year ago. Last year�� earnings were affected by a $1.3 billion gain from an acquisition. But on an adjusted basis, it earned 31 cents a share, ahead of the 21-cent profit forecast by analysts. News Corp is the parent of MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.

  • [By Gary Bourgeault]

    Storyful acquired by News Corp.
    It was an excellent decision by News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA  ) to acquire Storyful for $25 million. The company now has the resources to scale out much quicker in what will become a crowded market.

Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2014: Liberty Global Inc.(LBTYA)

Liberty Global, Inc. provides video, broadband Internet, and telephony services primarily in Europe and Chile. The company offers broadband services over cable distribution systems, including video, broadband Internet, and telephony; and video services through direct-to-home satellite, or through multichannel multipoint distribution systems. Its analog video services comprise basic and expanded basic programming; and digital cable services include basic and premium programming, digital video recorders, and high definition programming, as well as pay-per-view programming, such as video-on-demand and near video-on-demand. In addition, the company offers voice-over-Internet-protocol and circuit-switched telephony services, as well as mobile telephony services using third-party networks. Further, it owns programming networks that provide video programming channels to multi-channel distribution systems owned by the company and the third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the com pany owned and operated networks that passed 33,262,100 homes; and served 18,405,500 video subscribers, 8,159,300 broadband Internet subscribers, and 6,225,300 telephony subscribers. Liberty Global, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sam Robson]

    LONDON -- Vodafone� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) �is believed to have increased its offer for Kabel Deutschland following a rival bid from�Liberty Global� (NASDAQ: LBTYA  ) .

  • [By GuruFocus]

    Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Wal-Mart Stores Inc by 17.32%. His purchase prices were between $72.66 and $78.91, with an estimated average price of $75.43. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.62%. His holdings were 58,052,412 shares as of 03/31/2014.

    Added: Liberty Global PLC (LBTYA)

    Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Liberty Global PLC by 149.19%. His purchase prices were between $40.36 and $45.96, with an estimated average price of $43.34. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.17%. His holdings were 7,346,968 shares as of 03/31/2014.

  • [By Sam Robson]

    LONDON -- In the latest edition of this long-running story, it has been suggested that�Vodafone� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) could use a substantial amount of the money it would receive from selling its stake in Verizon Wireless to fund a takeover of�Liberty Global� (NASDAQ: LBTYA  ) .

Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2014: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Caroline Bennett]

    High-speed data distributor Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC  ) has "replenished" its share repurchase authorization to $4 billion, it announced this week. The company has not yet announced any immediate plans to buy back shares; the timing of purchases will be based on a number of factors, including market conditions.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Thirty-two dividend stocks improved their payouts to investors, including cable giant Time Warner Cable (TWC). Here’s a look at the new dividend paid out to TWC stock holders, along with improvements from other dividend stocks this week.

  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

    Time Warner Cable provides entertainment, voice, and high-speed data services to a growing customer base in the United States. The company chairman and CEO Rob Marcus has drawn a $160-per-share line in the sand. The stock has been moving higher over the past several years, but is currently trading sideways. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising which has produced conflicting feelings among investors. Relative to its peers and sector, Time Warner Cable has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Time Warner Cable does this quarter.

Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2014: Discovery Communications Inc(DISCA)

Discovery Communications, Inc. operates as a non fiction media and entertainment company worldwide. The company provides original and purchased programming across various distribution platforms. Its content covers science, exploration, survival, natural history, sustainability of the environment, technology, docu-series, anthropology, paleontology, history, space, archaeology, health and wellness, engineering, adventure, lifestyles, forensics, civilization, and current events. The company owns and operates nine national television networks in the United States, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel, Planet Green, Discovery Fit & Health, and Velocity. Discovery Communications also has interests in Oprah Winfrey Network, a pay-television network and Web site; The Hub that features original programming, game shows, and live-action series and specials; and 3net, a three-dimensional network. In addition, it o ffers network branded Web sites, and mobile and video-on-demand services; and distributes various national and pan-regional television networks. Further, the company develops and sells curriculum-based products and services to public and private K-12 schools, such as access to an online VOD service that includes curriculum-based tools, professional development services, and student assessment and publication of hardcopy curriculum-based content; and postproduction audio services to motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies, and interactive producers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 150 distribution feeds in 40 languages. The company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Will Ashworth]

    Somebody will buy Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI), given that HGTV and Food Network are both in the top 20. It looked momentarily like Discovery Communications (DISCA) might be the suitor, but the company backed out of talks this past week, preferring to focus on overseas expansion.