Sunday, August 31, 2014

Top Clean Energy Companies For 2014

Thursday morning, Barack Obama met with Jamie Dimon, Lloyd Blankfein, Brian Moynihan, and other members of the country's largest financial institutions. Let me pause for a minute to let you digest the sheer number of pinstripes and massive egos that strolled into the White House.

While the full details from the meeting between the President and financial leaders weren't released to the public, it is encouraging to see there is at least some communication present on Capitol Hill. According to the White House, the group discussed housing, education policy, and clean energy financing. Although not explicitly stated, the bankers probably shared their thoughts on the new regulation, such as the Volcker Rule. Of these topics, bank leaders were surely heavily interested in the housing sector.

After drastic deterioration in the housing sector pushed the country into a deep recession, banks and policymakers both received most of the blame. However, looking ahead, a productive relationship between the largest money centers and housing policy makers is absolutely vital to a continued housing and broader economic recovery. The discussion comes at an interesting time, as the nation's two largest mortgage lenders, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) are set to release earnings on Friday morning.

Top 10 Gas Stocks To Buy Right Now: Pampa Energia S.A.(PAM)

Pampa Energia S.A., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Argentina. It has an installed hydro electricity generation capacity of approximately 2,217 megawatts. The company also joint-controls the operation and maintenance of the high-tension transmission network covering 10,613 kilometers (km) of own lines, as well as 6,110 km of high-tension lines belonging to Empresa de Transporte de Energ� El�tricapor Distribuci� Troncal de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Sociedad An�ima Transba S.A. It distributes electricity to approximately 3.5 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company was formerly known as Pampa Holding S.A. and changed its name to Pampa Energia S.A. in September 2008. Pampa Energia S.A. was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    Utilities stocks gained Friday, with Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Huaneng Power International (NYSE: HNP), with shares up 2.1 percent, and Pampa Energia SA (NYSE: PAM), with shares up 2.5 percent.

  • [By Eddie Staley]

    Utilities shares rose 0.26 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included Pampa Energia SA (NYSE: PAM), up 2.88 percent, and New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR), up 2.39 percent.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Utilities shares fell around 0.30 percent in trading on Friday. Top losers in the sector included Pampa Energia SA (NYSE: PAM), revesed loses and is currently up 1.75 percent, and Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), off 3.16 percent.

Top Clean Energy Companies For 2014: FMC Technologies Inc. (FTI)

FMC Technologies, Inc. provides technology solutions for the energy industry worldwide. Its Subsea Technologies segment designs and manufactures subsea systems used in the offshore production of crude oil and natural gas; and multiphase meters used in production and surface well testing, reservoir monitoring, remote operation, fiscal allocation, process monitoring and control, and artificial lift optimization, as well as provides installation and workover tools, installation assistance, and field support for commissioning, intervention, and maintenance of subsea systems. This segment also provides remotely operated vehicle systems and remote manipulator systems, as well as offers support services for subsea control systems and other high-technology equipment for subsea exploration and production. This segment markets its products primarily through its own technical sales organization. The company�s Surface Technologies segment offers surface wellheads for standard and cri tical service applications; fluid control products for use in well completion and stimulation activities; and fracturing flowback and wireline services for exploration companies in the oil and gas industry. Its Energy Infrastructure segment offers measurement systems for the custody transfer of crude oil, natural gas, and refined products; fluid loading and transfer systems to the oil and gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries; material handling solutions, such as bulk conveying systems to the power generation and mining industries; systems that separate production flows from wells into oil, gas, sand, and water; and direct drive systems for various energy-related applications. This segment also offers design, engineering, project management, maintenance, and aftermarket services for blending and transfer systems; and automation, control, and information technology for the oil and gas, and other industries. FMC Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    FMC Technologies (NYSE: FTI) is projected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.59 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion.

    Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets

  • [By Dimitra DeFotis]

    The market seems to be showing fatigue particularly with positive onshore oil service data points that may no�longer seem incremental. Investors have become especially focused on potential issues and macro concerns. We believe this phase�of enhanced risk perceptions will pass and still recommend owning selective stocks based on attractive valuations and healthy�fundamentals. Of the 16 oilfield services companies having reported their quarters to date, the share price changes have at times�been difficult to tie to specific results. �… Five of the 12 companies who have beaten earnings expectations have seen their share prices drop on the day, including Basic Energy Services (BAS) (-9.0%), Baker Hughes (BHI) (-2.5%), National Oilwell Varco (NOV) (-1.5%), Oceaneering (OII) (-4.2%), and Schlumberger (SLB) (-2.0%). Other stocks beating expectations have traded higher as expected, including Cameron International (CAM) (+4.1%), FMC Technologies (FTI) (+3.1%), Mitcham Industries (MIND) (+3.8%), Nabors Industries (NBR) (+1.2%), Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) (+1.8%), RPC (RES) (+8.4%), and Weatherford International (WFT) (+2.3%). Companies which have missed have universally seen their share prices decline, including Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) (-4.3%), Gulfmark Offshore (GLF) (-0.1%), and Hercules Offshore (HERO) (-6.9%). Halliburton (HAL) was in line and flat on the day.

Top Clean Energy Companies For 2014: Tractebel Energia SA (TBLE3)

Tractebel Energia SA (Tractebel Energia) is a Brazil-based company involved in the energy sector. The Company is engaged in the generation and sale of electric power generated by its assets or acquired through near and long-term agreements. In addition, it provides online customer services to its customers. Tractebel Energia operates power plants in the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goias, Ceara, Piaui, Minas Gerais, Tocantins and Maranhao. The Company generates energy through hydroelectric power plants, thermoelectric plants, small hydroelectric power plants, wind farms and biomass fired power plants. The Company is controlled by GDF SUEZ Energy Latin America Participacoes Ltda. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Patricia Lara]

    The state-run water company�� market value rose to a record $11.1 billion at the end of last month, narrowing the gap to generator Tractebel Energia SA (TBLE3) to about $360.7 million, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That�� down from $1 billion at the end of last year and $3.89 billion at the start of 2012.

Top Clean Energy Companies For 2014: ChannelAdvisor Corp (ECOM)

Channeladvisor Corporation, incorporated on June 18, 2001, is a provider of software-as-a-service, or SaaS, solutions that enables retailers and manufacturer customers to integrate, manage and optimize their merchandise sales across hundreds of online channels. Through the Company�� platform, the Company enables its customers to connect with new and existing sources of demand for their products, including e-commerce marketplaces, such as eBay, Amazon and Newegg, search engines and comparison shopping websites, such as Google, Microsoft�� Bing, and Nextag, and emerging channels, such as Facebook and Groupon.

The Company serves customers across a range of industries and geographies. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had over 1,900 customers worldwide. Its customers include both traditional and online retailers, such as Ann Taylor, eBags.com, J&R Electronics and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, as well as manufacturers of consumer goods, such as Dell, Dooney and Bourke, Lenovo, Sony and Under Armour.

The Company�� suite of SaaS solutions allows its customers to more easily integrate, manage and optimize their online sales across hundreds of available channels through a single, integrated platform. Its suite solutions includes a number of individual offerings, or modules. Each module integrates with a particular type of channel, such as third-party marketplaces, paid search or comparison shopping websites, or supports specific online functionality, such as creating webstores or employing rich media solutions on their websites. The Company provides its customers with a single Web-based interface as the central location for them to control, analyze and manage their online sales across hundreds of available channels and multiple geographies. It provides its customers with actionable insights across the latest channel and consumer trends and general product performance, which enables them to evaluate and, if necessary, improve the efficiency of their business rules on existing or new! channels.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Garrett Cook]

    ChannelAdvisor (NYSE: ECOM) shares shot up 4.40 percent to $24.18. Deutsche Bank upgraded Channel Advisor from Hold to Buy. ChannelAdvisor is expected to release its Q2 financial results on August 4, 2014.

  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

    Cloud software provider ChannelAdvisor (ECOM) has enjoyed a stellar run since its IPO earlier this year. In the months since ECOM started trading at the beginning of the summer, shares have nearly doubled. But this stock could be headed for even higher ground before the calendar flips over to 2014.

    That's because ECOM is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a bullish price setup that's formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares at $40 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as ECOM bounces in between those two technically significant price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above resistance. When that happens, we've got a buy signal in shares.

    ChannelAdvisor has shown investors excellent relative strength all the way up this year, but it's worth noting that the uptrend in ECOM's relative strength line has remained intact even while the ascending triangle has been forming – that's a big sign of strength in this market. I'd recommend buying on a move through $40, from there, keep a protective stop at the 200-day moving average.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014

Yahoo on Monday confirmed that top broadcaster Katie Couric is leaving ABC News to join the Silicon Valley tech company as its global anchor.

The development, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, underscores Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's emphasis on news content and video as she continues her efforts to turn around the company.

"Katie's depth of experience, her intellectual curiosity, and her charisma make her the perfect choice to anchor Yahoo News and the whole Yahoo Network. Her unmatched energy, savvy, and versatility enables her to connect with audiences across the globe," Mayer said in a statement. "News is a definitive daily habit for our users -- and Katie will work with our talented editorial team to pioneer a new chapter of digital journalism."

Couric, a former co-anchor of NBC's Today show and the first female anchor of the CBS Evening News, has been working as a special correspondent for ABC and hosting the syndicated daytime talk show Katie. Couric will continue to host the show after joining Yahoo.

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2015: Enduro Royalty Trust (NDRO)

Enduro Royalty Trust (the Trust) is a statutory trust. On May 13, 2011, the Trust was formed by Enduro Resource Partners LLC (Enduro Sponsor) to own a net profits interest representing the right to receive 80% of the net profits from the sale of oil and natural gas production from certain properties in the states of Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico (the Underlying Properties) held by Enduro Sponsor as of the date of the conveyance of the net profits interest to the trust. The business and affairs of the Trust will be managed by The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the Trustee). In addition, Wilmington Trust Company will act as Delaware trustee (the Delaware Trustee) of the Trust.

The Trust will enter into an administrative services agreement with Enduro pursuant to which Enduro will provide the Trust with certain accounting, bookkeeping, and informational services related to the Net Profits Interest. Enduro Sponsor is a privately-held limited liability company engaged in the production and development of oil and natural gas from properties located in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Statutory trust Enduro Royalty Trust (NYSE: NDRO  ) announced yesterday its July monthly distribution of $0.128817�per unit; it has paid a monthly dividend since November 2011. The distribution announced in May was $0.096825 per unit.

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: Callon Petroleum Co (CPE)

Callon Petroleum Company (Callon), incorporated on March 29, 1994, is an independent oil and natural gas company. It is focused on growing production and reserves from its oil-weighted multi-play assets in the Permian Basin. In 2013, the Company shifted its operations from the offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico to the onshore, Permian Basin region in Texas.

The Company operates 100% of its Permian acreage. As of December 31, 2013, the Company�� proved reserves were 14.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (80% oil and 50% proved developed).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Garrett Cook]

    In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.40 percent. Top losers in the sector included Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE), down 5 percent, and Tesco (NASDAQ: TESO), off 3.9 percent.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $26.83 million.

    Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) is expected to post a Q4 loss at $0.55 per share on revenue of $7.78 million.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.40 percent. Top losers in the sector included Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE), down 5.67 percent, and Tesco (NASDAQ: TESO), off 3.99 percent.

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Today, Continental Resources� (NYSE: CLR  ) , Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  ) , Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) , and Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) have access to nearly 2 million combined acres ,equivalent to 1,280 square miles. They're dotting the plains of western North Dakota with drilling rigs and production wells. All of this drilling has led to massive growth in oil production, which brings economic development and jobs to this once forgotten state. For a visual showing how fast oil production grew, click here to see a 25-year EIA time lapse of energy production in the Bakken.�

  • [By Aimee Duffy]

    A fond farewell?
    Many companies have abandoned capital expenditure plans in other plays to put more money behind their Eagle Ford ventures. Reuters recently reported that Talisman Energy (NYSE: TLM  ) is considering selling its 74,000-acre stake in the play, potentially looking to raise a whopping $2 billion. Given the money that companies are willing to pour into the Eagle Ford, it just might find a buyer. Talisman's joint venture with Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) is targeting production of 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent by the end of this year, which would double last year's number.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Over the past 12 months, domestic integrated oil companies like Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) are up 13 percent and 8 percent respectively, while Statoil (NYSE: STO) is down by 8 percent over the same period. Results were mixed for Statoil’s European peers, with Total (NYSE: TOT) up 11 percent and Eni (NYSE: E) down 6 percent.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Rounding out the top five for Bakken oil production is Norway�� Statoil (NYSE: STO). Statoil entered the Bakken in 2011 when it acquired Brigham Exploration, a major operator in the Williston Basin. Statoil now holds approximately 330,000 net acres in the Bakken, and in Q2 2014 produced 50,200 boe/d in the Bakken. ����

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: Abraxas Petroleum Corp (AXAS)

Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of oil and gas in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� estimated net proved reserves were 29.0 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), (including reserves attributable to its 34.7% equity interest in the proved reserves of Blue Eagle), of which 53% were classified as proved developed, 54% were oil and natural gas liquids (NGL��) and 94% by PV-10 were operated. Its daily net production during the year ended December 31, 2011, was 3,484 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 45% was oil or liquids. Its oil and gas assets are located in four operating regions in the United States, the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent, Permian Basin and onshore Gulf Coast, and in the province of Alberta, Canada.

The Company�� properties in the Rocky Mountain region are located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana and in the Green River, Powder River and Unita Basins of Wyoming and Utah. In this region, its wells produce oil and gas from various reservoirs, including the Niobrara, Turner, Bakken and Three Forks formations. Well depths range from 7,000 feet down to 14,000 feet. The Company�� properties in the Mid-Continent region are primarily located in the Arkoma Basin and principally produce gas from the Hartshorne coals at 3,000 feet. Its properties in the Permian Basin region are primarily located in two sub-basins, the Delaware Basin and the Eastern Shelf. In the Delaware Basin, its wells are located in Pecos, Reeves, and Ward Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from multiple stacked formations from the Bell Canyon at 5,000 feet down to the Ellenburger at 16,000 feet.

In the Eastern Shelf, its wells are principally located in Coke, Scurry, Midland, Mitchell and Nolan Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from the Strawn Reef formation at 5,000 to 7,500 feet and oil from the shallower Clea! rfork formation at depths ranging from 2,300 to 3,300 feet. The Company�� properties in the onshore Gulf Coast region are located along the Edwards trend in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties, Texas and in the Portilla field in San Patricio County, Texas. In the Edwards trend, its wells produce gas from the Edwards formation at a depth of 14,000 feet and in the Portilla field, its wells produce oil and gas from the Frio sands and the deeper Vicksburg from depths of approximately 7,000 to 9,000 feet. In addition, the Company also owns a 34.7% equity interest in a joint venture targeting the Eagle Ford in South Texas. Its properties in the province of Alberta, Canada are located in the Pekisko fairway and the Nordegg/Tomahawk area of Central Alberta.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased approximately 20,835 net acres, primarily in counties located on the Nesson Anticline and in areas west, including Rough Rider and Lewis & Clark in North Dakota and in Sheridan County, Montana, which are prospective for the Bakken and Three Forks formations. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company drilled two operated wells and participated in an additional 19 gross (1.0 net) non-operated wells. In July 2011, Abraxas purchased a used Oilwell 2000 horsepower diesel electric drilling rig. In August 2010, the Company formed a joint venture, Blue Eagle, with Rock Oil to develop its acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale play. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 34.7% interest in Blue Eagle. During 2011, Blue Eagle drilled, completed or participated in three gross (2.4 net) wells and added approximately 3,800 net acres to its holdings, principally in McMullen County, Texas.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased a total of approximately 20,720 gross (17,800 net) acres in the southern Powder River Basin, of which 17,800 gross (15,700 net) acres were located in the Brooks Draw field of Converse and Niobrara Counties, Wyoming. In addition, it owns approximately 2,100 net acres in sout! hern Camp! bell County, Wyoming which are held by production and are near the Crossbow field operated by EOG Resources, Inc. and other recent horizontal activity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased 6,880 net acres in western Alberta. In 2011, it drilled or completed six gross (6 net) wells in the Twining area. In the emerging southern Alberta Basin Bakken play of Toole and Glacier Counties, Montana, the Company leased approximately 10,000 gross/net acres under long-term leases or direct mineral ownership. As of December 31, 2011, it leased approximately 5,600 gross/net acres in Nolan County, Texas. In 2011, the Company drilled three wells in the Spires Ranch offsetting the prolific Nena Lucia field.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin] Related IIN Morning Market Movers Morning Market Losers Related AXAS Abraxas Petroleum Corp. (AXAS) in Focus: Stock Moves 6.4% Higher - Tale of the Tape Will Noble Energy Disappoint This Quarter? - Analyst Blog

    Intricon (NASDAQ: IIN) shares gained 33.98% to touch a new 52-week high of $6.23 after the company reported Q1 results.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    With steam coal prices continuing to be weak due to the inroads made by natural gas, Natural Resource Partners (NYSE: NRP  ) has decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. It announced Monday it is buying producing�oil and gas�properties located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana from�Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS  ) for $35.3 million in cash.

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.(CLF)

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., a mining and natural resources company, produces iron ore pellets, lump and fines iron ore, and metallurgical coal products. The company operates six iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota, and eastern Canada; two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia; five metallurgical coal mines located in West Virginia and Alabama; and one thermal coal mine located in West Virginia. It also owns a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine located in Queensland, Australia; and a 30% interest in Amapa, a Brazilian iron ore project in Latin America, as well as chromite properties in Ontario, Canada. The company, formerly known as Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    The biggest new stock holdings are Pfizer�and Agilent Technologies. Other new holdings of interest include Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) . Cliffs' stock is down more than 60% over the past year, and its 3.4% dividend yield is what's left after a 76% dividend cut earlier this year. The coal market has been struggling lately, in part because low natural gas prices are making it less competitive, but some are optimistic, seeing coal prices rebounding and demand growing, especially abroad. The stock has fallen so far that some see it as attractive now, but others worry about significant debt and negative free cash flow. Indeed, last month more than 30% of the stock's float had been shorted. On the plus side, though, Cliffs just inked a long-term iron-ore-pellet deal.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Top losers in the sector included Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), down 4 percent, and Thompson Creek Metals Company (NYSE: TC), off 3 percent.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    In trading on Wednesday, basic materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.85 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Joy Global (NYSE: JOY), up 5.3 percent, and Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), up 8.8 percent.

Hot Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB)

Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), incorporated on February 5, 2002, is an independent oil and gas company. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting Shell. Shell is engaged worldwide in the principal aspects of the oil and gas industry and also has interests in chemicals and other energy-related businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream International and Upstream Americas, which are engaged in searching for and recovering crude oil and natural gas; the liquefaction and transportation of gas; the extraction of bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil, and wind energy. Downstream is engaged in manufacturing; distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals, in alternative energy (excluding wind), and carbon dioxide (CO2) management. Corporate represents the key support functions, comprising holdings and treasury, headquarters, central functions and Shell�� self-insurance activities. In October 2011, the Company bought a marine terminal on Canada's Pacific Coast as a possible site for a liquefied natural gas export terminal. In January 2012, the Company's 50% owned, Australia Arrow Energy Holdings Pty Ltd acquired all of the shares in Bow Energy Ltd. In January 2014, Royal Dutch Shell plc completed the acquisition of Repsol S.A.'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio outside North America.

Upstream International manages the Upstream businesses outside the Americas. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, liquefies and transports gas, and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream International also manages Shell�� entire liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) business, gas to liquids (GTL) and the wind business in Europe. Its activities are organized primarily within geographical units, although there are some activities that are mana! ged across the businesses or provided through support units.

Upstream Americas manages the Upstream businesses in North and South America. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, transports gas and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream Americas also extracts bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil. Additionally, it manages the United States-based wind business. It comprises operations organized into business-wide managed activities and supporting activities.

Downstream manages Shell�� manufacturing, distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals. These activities are organized into globally managed classes of business, although some are managed regionally or provided through support units. Manufacturing and supply includes refining, supply and shipping of crude oil. Marketing sells a range of products including fuels, lubricants, bitumen and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for home, transport and industrial use. Chemicals produces and markets petrochemicals for industrial customers, including the raw materials for plastics, coatings and detergents. Downstream also trades Shell�� flow of hydrocarbons and other energy-related products, supplies the Downstream businesses, markets gas and power and provides shipping services. Downstream additionally oversees Shell�� interests in alternative energy (including biofuels, and excluding wind) and CO2 management.

Projects and Technology manages the delivery of Shell�� major projects and drives the research and innovation to create technology solutions. It provides technical services and technology capability covering both Upstream and Downstream activities. It is also responsible for providing functional leadership across Shell in the areas of health, safety and environment, and contracting and procurement.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jim Jubak]

    But, to my mind, the biggest news of last week for the valuation of Cheniere actually came from Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB). Europe's biggest oil company announced that it would halt plans to build a $20 billion natural gas of liquids plant in Louisiana, even though the state of Louisiana had agreed on $112 million in subsidies. The project would have used cheap US natural gas to produce 140,000 barrels a day of liquid fuels normally made from oil. Royal Dutch Shell cited rising costs and uncertainty about oil and natural gas prices by the time the plant entered operation, in canceling the project.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own Right Now

A little more than a month ago, I poked and prodded�at�GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT  ) to try and determine whether the stock might actually be able to regain even a fraction of its former glory.

After all, shares of GTAT were down more than 68% over the previous year after its core polysilicon business had collapsed along with the broader solar industry. What's more, that was even after popping 10% in a single day after the company announced a memorandum of understanding with Powertec Energy, which stated Powertec's intention to buy polysilicon technology and equipment from GTAT sometime in the second half of 2014.

In addition, the stock had already jumped 10% just two days earlier after an MIT Technology Review�article�pitched its sapphire tech as a promising potential alternative to Corning's (NYSE: GLW  ) Gorilla Glass product. Of course, overcoming Corning is easier said than done, considering just last week the company�informed elated investors that its�Specialty Materials segment sales should improve sequentially in the 15% to 20% range next quarter. Of course, that was all thanks to -- you guessed it -- strong demand for Gorilla Glass.�

Top Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited(YGE)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. The company offers PV cells, PV modules, and integrated PV systems, as well as polysilicon ingots, blocks, and wafers. It sells its PV modules to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators in Germany, the United States, Italy, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan under the Yingli and Yingli Solar brand names. The company also offers its integrated PV systems directly to end-users or to contractors for use in the electricity projects, as well as to mobile communications companies in the People's Republic of China. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Baoding, the People? s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Chinese solar companies have been reporting massive losses, but one company has improved its financial performance and strategic position significantly over the past year. In the following video, solar analyst Travis Hoium covers why he thinks Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) is a likely candidate to emerge from Chinese solar consolidation, even better than big names such as Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) and Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL  ) . If the company is able to return to profitability, the sky is the limit for Canadian Solar.�

  • [By Sid Riggs]

    Companies such as Canadian Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: CSIQ), SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE: TSL), JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd (NYSE: JKS), and Yingli Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) have seen their shares explode 1,181%, 755%, 637%, 628%, and 420%, respectively, over the same time frame.

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own Right Now: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Photovoltaic module and wafer manufacturer ReneSola (NYSE: SOL  ) has been contracted to�provide 7,200 250-watt high-efficiency polycrystalline solar PV modules for a project in Roswell, N.M.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of solar manufacturer ReneSola (NYSE: SOL  ) jumped as much as 26% today after the company increased guidance.

    So what: Management said that second-quarter shipments would be 760 MW-770 MW, well above the previous expectation of 700 MW-720 MW. Gross margin is also expected to be 5%-6%, above the 3%-5% previously expected. �

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    On Thursday, ReneSola (NYSE: SOL  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own Right Now: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Notable earnings releases expected on Monday include:

    LAN Chile S.A. (NYSE: LFL) is expected to report fourth quarter EPS of $0.24 on revenue of $3.50 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.02 on revenue of $3.48 billion. JA Solar Holdings, Co. Ltd (NASDAQ: JASO) is expected to report EPS of $0.03 on revenue of $291.75 million, compared to last year�� loss of $2.65 per share on revenue of $268.09 million. Sterling Construction Company, Inc�(NASDAQ: STRL) is expected to report a fourth quarter loss of $1.47 per share on revenue of $153.07 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.18 on revenue of $158.09 million.

    Economics

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own Right Now: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Lights out, China
    China may have its fair share of struggles -- which has caused its strong economy to back off its 30-year average growth rate of 10% -- but when push comes to shove, plenty of investors are still paying close attention to multinational companies making investments in China. However, if there were one sector with a gigantic "beware" stamp attached to it, it would be Chinese solar panel producers like Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) .

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Solar stocks are shooting higher again today as the strong run in 2013 continues. LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) , Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) , and JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) led the way, gaining between 10% and 22% today.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    News and notes
    Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) announced another $100 million in financing this week, this time a term loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea. �

  • [By Rebecca McClay]

    The tech market's news today includes a plunge in Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: HSOL) shares, which are down 5% in morning trade after its second-quarter loss narrowed to $0.32 per share from a loss of $0.43 in Q1.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Hot Food Companies To Watch In Right Now

LONDON -- Marks and Spencer
Statistics reveal that profit forecasts at�Marks and Spencer� (LSE: MKS  )

If Marks does report 33.3 pence, that would represent 15% growth on what the company made last year. However, it would still be less than the 2011 and 2012 EPS numbers.

I have some concerns over the long-term future of Marks' "big store in every high street" status. With so much more spend happening online today, I wonder just how profitable some of Marks' stores are today.

The forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.5 suggests that the market is not especially worried. After all, Marks still has a growing food operation and online sales are increasing at a clip.

SSE
Like all of the listed utilities,�SSE� (LSE: SSE  )

Earnings forecasts have recently been ticking upward. Today, earnings for the full year were expected to come in at 117.5 pence. That puts the shares on a forward P/E of 12.6.

Last month, shares in SSE traded as high as 1,676 pence. Today, the shares are down 12% from this peak.

Top Net Payout Yield Stocks To Own For 2015: Rallye SA (RAL)

Rallye SA is a France-based holding company organized around two sectors of activity: large scale distribution to the food stores and supermarkets and distribution of sports items. The Company is present in France, Latin America, Poland, and Asia through its interests in brands, such as Geant, Monoprix, Leader Price, and United Grocers Cash & Carry, among others. It also has its interst in the Groupe Go Sport. Rallye SA is notably present in France, the United States, Luxembourg, Poland and Colombia, among others. The Company operates through its subsidiaries and affliated companies, such as Cobivia SAS, L��abitation Moderne de Boulogne, Magasins Jean SAS, Matignon Sablons SAS, MFD SA, Parande SAS, Casino Guichaqrd Perrachon DA, Groupe Go Sport, Sivigral SCI and French Develompent Venture SA. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Holly LaFon]

    A risk involved with the company is that its Republic Bank & Trust business derives 78% of its net income from TRS, which offers bank products that help get customers who electronically file their tax returns their payments. RB&T is only of the few financial institutions in the U.S. that provide the service. Under the program, the taxpayer may receive a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL), which has been questioned by various governmental and consumer groups. In May 2011, RB&T received an order to cease and desist which could result in an order by the FDIC to terminate its RAL program. It has a hearing on Feb. 12, 2012 in Kentucky regarding the matter.

Hot Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: B&G Foods Inc (BGS)

B&G Foods, Inc. (B&G Foods), incorporated on November 25, 1996, manufactures, sells and distributes a range of branded shelf-stable food and household products across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Company complements its branded product retail sales with institutional and food service sales and limited private labels sales. On October 31, 2012,the Company acquired New York Style, Devonsheer, JJ Flats and Old London brands from Chipita America, Inc. The Company's Ortega brand and its products span the shelf-stable Mexican food segment including taco shells, tortillas, seasonings, dinner kits, taco sauces, peppers, refried beans, salsas and related food products. The Company new product offerings include Ortega whole grain corn taco shells and Ortega reduced sodium taco seasoning. Its Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand is apure maple syrup sold in the United States. Other products under the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont label include a line of gourmet salad dressings, sugar free syrups, marinades, fruit syrups, confections, pancake mixes and organic products. The Cream of Wheat brand is a brand of hot cereals sold in the United States. Cream of Wheat is available in Original 10-minute, 21/2 minute and one-minute versions, and also in instant packets of Original and other flavors. The Company also offers Cream of Rice, a rice-based hot cereal. In July 2013, B&G Foods Inc announced that it has completed the acquisition of Robert's American Gourmet Food, LLC dba Pirate Brands from VMG Partners. In October 2013, B&G Foods Inc acquired Rickland Orchards LLC.

The Mrs. Dash brand of salt-free seasonings is available in more than a dozen blends. The Polaner brand consists of a range of fruit-based spreads as well as jarred wet spices such as chopped garlic and oregano. Polaner All Fruit is a national brand of fruit-juice sweetened fruit spread. The spreads are available in more than a dozen flavors. Polaner Sugar Free preserves are the brand of sugar free preserves nationally. The L! as Palmas brand primarily includes authentic Mexican enchilada sauce, chili sauce and various pepper products. The Bloch & Guggenheimer (B&G) brand and its pickle, pepper and relish products consists of shelf-stable pickles, peppers, relishes, olives and other related specialty items. The B&M brand is the original brand of brick-oven baked beans and remains authentic baked beans. The B&M line includes a range of baked beans and brown bread. The Underwood brand's (Underwood Devil) logo is used for a prepackaged food product in the United States. Underwood meat spreads, include deviled ham, white-meat chicken, roast beef and liverwurst.The New York Style brand includes Original Bagel Crisps, Mini Bagel Crisps, Pita Chips and Panetini Italian Toast.

The Ac'cent brand is a all-natural flavor enhancer for meat preparation and is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. The Company offers a line of pasta sauces, seasonings, cooking stocks, mustards, salsas, pepper sauces, dip mixes and cooking sprays under the Emeril's brand name. The Old London brand offers a variety of flavors available in melba toasts, melba rounds and other snacks. Old London also markets specialty snacks under the Devonsheer and JJ Flats names. The Trappey's brand include peppers and hot sauces, including Trappey's Red Devil. The Don Pepino and Sclafani brands primarily include pizza and spaghetti sauces, whole and crushed tomatoes and tomato puree. The Grandma's brand of molasses include molasses sold in the United States. Grandma's molasses products are offered in two styles: Grandma's Original Molasses and Grandma's Robust Molasses. The Joan of Arc brand, which originated in 1895, includes a full range of canned beans including kidney, chili and other varieties.

The Regina brand includes vinegars and cooking wines. Regina products are commonly used in the preparation of salad dressings as well as in a variety of recipe applications, including sauces, marinades and soups. The Static Guard brand i! nclude th! e anti-static spray category. The Sugar Twin brand is a calorie free sugar substitute. The Baker's Joy brand include no-stick baking spray with flour. The Wright's brand is an all-natural seasoning that reproduces the flavor and aroma of pit smoking in meats, chicken and fish. Wright's is offered in three flavors: Hickory, Mesquite and Applewood. The Brer Rabbit brand offers mild and full-flavored molasses as well as blackstrap molasses. Mild molasses is designed for table use and full-flavored molasses is typically used in baking, barbeque sauces and as a breakfast syrup. The Sa-son brand is a flavor enhancer used primarily for Puerto Rican and Hispanic food preparation. The product is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. The brand's flavor enhancer is offered in four flavors: Original, Coriander and Achiote, Garlic and Onion, and Tomato. The Company also offers reduced sodium versions of Sa-son. The Vermont Maid brand include maple-flavored syrup under the brand name. Vermont Maid syrup is available in regular, sugar-free and sugar-free butter varieties. The Molly McButter brand include the butter sprinkles category. Molly McButter is an all natural sprinkle, available in butter and cheese flavors.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    More than a handful of small dividend-paying companies had strong performances over the past year. B&G Foods (NYSE: BGS  ) surged 35% and recently yielded 3.4%. The company has faced rising food costs in recent years and has also been a savvy acquirer. (A recent buy is Pirate Brands, maker of Pirate's Booty snacks.) Its brands include Ortega, Mrs. Dash, Cream of Wheat, Underwood, Molly McButter, Baker's Joy, and Static Guard. There's some worry, though, about how well it can grow organically, without relying on acquisitions. B&G has carried significant debt, but it has refinanced and reduced that.

Hot Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: DC Brands International Inc (HRDN)

DC Brands International, Inc. (DC Brands), incorporated on April 29, 1998, is engaged in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of health-related products that utilize natural botanicals, vitamins, minerals and supplements. As of December 31, 2009, the Company focused on the sale of products under its H.A.R.D. Nutrition label. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had two distinct types of products sold under its H.A.R.D. Nutrition logo, such as Functional Water Systems and nutritional supplements. Its H.A.R.D. Nutrition Functional Water System provides consumers with the combination of nutraceutical supplements with a functional beverage. All of the products sold under its H.A.R.D. Nutrition Functional Water System are sold in a bottle, which combines in one container water, which is lightly flavored, with vitamins stored in its licensed flip top compartment on the top of the bottle. DC Brands also sells other products included in its H.A.R.D. Nutrition label, such as herbal supplements, which are made from a mixture of herbs. The Company�� products are sold to consumers, primarily through retail outlet distribution. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries are DC Nutrition, Inc. and DC Brands, LLC. As of December 31, 2009, DC Brands, LLC was inactive. In June 2013, DC Brands International Inc acquired an undisclosed minority stake in Village Tea Co Distribution Inc.

Functional Water Systems

DC Brands��Functional Water Systems are a combination of a functional beverage and a nutraceutical. The Company provides consumers with a combination of a beverage and a nutraceutical supplement all in one convenient bottle. As of December 31, 2009, the Company manufactured nine water systems. Each system includes supplements, vitamins and minerals that are enclosed in its licensed cap, which is attached to its bottle filled with a lightly flavored water specially formulated to act as a catalyst for the enclosed supplements. The Functional Water Systems have a shelf life of one! year. The Company conducts periodic tests of the color, flavor and desired results of its products in house. Each product contains a label with a date stamp that specifies the shelf life.

The Company�� nine different systems are The Daily Basics, The Fat Fighter, The Get Over It-Feel Better Now, Whacked Energy, Wide Awake, Win, Fix It, Cleanse +, and Rebuild and Recover. The Daily Basics is a wellness product that includes vitamins and supplements. The Fat Fighter falls under the diet and weight loss category. The Get Over It-Feel Better Now is a wellness product that is a blend of vitamins, herbs and minerals. As of December 31, 2009, The Get Over It-Feel Better Now water system was sold in certain hotels in Las Vegas on a trial basis and was stocked in the guest rooms in the hotels and was marketed to combat hangovers. Whacked Energy and Wide Awake are part of its energy line. Win is geared towards athletes for use when conducting fitness training. Fix It is a combination of herbs and supplements. Cleanse+ is a 12 days total body cleansing system intended to be taken once every 90 days and Rebuild and Recover is a combination of products focused towards the serious athlete. All of its products contain ingredients that are focused to provide health-related benefits. The H.A.R.D. Nutrition Functional Water Systems are primarily sold in retail establishments.

Nutritional Supplements

The Company�� H.A.R.D. Nutrition Supplements are sold primarily though its wholly owned subsidiary DC Nutrition, Inc. and are focused at athletes and improving performance. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had approximately 300 products in this product line, which it divided into the four categories: performance and strength supplements, wellness products, energy supplements, and the weight loss and diet products.

The Company competes with Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR), DC Brands International, Inc (OTCMKTS: HRDN) and PV Enterprises International (OTCMKTS: PVEC) surged 82.86%, 33.33% and 25%, respectively, last Friday ��meaning investors or traders got a nice Christmas present. Moreover, these small cap stocks have been the subject of minimal paid stock promotions. But will these three small cap stocks continue to deliver a good performance into and after the holidays? Here is a quick reality check before you get overly excited:

Hot Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: SunOpta Inc (STKL)

SunOpta Inc. ( SunOpta), incorporated on January 1, 2008, is a global company operating businesses focused on a healthy products portfolio that promotes sustainable well-being. With expertise in field to table integration, it specializes in the sourcing, processing and packaging of natural, organic and specialty food products. The Company operates in two business segments: SunOpta Foods and Opta Minerals.

Its core natural and organic food operations focus on value-added grains, fiber and fruit-based product offerings, supported by a global sourcing and supply infrastructure. Its assets, operations and employees are principally located in North America and Europe. It has two non-core holdings: a 66.1% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc. and its subsidiaries (Opta Minerals), a producer, distributor and recycler of industrial materials; and an 18.7% ownership position in Mascoma Corporation (Mascoma), a biofuels company.

SunOpta Foods

SunOpta Foods operates in the natural, organic and specialty foods product sectors and utilizes a number of integrated business models to bring cost-effective and products to market. It believes these markets will continue to grow as consumers focus on health and wellness. SunOpta Foods consists of four operating segments: Grains and Foods Group, Ingredients Group, Consumer Products Group and International Foods Group .It focuses on three key go-to-market segments: raw materials, value-added ingredients and consumer-packaged products.

The Grains and Foods Group specializes in marketing organic, identity preserved (IP), and non-GMO grains, ingredients, packaged goods and processing services with a core focus on soybean, sunflower and corn products. The Grains and Foods Group works to ensure that it provides its customers with organic, non-GMO and IP specialty grains and seeds by serving as a grower�� supplier of seed; purchaser of the grower�� specialty crops; and processor and packager of a wide range of grains-! based ingredients and consumer-packaged products. It offers a variety of IP, non-GMO and organic seeds and whole grains including soy, corn and sunflower for food applications offering varieties with superior food , raw material sourcing and processing of soy based ingredients in liquid, spray-dried and roasted formats. It offers Grain-based ingredients which utilize non-GMO and organic soy, corn, sunflower and rice; specialty organic functional ingredients, including maltodextrins, tack blends, fiber products; flavor enhancing products, including snack coatings, cheese powders and flavor systems; an line of organic dairy ingredients; and organic soy and sunflower oils. It offers variety of packaged food products for retail and foodservice use and a full range of bulk grain-based animal feed and pet food products.

The Ingredients Group is focused primarily on fiber products and specialty fruit ingredients. It works closely with its customers to identify product formulation, cost and productivity opportunities aimed at transforming raw materials into value-added food ingredient solutions. It offers fibers and brans, including Canadian Harvest Oat Fiber, SunOpta Soy Fiber, SunOpta Rice Fiber, SunOpta Cellulose Fiber and SunOpta Pea Fiber brands of insoluble organic and conventional fiber products, Barley Balance soluble fiber, MultiFiber blends, value-added starch-based texturizers, and a number of custom processed ingredients. It offers SunOpta Specialty Starch products, including OptaGrade and OptaMist. OptaGrade is a natural, starch-based texturizing agent that is used commercially in a variety of dairy products including natural, imitation, and processed cheeses, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. OptaMist is also a starch-based texturizing agent that improves the taste, texture and appearance of dairy products, yogurt, cheese products, and salad dressings.

The Consumer Products Group provides natural and organic consumer packaged food products to global fo! od manufa! cturers, distributors and supermarket chains with a variety of branded and private label products. The Consumer Products Group�� products include Conventional and organic beverage processing and re-sealable pouch filling solutions in a variety of product categories, including shelf stable and refrigerated juices, frozen fruits and vegetables, specialty beverages, vitamin waters, electrolyte waters, energy drinks, soups, baby food, and healthy fruit and vegetable based snacks in flexible pouches. It offers nutritious healthy snacks including natural and organic fruit based snacks in bar, twist, rope and bite size shapes, with the ability to add a variety of ingredients including fiber, plus a range of baked and extruded nutrition bars using a wide variety of ingredients including grains, proteins and other ingredients.

The International Foods Group includes European and North American based operations that source and supply raw material ingredients and trade organic commodities. Its principal operations are located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Santa Cruz, California and comprise the global sourcing and supply operations of Tradin Organic, including a business in Dalian, China that supplies food grade organic soybeans, feed, organic sunflower kernels and other grains and distributes certain organic food products, as well as sourcing and processing operations in Ethiopia for organic and specialty coffees and organic and conventional sesame seeds. In addition, the International Foods Group is expanding its integrated processing capabilities with the construction of its value-added organic and specialty cocoa facility in the Netherlands.

SunOpta Foods is subject to a wide range of governmental regulations and policies in various countries and regions where it operates,including the

United States,Canada, the Netherlands, throughout the rest of the EU, China and Ethiopia. These laws, regulations and policies are implemented, as applicable in each jurisdiction, on t! he nation! al, federal, state, provincial and local levels. For example, SunOpta Foods is affected by laws and regulations related to: seed, fertilizer and pesticides; the purchasing, harvesting, transportation and warehousing of grain and other products; the processing, packaging and sale of food, including wholesale operations; and product labelling and marketing, food safety and food defense. SunOpta Foods is also affected by government-sponsored price supports, acreage set aside programs and a number of environmental regulations.

Opta Minerals

Opta Minerals is a vertically integrated provider of custom process optimization solutions and supplier of industrial minerals and silica-free abrasives for use primarily in the steel, foundry, loose abrasive cleaning and municipal water filtration industries. Opta Minerals has offices and production and distribution facilities in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and production locations in Europe in Kosice, Slovakia; Romans, France; and Ermsleben and Rodermark, Germany. Opta Minerals integration of its business acquisitions into its existing operations and financial management systems has created synergies that have increased revenues and profit margins. It has invested in improving plant equipment and infrastructure and has been able to reduce costs while growing production capabilities. It believes that Opta Minerals is well-positioned to expand current operations with modest capital expenditures.

Opta Minerals produces, manufactures, distributes and recycles industrial minerals, silica-free abrasives and specialty sands and other products and services to the foundry, steel, loose abrasive cleaning, roofing granule, marine/bridge cleaning, waterjet cutting, and municipal, recreational and industrial water filtration industries. Its principal product lines include: blends of industrial minerals used primarily in heavy industrial a! pplicatio! ns; silica-free abrasives,and specialty sands, filtration media and other products and services.

Opta Minerals sells industrial mineral products primarily to the foundry and steel industries. Industrial minerals products produced by Opta Minerals include chromites, magnesium blends, lime, nozzle sands, clays, coated sands, petroleum coke, crushed graphite, pre-cast refractory shapes, injection lances, and a wide range of foundry pre-mixes.

Opta Minerals abrasive products are primarily sold into shipbuilding, ship repair, bridge cleaning, waterjet cutting and roofing granule markets. The abrasives produced are free of silica, making them a clean, efficient and recyclable alternative to traditional abrasives. Recycling operations are conducted at Waterdown, Ontario, Norfolk, Virginia and Ermsleben, Germany. This is an important service that Opta Minerals provides to its customers which results in the reuse of materials that would otherwise be sent directly to landfills. Silica-free abrasive products produced by Opta Minerals include BlackBlast, Ultra Blast, EconoBlast, EbonyGrit, Powerblast, Galaxy Garnet, Emerald Creek Garnet, Bengal Bay Garnet and other specialty abrasives.

Opta Minerals also generates revenues from the sale of specialty sands, filtration media and other products and technical services. The silica sands are not sold for use as an abrasive material.Speciality sands and other products and services of Opta Minerals include filtration and industrial sands, garnets for filtration and waterjet cutting, construction sands, golf bunker sand, silica (not sold for loose abrasive applications), colored sand, waterjet cutting replacement parts and components, and technical services.

The industrial minerals industry is characterized by a number of public and private companies that service the bulk of requirements for both the foundry and steel industry. The remaining market requirements are fulfilled by small regionally based companies with limi! ted produ! ct lines that generally focus on local markets.

The silica-free abrasives industry is characterized by a number of regionally-based companies with limited product lines tending to focus on geographically adjacent markets. Their competition varies by product line, customer classification and geographic market. Opta Minerals conducts business throughout North America with a focus on key regions including the Quebec-Detroit corridor, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, all of which are areas of high volume ship repairs and bridge cleaning activities.

The Company competes with Vesuvius Group S.A./N.V., Stollberg Group, SKW Mettalurgie Gmbh, Magnesium Elektron and Prince Minerals.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    SunOpta (NASDAQ: STKL) shares shot up 12.89 percent to $12.70 after the company reported upbeat Q1 earnings.

    Shares of Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISIS) got a boost, shooting up 10.16 percent to $27.64 after the company reported positive Phase 2 data on ISIS-GCGR Rx in HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014

With the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) at a new record high, cautious investors are starting to pay attention to valuation more closely than ever on the stocks that interest them. Yet whenever you use simple measures to try to assess whether a stock is cheap or expensive, you need to understand that your conclusions are only as strong as the accuracy of the data. If you rely on numbers that might not be correct, then you could make mistakes in your evaluation of a stock's true value.

Book value is a great example of how financial numbers can be misleading. Let's look at the four cheapest stocks in the Dow in terms of price-to-book ratios and try to assess whether those stocks are actually good values at their current prices.

A valuation that's lighter than aluminum
Among Dow stocks, Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) has the cheapest valuation based on price-to-book ratio, with shares fetching just 68% of book value. The aluminum industry overall is in terrible condition, and so peers such as Chinalco also trade at similar levels compared to book value. For its part, Alcoa has had to shutter some of its production facilities recently, strongly suggesting that its plant and equipment items on its balance sheet aren't necessarily producing as much profit as their book value would suggest.

Top 5 China Stocks To Own Right Now: Response Genetics Inc.(RGDX)

Response Genetics, Inc., a life sciences company, engages in the research, development, marketing, and sale of clinical diagnostic tests and pharmacogenomic tests for use in the treatment of cancer primarily in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company develops genetic tests that measure predictive factors for tumor response in tumor tissue samples. It offers tests for non-small cell lung cancer under the ResponseDX: Lung trade name; colorectal cancer under the ResponseDX: Colon trade name; and gastric and gastroesophageal cancer under the ResponseDX: Gastric trade name. The company also develops tests for other types of cancer that identify genetic profiles of tumors that recur after surgery. Response Genetics, Inc. offers its products through its sales force to community based oncologists, hospitals, and physician offices. In addition, it provides pharmacogenomic testing services to pharmaceutical companies. The company was formerly known as Bio Type, Inc. and cha nged its name to Response Genetics, Inc. in August 2000. Response Genetics, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Response Genetics (NASDAQ: RGDX) slipped 9.47% to $1.34 after the company reported Q4 results. The company posted a quarterly net loss of $3.2 million, or $0.09 per share, versus a year-ago net loss of $0.5 million, or $0.01 per share.

Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Players Network (PNTV)

Players Network (PNTV), incorporated on March 16, 1993, is a global media and entertainment company engaged in the development of Digital Networks. The Company distributes broadband video and other social media content over a range of Internet enabled devices and cable television channels. The Company�� platform is designed to deliver video content and develop digital social communities, including Vegas On Demand TV. The Company operates a video on demand (VOD) television channel, also named Vegas On Demand, which consists of original programming that is distributed over its own VOD channels to approximately 24,000,000 homes over the Internet with distribution partners, which include, Comcast, Hulu, Blinkx, Google, and YouTube Video, for DVD home video, and various mobile platforms. Vegas On Demand TV offers its audience the ability to connect to Vegas Insiders through programming, which captures sex appeal, entertainment, and the non-stop adrenaline rush of the Las Vegas gaming lifestyle. Players Network�� content goes beyond poker, casino action, sports betting, and racing, to lifestyle programs about entertainment and fine living.

PNTV�� Media Network operates across all distribution platforms from television screens to mobile devices, gaming consoles, computers and tablets. The Company�� platform has two main membership categories: the Consumer/User who visits its digital communities and partakes in viewing ad-supported and pay-per-view premium videos, purchases products and connects with Insiders, who are its Premium Members. Players Network�� Programming Brands include Vegas On Demand focuses on Gaming lifestyle and produces programming about Horse Racing, Sports Betting, Casino Games and Poker; Vegas On Demand, which is about Las Vegas lifestyle and covers celebrity, night clubs, poolside experiences and entertainment, and Sexy Sin City TV covers the adult and sexy side of Las Vegas after dark. The Company�� productions include gaming instruction, gaming news, instruct! ion on sports and racing wagering, gaming entertainment, tournaments, events and travel. The Company has a library of 1,550 gambling and gaming lifestyle videos, including several series of both long and short form content. Some of these series include Players Network originals; Hidden Vegas, Tattoo Tails, which include 30 originally produced hours of programming from the World Series of Poker, which Players Network had the rights to produce and air live. Players Network produced over 50 videos at the Hooters Hotel and Casino, 28 new gaming instructional videos aimed at slots and video poker players, a series of 23 videos on magic entitled Hocus Pocus, The Best of Vegas series and Neon Buzz, an entertainment report which covered red carpet events.

The Company competes with ESPN, the Travel Channel, E! and the Food Network.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap entertainment or gaming stocks Soul and Vibe Interactive Inc (OTCBB: SOUL), Elray Resources Inc (OTCMKTS: ELRA) and Players Network (OTCMKTS: PNTV) focus on entertaining consumers. However, its important to remember that consumers can be very fickle when it comes to entertainment or games. So should you be entertaining any of these small caps? Here is a closer look and a reality check:

Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014: American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc (ASP)

American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. (the Fund) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund's primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current income. Its secondary investment objective is capital appreciation. The Fund invests in mortgage-related assets that directly or indirectly represent a participation in or are secured by and payable from mortgage loans. American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. may also invest in the United States Government securities, corporate debt securities, preferred stock issued by real estate investment trusts and mortgage servicing rights.

The Fund's portfolio includes the United States Government Agency mortgage-backed securities, commercial loans, multi-family loans, preferred stocks, corporate notes, short-term securities and single-family loans. The Fund's investment advisor is FAF Advisors, Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Bank National Association.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By jaggom]

    However, the good news for the investors is that this trend of strong prices is set to continue and the company is expected to yield better financial and operating results with surging demand for these products in the market. For example, a 16% jump in the average selling prices (ASP) of DRAM along with a 6% jump in volume propelled revenue from the segment 23% higher, while an 8% increase in NAND flash prices led to a 7% jump in revenue from this segment.

  • [By ICRAOnline]

    Unit volumes grew 5.3% to 63.1 million, which was offset by 6.7% decline in average selling price (ASP). Due to higher volumes, the company�� HDD market share grew to 45.7% from 44.9% in the year-ago quarter.

  • [By Nicolas73]

    We can go through a long list of complicated reasoning, but the reason is very simple: Seagate increased its gross margin by around 50% (31.6% vs. 19.5%). This was accomplished thanks to the increased average selling price (ASP) of the hard disk drives.

Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated(HBAN)

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated operates as the holding company for The Huntington National Bank that provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers various financial products and services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer loans, and small business loans and leases; and investments, insurance, interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging, and treasury management services to consumer and small business customers. Its Regional and Commercial Banking segment provides commercial lending; depository and liquidity management products; treasury management solutions; equipment and technology leasing; international services; and capital markets services, such as interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging and sales, trading of securities, mezzanine investment capabilities, and employee benefit programs to government, not-f or-profit, health-care, and publicly traded entities. The company?s Automobile Finance and Commercial Real Estate segment offers financing for the purchase of automobiles, and new and used vehicle inventory by automotive dealerships; and financing for land, buildings, and other commercial real estate owned or constructed by real estate developers, automobile dealerships, or other customers. Its Wealth Advisors, Government Finance, and Home Lending segment provides investment management; investment servicing; custody, and corporate trust and retirement plan services; and administrative and operational support to fund to high net worth customers. It also offers online, mobile, and telephone banking services; and operates approximately 1,300 automated teller machines. As of December 31, 2011, the company had 652 branches located in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    We are starting to see bank merger activity accelerate as banks like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and� First Merchants (FRME) looking to expand and growth their asset base in the aftermath of the credit crisis. Banks with below-average capital and returns could quickly become buyout targets.

  • [By Amanda Alix]

    Mortgages down, but commercial loans are up
    Like its peer Huntington Bancshares� (NASDAQ: HBAN  ) , New York Community saw a slowdown in residential mortgage refinancing�activity due to higher interest rates. But, like Huntington and KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY  ) , the bank was able to improve in other areas. New York Community enjoyed higher mortgage servicing income�in the second quarter, for example -- an area in which KeyCorp is also expanding, having recently acquired $110 billion in commercial loan servicing rights�from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) earlier this year.

  • [By Tim Melvin]

    The year ahead should be a great one for the smaller bank stocks. Larger regionals like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and Capital Ban Financial (CBF) have made it clear they intend to grow by acquisition in the years ahead. Banks like First Merit (FMER) and First Merchants (FRME) have done deals in the past year and are open to doing more to increase their market share and footprints. This should be the year the floodgates open and we see the first wave of merger activity in small banks.

Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Atlantic Power Corp (AT)

Atlantic Power Corporation (Atlantic Power) owns and operates a fleet of power generation and infrastructure assets in the United States and Canada. The Company�� power generation projects sell electricity to utilities and industrial customers under long-term power purchase agreements. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its power generation projects in operation had an aggregate gross electric generation capacity of approximately 3,397 megawatts in which its ownership interest was approximately 2,140 megawatts. The Company operates in five segments: Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest and Un-allocated Corporate. As of December 31, 2011, its portfolio consisted of interests in 31 operational power generation projects across 11 states in the United States and two provinces in Canada, and a 53 megawatts biomass project under construction in Georgia and a 500-kilovolt 84-mile electric transmission line. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired Ridgeline Energy Holdings, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Justin Loiseau]

    Atlantic Power (NYSE: AT  ) shares have sunk 60% in 2013, leaving many investors wondering whether the utility's earnings will ever float back. With Q1 earnings scheduled for Thursday morning, investors need to know the answer to a very important question: Is Atlantic Power stock undervalued? I examined the utility's fundamentals and valuation in previous articles ��now let's see how if Atlantic's business model and strategy can set it up for success.

  • [By Justin Loiseau]

    Atlantic Power (NYSE: AT  ) isn't going to win any economies-of-scale awards, but the utility is determined to ramp up investments in renewables over the next few years. In 2012, Atlantic added three wind farms with 150 net MW to its assets via a subsidiary acquisition from Veolia Environnement.

  • [By Justin Loiseau]

    Atlantic Power
    Atlantic Power (NYSE: AT  ) reported earnings on May 8, beating sales estimates and pulling in positive earnings for the first time since Q2 2011.

  • [By Justin Loiseau]

    The company isn't immune from natural gas price spikes, but its diversity will help offset any gas losses with gains from its nuclear, coal, and renewable assets. Some other utilities might not fare as well. While Duke relies on natural gas and oil for 37% of its capacity, Atlantic Power (NYSE: AT  ) has dug into its gas gamble with 58% capacity and plans to invest more in the coming quarters.

Top Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Yoc AG (YOC)

Yoc AG is a German provider of mobile marketing and e-mail marketing service. It operates through two main segments: Mobile Technology and Media. The Mobile Technology segment encompasses the product areas Mobile Marketing and Mobile Internet, as well as the unit Mobile Business-to-Consumer (B2C). It also includes the licensing and implementation of technological products for target-oriented communication via mobile end devices. The Media segment covers the marketing of mobile websites and applications on Cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM), media penetration and performance basis. The Company serves clients from the consumer goods, automobile, trading and service industries. The Company offers its clients advertising campaigns that integrate mobile phones and the Internet into classic advertising. As of December 31, 2011, it operated through 11 subsidiaries located in Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria and France. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA), Germany�� largest steelmaker, rose to a five-week high. YOC AG (YOC) surged the most in more than three months after the mobile-phone advertising company said it sold 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million) of shares to increase capital. Lanxess AG (LXS), the chemical maker that joined the DAX in September, retreated 3.4 percent.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014

One of our latest value recommendations is a firm that provides top-quality pet products and services in North America; this recession-resistant industry should produce steady growth in future years, suggests J. Royden Ward, editor of Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Investor.

PetSmart (PETM) carries a broad selection of high-quality pet supplies at everyday low prices. Stores offer 10,000 items, including nationally recognized brand names, as well as an extensive selection of private brands.

In 2013, its 1,289 stores produced an industry-leading $7.0 billion in revenue. Its broad product assortment is complemented by a selection of value-added pet services; virtually all of its stores offer complete pet training services and feature pet styling salons that provide high-quality grooming services.

PetSmart emphasizes premium dog and cat foods, many of which are not available at supermarkets, warehouse clubs, or mass merchandisers. The company also offers its own brands in supermarkets and pet stores.

Best Valued Companies To Own For 2015: Navigant Consulting Inc (NCI)

Navigant Consulting, Inc., incorporated in 1996, is an independent specialty consulting firm. Professional services include dispute, investigative, economic, operational, risk management technology, financial and regulatory advisory solutions. The Company provides companies, legal counsel and governmental agencies facing the challenges of uncertainty, risk, distress and significant change. It provides a range of offerings to its client base. It operates in four segments: Business Consulting Services, Dispute and Investigative Services, Economic Consulting and International Consulting. On July 15, 2011, the Company acquired assets of Ignited Solutions, LLC. In October 2011, the Company acquired Paragon Health, a national physician practice management and consulting firm specializing in Cardiovascular practices. Effective July 9, 2013, the Company acquired The Anson Group LLC.

The Business Consulting Services reporting segment provides strategic, operational, financial, regulatory and technical management consulting services to clients, principally C suite and corporate management, governmental entities and law firms. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the reporting segment consisted of three operating segments, Energy, Healthcare and Other Business Consulting. The Energy and Healthcare business units are defined as operating segments due to their size, importance and organizational reporting relationships. The Energy and Healthcare operating segments provide services to clients in those respective markets and the Other Business Consulting operating segment provides operations advisory, valuation and restructuring services to clients in the financial services and other industries..

The Dispute and Investigative Services reporting segment provides a range of services to clients facing the challenges of disputes, litigation, forensic investigation, discovery and regulatory compliance. The clients of this segment are principally law firms, corporate general counsel and cor! porate boards and government agencies.

The Economic Consulting reporting segment provides economic and financial analyses of legal and business issues principally for law firms, corporations and governmental agencies. Expertise includes areas, such as antitrust, corporate finance and governance, bankruptcy, intellectual property, investment banking, labor market discrimination and compensation, corporate valuation and securities litigation.

The International Consulting reporting segment provides a mix of dispute and business consulting services to clients predominately outside North America. The clients are principally C suite and corporate management, governmental entities and law firms. The clients are principally C suite executives and corporate management, governmental agencies and law firms.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Navigant Consulting (NYSE: NCI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By MONEYMORNING]

    In fact, of the 10 companies examined, Navigant Consulting Inc. (NYSE: NCI) is the only one that has received no new contract awards since the GAO's March 31 study cutoff date. (The firm is tasked with data collection and customer outreach.)

    In late October, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified under oath to Congress to address the Obamacare website launch disaster. She began with a prepared statement, with comments like "You deserve better," "I apologize," and "I'm accountable to you."

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)

Cablevision Systems Corporation provides telecommunications and media services. It operates in two segments, Telecommunications Services and Other. The Telecommunications Services segment is involved in television business, including video, high-speed data, and VoIP operations, as well as the provision of commercial data and voice services. The Other segment offers Newsday, a daily newspaper; amNewYork, a free daily newspaper; and Star Community Publishing, a group of weekly shopper publications; and newsday.com and exploreLI.com. This segment also engages in motion picture theatre business, Clearview Cinemas; provision of the News 12 Networks, a regional news programming services; and the MSG Varsity network, a network covering high school sports and activities, and other local programs, as well as cable television advertising. Cablevision Systems Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bethpage, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Will Ashworth]

    If other cable companies — like Charter Communications (CHTR), Cablevision (CVC) and Cox Communications — decide to merge in order to keep pace with Comcast, content providers could be under the gun once more.

  • [By M. Joy Hayes]

    With no alternative candidates, there's no guarantee that directors will leave even if they fail to receive majority support. Consider the case of Cablevision (NYSE: CVC  ) . In 2010 and 2012, directors Thomas V. Reifenheiser, John R. Ryan, and Vincent S. Tese remained on the board even though they all failed to receive majority support in the company's 2010 and 2012 elections. Worse, Cablevision renominated the shunned directors yet again in 2013.

  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    On the flip side, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) takes the dubious honor of most overbought: It has 40.3% to fall, based on its Goldman �target price. �The top five includes Cablevision Systems (CVC) Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Intel (INTC) and U.S. Steel (X). Other big players on the list are Microsoft (MSFT), Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF), and Staples (SPLS).

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    SNL Kagan noted that cable outfits like Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Cablevision Corp. (NYSE: CVC) saw subscriber losses double to 607,000. Cable�� share of the pay TV market has now fallen to 55.3%.

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Paradise Inc (PARF)

Paradise, Inc., incorporated in September, 1961, conducts operations through two business segments: Candied Fruit and Molded Plastics. The Candied Fruit segment is engaged in the production of candied fruit, a basic fruitcake ingredient, sold to manufacturing bakers, institutional users, and retailers for use in home baking. Based on market conditions, it is also engaged in the processing of frozen strawberry products for sale to commercial and institutional users, such as preservers, dairies and drink manufacturers. The Molded Plastics segment is engaged in the production of plastic containers for the Company�� products and other molded plastics for sale to unaffiliated customers.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, in terms of candied fruit sales, approximately 20% were shipped to manufacturing bakers and other institutional users, with the balance being sold through supermarkets and other retail outlets for ultimate use in the home. Sales to retail outlets are usually generated through registered food brokers operating in exclusively franchised territories.

The Company�� trademarks Paradise, Dixie, Mor-Fruit and Sun-Ripe are registered with the appropriate Federal and State authorities for use on the Company�� candied fruit. During 2011, the Company derived approximately 15% of its consolidated net sales from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon]

    What is the advantage of being a huge company? There are some. For one, we know the business is ��or was ��growable. A lot of small companies stay small because their circle of competence is small. Paradise (PARF) is an over the counter stock. It has a market cap of $10 million. And it dominates the candied fruit market in the U.S. Why isn�� the company bigger?

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Vivendi SA (VIVHY)

Vivendi SA (Vivendi), incorporated on December 18, 1987, is a communications and entertainment company. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had six business segments: Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, SFR, Maroc Telecom Group, GVT (Holding) S.A. (GVT) and Canal+ Group. Activision Blizzard develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software, online or on other media (such as console and personal computer (PC)). Universal Music Group is engaged in the sale of recorded music (physical and digital media), exploitation of music publishing rights, as well as artist services and merchandising. SFR is engaged in the phone services (mobile, broadband Internet and fixed) in France. Maroc Telecom Group is a telecommunication operator (mobile, fixed and Internet) in Africa, principally in Morocco, as well as in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali. GVT is a Brazilian fixed and broadband operator. Canal+ Group is engaged in publishing and distribution of pay-television mainly in France, in both analog and digital (terrestrially, via satellite or ADSL), as well as film production in Europe. In July 2013, Vivendi SA and Universal Music Group announced the completion of the sale of Parlophone Label Group to Warner Music Group Corp.

On November 13, 2009, Vivendi acquired an aggregate of 29.9% of GVT�� outstanding voting shares from Swarth Investments LLC, Swarth Investments Holdings LLC and Global Village Telecom (Holland) BV. In addition, Vivendi acquired from third parties an additional 8% interest in GVT's outstanding shares. On December 28, 2009, Canal+ Group, Vivendi�� subsidiary, acquired TF1�� 9.9% interest in the capital of Canal+ France. On July 31, 2009, Maroc Telecom acquired 51% controlling interest in Sotelma. On August 27, 2009, CID, a company 40% owned by SFR and 60% by other financial investors, acquired the 62% interest in 5 sur 5.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

    Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI  ) is striking out on its own. The company reached a purchase agreement with Vivendi (NASDAQOTH: VIVHY  ) �to transfer enough shares so that it will become an independent company, one that's majority-owned by public investors rather than a single corporation.

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Signet Jewelers Limited(SIG)

Signet Jewelers Limited operates as a specialty jewelry retailer in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Channel Islands. The company retails jewelry, watches, and associated services. As of January 28, 2012, it operated a network of 1,318 stores in 50 states in the United States that trade nationally in malls and off-mall locations as ?Kay Jewelers?, and regionally under various mall-based brands, as well as operated as destination superstores under the ?Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry? trade name. The company also operated a network of 535 stores in the United Kingdom, including 14 stores in the Republic of Ireland and 3 in the Channel Islands under the ?H.Samuel?, ?Ernest Jones?, and ?Leslie Davis? trade names in high street locations and shopping malls. Signet Jewelers Limited was founded in 1950 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG  ) reported earnings on May 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended May 4 (Q1), Signet Jewelers missed estimates on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share.

  • [By Marshall Hargrave]

    The industry gets a little smaller
    One risk to Tiffany might be the joining of forces by two of the largest jewelers in the U.S., Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG  ) and Zale. The acquisition of Zale by Signet will strengthen Signet's market share to 16% for U.S. retail jewelers.

  • [By Aaron Smith]

    Shares surged 12% for Signet (SIG)in premarket trading, while Zale (ZLC) shares soared 40%.

    Signet, which has 1,400 stores in the U.S. and 500 in the U.K., has agreed to buy the Dallas-based Zale, which has 1,680 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, in a cash deal for $21 per share.

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Team Inc.(TISI)

Team, Inc. provides specialty maintenance and construction services for maintaining high temperature and high pressure piping systems and vessels that are utilized in heavy industries. It offers inspection and assessment services, such as inspection and evaluation of piping, piping components, and equipment; field heat treating services, including electric resistance and gas-fired combustion; leak repair services comprising on-stream repairs of leaks in pipes, valves, flanges, and other parts of piping systems and related equipment; and fugitive volatile organic chemical emission leak detection services consisting of identification, monitoring, data management, and reporting. The company also provides hot tapping services, such as hot tapping, Line-stop, and Freeze-stop services; field machining services, including the use of portable machining equipment to repair or modify machinery, equipment, vessels, and piping systems, as well as flange facing, pipe cutting, line bori ng, journal turning, drilling, and milling services; and technical bolting services comprising the use of hydraulic or pneumatic equipment with bolt tightening techniques for leak-free connections, plant maintenance, and expansion projects, as well as bolt disassembly and hot bolting services. In addition, it offers field valve repair services consisting of on-site repairs to manual and control valves, and pressure and safety relief valves, as well as specialty valve actuator diagnostics and repair. The company markets its services to companies in a various heavy industries, which include the petrochemical, refining, power, pipeline, steel, pulp and paper, and shipbuilding industries, as well as to municipalities, original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and engineering and construction firms. It operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Alvin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Earnings Releases Expected: A. Schulman, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHLM), Team, Inc. (NYSE: TISI), ZEP Inc. (NYSE: ZEP)

    Economic Releases Expected: Japanese current account, US consumer credit, Chilean trade balance, Swiss CPI, Spanish industrial production, German industrial production

Top 10 Services Stocks To Watch For 2014: Quadrant 4 Systems Corp (QFOR)

Quandrant4 Systems Corp., formerly Zolon Corporation, incorporated on May 9, 1990, is focused in the information technology (IT) sector as a provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) based technology products to enterprise customers in addition to custom software development, life cycle maintenance, outsourcing and consulting services. The Company intends to provide IT consulting services; managed services; software product architecture; software development, maintenance and outsourcing and industry-specific software solutions primarily to enterprises engaged in the Financial Services, Retail and Healthcare sectors, but not limited to, IT services/solutions, managed services, software product architecture, development, maintenance and outsourcing, IT consulting and specific industry-focused software products and/or technology. On July 1, 2011, the Company merged VSG Acquisition Corp. and Resource Mine Acquisition Corp. into ISS Acquisition Corporation, all wholly-owned subsidiaries, which was then, renamed Quadrant 4 Consulting, Inc. Effective February 26, 2013, the Company acquired BlazerFish LLC, Teledata Technology Solutions Inc and Momentum Mobility.

Financial Services

The Company recognizes the changing regulatory environment as well as trends in the interaction between financial services providers and their customers and the role of technology and business-process solutions. It helps its customers implement customer-relationship-management tools based on newer trends and technology. Ite also helps its customers develop and maintain their technology infrastructure in light of regulatory factors, investing markets and demands for analysis.

Health Care and Life Sciences

In the Healthcare sector, the Company represent marketing opportunities. These opportunities are in part driven by regulatory climate while both payers and providers are recognizing that new set of technologies can play a role in achieving additional cost savings and efficiencies. I! t helps its customers integrate their needs of providing Healthcare services, managing information, managing preventive health services with the ever-increasing regulatory framework in which Healthcare services are provided. Its consulting services help customers deliver Healthcare or financing for Healthcare to get the affordability and availability to the patients using technology and business-processes in the areas of records management, billing, back-office services and service-provision analysis.

The Company competes with Accenture, IBM Global Services and Cap Gemini.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By RedChip]

    Quadrant 4 Systems (OTCQB: QFOR), a provider of informational technology software and services, is focused on four key areas that are shaping the future of business: social media, mobile technology, big-data analytics, and cloud computing. According to market research firm IDC, these four areas are expected to account for $5 trillion in spending by 2020. QFOR's solutions help blue-chip companies such as Walgreens, Ford, Citibank, and Cisco improve their efficiency and better serve their customers.

  • [By RedChip]

    Q4 Systems Corporation (OTCQB: QFOR) today released Version 2.0 of its healthcare exchange platform. The Q4 healthcare exchange (QHIX) was launched in July, 2013. The Version 2.0 includes a Reach and Teach Member Engagement module, which the company believes makes its exchange the most comprehensive, easy-to-use, private health exchange platform available and far superior to all government exchanges.

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Eyes on The Go Inc (OTCMKTS: AXCG), Quadrant 4 Systems Corp (OTCMKTS: QFOR) and Cloud Security Corp (OTCMKTS: CLDS) were getting attention last week, but all three stocks trended downward on Monday. It should be mentioned that none of these stocks have been overly or heavily paid promotions. So what will these three small cap stocks do on the last trading day of the year and for the rest of this week? Here is a closer look:

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks 7 Star Entertainment Inc (OTCMKTS: SAEE), Quadrant 4 Systems Corp (OTCMKTS: QFOR) and Virtual Sourcing, Inc (OTCMKTS: PGCX) surged or rose 35%, 18.9% and 11.27%, respectively, on Friday. Moreover, all three small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions albeit they have not been as heavily promoted as a number of other stocks were last week. So will these three small caps keep rising this week or head in the other direction? Here is a closer look to help you decide: