Top Stocks To Buy 2018: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

The Wine Shortage: Will It Help or Hurt Wine Stocks?

Did you know there is a wine shortage? It is being caused by the increasing number of wine drinkers, and the amount of wine being consumed by those wine drinkers is also increasing. In addition, the amount of wine being produced is dropping, according to Morgan Stanley Research, which showed that wine production hasn't been this low since before 1970.

One reason why the consumption of wine is increasing is that studies have shown that red wine may help prevent memory loss and even reduce the effects of Alzheimer's, primarily due to the resveratrol. Red wine has a much higher concentration of resveratrolthan other foods such as peanuts and tomatoes.

There are several companies involved in the production and distribution of wine, but in many cases, it is not the major portion of the business. Based on the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over twelve stocks that distribute wine and liquor, two of which pay dividends. Constellation Brands (STZ) makes and sells table wines, sparkling wines and dessert wines. The stock trades at 7.4 times trailing earnings and 18.5 times forward earnings.

The largest is Diageo (DEO), an alcoholic beverage distributor which sells many brands of wine, including Blossom Hill, Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Navarro Correas, Acacia Vineyard, Rosenblum Cellars, Piat d'Or, Chalone Vineyard, and Santa Rita. The stock trades at 20.5 times trailing earnings and 17.2 times forward earnings. It pays a yield of 2.9%.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is another liquor distributor which is most known for its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort brands. It also sells the Sonoma-Cutrer brand of wines and Corbel California Champaigne. The stock has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.1, an improvement over its trailing PE of 27.6. The company pays a yield of 1.6%. Latest quarterly earnings were down 2.7% on 3% increase in revenues.

If you are looking for more of a pure play, there is a small one based in Turner, Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards Inc. (WVVI), which produces and markets Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, The Griffin, and Viognier under the Griffin Creek label. The stock trades at 18 times earnings, but does not pay a dividend.

Treasury Wine Estates (TSRYF), which tradee at 71.8 times earnings, distributes the Berenger and Chateau St. Jean wine brands.
For a free list of all the other wine and liquor stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Markets

Originally posted here...

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Delphi's Scott Black - Bullish on U.S.

Top 5 Penny Companies For 2014

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015

The shutdown's ending and the US government will reopen, now that a deal with Congress has been reached to extend the debt ceiling until the beginning of February, writes MoneyShow's Howard R. Gold. He fills you in on the direction he feels stocks will head next on the news.

Now that Congress has finally come to its senses and reached a deal to reopen the federal government and extend the debt ceiling, markets are back to doing what they did before��allying.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, President Obama signed a bill passed by the US Senate and House of Representatives that will fund the government through January 15, 2014 and extend the debt ceiling through February 7.

If you think we've seen this movie before, you're right��ack in August 2011, and again late last year, with the overhyped fiscal cliff.

And if you think stocks are now ready to move on to new highs, you're also probably right.

Markets rallied big time Wednesday, in anticipation of a deal. With default off the table (at least for a few months, and maybe for good, God willing), one more major obstacle to the market's advance has been removed.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Iamgold Corporation(IAG)

IAMGOLD Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties worldwide. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other metals. The company holds interests in eight operating gold mines, a niobium producer, a diamond royalty, and exploration and development projects located in Africa and the Americas. Its advanced exploration and development projects include the Westwood project in Canada; and the Quimsacocha project, which consists of 3 mining concessions covering an aggregate area of approximately 8,030 hectares in Ecuador. The company was formerly known as IAMGOLD International African Mining Gold Corporation and changed its name to IAMGOLD Corporation in June 1997. IAMGOLD Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
As a result, Chidley and team upgraded Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) and�Yamana Gold (AUY) to Neutral from Underweight, and raised Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG) and Iamgold (IAG) to Overweight from Neutral.�Gold Fields (GFI) was downgraded “due to increased risk and also reduced expectations for the South Deep operation,” Chidley says.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Golden Star Resources Ltd., a gold mining and exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold properties. It owns and operates the Bogoso/Prestea gold mining and processing operation that covers approximately 40 kilometers of strike along the southwest-trending Ashanti gold district in western Ghana; and the Wassa open-pit gold mine located to the east of Bogoso/Prestea in southwest Ghana. The company also has an 81% interest in the Prestea underground gold mine located in Ghana. In addition, it holds interests in various gold exploration projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d?Ivoire, as well as holds and manages exploration properties in Brazil in South America. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Patricio Kehoe] ating price of the commodity, along with the geopolitical risks involved in mining in African nations such as Ghana, are just two of the obstacles the firm is facing. In addition, as one of the smallest gold mining firms in the industry, with a market cap of just $122 million, Golden Star has had a very difficult time financing its latest expansion projects. With share prices tumbling towards all-time lows, gurus such as Steven Cohen, Chuck Royce and Arnold Schneider have already sold out their positions in the troubled firm.
Why Have Gurus Lost Faith in Golden Star?

Despite aggressive expansion over the past decade, the Toronto-based gold mining firm has not been able to take advantage of its increased production output. Gold prices might have exploded over a ten-year period, yet the recent six-month decline has put a huge strain on Golden Star. The expedited maturation of its mines is particularly troubling, since the accelerated extraction rates, which allowed for short-term profits, are now falling considerably. The impact of the company�� excessive overproduction on profits and growth is clear: decreasing gold reserves mean less production, and thus reduced revenue for the gold miner. When the decline in metal prices are taken into account, the outlook is even more grim.
In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.
Overpriced Acquisitions and Geopolitical Risk

The purchase

Top 5 Penny Companies For 2014: Claude Resources Inc.(CGR)

Claude Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties, as well as production and marketing of minerals in Canada. It primarily explores for gold in northern Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. The company holds interests in the Seabee gold mine located at Laonil Lake, northern Saskatchewan; and the Madsen property that consists of 6 contiguous claim blocks totaling approximately 10,000 acres, located in the Red Lake Mining District of northwestern Ontario. It also holds interest in the Amisk Gold project, which covers an area of 13,800 hectares in the province of Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

Newmont Mining Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and production of gold and copper properties. The company?s assets or operations are located in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, it had proven and probable gold reserves of approximately 93.5 million equity ounces and an aggregate land position of approximately 27,500 square miles. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: CME Group Inc.(CME)

CME Group Inc. operates the CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX regulatory exchanges worldwide. The company provides a range of products available across various asset classes, including futures and options on interest rates, equity indexes, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, foreign exchange, weather, and real estate. It offers various products that provide a means of hedging, speculation, and asset allocation relating to the risks associated with interest rate sensitive instruments, equity ownership, changes in the value of foreign currency, credit risk, and changes in the prices of commodities. CME Group owns and operates clearing house, CME Clearing, which provides clearing and settlement services for exchange-traded contracts and counter derivatives transactions; and also engages in real estate operations. Its primary trade execution facilities consist of its CME Globex electronic trading platform and open outcry trading floors, as well as privately negotiated transact ions that are cleared and settled through its clearing house. In addition, the company offers market data services comprising live quotes, delayed quotes, market reports, and historical data services, as well as involves in index services business. CME Group?s customer base includes professional traders, financial institutions, institutional and individual investors, corporations, manufacturers, producers, and governments. It has strategic partnerships with BM&FBOVESPA S.A., Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, Singapore Exchange Limited, Green Exchange, Dubai Mercantile Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V., as well as joint venture agreement with Dow Jones & Company. The company was formerly known as Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. and changed its name to CME Group Inc. in July 2007. CME Group was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Roberto Pedone]
One financial market player that's starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade is CME Group (CME), which offers products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate. This stock has been in play with the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 48%.

If you take a look at the chart for CME Group, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern at $70.42, to $69.88 and $70.28 a share. Following that bottom, shares of CME have now started to trend back above its 50-day moving average of $72.70 a share. That move is quickly pushing CME within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CME if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $75.50 to $77.65 a share and then once it clears its 52-week high at $79.45 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.84 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CME will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $79.45, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $90 to $100 a share.

Traders can look to buy CME off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $72.70 a share or just below more support at $70 a share. One can also buy CME off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
[By Russ Krull]
CME Group (NASDAQ: CME ) made a market for its own debt, selling $750 million of 5.3% 30-year paper. The money will be used to redeem $750 million of 5.75% paper maturing next February. The refi will save CME a little more than $3 million per year in debt service.
[By Ben Levisohn]
But even with markets trading in a range since July, there was plenty of action in individual stocks, even as earnings season nears an end. CME Group (CME), for instance, gained 4% to $74.44, its biggest move two months, after the exchange operator said trading volume in its Brent crude oil futures contracts climbed above 100,000 for the first time on Aug. 8. CME is trying to woo traders away from IntercontinentalExchange’s (ICE) dominant futures contract. Xerox (XRX), meanwhile, finished up 3.4% at $10.49 after Citigroup upgraded its stock to Buy from Neutral and the company announced that it would acquire a Canadian company.
[By Steve Sears]
Shares of Nasdaq OMX Group have gained 0.4% to $30.58 today, while CME Group (CME) has fallen 1.1% to $71.89, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) has dropped 0.2% to $185.16, and NYSE Euronext (NYX) has ticked down 0.1% to $42.66.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

Goldcorp Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. The company was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Matt DiLallo]
Shares of Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) are down after the company reported a $1.93 billion loss on the second quarter. A record drop in gold prices during the quarter was combined with a big asset write-down, leading to the loss. However, digging deeper into the numbers, it wasn't all bad.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Its Investment Banking segment offers financial advisory, including advisory assignments with respect to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense, risk management, restructurings, and spin-offs; and underwriting securities, loans and other financial instruments, and derivative transactions. The company?s Institutional Client Services segment provides client execution activities, such as fixed income, currency, and commodities client execution related to making markets in interest rate products, credit products, mortgages, currencies, and commodities; and equities related to making markets in equity products, as well as commissions and fees from executing and clearing institutional client transactions on stock, options, and fu tures exchanges. This segment also engages in the securities services business providing financing, securities lending, and other prime brokerage services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and foundations. Its Investing and Lending segment invests in debt securities, loans, public and private equity securities, real estate, consolidated investment entities, and power generation facilities. This segment also involves in the origination of loans to provide financing to clients. The company?s Investment Management segment provides investment management services and investment products to institutional and individual clients. This segment also offers wealth advisory services, including portfolio management and financial counseling, and brokerage and other transaction services to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, it provides global investment research services. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Doug Ehrman]
It is no secret that precious metals companies have been taking a pounding for some time now. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV ) , the gold and silver ETFs, have been hard hit and operating companies like First Majestic (NYSE: AG ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX ) have been hit even harder. Through all of these struggles, and in some cases because of them, one precious metals company continues to look attractive for the long term: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW ) .
[By Doug Ehrman]
While many precious-metals companies have been in a slump of late, there is one that belongs perpetually in your portfolio: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW ) . The company is not like other miners -- including Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG ) -- in that it has a unique business plan that insulates it against many of the vagaries of the mining business. Moreover, because silver will always have a significant industrial demand component, even with the heightened volatility you see in the silver market, maintaining exposure to silver is appropriate.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Northgate Minerals Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in exploring, developing, processing, and mining gold and copper deposits in Canada and Australia. Its principal producing assets include 100% interests in the Fosterville and Stawell Gold mines in Victoria, Australia; and the Kemess South mine located in north-central British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as Northgate Exploration Limited and changed its name to Northgate Minerals Corporation in May 2004. Northgate Minerals Corporation was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Australian Dollar(AU)

AngloGold Ashanti Limited primarily engages in the exploration and production of gold. It also produces silver, uranium oxide, and sulfuric acid. The company conducts gold-mining operations in South Africa; continental Africa, including Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Namibia, and Tanzania; Australia; and the Americas, which include Argentina, Brazil, and the United States. It also has mining or exploration operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Colombia. As of December 31, 2010, the company had proved and probable gold reserves of 71.2 million ounces. The company has a strategic alliance with Thani Dubai Mining Limited to explore, develop, and operate mines across the Middle East and parts of North Africa. AngloGold Ashanti Limited, formerly known as Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company Limited, was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Dan Caplinger]
But even bigger damage came from gold-mining stocks. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU ) has lost almost 60% of its value in 2013, with the drop in gold prices having an outsized impact on the gold miner's prospects. AngloGold has also suffered from investors moving away from emerging markets like South Africa in favor of U.S. stocks, as fears of the Federal Reserve's exit from its quantitative easing program have reduced overall risk tolerance among many investors.
[By Profit Confidential]
Graham Ehm, Executive Vice President of South African-based AngloGold Ashanti Limited (NYSE: AU), one of the biggest gold producers in the global economy, stated the company is looking to save $500 million over the next 18 months, as capital expenditures will only be going towards their highest-quality assets. (Source: Mining Weekly, August 5, 2013.)

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Itinerant]
Before we continue, we would like to give references to sources that we used liberally for this article: Brian Christie, VP Investor Relations at Agnico-Eagle (AEM), gave a talk at the Denver Gold Group Luncheon on May 6 in Toronto and the presentation can be viewed here. Andrew J Vigar of Mining Associates gave a keynote at the Mines and Money conference in Hong Kong in March 2013 and the presentation is here. The Visual Capitalist has uploaded a relevant presentation on the topic here. And the Break Away Digger has an interesting piece available here. These documents come with a recommendation for your weekend reading from your humble scribe.
[By Holly LaFon]
He increased his holdings in gold companies in the fourth quarter accordingly. Gold stocks he found attractive in the fourth quarter are: Novagold Resources (NG), Randgold Resources (GOLD), Iamgold Corp. (IAG), Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), Agnico Eagle (AEM) and International Tower Hill (THM).
[By Sally Jones]
The once-troubled Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is hitting a new record for gold production in the third quarter at 315,828 ounces, according to the Financial Post, and the company�� executives are buying. Here�� a third quarter company update and a look at billionaire stakeholders of AEM, a stock that spiked 23.66% over the past five days.
[By Dan Caplinger]
In the longer term, IAMGOLD could potential challenges from higher taxes on some of its holdings. The Canadian province of Quebec is considering changing the current 16% profit tax either to what amounts to a gross revenue tax or to a more progressive profit tax with higher rates on high-margin mining operations. Under current conditions, those taxes might not have much effect either on IAMGOLD or rivals Agnico-Eagle (NYSE: AEM ) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) , both of which also have projects in the province, but it's hard to predict how a changes might affect future results if they take effect.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in mining, milling, processing, and marketing molybdenum products in the United States and Canada. The company?s principal properties include the Thompson Creek Mine and mill in Idaho; a metallurgical roasting facility in Langeloth, Pennsylvania; and a joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, mill, and roasting facility in British Columbia. It also holds interests in development projects comprising the Davidson molybdenum property and the Berg copper-molybdenum-silver property located in northern British Columbia; the Howard?s Pass property, a lead and zinc project situated in the Yukon territory-northwest territories border; and the Maze Lake property, a gold project located in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut. The company produces molybdenum products, primarily molybdic oxide and ferromolybdenum, as well as soluble technical oxide, pure molybdenum tri-oxide, and high purity molybdenum disulfide. As o f December 31, 2010, its consolidated recoverable proven and probable ore reserves totaled 462.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum in the Thompson Creek Mine and the Endako Mine. The company was formerly known as Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. and changed its name to Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in May 2007. Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Selena Maranjian]
Beaten-down companies that you think are likely to recover strongly are also good candidates. Molybdenum miner Thompson Creek Metals (NYSE: TC ) , for example, sports average annual losses of 35% over the past five years, and carries substantial debt, but molybdenum's long-term outlook is promising, with price increases likely, and the company has a promising gold and copper mine on track to start producing by the end of the year. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX ) is another major molybdenum player, with considerable operations in other metals, as well -- along with new investments in oil and gas production.

Top Gold Stocks To Buy For 2015: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

New Gold Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties. The company primarily explore for gold, silver, and copper deposits. Its operating properties include the Mesquite gold mine in the United States; the Cerro San Pedro gold-silver mine in Mexico; and the Peak gold-copper mine in Australia. The company also has development projects, including the New Afton gold, silver, and copper project in Canada; and a 30% interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile. The company was formerly known as DRC Resources Corporation and changed its name to New Gold Inc. in June 2005. New Gold Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
Even bad news has failed to dent the rise in gold stocks today. NewGold (NGD), for instance, has gained 1.8% to $7.49 despite the fact that the wall of one of its mines collapsed. The Wall Street Journal has the details:
[By Ben Levisohn]
Hamed singles out Goldcorp (GG) and Yamana Gold (AUY) as two companies that have strong production growth, falling costs, declining capital obligations and less debt than competitors. New Gold (NGD), meanwhile, should have the lowest all-on costs in the group at $731 an ounce, but its capital spending is likely to notes, Hamed says. Hamed rates Goldcorp and Yamana Overweight, while New Gold is rated Equal Weight.
[By Ben Levisohn]
Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

Note, however, that these recommendations are all qualified in one way or another. Investors should keep that in mind before going all in on the gold miners.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Men’s Wearhouse fires back at George Zimmer

A day after George Zimmer quit the board of Men's Wearhouse, the company released an unusually detailed statement of why the well-known pitchman and company founder was fired last week.

UPDATE: Men's Wearhouse nixes Jos. A. Bank offer

Zimmer "refused to support" a management team that replaced him unless they "acquiesced to his demands," the board statement released Tuesday said. He "expected veto power over significant corporate decisions (including executive compensation), and reversed his longstanding position against taking the company private," it said.

COMPANY: June 25 statement from Men's Wearhouse board of directors

Shares of Men's Wearhouse jumped 5.7% Tuesday to close at $37.13. The 52-week trading range of the stock is $25.97 to a peak of $38.59.

Zimmer, 64, was abruptly fired as the company's executive chairman a week ago in a terse statement with no details. On Monday, he submitted a letter resigning from the board. The Associated Press reported he was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Zimmer, who owns about 3.5% of the company's shares, is one of TV's most recognizable pitchmen in company ads that almost always appeared during televised NFL games and featured the slogan: "You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it."

Zimmer's resignation letter says it's clear from his firing that the board is determined to avoid addressing his growing concerns with recent board decisions and the company's direction.

ZIMMER: Story on June 19 firing of company founder

In the lengthy response, the board charged that not only had Zimmer refused to work with the new management team and argued for sale to an investment firm, he had tried to undermine company efforts to have an outside firm review strategic options.

Doug Ewert replaced Zimmer as CEO more than two years ago. Zimmer seemed to have difficulty "accepting the fact that Men's Wearhouse is a public company with an independent board of directors," the statement said. "T! he board is unanimously of the view that now is not the time to sell the company. ... Our actions were not taken to hurt George Zimmer."

"Reminds me of when the Gap fired Mickey Drexler," says Eric Gustavsen, a principal at Graj & Gustavsen brand imaging firm. "They brought in a leader who was not a merchant and it took them over 10 years to right the ship. ... Mickey went on to build J. Crew and Madewell."

Some financial analysts have speculated that the company split with Zimmer in an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic. According to online daily branding research firm YouGov, Men's Warehouse had an edge in purchase consideration with Millennials, ages 19-34, that began to erode in December.

According to YouGov's brand index, Men's Warehouse continues to outperform competitors with shoppers 35 and older. However, so far in 2013, menswear brands sold at Joseph A. Bank, Nordstrom, Macy's and Lord & Taylor have pulled ahead in wooing Millennials.

Financials don't yet reflect that. Same-store sales were up 7.1% year-over-year in the fiscal first quarter reported June 12 and profits increased 23%, the company said. Revenue and profit gain have been on the upswing the past two years after recovering from the hammering the company and its rivals got during the Great Recession.

"They can certainly be successful with or without George Zimmer if they do a great job: stay true to their brand, continue to deliver value and style, and forge great relationships with their customers," Gustavsen says.

Zimmer built Men's Wearhouse from one small Texas store using a cigar box as a cash register to one of North America's largest men's clothing sellers, with 1,143 locations.

Beyond creating a successful men's retail chain, Zimmer is known as something of a cowboy in the business world. He added spiritual leader Deepak Chopra as a board member in 2004 and spent millions of his own money in 2010 supporting California's failed Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana. Men! 's Wearho! use also didn't conduct criminal background checks on hires because Zimmer believes everyone deserves a second chance.

Contributing: USA TODAY's Ben Mitchell, Jayne O'Donnell, The Associated Press

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Beware Puerto Rican Bonds Hiding in Your Portfolio

Why should you care what happens on the sunny Caribbean island of Puerto Rico? Because, for starters, one-quarter of open-end municipal bond funds have at least 5% of their assets invested in Puerto Rican bonds, says Morningstar. And the island, a U.S. territory, is an economic basket case.

See Also: Risks Growing in Municipal Bonds

Standard & Poor's Puerto Rico Municipal Bond index has plunged 19% since May 1. Because of falling prices, yields have briefly soared over 10%, and the Puerto Rican government scaled back plans to issue $3 billion in new debt before year's end (all returns in this article are through Sept. 13).

Just how bad is the commonwealth's economy? It has been shrinking steadily since 2006. Gross domestic product declined in July by 5% from the same month a year earlier. The jobless rate tops 13% (compared with a 7.3% unemployment rate in the U.S.). One-quarter of the population is on food stamps. Young, educated people are leaving for the mainland, where opportunities are better (Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens). Partly due to the brain drain, Puerto Rico's population has declined for ten straight years.

The commonwealth of 3.7 million people is awash in debt. Outstanding muni bonds issued by the Puerto Rican government and government agencies total a staggering $53 billion. California and New York are the only states with more outstanding debt. On a per capita basis, debt is about $11,000, while per capita income is only $10,500—just over half that of the poorest U.S. state (Mississippi). Puerto Rican government pension obligations are about 90% unfunded.

Until recently, many municipal bond fund managers were eager to invest in Puerto Rico. The interest on its bonds is exempt from state and local taxes in the U.S. for most investors. And thanks to the terrible economy—and credit ratings just one notch above "junk"—yields are generous.

But stretching for yield is a dangerous game. Says Eric Jacobson, senior fund analyst at Morningstar: "Some of the funds that own Puerto Rico bonds are yield hogs." I'd go further: Managers who loaded up on these bonds should be fired—as should their supervisors.

As is so often the case, funds got away with their yield-hog game until the markets soured. When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spooked the bond market last May by talking about reducing the amount of monetary stimulus the Fed has been adding to the economy, munis nationwide plunged.

Investors have reacted to the selloff by yanking tens of billions of dollars from muni funds. That meant some of the funds loaded with Puerto Rican bonds had to sell them. Detroit's bankruptcy further worried investors in Puerto Rican bonds. Falling prices and investor redemptions have created a vicious cycle: The more prices fall, the more fund investors sell. That puts more pressure on Puerto Rican bond prices, so fund investors sell more. Where this ends is anybody's guess.

What funds own these bonds? As a percentage of assets, nine of the ten most Puerto Rico-heavy muni bond funds are run by Oppenheimer, and almost all are single-state funds. (State-tax-free funds can be a boon for residents of high-tax states, such as California and New York.) The nine funds had from 22% to 31% of their assets in Puerto Rico as of their last reporting period (the end of July). The single-state funds are for investors in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan. (See a table of the 20 funds with the most exposure to Puerto Rican debt at the bottom of this page.)

Returns for these funds have been abysmal. During the past three months, eight of the nine Oppenheimer funds have lost 11% to 15%—almost enough to wipe out the previous three years of positive returns.

The award for the highest weighting in Puerto Rico, 66% of assets, goes to an unusual fund, Franklin Double Tax-Free Income, which invests solely in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, such as Guam and the Virgin Islands. The appeal of this fund is that investors can collect interest that is free of both federal and state income taxes without having to invest in bonds issued in their state of residence. That's particularly important for taxpayers in a handful of states that don't permit residents to treat interest from home-state bonds as tax-free. The kindest thing I can say about the fund is that it's closed to new investors. It has tumbled 15.7% in the past 12 months.

Other Franklin Templeton muni funds are also big investors in Puerto Rico. So are funds from Eaton Vance and Nuveen.

Not surprisingly, almost all muni funds run by Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard have less than 1% of their assets in Puerto Rican bonds. These three fund shops all charge low fees, do good research and are conservative in their credit analysis.

What should you do if you own a fund with a big slug in Puerto Rico? I'd sell— even now, after their recent losses. By piling into such a risky area, these funds have shown you what they're made of. Municipal bond investments are, in my view, meant to be low-risk. Puerto Rico is anything but.

20 Funds with the Greatest Exposure to Puerto Rican Bonds

Fund / Ticker		% of Holdings in Puerto Rico Bonds	3-Month Return	1-Year Return	3-Year Return
Franklin Double Tax-Free Income A	FPRTX	65.9%	-14.5%	-14.7%	-1.8%
Oppenheimer Rochester VA Municipal A	ORVAX	31.1%	-14.8%	-12.3%	0.8%
Oppenheimer Rochester NC Municipal A	OPNCX	30.6%	-11.9%	-9.6%	1.8%
Oppenheimer Rochester MD Municipal A	ORMDX	30.3%	-14.0%	-12.3%	1.5%
Oppenheimer Rochester AZ Municipal A	ORAZX	27.1%	-12.8%	-10.1%	2.4%
Oppenheimer Rochester MA Municipal A	ORMAX	26.5%	-11.0%	-7.6%	2.6%
Oppenheimer Limited Term NY Municipal A	LTNYX	26.2%	-6.6%	-5.3%	1.7%
Oppenheimer PA Municipal A	OPATX	25.1%	-12.2%	-8.8%	1.9%
Rochester Municipals A	RMUNX	24.8%	-13.5%	-9.2%	1.4%
Oppenheimer Rochester Michigan Muni A	ORMIX	22.2%	-11.1%	-8.9%	2.2%
Wells Fargo Advantage WI Tax-Free Inv	SWFRX	21.0%	-3.2%	-2.4%	2.2%
HighMark WI Tax-Exempt A	PWTEX	20.4%	-5.3%	-5.1%	1.0%
Oppenheimer NJ Municipal A	ONJAX	20.2%	-12.1%	-10.5%	1.3%
Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free NY Muni A	OPNYX	19.0%	-12.8%	-8.9%	1.8%
Oppenheimer Rochester Ohio Municipal A	OROHX	15.9%	-10.8%	-8.4%	2.6%
Nuveen MD Municipal Bond I	NMMDX	15.0%	-7.5%	-5.7%	1.8%
Nuveen CT Municipal Bond A	FCTTX	14.5%	-6.5%	-5.7%	1.7%
Nuveen WI Municipal Bond A	FWIAX	14.1%	-8.8%	-7.7%	1.3%
Nuveen VA Municipal Bond A	FVATX	13.5%	-7.8%	-6.0%	1.8%
Western Asset Oregon Municipals A	SHORX	13.5%	-6.3%	-4.8%	2.1%

Top Consumer Stocks For 2015

Steven T. Goldberg is an investment adviser in the Washington, D.C. area.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Morning Market Losers

5 Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own Right Now

Cleveland BioLabs (NASDAQ: CBLI) plummeted 32.65% to $0.7610 as the company reported that BARDA has terminated negotiations related to its proposal for further development of Entolimod.

Zhone Technologies (NASDAQ: ZHNE) dropped 20.94% to $4.91 on Q4 results.

Hill-Rom Holdings (NYSE: HRC) dropped 14.43% to $37.74 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 results and lowered its outlook. The company also announced its restructuring program.

Hercules Offshore (NASDAQ: HERO) dropped 14.43% to $4.92. Global Hunter downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral and cut the price target from $12.00 to $6.00.

Posted-In: market losersNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now

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.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: 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 Sean Williams]
Time to make the switch
If I could name a sector that I'd certainly tread lightly around considering that consumers are tightening their wallets, it would be the casino sector. Casino companies rely on loose wallets and vacations to drive profits. This is why I feel it could be the time to say goodbye to casino and race track operator Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK ) near its 52-week high.
[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.
[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 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

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Umax Group Corp (UMAX)

Umax Group Corp., incorporated on March 21, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses to develop and distribute its product to the arcade and entertainment industry. The Company�� products include Rocket Launch, is Strength testing game which allows players to test their pushing/ throwing strength; Space Hockey, is a two player hockey game - each player must score as many as possible goals and Boxer, is a Simple punch testing game: insert coin/token/bill, press start button, hit the punch bag, wait for result, and try to beat opponent�� score or high score.

As of April 30, 2013, the Company had no revenues. The Company has developed its business plan, and executed exclusive distribution contract GEO a private enterprise, where it engages GEO as an independent contractor for the specific purpose of developing, manufacturing and supplying games for the Company.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks 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 Dan Caplinger]
The real question is whether Zynga can hold off experienced casino operators if online gambling becomes a reality. Already, alliances are forming, with Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD ) and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) having linked up with bwin.party -- the same company Zynga tapped for its real-money Zynga Poker -- to help Boyd take advantage of newly legal online gambling in New Jersey. Zynga has the obvious edge with its social savvy, but established casino companies will have huge incentives to defend their turf if Zynga starts to make a serious dent in the industry.
[By Matt Thalman]
In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses why he believes MGM Resorts' (NYSE: MGM ) recent move to partner with both Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV ) and Hyatt Hotels (NYSE: H ) will greatly benefit not only MGM but also its two new partners.
[By Paul Ausick]
U.S.-based casino operators Las Vegas Sands Inc. (NYSE: LVS), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) already operate resorts and casinos in Macau and these companies would be much smaller without them.
[By Travis Hoium]
Las Vegas is on a comeback and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) will benefit from its growth, but this isn't the only opportunity for the company. A new resort on Cotai and the potential for online gaming in the U.S. make this an attractive stock in the gaming market. Gaming analyst Travis Hoium goes over the company's biggest opportunities in the video below.�

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Wynn Resorts Limited(WYNN)

Wynn Resorts, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and operation of destination casino resorts. The company owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas casino resort in Las Vegas, which includes approximately 22 food and beverage outlets comprising 5 dining restaurants; 2 nightclubs; 1 spa and salon; 1 Ferrari and Maserati automobile dealership; wedding chapels; an 18-hole golf course; meeting space; and foot retail promenade featuring boutiques. Wynn Las Vegas casino resort also features approximately 147 table games, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, 1 poker room, 1,842 slot machines, and 1 race and sports book. It also owns and operates an Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resort, a destination casino resort located adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas that features a 2,034 all-suite hotel, as well as a casino with 95 table games, 1 sky casino, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, and 778 slot machines. In addition, the company operates Wyn n Macau casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People?s Republic of China. Wynn Macau casino resort features approximately 595 hotel rooms and suites, 410 table games, 935 slot machines, 1 poker room, 1 sky casino, 6 restaurants, 1 spa and salon, lounges, meeting facilities, and retail space featuring boutiques. Further, it operates Encore at Wynn Macau resort located adjacent to Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau resort features approximately 410 luxury suites and 4 villas, as well as casino gaming space, including a sky casino consisting of 60 table games and 80 slot machines, 2 restaurants, 1 luxury spa, and retail space. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
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 returns and the discounting of Cotai, though we do find near term numbers to be beatable in Macau given QTD trends, most notably on the VIP side. Net-net, we find WYNN to be the most compelling longer-term story in our coverage universe and given the scope of the Cotai development and its impact on valuation, we anticipate value attribution for the project will come well in advance of the historical rule of thumb for new openings in the space, which has generally been about one year.
[By Travis Hoium]
The steady economic recovery in the U.S. has helped MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) , Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS ) , and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) turn Las Vegas from a drag to a positive line on the income statement. But for each, Macau continues to be the most important.
[By Steve Symington]
After all, even if additional states continue to pass legislation legalizing online gambling, you can bet Zynga will face intense competition from other well-funded competitors. Michael also noted there's a chance recent rumors of a Zynga partnership with Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) could turn out to be true.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: (XTRN)

Las Vegas Railway Express Inc. focuses to re-establish a conventional passenger train service between the Las Vegas and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. It plans to establish a ?Vegas-style? passenger train service. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Nevada Gold & Casinos Inc (UWN)

Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc., incorporated on April 7, 1977, is primarily a gaming company involved in financing, developing, owning and operating gaming projects. Through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Gold Mountain Development, LLC, the Company owns approximately 268 acres of undeveloped land in the vicinity of Black Hawk, Colorado. On January 27, 2012, through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, NG South Dakota, LLC, the Company acquired A.G. Trucano, Son & Grandsons, Inc. (South Dakota Gol). On July 18, 2011, through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, NG Washington III, LLC, the Company acquired Red Dragon mini-casino in Mountlake Terrace, Washington (Washington III). On May 25, 2012, the Company sold all of the assets, including rights in the Colorado Grande name and gaming-related liabilities, of the Colorado Grande Casino to G Investments, LLC (GI).

Commercial Gaming Projects

The Company owns and operates 10 gaming facilities in Washington, and a slot machine route operation in South Dakota. These properties are wholly owned and operated by the Company: the Crazy Moose Casinos in Pasco and Mountlake Terrace, Washington, the Coyote Bob�� Casino in Kennewick, Washington, the Silver Dollar Casinos in SeaTac, Bothell and Renton, Washington, the Club Hollywood Casino in Shoreline, Washington, the Royal Casino in Everett, Washington, the Golden Nugget Casino in Tukwila, Washington, and the Red Dragon Casino in Mountlake Terrace, Washington (Washington Gold), and the South Dakota Gold slot route operation in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Commercial Casino Projects

The Company own two mini-casinos operating in Mountlake Terrace. The Red Dragon mini-casino, located in western Washington State, has a total of 15 table games, including Player Banked Poker, Baccarat, and other banked table games. The mini-casino is located within 14 miles of downtown Seattle. South Dakota Gold is a slot machine route that operates over 900 slots at approximate! ly 20 locations in Deadwood, South Dakota, which represent about 24% of the total number of slot machines in that market. Deadwood is a town of 1,300 residents located in the Black Hills, South Dakota, in the southwest corner of the state.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR)

Caesars Entertainment Corporation, incorporated on November 2, 1989, is a diversified casino-entertainment provider. The Company�� business is primarily conducted through a wholly owned subsidiary, Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc. (CEOC), although certain material properties are not owned by CEOC. As of December 31, 2012, it owned, operated, or managed, through various subsidiaries, 52 casinos in 13 United States states and seven countries. The majority of these casinos operate in the United States, primarily under the Caesars, Harrah��, and Horseshoe brand names, and in England. In November 2012, the Company sold its Harrah's St. Louis casino to Penn National Gaming, Inc. In December 2012, the Company purchased all of the net assets of Buffalo Studios, LLC, a social and mobile games developer and owner of Bingo Blitz.

The Company�� casino entertainment facilities include 33 land-based casinos, 11 riverboat or dockside casinos, three managed casinos on Indian lands in the United States, one managed casino in Cleveland, Ohio, one managed casino in Canada, one casino combined with a greyhound racetrack, one casino combined with a thoroughbred racetrack, and one casino combined with a harness racetrack. The Company�� land-based casinos include nine in England, two in Egypt, one in Scotland, one in South Africa and one in Uruguay. As of December 31, 2012, its facilities had an aggregate of approximately three million square feet of gaming space and approximately 43,000 hotel rooms. In southern Nevada, Caesars Palace, Harrah�� Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Bally�� Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, The Quad Resort & Casino (formerly the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino), Bill�� Gamblin��Hall & Saloon, and Hot Spot Oasis are located in Las Vegas and draw customers from throughout the United States. Harrah�� Laughlin is located near both the Arizona and California borders and draws customers primarily from! the southern California and Phoenix metropolitan areas and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. In northern Nevada, Harrah�� Lake Tahoe and Harveys Resort & Casino are located near Lake Tahoe and Harrah�� Reno is located in downtown Reno. These facilities draw customers primarily from northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada.

The Company�� Atlantic City casinos, Harrah�� Resort Atlantic City, Showboat Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, and Bally�� Atlantic City, draw customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area, New York, and New Jersey. Harrah�� Philadelphia (formerly Harrah's Chester) is a combination harness racetrack and casino located approximately six miles south of Philadelphia International Airport and draws customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area and Delaware. The Company�� Chicagoland dockside casinos, Harrah�� Joliet in Joliet, Illinois, and Horseshoe Hammond in Hammond, Indiana, draw customers primarily from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. In southern Indiana, it owns Horseshoe Southern Indiana, a dockside casino complex located in Elizabeth, Indiana, which draws customers primarily from northern Kentucky, including the Louisville metropolitan area, and southern Indiana, including Indianapolis. In Louisiana, the Company owns Harrah�� New Orleans, a land-based casino located in downtown New Orleans, which attracts customers primarily from the New Orleans metropolitan area. In northwest Louisiana, Horseshoe Bossier City, a dockside casino, and Harrah�� Louisiana Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack with slot machines, both located in Bossier City, cater to customers in northwestern Louisiana.

The Company owns the Grand Casino Biloxi, located in Biloxi, Mississippi, which caters to customers in southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and northern Florida. Harrah�� North Kansas City dockside casino draws customers from the Kansas City metropolitan ar! ea. Harra! h�� Metropolis is a dockside casino located in Metropolis, Illinois, on the Ohio River, drawing customers from southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and central Tennessee. Horseshoe Tunica, Harrah�� Tunica, and Tunica Roadhouse Hotel & Casino, dockside casino complexes located in Tunica, Mississippi, are approximately 30 miles from Memphis, Tennessee and draw customers primarily from the Memphis area and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, a land-based casino and pari-mutuel facility, and Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel, a dockside casino facility, are located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. At Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, the Company owns the assets other than gaming equipment, and leases these assets to the Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA), a nonprofit corporation, and it manages the facility for the IWRA under a management agreement expiring in October 2024. The license to operate Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel is held jointly with IWRA, the qualified sponsoring organization.

The Conrad Resort & Casino located in Punta Del Este, Uruguay (the Conrad), draws customers primarily from Argentina and Uruguay. In November 2012, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Enjoy S.A. (Enjoy) to form a strategic relationship in Latin America. Under the terms of the agreement, Enjoy will acquire 45% of Baluma S.A., its subsidiary, which owns and operates the Conrad, and the Company will become a 10% shareholder in Enjoy upon consummation of the agreement. Upon the closing of the transaction, which is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all regulatory and governmental approvals, Enjoy will assume primary responsibility for management of the Conrad. Enjoy will have the option to acquire the remaining stake in Baluma S.A. between years three and five following closing. The cl! osing of ! the transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including regulatory and governmental approvals in both Uruguay and Chile.

The Company owns four casinos in London: the Sportsman, the Golden Nugget, The Playboy Club London, and The Casino at the Empire. Its casinos in London draw customers primarily from the London metropolitan area, as well as international visitors. The Company also owns Alea Nottingham, Alea Glasgow, Alea Leeds, Manchester 235, Rendezvous Brighton, and Rendezvous Southend-on-Sea in the provinces of the United Kingdom, which primarily draw customers from their local areas. Pursuant to a concession agreement, it also operates two casinos in Cairo, Egypt, The London Club Cairo (which is located at the Ramses Hilton) and Caesars Cairo (which is located at the Four Seasons Cairo), which draw customers primarily from other countries in the Middle East. Emerald Safari, located in the province of Gauteng in South Africa, draws customers primarily from South Africa. It owsn and operates Bluegrass Downs, a harness racetrack located in Paducah, Kentucky.

The Company owns three casinos for Indian tribes: Harrah�� Phoenix Ak-Chin, located near Phoenix, Arizona, Harrah�� Cherokee Casino and Hotel, and Harrah�� Rincon Casino and Resort, located near San Diego, California. The Company manages Caesars Windsor, located in Windsor, Ontario, which draws customers primarily from the Detroit metropolitan area, Horseshoe Cleveland casino in Ohio, which it manages for Rock Ohio Caesars LLC (ROC), a venture with Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC (Rock Gaming), in which it has a 20% equity interest, and the Horseshoe Cincinnati casino in Ohio for ROC for a fee under a management agreement that will expire in March 2033. It also has a minority interest in Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, LLC (Suffolk Downs), which owns a horse-racing track in Boston, Massachusetts, and the right to manage a future gaming facility. The Company also owns ans operates a golf course on 175 acres of prime real! estate t! hrough a land concession on the Cotai strip in Macau.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Travis Hoium]
Even if a federal bill does pass, there's no guarantee Zynga would win. Online poker is all about gaining a critical mass of users, and it's a uphill battle. MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD ) have already partnered with bwin.party for a U.S. online gaming venture. Bwin.party is one of the largest real-money online poker companies in the world, and with PokerStars likely shut out of the U.S. in the near future, this would be a formidable opponent. Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR ) has also had its eyes on online poker for some time, and with the World Series of Poker brand, it has a big draw for players. Caesars thinks so much of online poker that it's spinning off its "growth" assets, and online games are a key part of the new company.
[By Travis Hoium]
Any thought that the Las Vegas gaming market would recover quickly after the recession has long since been lost, but there is a slow and steady recovery taking place in Sin City. High-end operators Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS ) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) have been seeing improved results as wealthy customers return to the casinos, but the lower end of the market, where MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) and Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR ) play, has been choppy to say the least.
[By Dan Caplinger]
MGM has built a history of being the odd player out in many of the most lucrative opportunities in the gaming industry. In Macau, the company is stuck in the slower-growth area of the Asian gaming destination. In Las Vegas, the new CityCenter area in the mid-Strip has watered down MGM's opportunities and has created another potential barrier for patrons coming from the northern end of the Strip to its namesake MGM Grand property. And in New Jersey, where online gaming has boosted prospects for Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR ) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD ) , MGM has no exposure.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Boyd Gaming Corporation(BYD)

Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 1,042,787 square feet of casino space, containing approximately 25,973 slot machines, 655 table games, and 11,418 hotel rooms. It also owned and operated 16 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Jersey. In addition, the company owns and operates a pari-mutuel jai-alai facility located in Dania Beach, Florida, as well as a travel agency in Hawaii. Further, it holds a 50% controlling interest in the limited liability company that operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boyd Gaming Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD ) jumped 10% today after the company got an analyst upgrade.

So what: Morgan Stanley upgraded shares to overweight today, and gave the stock a $12 price target. The analyst cited the potential for online gaming as the driver of the stock, potentially bringing as much revenue to the industry as Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined. �

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the Move: BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is down 16.4% at $6.50 after announcing that no buyout bid will be forthcoming. Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) is down 76.7% at $13.75 after spinning-off its real-estate holdings into a REIT. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is up 15.5% at $1.53 following the acquisition of its major operations in Wuxi.
[By Roberto Pedone]

Penn National Gaming (PENN) is a diversified, multi-jurisdictional owner and manager of gaming and pari-mutuel properties. This stock closed up 1.4% at $56.13 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 1.11 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 824,334

Volume % Change: 73%

From a technical perspective, PENN jumped modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $54.71 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PENN within range of triggering a breakout trade. That trade will hit if PENN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $57.44 to some past resistance at $58 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PENN as long as it's trending above Monday's low $55.65 or above more support at $54.71 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 824,334 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then PENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $59.93. Any high-volume move above $59.93 will then give PENN a chance to hit $65.
[By Paul Ausick]
Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) completed on Monday the spin-off of its real-estate holdings into a new REIT, Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (G&LP) (NASDAQ: GLPI). The spin-off was first announced a year ago. Shares in GLPI are trading at around $46.51 after opening at $45.76 this morning.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK)

NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (NanoTech), formerly Aldar Group, Inc., is a provider of gaming technology for the coin-op arcade, casino gaming and consumer gaming markets. The Company operates as a manufacturer, developing technology and games, and then licensing them to third parties for manufacturing and distribution. As of June 30, 2009, the Company�� products included MultiPin, Xtreme Rally Racing, NanoNET Online System, Pinball Wizard, Mot-Ion Adapter, Opti-Gun Adapter and Retr-IO Adapter. In April 2009, the Company acquired NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. In July 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc completed the acquisition of Clear Memories, Inc. of Napa California. Effective August 9, 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc acquired Worldwide Global Entertainment, a developer of prepackaged software.

The Company�� physics engine and motion sensors allow MultiPin to accurately recreate the experience of a mechanical pinball machine, while providing players with a variety of classic and modern pinball games to choose from. Xtreme Rally Racing is a driving machine that features three modes of game play: Xtreme Off-Road-Race Head to Head against other players and the computer to checkpoints while driving anywhere on the map with no preset course; Timed Rally Stages-Classic Rally Racing on real world courses. Players will be able to race in five different countries on real world rally courses, and Xtreme Stadium Racing-Custom Stadiums designed for Xtreme racing, including a figure eight multi-lap course with huge jumps. NanoNET Online System is remote operator control of machines, including diagnostics, accounting reports, and automatic software updates and enhancements downloaded over the net.

The Company has created the input device designed to give the pinball players a way to experience real pinball controls on their personal computer. Based on the technology developed for the MultiPin product it has built a controller that lets people play pinball using traditional controls and! the ability to shake and nudge the table. The Mot-Ion adapter is a universal serial bus (USB) adapter that allows do it yourself Pinball enthusiasts to build their own cabinet using real pinball controls providing analog inputs for nudging and bumping. The OptiGun adapter is a USB adapter that allows players to connect Arcade Light Guns to any USB based system. The Retr-IO adapters provide a standard JAMMA interface for USB based systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Bryan Murphy]
Call them hunches (because that's all they are), but now would be a great time to get out of a NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK) position and/or get into an ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD). NTEK looks like its reached its maximum potential - for the time being - while ACAD looks like it's ready to start rolling higher again.
[By Peter Graham]
Nyxio Technologies Corp (OTCMKTS: NYXO), COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc (OTCMKTS: NTEK) are three small cap stocks in some very diverse industries. In fact, one of these stocks just bought a 3D ice sculpture business. So will investors see their investment melt with that small cap stock�along with the other two? Here is a closer look to help you decide for yourself:��

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Wizard World, Inc. Reports Record First Quarter 2013 Results (OTCBB:WIZD, OTCMKTS:CLNO)

wizd

Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD)

Today, WIZD remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.520 thus far (ref. google finance June 20, 2013).

Wizard World, Inc. previously reported record financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 today.

Convention revenue was $1,793,476 for the three months ended March 31, 2013, as compared to $520,155 for the comparable period ended March 31, 2012, an increase of $1,273,321. The Company produced two events during the period ended March 31, 2013, as compared to one event during the comparable period ended March 31, 2012. Average revenue generated per event in 2013 was $896,737 as compared to $520,155 during 2012.

Take a look at Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD) 5 day chart:

wizdchart

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNO) (www.cleantechtransit.net) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. CLNO currently (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:12AM EDT June 20, 2013) has shed (+11.46%) up +0.0110 at $.0850, but don't let this get you down.. This morning (June 20, 2013), this company hit as low as $.083 and as high as $.099. The fact that their is under a million shares in play thus far only ignites the excitement that CLNO brings to the table.

Today (June 20) CLNO's daily range was at ($.099 – $.083) currently at $.0850 would be considered a (+7627.27%) gain above the 52 wk low of $.0011. Eventhough CLNO has shed (+11.46%) up +0.0110 at $.0850 with 257,000 shares in play far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:12AM EDT June 20, 2013), the stock is up +5212.5% since the concerning dates of December 21, 2013 – June 20, 2013. +5212.5% is the 6 month high and rightly so.

Earlier this month (June 3), CLNO acquired control of Discovery Carbon Environmental Securities Corporation ("Discovery"). The acquisition advances the strategy of developing significant market share in the alternative clean energy sector. Discovery's proprietary GreenTrees™ for renewable energy, and EvoCert™ environmental credits for offsetting business and individual carbon foot prints are some of the exciting products Discovery provides to clients throughout the world.

Breaking Shareholder News: (Jun 18, 2013)

Cleantech Transit Inc. will change its name to EQCO2, Inc. The name change is more reflective of the Company's proposed business operations.

This change is being implemented after the company's acquisition of Discovery Carbon which engages in the offsetting (equalizing/neutralizing) carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the development and use of renewable energy products and emission offset credits. As a result of the name change, the Company may be issued a new trading symbol.

Change in Authorized Shares of Stock will result in a one for five forward stock split.

The authorized capital structure is being changed. At present, the Company is authorized to issue 600,000,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $.001 per share and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $.001 per share. The Company proposes to increase the number of authorized shares to 5,010,000,000 shares, comprised of 5,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $.001, with the number of preferred shares remaining at 10,000,000 shares, par value $.001. The Company is increasing its authorized capitalization in connection with its proposed forward stock split of one for five. The Company does not have enough shares to implement the proposed stock split without an increase in the number of authorized common shares.

Visit URL http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9359959, http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9359952

Previously (June 5) CLNO Filed 8K regarding the company entering into an Exchange Agreement and Change in Directors. Visit URL http://biz.yahoo.com/e/130605/clno8-k.html to view.

Keep in mind, (June19) CLNO closed at $.096 with 1,786,438 in play (ref. google finance June 19, 2013 – Close). (June18) CLNO closed at $.08 with 1,224,685 in play (ref. google finance June 18, 2013 – Close). (June17) CLNO closed at $.06 with 2,681,749 in play (ref. google finance June 17, 2013 – Close). (June14) CLNO closed at $.09 with 4,923,706 in play (ref. google finance June 14, 2013 – Close). (June 13), CLNO closed at $.09 with 2,457,486 in play (ref. google finance June 13, 2013 – Close). (June 12) CLNO closed at $.07 with 2,067,313 in play (ref. google finance June 12, 2013 – Close). (June 11) CLNO closed at $.04 with 1,978,366 in play (ref. google finance June 11, 2013 – Close). (June 10) CLNO closed at $.03 with 1,134,672 in play (ref. google finance June 10, 2013 – Close).

Now take a look at the Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO ) 5 day chart:

clnochart

Contrarian Investing: Avoid the herd mentality!

Top Financial Stocks To Own Right Now

Investing is often perceived a hazardous pursuit. However, it need not be so hard if one applies common sense, hard work, consistency and patience. In fact, there is good chance, you may even manage to get it right!

Being a Contrarian

Contrarian investing is all about thinking on your own terms, it is more behavioral in a sense. A contrarian believes that certain crowd behavior (e.g., panic selling) among investors can lead to mispricing in markets and create opportunities for profit. By acting contrary to the consensus, contrarians stand to profit when the sentiment turns. This however, does not mean that one has to think and act contrary at all times.

Picking up the stock or sector which is not the most coveted is primarily what the contrarian style is about. One is scouting for stocks that are grossly under-priced and has potential which remains unlocked. There have been numerous Contrarian Investors, who have been very successful at this game. One of the most popular and successful contrarian investors being Warren Buffet, who believed in, �Buying a spectacular stock for a reasonable price and not in buying a reasonable stock for a spectacular price�.

The Pros

Contrarian investing can be extremely rewarding if applied prudently, it is about identifying patterns of greed and fear which can be diligently used to one�s best advantage to optimize returns. A look at how the equity markets have panned out over the past could give valuable cues on how one could have used the market movement to time the entry and exit to the best of ones ability and with good intentions for the portfolio �

There are instances where one could have gauged the sentiment from the intense buy/sell activity. In the above figure, in Oct �09 and Oct �10, the markets were creating new highs and clearly the RSI (relative strength index) had moved to the overbought zone which suggested that the P/E expansion was severe and over the medium term, a correction could be expected. As expected, in a few months, one saw markets enter the oversold zone. If we were to look at the current trend, the market is in the oversold zone, one is not sure how long it would last in this space, but sooner or later it should turnaround and one could see the markets coming back to relevant valuations. This could be the right time to get your shopping bags out, but you need to tread carefully, for you do not know how long it is likely to linger here or how deep it could cut. Investing in a falling market is like trying to hold a falling knife, you are bound to get hurt severely if you get the timing wrong. One could however, never predict the market�s bottom, hence it is best to use the cost averaging technique, especially in the falling market.

The Payoff

After every fall, the market has risen and delivered phenomenal returns. A contrarian understands this very cycle and exploits it to the maximum extent. Many of us have witnessed the 2008 debacle and know that what went down sharply, has bounced back in good health over a period of time.

Source: Right Horizons, BSE India; *As of 10 August, 2011

The downside

Everything in the world has 2 sides and so does contrarian investing. If not implemented prudently, it could turnout to be a disaster. The disadvantage of contrarian investing is its high volatility. Contrarians must be able to get into a falling market and be prepared to see their investment plunge lower. Similarly, they must also be able to get out of the market while it reaches new highs. Investing merely against the consensus, without careful fundamental analysis could potentialy result in some contrarians investing during a panic sell down months before a company declares bankruptcy or get�s delisted. �Contrarian� in such circumstances could prove to be a case of awful judgement.

Contrarian investing is not all about emotions; it is a long-term strategy and is potentially very profitable. It is about overcoming one�s emotions and playing on the emotions (fear or greed) of the �crowd�. Even as you take a �contrarian �position�, it is important to have the rationale in place.