Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Andrew Feinberg’s 7 Stock Picks for 2014

I'm mortified. For the second year running, my hedge fund beat the market, but my picks for Kiplinger's stank. Over the past year, the five stocks I recommended buying jumped an average of 39%. But my decision to recommend shorting—that is, betting against—Chipotle Mexican Grill and Salesforce.com backfired. They soared an average of 74%. I covered the shorts in my fund fairly quickly, but I can't erase those lamebrained recommendations from my Kiplinger record. Thanks to the shorts, the average return of last year's picks was just 7%, compared with 26% for Standard & Poor's 500-stock index (returns and prices are as of November 1).

See Also: 24 Stock Picks for 2014

My solution for 2014? No shorts and more longs. For starters, I am re-recommending one of my picks from last year. Ocwen (OCN) is a tech-savvy mortgage servicer (essentially a highly paid bill processor and collector) that specializes in dicey loans. Ocwen's efficient systems give it a 70% cost advantage over competitors with regard to subprime loans, which leads to more business and better profit margins. The stock could easily rise 50% over the coming year. My other picks are new.

Altisource Residential (RESI), a spinoff from an Ocwen spinoff, is in a related business. It buys baskets of loans that are heading for foreclosure and then either modifies them or takes possession of the collateral. The stock could rise 30% over the coming year. I also expect a big dividend increase.

Baker Hughes (BHI) is the third-largest energy-services company in the world, but relatively few people know it. Though it has earned its neglect through poor management, Baker Hughes's leaders are now determined to improve the firm's profit margins, which are half those of rival Halliburton. Baker Hughes reported superb third-quarter results, and I think the stock could rise by 33% over the next year.

Bank of America (BAC) is the Rodney Dangerfield of banks. Many investors have shunned it because of problems related to Countrywide, which it bought in 2008. But those troubles now seem to be winding down (and look penny ante compared with those of JPMorgan Chase). BofA's deposits are growing, and the quality of its loans is improving. The stock could reach $20 over the next year without breaking a sweat.

General Motors Warrants let you magnify gains in a cheap stock in the hot car market. GM's shares are held back by perceptions that the firm is a loser and by the fact that Uncle Sam will soon sell its stake. When the Treasury unloads, the stock should pop. If you buy GM stock at today's price of $37 and it goes to $56 over the next year, which I think is possible, you would make 41%. If you owned the warrants, which are like long-term options and in this case are moving dollar for dollar with the stock, you'd make 95%. Of course, if the common falls, the warrants will lose more.

Howard Hughes Corp. (HHC), my largest holding, has tripled in three years, but I think it can rise another 50% in the next 12 months. The firm's wonderful real estate holdings include 60 acres in Honolulu as well as property in New York City's South Street Seaport and the booming Woodlands planned community in Houston. When the Hawaii real estate is fully developed, it could be worth Hughes's entire market value.

Monitise PLC (MONIF) is a leader in mobile-payment software. The London-based firm has struck important deals with Visa and IBM, among others. Visa projects that by 2020, half of its credit and debit purchases will be made using mobile devices. If that forecast is anywhere near accurate, Monitise's stock could be a monster.

Columnist Andrew Feinberg manages a New York City–based hedge fund called CJA Partners.



Apple shares hit high for 2013 on holiday hope

Apple shares rose to the highest level this year as investors bet products like the latest iPads and iPhones will be hot sellers this holiday, helping the consumer technology giant kick-start earnings growth again.

The stock was up 2% at $556.70 in afternoon trading Friday. Earlier in the day, it touched $594.59, a 2013 high.

Apple unveiled two new iPhones earlier this year and more recently launched the new iPad Air and an upgraded iPad mini.

The iPad mini was among top sellers at Walmart on Thanksgiving, while Target said the iPad Air was a hot item at its stores.

"Apple products should be the holiday gift of choice this year," said Brian Marshall, an analyst at ISI Group. "The company has a great product cycle currently, the stock is cheap and we expect $600 within the next several months."

Apple shares have lagged technology sector rivals and the broader stock market this year on concern about a lack of earnings growth and a slim pipeline of new products.

However, investors have recently become more confident that earnings growth will resume in 2014, according to Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG.

There's also hope that China Mobile, the largest wireless carrier in that country, will soon start selling Apple products, he noted.

Japan's largest carrier, NTT Docomo, recently started offering iPhones and that helped Apple grab 76% of smartphone sales in the country in October, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Stock futures slightly higher

U.S. stock futures were trading slightly higher Thursday as investors continued to focus on signals from the Federal Reserve on when it will begin tapering its monetary stimulus.

Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average index futures added 0.2% and Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 0.2%. Nasdaq index futures rose 0.2%.

On Wednesday, the Dow lost 0.4% to 15,900.82. The S&P 500 shed 0.4% to 1,781.37. The Nasdaq lost 0.3% to 3,921.27.

WEDNESDAY STOCKS: Fed news whacks Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.9% to 15,365.60, boosted by a weaker yen. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.5% to 23,580.29.

Benchmarks across Europe were mixed. Britain's FTSE 100 index was flat at 6,681 and Germany's DAX index fell 0.3% to 9,171.

Minutes from the Fed's latest policy meeting showed that the central bank would likely start tapering off its bond purchases in "coming months" if the job market improved further. Fed members also weighed the possibility of slowing the purchases even without clear evidence of a strengthening job market.

The Fed's $85 billion monthly bond purchases have kept interest rates low to spur spending and growth but also sent a wave of investment into stocks in search of higher returns.

"Together with extensive discussions on alternative policy response to keep rates low … it indeed looks increasingly likely that the focus is now on keeping rates low after tapering, rather than delaying tapering," Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in a market commentary.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude for December delivery was down 8 cents $93.25 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 1 cent to close at $93.33 on Wednesday.

Contributing: Associated Press

Monday, December 30, 2013

Achieving Optimal Asset Allocation

Allocating your investments among different asset classes is a key strategy to help minimize risk and potentially increase gains. Consider it the opposite of "putting all your eggs in one basket." The first step to understanding optimal asset allocation is defining its meaning and purpose, then taking a closer look at how allocation can benefit you, and the right asset mix to achieve and maintain it.

What is Asset Allocation?
Asset allocation is the strategy of dividing your investment portfolio across various asset classes like stocks, bonds and money market securities. Essentially, asset allocation is an organized and effective method of diversification.

Your options typically fall within three classes - stocks, bonds and cash. Within these three classes are subclasses (the variations within each category). Some subclasses and alternatives include:

Large-cap stock - These are shares issued by large companies with a market capitalization generally greater than $10 billion. Mid-cap stock - These are issued by mid-sized companies with a market cap generally between $2 billion and $10 billion. Small-cap stocks - These represent smaller-sized companies with a market cap of less than $2 billion. These types of equities tend to have the highest risk due to lower liquidity. International securities - These types of assets are issued by foreign companies and listed on a foreign exchange. International securities allow an investor to diversify outside of his or her country, but they also have exposure to country risk - the risk that a country will not be able to honor its financial commitments. Emerging markets - This category represents securities from the financial markets of a developing country. Although investments in emerging markets offer a higher potential return, there is also higher risk, often due to political instability, country risk and lower liquidity. Fixed-income securities - The fixed-income asset class comprises debt securities that pay the holder a set amount of interest, periodically or at maturity, as well as the return of principal when the security matures. These securities tend to have lower volatility than equities, and have lower risk because of the steady income they provide. Note that though payment of income is promised by the issuer, there is a risk of default. Fixed-income securities include corporate and government bonds. Money market - Money market securities are debt securities that are extremely liquid investments with maturities of less than one year. Treasury bills (T-bills) make up the majority of these types of securities. Real-estate investment trusts (REITs) - Real estate investment trusts (REITs) trade similarly to equities, except the underlying asset is a share of a pool of mortgages or properties, rather than ownership of a company. Maximizing Return & Minimizing Risk
The main goal of allocating your assets is to minimize risk given a certain expected level of return. Of course to maximize return and minimize risk, you need to know the risk-return characteristics of the various asset classes. Figure 1 compares the risk and potential return of some popular choices:


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Figure 1

Equities have the highest potential return, but also the highest risk. On the other hand, Treasury bills have the lowest risk since they are backed by the government, but they also provide the lowest potential return. This is the risk-return tradeoff. Keep in mind that high risk choices are better suited for investors who have a high risk tolerance (can stomach wide fluctuations in value), and who have a longer time horizon to recover from losses.

It's because of the risk-return tradeoff - which says that potential return rises with an increase in risk - that diversification through asset allocation is important. Since different assets have different risks and market fluctuations, proper asset allocation insulates your entire portfolio from the ups and downs of one single class of securities. So, while part of your portfolio may contain more volatile securities - which you've chosen for their potential of higher returns - the other part of your portfolio devoted to other assets remains stable. Because of the protection it offers, asset allocation is the key to maximizing returns while minimizing risk.

Deciding What's Right for You
As each asset class has varying levels of return and risk, investors should consider their risk tolerance, investment objectives, time horizon and available capital as the basis for their asset composition. Investors with a long time horizon and larger sums to invest may feel more comfortable with high risk, high return options. Contrastingly, investors with smaller sums and shorter time spans may feel more comfortable with low risk, low return allocations.

To make the asset allocation process easier for clients, many investment companies create a series of model portfolios, each comprising different proportions of asset classes. These portfolios of different proportions satisfy a particular level of investor risk tolerance. In general, these model portfolios range from conservative to very aggressive:


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Conservative Portfolios

Conservative model portfolios generally allocate a large percent of the total portfolio to lower-risk securities such as fixed-income and money market securities. The main goal of a conservative portfolio is to protect the principal value of your portfolio (the money you originally invested). As such, these models are often referred to as "capital preservation portfolios".

Even if you are very conservative and prefer to avoid the stock market entirely, some exposure can help offset inflation. You could invest the equity portion in high-quality blue chip companies, or an index fund, since the goal is not to beat the market.


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Moderately Conservative Portfolios

A moderately conservative portfolio is ideal for those who wish to preserve a large portion of the portfolio's total value, but are willing to take on a higher amount of risk to get some inflation protection. A common strategy within this risk level is called "current income." With this strategy, you chose securities that pay a high level of dividends or coupon payments.


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Moderately Aggressive Portfolios

Moderately aggressive model portfolios are often referred to as "balanced portfolios" since the asset composition is divided almost equally between fixed-income securities and equities in order to provide a balance of growth and income. Since moderately aggressive portfolios have a higher level of risk than conservative portfolios, this strategy is best for investors with a longer time horizon (generally more than five years), and a medium level of risk tolerance.


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Aggressive Portfolios

Aggressive portfolios mainly consist of equities, so their value tends to fluctuate widely. If you have an aggressive portfolio, your main goal is to obtain long-term growth of capital. As such, the strategy of an aggressive portfolio is often called a "capital growth" strategy. To provide some diversification, investors with aggressive portfolios usually add some fixed-income securities.


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Very Aggressive Portfolios

Very aggressive portfolios consist almost entirely of equities. As such, with a very aggressive portfolio, your main goal is aggressive capital growth over a long time horizon. Since these portfolios carry a considerable amount of risk, the value of the portfolio will vary widely in the short term.


assetalloc7.gif


Tailor Your Allocations to Your Needs
Note that the above outline of model portfolios and the associated strategies offer only a loose guideline - you can modify the proportions to suit your own individual investment needs. How you fine tune the models above can depend on your future needs for capital and what kind of investor you are. For instance, if you like to research your own companies and devote time to stock picking, you will likely further divide the equities portion of your portfolio among subclasses of stocks. By doing so, you can achieve a specialized risk-return potential even further within one portion of your portfolio.

Also, the amount of cash and equivalents or money market instruments you place in your portfolio will depend on the amount of liquidity and safety you need. If you need investments that can be liquidated quickly or you would like to maintain the current value of your portfolio, you might consider putting a larger portion of your investment portfolio in money market or short-term fixed-income securities. Those investors who do not have liquidity concerns and have a higher risk tolerance will have a small portion of their portfolio within these instruments.

Asset Allocation Strategies

While you decide how to allocate your portfolio, keep in mind several allocation strategies and their goals. Each one offers a different approach based on the investor's time frame, goals and risk tolerance. The most common strategies include strategic, tactical, constant weighting and systemic asset allocation.

The Importance of Maintaining Your Allocated Portfolio
Once you have chosen your portfolio investment strategy, it's important to conduct periodic portfolio reviews, as the value of various assets will change. This affects the weighting of each asset class, meaning over time, a portfolio can grow from containing primarily one type of asset class to another. For example, if you start with a moderately conservative portfolio, the value of the equity portion may increase significantly during the year, suddenly giving you an equity heavy portfolio. This makes the portfolio more like that of an investor practicing a balanced portfolio strategy, which is higher risk!

In order to reset your portfolio back to its original state, you need to rebalance your portfolio. Rebalancing is the process of selling portions of your portfolio that have increased significantly, and using those funds to purchase additional units of assets that have declined slightly or increased at a lesser rate. This process is also important if your investment strategy or tolerance for risk has changed.

The Bottom Line
Asset allocation is a fundamental investing principle because it helps investors maximize profits while minimizing risk. The different asset allocation strategies described above cover a wide range of investment styles, accommodating varying risk tolerance, time frames and goals. Once you've chosen an appropriate asset allocation strategy, remember to conduct periodic reviews of your portfolio to ensure you're maintaining your intended allocation and are still on track to your long-term investment goals.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now

On Jul 5, 2013, we upgraded our recommendation on Integrys Energy Inc. (TEG) to Outperform from Neutral based on high-quality acquisitions and investments in the lucrative compressed natural gas (��NG�� market. The diversified energy holding company currently holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Why the Upgrade?

The primary drivers include the company�� diligent efforts to promote its sales and marketing business. We believe Integrys Energy�� persistent focus on this segment will help counter competitive pressure.

The company is well positioned to witness favorable earnings yet again in the upcoming quarter following a solid first quarter performance, which beat our expectation.

The successful completion of the Fox Energy Center acquisition is expected to be another catalyst for Integrys Energy�� future growth. This endeavor will complement its long-term utility contract win from the Chicago government and help spur returns.

Of late, Integrys Energy has been branching out its operations to enhance its revenue stream. The company in a move to make the most of rising fuel demand, owing to increased truck activities, announced plans to add CNG fuel stations across 29 states in the U.S. Moreover, its emphasis on rate-based investments for the next three years will enable Integrys Energy to offer consistent high-quality services to its customer.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Mcdermott International Inc (MDR)

McDermott International, Inc. (MII),incorporated on August 11, 1959, is a engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) company. The Company is focused on designing and executing complex offshore oil and gas projects worldwide.

The Company provides fully integrated EPCI services; it delivers fixed and floating production facilities, pipeline installations and subsea systems from concept to commissioning. Its business segments consist of Asia Pacific, Atlantic, Caspian and the Middle East. On March 19, 2012, the Company completed the sale of its former charter fleet business, which operated 10 of the 14 vessels.

Asia Pacific Segment

Through the Company�� Asia Pacific segment, it serves the needs of customers primarily in Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Project focus in this segment includes the fabrication and installation of fixed and floating structures and the installation of pipelines and subsea systems. The majority of its projects in this segment are performed on an EPCI basis. Engineering and procurement services are provided by its Singapore office and are supported by additional resources located in Chennai, India and Houston, Texas. The primary fabrication facility for this segment is located on Batam Island, Indonesia. Additionally, through its equity ownership interest in a joint venture, the Company has developed a fabrication facility located in China.

The Company competes with Allseas Marine Contractors S.A.; Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.; EMAS Offshore Pte Ltd.; Heerema Group; Hyundai Heavy Industrial Co., Ltd.; Nippon Steel Corporation; Saipem S.P.A.; Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.; Sapura Kencana Petroleum; Subsea 7 S.A.; Swiber Holdings Ltd., and Technip S.A.

Atlantic Segment

Through the Company�� Atlantic segment, it serves the needs of customers primarily in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad and West Africa. Project focus in this s! egment includes the fabrication and installation of fixed and floating structures and the installation of pipelines and subsea systems. Engineering and procurement services are provided by its Houston office, and its New Orleans office provides marine engineering capabilities to support its global marine activities. The primary fabrication facilities for this segment are located in Morgan City, Louisiana and Altamira, Mexico.

The Company competes with Allseas Marine Contractors S.A.; Dragados Offshore Mexico, S.A.; Gulf Island Fabrication Inc.; Heerema Group; Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.; KBR, Inc.; Kiewit Corporation; Saipem S.P.A.; Subsea 7 S.A., and Technip S.A.

Middle East Segment

Through the Company�� Middle East segment, which includes the Caspian region, it serves the needs of customers primarily in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Kuwait, India, Azerbaijan, Russia, and the North Sea. Project focus in this segment relates primarily to the fabrication and offshore installation of fixed and floating structures and the installation of pipelines and subsea systems. The majority of its projects in this segment are performed on an EPCI basis. Engineering and procurement services are provided by its Dubai, U.A.E., Chennai, India and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia offices and are supported by additional resources from its Houston and Baku, Azerbaijan offices. The primary fabrication facility for this segment is located in Dubai, U.A.E.

The fabrication facilities in each segment are equipped with a variety of heavy-duty construction and fabrication equipment, including cranes, welding equipment, machine tools and robotic and other automated equipment. Project installation is performed by construction vessels, which the Company owns or leases and are stationed throughout the various regions and provide structural lifting/lowering and pipelay services. These construction vessels are supported by its multi-function vessels and chart! ered vess! els from third parties to perform a wide array of installation activities that include anchor handling, pipelay, cable/umbilical lay, dive support and hookup/commissioning.

The Company competes with Hyundai Heavy Industrial Co. Ltd.; Keppel Corporation; Larsen and Toubro Ltd (India); National Petroleum Construction Company (Abu Dhabi); Saipem S.P.A.; Technip S.A.; and Valentine and Swiber Holdings Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) reported that one of its subsidiaries has been awarded a fabrication contract for components of a deepwater platform in the Gulf of Mexico, by Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland BV.

  • [By CRWE]

    McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) reported that one of its subsidiaries has been awarded a contract by Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ) for transportation and installation services for a Spar hull in the Gulf of Mexico. The value of the contract is included in McDermott’s second quarter 2012 backlog.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    One under-$10 engineering player that's trending very close to triggering a big breakout trade is McDermott International (MDR), an engineering, procurement, construction and installation company engaged on designing and executing complex offshore oil and gas projects. This stock has been hit hard by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 31%.

    If you take a look at the chart for MDR, you'll notice that this stock recently gapped down sharply from close to $9 a share to its recent low of $6.68 a share with heavy downside volume. Following that move, shares of MDR have started to rebound off that $6.68 low, and the stock is now starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MDR if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $7.74 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 4.33 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then MDR will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from August that started near $9 a share. If MDR gets into that gap with volume, then this stock could easily hit $9 to $10 a share.

    Traders can look to buy MDR off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $7.04 o around its recent low of $6.68 a share. One can also buy MDR off strength once it takes out $7.74 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    McDermott International (MDR) is an engineering, procurement, construction and installation company engaged on designing and executing complex offshore oil and gas projects. This stock closed up 2.2% to $9.52 in Thursday's trading session.

    Thursday's Range: $6.69-$6.95

    52-Week Range: $6.68-$13.56

    Thursday's Volume: 8.51 million

    Three-Month Average Volume: 4.48 million

    From a technical perspective, MDR bounced modestly higher here right off its recent low of $6.68 with heavy upside volume. This stock recently gapped down sharply from close to $9 to that $6.68 low with heavy downside volume. That move has now pushed shares of MDR into extremely oversold territory, since the stock has a current relative strength index reading of 19.84. Oversold can always get more oversold, but it's also an area where a stock can experience a powerful bounce higher form if buyers decide to step in.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MDR as long as it's trending above that $6.68 low and then once it sustains a move or close above its gap down day high near $7.50 with volume that hits near or above 4.48 million shares. If we get that move soon, then MDR will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone that started near $9. Some possible upside targets for MDR if it gets into that gap with volume are $8 to $8.20.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: New Concept Energy Inc (GBR)

New Concept Energy, Inc. (New Concept), incorporated on May 30, 1991 in, owns and operates oil and gas wells in Ohio and West Virginia. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries Mountaineer State Energy, Inc. and Mountaineer State Operations, LLC. operates oil and gas wells and mineral leases in Athens and Meigs Counties in Ohio and in Calhoun, Jackson and Roane Counties in West Virginia. As of March 30, 2012, the Company had 159 producing gas wells, 27 non-producing wells and related equipment and mineral leases covering approximately 20,000 acres. The Company operates in two primary business segments: oil and gas operations and retirement facilities.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company had drilled eight wells. New Concept focuses on North American onshore oil and natural gas drilling and exploration. The Company's properties are concentrated in the Appalachian Basin, Fort Worth Basin, and the Arkoma Basin. The Company leases and operates Pacific Pointe Retirement Inn (Pacific Pointe) in King City, Oregon. Pacific Pointe has a capacity of 114 residents and provides community living with basic services, such as meals, housekeeping, laundry, 24/7 staffing, transportation and social and recreational activities.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: DayStar Technologies Inc.(DSTI)

DayStar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of solar photovoltaic products to the grid-tied and ground-based photovoltaic markets. The company offers solar photovoltaic modules to convert sunlight into electricity. It provides monolithically integrated copper indium gallium selenide modules on glass laminate substrates for centralized utility power plants, commercial building roof tops, and smaller residential roof tops. DayStar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Solazyme Inc (SZYM)

Solazyme, Inc. (Solazyme), incorporated on March 31, 2003, makes oil. The Company�� technology transforms a range of plant-based sugars into oils. Its renewable products can replace or enhance oils derived from the world�� three existing sources-petroleum, plants and animal fats. The Company is focused on commercializing its products into three target markets: fuels and chemicals, nutrition, and skin and personal care. In 2010, the Company launched its products, the Golden Chlorella line of dietary supplements. In March 2011, the Company launched its Algenist brand for the luxury skin care market through marketing and distribution arrangements with Sephora S.A. (Sephora International), Sephora USA, Inc. (Sephora USA), and QVC, Inc. (QVC).

The Company is engaged in development activities with multiple partners, including Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its division Chevron Technology Ventures (Chevron), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Ecopetrol S.A. (Ecopetrol), Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas) and Conopoco, Inc., doing business as Unilever (Unilever).

In 2010, the Company entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Roquette Freres, S.A. (Roquette). In November 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture and operating agreement for Solazyme Roquette Nutritionals with Roquette. In December 2010, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution relationship with Sephora International, and in January 2011, the Company entered into a distribution relationship with Sephora USA. Under the arrangements, each of Sephora International and Sephora USA will distribute the Algenist product line in their respective territories.

In Fuels and Chemicals market its renewable oils can be refined and sold as drop-in replacements for marine, motor vehicle and jet fuels, as well as replacements for chemicals that are traditionally derived from petroleum or other conventional oils. The Company work with its refining partner Honeywell UOP to produce Soladiesel (renewable diesel), So! ladiesel renewable diesel for United States Naval vessels, and Solajet renewable jet fuel for both military and commercial application testing. In nutrition market the Company has developed microalgae-based food ingredients, including oils and powders that enhance the nutritional profile and functionality of food products while reducing costs for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. In Skin and Personal Care market the Company hs developed a portfolio of branded microalgae-based products. Its ingredient is Alguronic Acid, which the Company has formulated into a range of skin care products with anti-aging benefits. The Company is also developing algal oils as replacements for the oils used in skin and personal care products.

The Company competes with BP p.l.c., Royal Dutch Shell plc, and Exxon Mobil Corporation, jatropha, camelina, SALOV North America Corporation, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Incorporated, DSM Food Specialties and Danisco A/S

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, renewable oil producer Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    He believes several companies have set the bar precipitously low to start the year despite targeted developments expected to occur before the start of 2014. Watch the following video for his thoughts on potential positive surprises awaiting investors in�Amyris� (NASDAQ: AMRS  ) ,�BioAmber� (NYSE: BIOA  ) ,�Codexis� (NASDAQ: CDXS  ) , and�Solazyme� (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) .

  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    Acknowledge the future
    When thinking about biotechnology I like to encourage investors to take a big-picture approach that goes beyond pharma. Dozens of industrial biotech companies will produce commercial quantities of chemicals, fuels, fragrances, personal-care products, nutritionals, and more by the end of the decade. Two of the more promising investments currently within reach of investors are Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) and Amyris (NASDAQ: AMRS  )

  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    Don't forget about...
    Gevo may be a promising renewable fuel partner for Uncle Sam, but it isn't the only one. Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) began extensive testing on three of its fuels -- two renewable diesels and one renewable jet fuel -- with the U.S. Navy in 2009. The company supplied 600,000 gallons of fuels between 2011 and 2012 under various programs. Similarly, Amyris (NASDAQ: AMRS  ) is working with DARPA under The Living Foundries program to build a quickly scalable industrial biotechnology platform. While it could one day be used for fuels or chemicals, vaccines or nutritionals, such a breakthrough would certainly catch the eye of the petroleum-guzzling DoD. Outside of the project, the company is working toward supplying commercial quantities of renewable jet fuel with partner Total by 2014 and already supplies renewable diesel in Brazil.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Bankers Petroleum Ltd (BNK.TO)

Bankers Petroleum Ltd. (Bankers) is engaged in the exploration for and oil in Albania. The Company generates all of the oil revenue from its operations in Albania, which is located northwest of Greece in South Eastern Europe. In Albania, Bankers operates and has the rights to develop the Patos-Marinza and Kucova oilfields pursuant to License Agreements with the Albanian National Agency for Natural Resources (AKBN) and Petroleum Agreements with Albpetrol Sh.A (Albpetrol), the state-owned oil and gas corporation. The Patos-Marinza oilfield is an onshore oilfield in continental Europe, holding approximately 5.1 billion barrels of original-oil-in-place (OOIP). The Company also has rights to exploration Block F (adjacent to the Patos-Marinza oilfield), an 185,000 acre oil and gas prone exploration field. The Company�� subsidiaries include Bankers Petroleum Albania Ltd. (BPAL), Bankers Petroleum International Limited (BPIL) and Sherwood International Petroleum Ltd (Sherwood).

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Verizon Shares Set to Rise on Upbeat Earnings

Earns Verizon (In this Sunday, April 7, 2013, photo, a Verizon Studio booth is seen at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, N.J.Mel Evans/AP NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications on Thursday posted stronger- than-expected third-quarter earnings and revenue on strong wireless growth, sending its shares up 2.4 percent in early trade. While the company's wireless customer growth numbers were slightly below Wall Street estimates, its Verizon Wireless venture with Vodafone Group (VOD) posted good profit and revenue growth as customers spent more on their services. "The numbers were fine but it wasn't a blowout quarter. It was a good third quarter," said Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier. Verizon Wireless added 927,000 net retail subscribers in the quarter, compared with Wall Street expectations of about 1 million customers, according to eight analysts, with estimates ranging from 900,000 to 1.2 million. Verizon has agreed to buy out Vodafone's 45 percent share of the mobile venture. Verizon (VZ) said it expects wireless customer growth to improve sequentially in the fourth quarter. Verizon reported a third-quarter profit of $2.2 billion, or 78 cents a share, compared with $1.59 billion, or 56 cents a share, a year ago. Excluding unusual items, Verizon earned 77 cents a share in the quarter, compared with Wall Street expectations of 74 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose 4.4 to $30.28 billion from $29.01 billion. Wall Street expected $30.16 billion. Its wireless profit margin was 51.1 percent, based on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization as a percentage of service revenue, and above its target range of 49 percent to 50 percent for the full year. Rethemeier said the profit margin would likely come down in the fourth quarter due to steep holiday season costs, since the company kept its wireless margin target for the year despite the strong third-quarter number. A 7.2 percent increase in wireless revenue for the quarter was offset by a slower 4.3 percent rise in wireline revenue. Verizon shares rose 2.4 percent to $48.40 in premarket trading after closing at $47.25 in the regular New York Stock Exchange session.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014

The relatively new currency of bitcoin recently peaked to a value near $240 per bitcoin from less than $20 at the start of the year. This 1,200% return in less than five months would pique anyone's interest. Many call this a bubble, while others are still bullish on the possibilities of an even richer bitcoin. No matter what side you are on, beware of these bitcoin-specific risks that other traditional investments lack.

Source: bitcoincharts.com

Extreme dependence on sentiment
Any value of an item comes down to what someone will pay for it. Some items have an intrinsic value because they can help produce goods or services that can be sold. As Warren Buffett described in his 2011 annual letter, contrasting the value of farmland and�ExxonMobil with all the gold in the world:

A century from now the 400 million acres of farmland will have produced staggering amounts of corn, wheat, cotton, and other crops -- and will continue to produce that valuable bounty, whatever the currency may be. ExxonMobil will probably have delivered trillions of dollars in dividends to its owners and will also hold assets worth many more trillions. ... The 170,000 tons of gold will be unchanged in size and still incapable of producing anything. You can fondle the cube, but it will not respond.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: China Green Agriculture Inc.(CGA)

China Green Agriculture, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various types of fertilizers and agricultural products in the People?s Republic of China. Its fertilizer products include humic acid-based compound fertilizers, compound fertilizers, blended fertilizers, organic compound fertilizers, slow-release fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, and mixed organic-inorganic compound fertilizers. The company markets its fertilizer products to private wholesalers and retailers of agricultural farm products in 22 provinces, 4 autonomous regions, and 3 central government-controlled municipalities. It also engages in the development, production, and distribution of agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and colored seedlings. The company sells its decorative flowers to flower shops, luxury hotels, and government agencies; fruits and vegetables to supermarkets and upscale restaurants; and seedlings to city planning departments in Shaanxi and its neighboring provinces. China Green Agriculture, Inc. is based in Xian, the People?s Republic of China.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Microgen Hdg(MCGN.L)

Microgen plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions to the business community primarily in the financial sector in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company?s Microgen Aptitude Solutions division offers enterprise level application products and solutions to financial and digital media organizations. This division?s products include Microgen Aptitude, an enterprise application platform that is used by enterprises to automate complex business processes, manage dynamic calculations and rules, and integrate data across existing infrastructure; Microgen Accounting Hub, which provides a single point of control for financial and accounting data for wholesale and retail banks, asset and wealth managers, and insurance providers, as well as for the finance function in the telecom, digital media, and commercial sectors; and Microgen DBClarity Developer that offers an approach to graphically design, implement, and control SQL logic. Its Microgen?s Financial Systems provides software products and services for the financial market. It delivers wealth management software and solutions, banking software and solutions, asset management software and solutions, and energy software and application management services. This segment provides solutions for front and back office administration, performance measurement/analytics, and fund and product design to trust administrators, and fund and asset management organizations. The company also offers consultancy, software support, and maintenance services. Microgen plc was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 China Companies To Buy For 2014: National Financial Partners Corporation (NFP)

National Financial Partners Corp., together with its subsidiaries, provides advisory and brokerage services to corporate and high net worth individual clients in the United States and Canada. It operates in three segments: Corporate Client Group, Individual Client Group, and Advisor Services Group. The Corporate Client Group segment operates as corporate benefits advisor in the middle market, offering independent solutions for health and welfare, retirement planning, executive benefits, and property and casualty insurance; and offers property and casualty insurance brokerage and consulting services. It serves corporate clients by providing advisory and brokerage services related to the planning and administration of benefit plans that take into account the overall business profile and needs of the corporate client. The Individual Client Group segment delivers independent life insurance, annuities, long term care, and wealth transfer solutions; and wholesale life brokerage, retail life, and investment advisory services. It serves wealth accumulation, preservation, and transfer needs, including estate planning, business succession, charitable giving, and financial advisory services. The Advisor Services Group segment provides broker-dealer and asset management products and services to independent financial advisors. In addition, the company provides IndeSuite, a wealth management platform for the independent registered investment advisor market. National Financial Partners Corp. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York City, New York.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Overseas & General Ltd (MALAY CUFS)

OGL Resources Limited engages in the exploration, development, and mining of coal and other minerals in Australia. It is also involved in the cultivation and development of tropical hardwood plantations, as well as the sale and marketing of plant seedlings in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. OGL Resources Limited was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Douglas, Isle of Man.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Desmarais Energy Corp (DES.V)

Desmarais Energy Corporation, a junior oil and gas exploration and production company, engages in the exploration, development, production, and acquisition of oil and gas reserves in western Canada. The company operates approximately 40 sections of prospective lands and approximately 25 kilometers of pipelines in the Barrhead area of west central Alberta; and holds a 100% interest in 1600 acres of undeveloped lands in south east Alberta. Desmarais Energy Corporation was founded in 1994 and is based in Calgary, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Techne Corporation(TECH)

TECHNE Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells biotechnology products, and hematology calibrators and controls worldwide. The company?s Biotechnology segment offers proteins, such as cytokines, and enzyme substrates and inhibitors; antibodies, including polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; immunoassays comprising quantikine kits for the detection of human and animal proteins, and immunoassays that allow researchers to quantify a specific analyte in a biological fluids sample; clinical diagnostic immunoassay kits consisting of erythropoietin, transferrin receptor, and beta2-microglobulin immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices; flow cytometry products, such as fluorochrome labeled antibodies and kits; intracellular cell signaling products, including antibodies, phospho-specific antibodies, antibody arrays, active caspases, kinases, and phosphatases, and ELISA assays to measure the activity of apoptotic and signaling molecules; and natural and synthetic c hemical compounds for use as agonists, antagonists, and inhibitors of various biological functions by investigators. Its Hematology segment provides whole blood CBC controls controls and calibrators; linearity and reportable range controls for the assessment of the linearity of hematology analyzers for white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and reticulocytes; whole blood reticulocyte controls for manual and automated counting of reticulocytes; whole blood flow cytometry controls for the identification and quantification white blood cells; whole blood glucose/hemoglobin control to monitor instruments, which measure glucose and hemoglobin in blood; erythrocyte sedimentation rate control to monitor erythrocyte sedimentation rate tests; and multi-purpose platelet reference controls, such as Platelet-Trol II and Platelet-Trol Extended for use by automated and semi-automated analyzers, which monitor platelet levels. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in M inneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Nicolas73]

    Digitalized data (documents, books, articles) volume is growing at an incredible pace. Moreover, it would be simply not possible (nor useful) to print everything.Company and institutions encourage people to print something only when strictly needed, both for environmental and for cost-cutting purposes.Fax machines will quickly become (tech) museum pieces, replaced by emails (people are free to print an email whenever it is really necessary).Combo printers (scanner and printer) will quickly replace most photocopiers (people will scan everything and print only when it is really necessary).
    I think Xerox's management felt the responsibility to deal with these kinds of business dangers as soon as they became evident. I also think they brilliantly addressed and solved them.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Medical device maker Techne (NASDAQ: TECH  ) announced today that it's taking a 100% ownership stake in�Bionostics Holdings for $104 million cash.

Forceful mayor’s drastic plan to stop foreclosures

RICHMOND, Calif. — Gayle McLaughlin looks and sounds like the former school teacher and data entry worker she was — down to her sensible brown walking shoes.

What the 5-foot-4-inch mayor of this working-class San Francisco Bay Area city does not resemble is the ready-to-march, dogged corporate thorn she is.

Her latest opponent? Wall Street.

McLaughlin, a member of the leftist Green Party, is leading a novel effort by the city to buy 624 underwater mortgages in Richmond, pay the investor-owners some of what they're owed and set the homeowner up with a new mortgage closer to the home's current value.

If investors don't sell, the city says it may use its eminent domain powers to seize the mortgages at fair market value.

The idea is to prevent foreclosures, which cause blight, and help homeowners still stuck with mortgage loans far greater than their home's value, McLaughlin says.

"People were tricked. They were sold these bad loans. This is a question — for me — of a community being victimized," says McLaughlin, 61, a longtime renter who "owned a trailer once."

Richmond's threat to use its eminent-domain powers, which allow governments to take private property for public use, has unleashed a torrent of opposition.

Banks, government regulators, mortgage bankers, Realtors, investors and land title companies say the plan is unconstitutional, will shortchange investors who own the mortgages, including pension funds and threaten mortgage lending and property rights.

"If investors get ripped off today, why would they put capital to work tomorrow?" says Tom Deutsch, CEO of the American Securitization Forum, whose members include issuers and investors in mortgage-backed securities. If any city does it, "It'll set the precedent nationwide," he says.

Richmond, a city of 105,000 that is 70% minority, was hit hard in the housing bust.

Home values tanked 66% from their peak in 2006 to a median of $156,000 at the end of 2011, Zillow data show. Tha! t's led to thousands of foreclosures and millions of dollars in lost property tax revenue, McLaughlin says. Home prices have climbed back to a median of $218,000, but four of 10 mortgaged homes are still underwater.

Many of those are at risk of foreclosure, McLaughlin says. Last month, she marched with other protesters to Wells Fargo's headquarters in San Francisco in support of the plan.

"It is not an option to stand on the sidelines, waiting for the next wave of foreclosures," McLaughlin says. "We are going to stand up to Wall Street."

NO STRANGER TO POLITICAL FIGHTS

The second-term mayor, whose career in government started as a Richmond City Council member in 2004, is accustomed to tough fights.

Growing up in Chicago, she was the third of five daughters born to a union-carpenter father and a factory-worker mother. She's spent decades on the other side of the powers that be — opposing the Vietnam War, supporting the Central American solidarity movement and numerous environmental causes.

Gayle McLaughlin, the mayor of Richmond, Calif., is seeking to use her city's powers of eminent domain to take over mortgages of underwater homeowners and help them refinance into more affordable loans.(Photo: Martin E. Klimek, USA TODAY)

In her 2010 mayoral race, she survived an attack by the city's police and fire unions that exposed an earlier, unsuccessful attempt to shed personal debts by filing for bankruptcy. McLaughlin says the "smear" campaign backfired, and voters identified with her ability to overcome financial challenges.

McLaughlin has also repeatedly clashed with Chevron, the city's biggest employer. Last month, the city sued C! hevron, a! lleging that a 2012 fire at the local refinery reflected "years of neglect." The suit asks for financial compensation for economic damages and punitive ones to deter similar future conduct.

Chevron, which agreed to pay the county $2 million stemming from the fire, says the lawsuit is a "wrongheaded attempt" to take advantage of the refinery fire.

McLaughlin expects it to force Chevron to "change its corporate culture so our community can be safe."

A MESSAGE FROM WALL STREET?

Not everybody applauds McLaughlin's tactics.

"You don't bite the hand that feeds you. … You sit down with them," says Richmond City Councilman Nathaniel Bates, a frequent McLaughlin opponent. He says Chevron is working hard to modernize a 111-year-old plant that predates the city.

The use of eminent domain won't hurt Wall Street as much as it'll hurt Richmond, Bates says.

He fears that investors won't buy Richmond's bonds if the city proceeds. Richmond may have gotten such a warning shot last month when it failed to find takers for a $34 million bond offering.

The city also isn't offering enough for the mortgages, Deutsch says.

For the 624 home loans, Richmond offered a "fair market value" that averages 52% of what's owed, shows an analysis by independent consulting firm PF2 Securities Evaluations. Of the loans, 444 of them are current. The median balance owed is about $380,000.

The city may take control of the mortgages by eminent domain if investors don't agree to sell, though it would still have to compensate them.

"It's kind of like an offer you can't refuse … a Godfather-like thing," says Richmond Realtor Jeffrey Wright, who also opposes the plan.

He says the issue is less about preventing blight — especially since some of the homes would quickly re-sell if foreclosed on — and more about the mayor's politics.

"It's a social justice crusade," Wright says. "From the mayor's perspective, the banks have done the people wrong."

Here's how th! e plan wo! uld work. Assume a house has a $300,000 mortgage. The city might argue its current value is only $160,000. If a judge agreed, the city would use funds from investment firm Mortgage Resolution Partners to buy the loan. The homeowner would refinance into a new loan, perhaps for $190,000. Those funds would pay off the city. The $30,000 difference between what the city paid, and what it got, would be split among MRP, its investors and the city.

The plan's implementation is far from certain.

After an eight-hour city council meeting earlier this month, the council narrowly approved McLaughlin's proposal to take the next step with the plan and try draw in more cities. The council will have to vote again to actually seize loans and get a "yes" vote from one of the members who voted "no" at the last meeting.

If the city seizes a loan, "There would be an immediate court challenge," Deutsch says. What's more, if sellers aren't willing to sell, the courts would have to determine fair pricing for the mortgages.

Investors already filed suit against the plan once. A federal judge said the claims were not yet "ripe" because Richmond hadn't actually done anything yet.

A handful of other cities are considering the same strategy as Richmond's, but it's taken the idea the furthest, says Cornell University law professor Robert Hockett, a chief proponent.

Others have backed off. Those include North Las Vegas, Chicago and San Bernardino County in California, where opposition was also strong.

Richmond has enlisted more grass-roots support than those other places, supporters say, including from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.

What else is different about Richmond?

"The mayor," Deutsch says.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Darden's Earnings Fall; Stock Follows

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Fewer consumers were shopping at malls this summer and it seems that fewer customers were eating at full-service restaurants like Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

Darden Restaurants (DRI), the restaurants' parent company, reported disappointing fiscal first-quarter earnings, fueled by lower same-restaurant sales at its two largest concepts.

Darden reported Friday net income from continuing operations fell 37% to $70.3 million, or 53 cents a share. Estimates were calling for earnings of 70 cents a share from the Orlando-based company, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Darden's first quarter ended on Aug. 25.

Shares were falling 3.5% to $47.57 soon after the market opened Friday.

Sales rose 6.1% to $2.03 billion from the year-earlier period but they were softer than analysts' expectations of $2.2 billion. Darden blamed a 3.3% decline in same-store restaurant sales from Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse compared to last year.

In addition to its three largest brands, Darden's Specialty Restaurant Group owns concepts such as The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V's and Yard House.

The company said it plans to reduce annual spending by about $50 million through work force reductions and program spending cuts. For fiscal 2014, the actions will reduce spending by $25 million, offset this year by $10 million in upfront costs related to implementing the plan.

Darden also announced that is Chief Operating Officer Drew Madsen will retire in November, following the company's second quarter. Madsen will be succeeded, effective immediately, by Gene Lee, who currently serves as president of Darden's Specialty Restaurant Group.

Darden said it continues to expect diluted net earnings for the year to decline between 3% and 5%.

"Following our industry's pronounced spikes up and down in same-restaurant sales last winter and spring, the results this summer are further evidence that we can expect sharper sales volatility as the slow and uneven recovery in the economy persists," Chairman and CEO Clarence Otis said in the earnings statement.

The company saw improvement in restaurant sales in August.

"Still, like the rest of the quarter, August was a challenging month on an absolute basis and we have to be prepared for consumers to continue to be cautious in their spending," Otis said.

-- Written by Laurie Kulikowski in New York.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Own For 2014

Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- On a special edition of his "Mad Money" TV show Friday, Jim Cramer saluted our troops by hosting a live studio audience of men and women who are serving or have served in our military.

He said today's rally shows what happens when good news is treated as good news and not as a reason to fear the Federal Reserve.

Cramer also laid out his game plan for next week's trading. Monday, he'll be watching the Chinese industrial production numbers, along with the initial public offering of children's apparel Web site Zulily. On Tuesday, Cramer said he'll be watching the health care conference that may bring news from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Next, on Wednesday, it's earnings from AFC Enterprises (AFCE), purveyors of Popeye's restaurants, along with network equipment maker Cisco (CSCO), which he said will be the most controversial conference call of the week as the tech sector remains in flux. Lots of retail earnings on Thursday, said Cramer, including Wal-Mart (WMT), Kohl's (KSS) and Nordstrom (JWN). Cramer said he expects a good holiday for all with higher employment and lower gasoline prices. Another plus on Thursday will be Viacom (VIAB), the media giant with a giant stock buyback that is actually making a difference. Finally, on Friday, Cramer said the U.S. industrial production numbers will be in the spotlight and he's looking for more good news that the domestic economy continues to stir. Executive Decision: Don Knauss In the "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer sat down on location with Don Knauss, chairman and CEO of Clorox (CLX), as they celebrated the second annual Kingsford Invitational Grilling Competition, with all proceeds benefiting veterans. Knauss, himself a Marine Corps veteran, said that 15% of Clorox's hires in 2013 were veterans, and veterans make excellent employees for Clorox thanks to the fact they're mission-oriented, work well in teams and have a maturity and work ethic that's rivaled by none. Turning to the business of Clorox, Knauss said he's challenged every brand in the company to innovate around health and wellness, sustainability, affordability and multi-cultural areas, and every brand has responded in at least one area. Even a business as mature as bleach is seeing sales up 14% when it would typically rise only 1% to 2% in line with inflation.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Own For 2014: CIENA Corporation(CIEN)

Ciena Corporation provides equipment, software, and service solutions that support the transport, switching, aggregation, and management of voice, video, and data traffic on communications networks worldwide. Its product portfolio consists of packet-optical transport that includes optical transport solutions to increase network capacity and enable delivery of a broader mix of high-bandwidth services; and packet-optical switching, which comprise optical switching platforms incorporating multiservice and multi-protocol switching systems that enable automated optical infrastructures for the delivery of various enterprise and consumer-oriented network services. The company also offers carrier Ethernet solutions, including service delivery switches and service aggregation switches to support the access and aggregation tiers of communications networks, as well as to support wireless backhaul infrastructures and business data services; and software solutions to track individual s ervices across multiple product suites, facilitating planned network maintenance, outage detection, and identification of customers or services affected by network troubles. In addition, Ciena Corporation provides consulting and support services, such as project management, deployment, maintenance support, consulting, and training services, as well as network analysis, planning, design, optimization, and tuning. Its packet-optical transport, packet-optical switching, and carrier Ethernet solutions products are used individually or as part of an integrated solution in communications networks operated by communications service providers, cable operators, governments, enterprises, and other network operators. The company sells its communications networking solutions directly, as well as through strategic channel relationships. Ciena Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Linthicum, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN) shares gained 2.02% to create a new 52-week high of $25.82. Ciena shares have jumped 77.37% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.18% in the same period.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    Ciena's banner quarter
    Telecommunications equipment maker Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN  ) stunned the skeptics Thursday with a surprisingly profitable Q2 earnings report. Expected to lose a penny a share, Ciena instead reported a $0.02 profit -- and it beat on revenues, too.

  • [By Harsh Chauhan]

    Telecom gear maker Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN  ) has been in pullback mode for the last month or so. Shares are down 20% since late October, as Ciena has been feeling the effects of sorry guidance by networking and telecom bellwether Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) .

Top 5 Tech Companies To Own For 2014: Sunedison Inc (SUNE)

SunEdison Inc, formerly MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., incorporated on October 1, 1984, is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of silicon wafers. The Company is a developer and seller of photovoltaic energy solutions. Through Solar Materials and Solar Energy (SunEdison), it is a developer of solar energy projects. The Company operates in two segments: semiconductor materials and solar energy. The Company�� Solar Energy segment includes the operations of its old Solar Materials segment, as well as its SunEdison business. In the Semiconductor Materials, the Company offers wafers with a variety of features. The Company�� wafers vary in size, surface features, composition, purity levels, crystal properties and electrical properties.

Semiconductor Materials

The Company�� monocrystalline wafers for use in semiconductor applications range in size from 100 millimeter to 300 millimeter and are round in shape for semiconductor customers because of the nature of their processing equipment. Its wafers are used as the starting material for the manufacture of various types of semiconductor devices, including microprocessor, memory, logic and power devices. In turn, these semiconductor devices are used in computers, cellular phones and other mobile electronic devices, automobiles and other consumer and industrial products. Its monocrystalline wafers for semiconductor applications include four general categories of wafers: prime, epitaxial, test/monitor and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.

The Company�� prime wafer is a polished, pure wafer with an ultraflat and ultraclean surface. The Company�� epitaxial (epi), wafers consist of a thin silicon layer grown on the polished surface of the wafer. Typically, the epitaxial layer has different electrical properties from the underlying wafer. This provides customers with isolation between circuit elements than a polished wafer. Its AEGIS product is designed for certain specialized applications requiring high resis! tivity epitaxial wafers and its MDZ product feature. The AEGIS wafer includes a thin epitaxial layer grown on a standard starting wafer. The AEGIS wafer�� thin epitaxial layer eliminates harmful defects on the surface of the wafer, thereby allowing device manufacturers to increase yields. The Company supplies test/monitor wafers to its customers for use in testing semiconductor fabrication lines and processes. An SOI wafer is a different starting material for the chip making process.

Solar Energy

The Company�� Solar Energy segment provides solar energy services that integrate the design, installation, financing, monitoring, operations and maintenance portions of the downstream solar market to provide a solar energy service to its customers. As of December 31, 2012, SunEdison interconnected over 675 solar power systems representing 989 megawatt of solar energy generating capacity. As of December 31, 2012, SunEdison had 73 megawatt of projects under construction and 2.6 gigawatts in pipeline. In support of its downstream solar business, its Solar Energy segment manufactures polysilicon, silicon wafers and solar modules. Additionally, its Solar Energy segment will sell solar modules to third parties in the event the opportunity aligns with itsinternal needs. It provides its downstream customers with a way to purchase renewable energy by delivering solar power under long-term power purchase arrangements with customers or feed-in tariff arrangements with government entities and utilities. Its SunEdison business is dependent upon government subsidies, including United States federal incentive tax credits, state-sponsored energy credits and foreign feed-in tariffs. The Company�� solar wafers are used as the starting material for crystalline solar cells.

The Company competes with Shin-Etsu Handotai, SUMCO, Siltronic and LG Siltron, SunPower Corporation, First Solar, Inc., Enerparc, Sharp Corporation (Recurrent Energy), Phoenix Solar, BELECTRIC, JUWI Solar Gmbh, and S! olar City! .

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    MEMC (NYSE: SUNE  ) isn't MEMC anymore.

    Late last week, MEMC Electronic Materials confirmed that it will officially change its name to SunEdison today and adopt the "SUNE" ticker symbol for itself. Stockholder support for the change was said to be "overwhelming."

  • [By Seth Jayson]

    There's no foolproof way to know the future for SunEdison (NYSE: SUNE  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    We have tracked the short interest in the following North American Solar companies as of September 13: Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT), SunEdison Inc. (NYSE: SUNE) and SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR).

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    SunEdison Inc. (NYSE: SUNE), the company formerly known as MEMC Electronics, announced Thursday morning that it would spin off its semiconductor unit in an initial public offering (IPO) tentatively scheduled for early next year. The company plans to file documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the current quarter. The IPO is, of course, subject to market conditions.

Hot Performing Companies To Buy Right Now: Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(CHKP)

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. develops, markets, and supports a range of software, and combined hardware and software products and services for information technology (IT) security applications worldwide. The company offers a range of network and gateway security solutions, data and endpoint security solutions, and management solutions. Its network security gateways enables its customers to implement their security policies on network traffic between internal networks and the Internet, as well as between internal networks and private networks that are shared with partners. The company?s endpoint security solutions provide various software blades that run on individual computers connected to the network, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, and other mobile devices. It also offers technical services consisting of technical customer support programs and plans, such as enterprise based support and collaborative enterprise support; certification and education al training on the checkpoint?s products; and professional services in implementing, upgrading, and optimizing checkpoint?s products, including design planning, security implementation, and project management services. In addition, the company offers ZoneAlarm solutions that protect consumers from hackers, spyware, and identity theft. It sells its products and services through a network of channel partners, including distributors, resellers, value-added resellers, system integrators, and managed services providers to enterprises, service providers, small and medium sized businesses, and consumers. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ: CHKP) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $343.62 million.

    Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.29 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Own For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Think about it. Everyone knows that smartphones and tablets are eating into the traditional PC market, but have you ever wondered why that's even possible? Have you wondered why Microsoft's mobile operating system hasn't been as dominant as what Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) have been cooking?

Top 5 Tech Companies To Own For 2014: TeleCommunication Systems Inc.(TSYS)

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. develops and delivers wireless communication technology in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Commercial and Government. The Commercial segment provides commercial services and systems that enable wireless carriers to deliver location-based information, Internet content, and short text messages to and from wireless phones. Its hosted and managed services include mobile location-based applications, comprising turn-by-turn navigation, E9-1-1 call routing; and wireless applications comprise navigation, people finder, and asset tracking. This segment?s customers use the company?s software functionality through connections to and from network operations centers. It serves wireless carrier network operators, voice over internet protocol service providers, state and local governments deploying 9-1-1 technology, and automotive industry suppliers. The Government segment designs, furnishes, installs, and ope rates wireless and data network communication systems, including its SwiftLink deployable systems, which integrate high speed, satellite, and Internet protocol technology with secure Government-approved cryptologic devices. It also owns and operates secure satellite teleport facilities; resells access to satellite airtime; and provides professional services, including field support of its systems, and cyber security training and services to the U.S. Department of Defense and government agencies. In addition, this segment offers engineering and electronics solutions for the space and defense markets. The company sells its products and services through direct sales force and indirect channels, as well as relationships with original equipment manufacturers. TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Third Century Bancorp Releases Earnings for Q2; Board Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend (OTCBB:TDCB, OTCMKTS:EQLB)

tdcb

Third Century Bancorp (TDCB)

Today, TDCB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.69 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:00AM EDT August 9, 2013).

Third Century Bancorp previously reported it had net income of $156,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2013, or $0.12 per share, compared to net income of $71,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, or $0.05 per share. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recorded net income of $216,000, or $0.17 per share, compared to net income of $183,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2012, or $0.14 per share.

Third Century Bancorp (TDCB) 5 day chart:

tdcbchart

eqlb

EQ Labs, Inc. (EQLB)

Today, EQ Labs, Inc. (OTCMKTS:EQLB) (www.drinkeq.com ) has surged (+30.77%) up +0.0020 at $.0085 with 100 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:37AM EDT August 9, 2013).

Now at the current price of $.0085, EQLB would be considered to have experienced a (+1316.66%) gain if compared to the 52 week low of $.0006.

EQ Labs, Inc. manufactures and markets energy drink products in the United States and Latin America. The company offers EQ Smart Energy Drink, in an effervescent tablet form that provides an instant energy drink once added to a beverage of choice. EQ Labs, Inc. distributes its products through national and regional distributors.

eqlbpictorial1

To view EQ Labs, Inc. video click link http://crwetube.com/media/eq-labs-has-entered-into-a-signed-agreement-with-l.

EQ Labs, Inc. (EQLB) 5d chart:

eqlbchart

National Pension System Vs PPF: Which is better?

Below is the verbatim transcript of Vaid's interview with CNBC-TV18.

Q: The National Pension System (NPS) is fetching near double-digit returns, which is at least a percentage point higher than what Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) or Public Provident Fund (PPF) offer. Will this trend continue and is it a one year wonder because of the stock market is doing well. How should investors approach the NPS vis-à-vis PPF and EPF?

A: I think NPS is going in a great direction; it is the right direction in which it is going. However, still early days for NPS. They are building their track record in terms of fund management. The basic unique selling point (USP), which NPS provides vis-à-vis other investment options -- accumulation stage of retirement fund, cost of fund management is very low and one do not have that option of accessing that kind of cost anywhere else and those are the advantages, which is reflecting in the performance of underlying NPS. However, when comes the question of comparing EPF, PPF with NPS, it is no-brainer as of now.

Go in for PPF and EPF but keep a watch on NPS and environment will become much clearer in terms of action once the new tax regime, which has been talked about comes out in which the exempt-exempt-tax regime, which one has been looking forward to, comes then the situation becomes slightly different. However, as of now it's in favour of EPF, PPF but keep a watch on NPS.

Q: Should you compare the NPS to some of the mutual funds because that is where the tax treatment seems to be more aligned?

A: That is right; NPS should be compared with mutual funds because money is being managed by some of the same fund managers under the asset management company structure itself. As I mentioned earlier, the cost is one big advantage in favour of NPS. The cost being paid is very low, it is one of the lowest cost of managing retirement point in the world is in India and that is they have done very well.

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Is Google More Innovative Than Apple?

With shares of Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) trading at around $915, is GOOG an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

C = Catalyst for the Stock's Movement

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) still gets all the recognition for being the most innovative company in the world, but is that really still the case? While Google might not be the most innovative company in the world, it's definitely toward the top of the list. And whether or not it's more innovative than Apple is arguable. However, that doesn't mean all innovations will be a success.

For instance, Google Glass hasn't received rave reviews thus far. Technology gurus who have reviewed the product have stated that the functionality is underwhelming, and that Google Glass isn't worth the $1,500 price tag. Apparently, Google Glass is great for navigation. You can also have emails and texts read to you. Search is possible, but you can't watch videos. The battery life is five hours, but Google recommends that you only wear the glasses for one hour per day to avoid eye strain. The focal length can't be adjusted, which is a negative, as it will limit the product's potential in regards to consumer interest. Google Glass has a durable and somewhat bendable titanium band, but it doesn't fold up. Therefore, you can't put it in your pocket. Google provides a carry bag. One big issue that keeps coming up is privacy. Since no light appears when you're recording, no one knows when they're being taped. This has the potential to lead to many problems. However, it's also an easy fix. The consensus has been that many people are misinterpreting the product's potential. It might not be a big hit with the average consumer, but it does have a lot of potential in the military, health care, education, and many other industries.

Another popular topic for Google has been its YouTube subscription service. Those interested will pay a monthly fee that starts at $0.99 per month and averages $2.99 per month. Discounts are available for those who choose an annual subscription. The goal is to increase revenue for YouTube as well as content creators. If successful, more channels might be interested in joining. Don't worry, free videos will not be affected. They will still be free. This is just for premium content.

In regards to traffic, Google is ranked #1 globally as well as #1 in the United States. As long as that remains to be the case, the company's potential is phenomenal. Remember, the Internet is still growing, which means more consumers are searching by the day. Over the past three months for Google.com, pageviews-per-user have increased 6.98 percent, time-on-site has increased 3 percent, and the bounce rate (one page per view) has declined 2 percent. There doesn't seem to be any slowdown on the horizon.

The company culture at Google is excellent. This should come as no surprise. The strongest companies often have impressive company cultures. According to Glassdoor.com, Google employees have rated their employer a 4.1 of 5. An impressive 91 percent of employees would recommend the company to a friend, and 95 percent of employees approve of CEO Larry Page.

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The chart below compares fundamentals for Google, Apple, and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).

GOOG AAPL AMZN
Trailing P/E 27.10 10.38 N/A
Forward P/E 17.04 9.86 81.76
Profit Margin 20.92% 23.46% -0.14%
ROE 16.36% 33.34% -1.11%
Operating Cash Flow 16.56B 55.26B 4.25B
Dividend Yield N/A 2.70% N/A
Short Position 1.50% 4.40% 1.70%

Let's take a look at some more important numbers prior to forming an opinion on this stock.

Using a solid investing framework such as this can help improve your stock-picking skills. Don't waste another minute — click here and get our CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.

T = Technicals Are Strong

Everyone likes to talk about Apple, but the savviest investors have chosen Google in recent years. These investors knew that Google had more future potential through innovation. Google has outperformed Apple for every time frame listed below.

At $905.14, Google is trading well above its averages.

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1 Month Year-To-Date 1 Year 3 Year
GOOG 14.58% 27.97% 49.88% 78.37%
AAPL 1.81% -17.30% -20.46% 74.94%
AMZN -1.87% 6.73% 20.11% 108.3%
50-Day SMA 815.28
200-Day SMA 758.62
E = Equity to Debt Ratio Is Normal

The debt-to-equity ratio for Google is right at the industry average of 0.10. Debt is definitely not a concern. And all that cash allows for almost limitless opportunities. However, the same can be said for Apple.

Debt-To-Equity Cash Long-Term Debt
GOOG 0.10 50.10B 7.38B
AAPL 0.00 39.14B 0.00
AMZN 0.36 7.90B 3.04B
E = Earnings Have Been Steady

Google delivers monstrous profits every year. Unlike many companies throughout the broader market that are cutting costs to improve the bottom line after seeing declining revenues, Google's revenue story continues to impress.

When we look at the last quarter on a year-over-year basis, we see significant improvements in revenue and earnings. Revenue and earnings have also improved on a sequential basis.

Fiscal Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Revenue ($) in billions 21.80 23.65 29.32 37.90 50.18
Diluted EPS ($) 13.31 20.41 26.31 29.76 32.31
Quarter Mar. 31, 2012 Jun. 30, 2012 Sep. 30, 2012 Dec. 31, 2012 Mar. 31, 2013
Revenue ($) in billions 10.64 12.21 14.10 13.22 13.97
Diluted EPS ($) 8.75 8.42 6.53 9.257 9.94

Now let's take a look at the next page for the Trends and Conclusion. Is this stock an OUTPERFORM, a WAIT AND SEE, or a STAY AWAY?

Using a solid investing framework such as this can help improve your stock-picking skills. Don't waste another minute — click here and get our CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.

T = Trends Support the Industry

Internet information providers? Mobile? Online video streaming? Wearable computers? These might not all qualify as industries, but you get the point. Google is involved in so many different areas that trends are likely to support the industry somewhere.

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Conclusion

Is Google more innovative than Apple? As stated earlier, an argument can be made. We'll find out more later today from the annual Google I/O conference.

Millennial Money

The younger generation is not quite as bad off as the media suggests; in fact, they are positioned to become tomorrow's stockholders, suggests Jack Bowers in his Fidelity Monitor & Insight.

Who will buy stocks when the boomer generation sells? Until recently, there wasn't a clear answer to this demographic question. But with Boomers reducing their stock exposure, and the Millennial population (ages 18-37) swelling to 86 million, we now have an answer.

The Millennials' growing ability to invest in stocks—along with their healthy appetite for risk—has set the stage for a full offset.

The media perception is that Millennials are unemployed, living with their parents and saddled with college debt. In reality, less than 15% of 25-34 year-olds are still in the nest, and many of them are working and saving for a down payment on a house. They are a highly educated group, and many have no college debt.

Among those who do, the average loan is about $25k. At today's low interest rates, annual debt service is on par with what Boomers took on for their first new car loan.

While unemployment remains high among 20-24 year-olds (13.3%), the rate for those aged 25-34 is below the national average (7.4%).

According to a recent Barron's article, Millennials already account for 21% of US consumer spending, a figure that could rise sharply as employment drives household formation, which in turn drives spending on autos and housing.

The generation may also be able to invest a greater share of income in stocks, because today's borrowing rates are a fraction of what Boomers saw when they were striking out on their own.

Be it travel, extreme sports, job opportunities or investing, the Millennials are an opportunistic bunch.

Vanguard, which allows minors to open Roth IRAs at an early age (thus having a unique view into Millennial investing habits,) reports that their stock exposure exceeds 70%. The oldest Millennials are just entering the key 35-49 age group, which invests heavily in stocks.

As a result, sometime in the next few years, we can expect stock market outflows among individuals to reverse, which suggests stock returns should modestly outpace earnings growth over the next 15 years.

Subscribe to Fidelity Monitor here…

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Guru Stocks at 52-Week Lows

 According to GuruFocus list of 52-week lows, these Guru stocks have reached their 52-week lows.

Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (TLK) Reached the 52-Week Low of $34.63

The prices of Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (TLK) shares have declined to close to the 52-week low of $34.63, which is 33.3% off the 52-week high of $50.61. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is owned by five Gurus we are tracking. Among them, two have added to their positions during the past quarter. Two reduced their positions.

PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk provides telecommunication services to the individual and home customers, companies, and institutions in Indonesia. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk has a market cap of $84.07 billion; its shares were traded at around $34.63 with a P/E ratio of 19.50 and P/S ratio of 3.24. The dividend yield of Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk stocks is 3.73%. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk had an annual average earnings growth of 0.30% over the past 10 years.

SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) Reached the 52-Week Low of $115.94

The prices of SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) shares have declined to close to the 52-week low of $115.94, which is 33.9% off the 52-week high of $173.61. SPDR Gold Trust is owned by 12 Gurus we are tracking. Among them, two have added to their positions during the past quarter. Five reduced their positions. SPDR Gold Trust has a market cap of $52.76 billion; its shares were traded at around $115.94.

Jean-Marie Eveillard owns 2,787,089 shares as of 09/30/2013, an increase of 13.01% from the previous quarter. This position accounts for 1% of the $34.43 billion portfolio of First Eagle Investment Management LLC. Director Michael Romanik, bought 91,000 shares of GLD stock on 08/06/2013 at the average price of $0.03. Michael Romanik, owns at least 657,600 shares after this.

Southern Co (SO) Reached the 52-Week Low of $41.06

The prices of Southern Co (SO) shares have declined to close to the 52-week lo! w of $41..06, which is 17.9% off the 52-week high of $48.74. Southern Co is owned by five Gurus we are tracking. Among them, five have added to their positions during the past quarter. Southern Company was incorporated under the laws of Delaware on Nov. 9, 1945. Southern Co has a market cap of $36.2 billion; its shares were traded at around $41.06 with a P/E ratio of 22.40 and P/S ratio of 2.14. The dividend yield of Southern Co stocks is 4.90%. Southern Co had an annual average earnings growth of 3.90% over the past 10 years.

Southern Co. recently reported third quarter 2013 earnings of $852 million, or 97 cents per share, compared with earnings of $976 million, or $1.11 per share, in the third quarter of 2012. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2013, Southern Company's earnings were $1.23 billion, or $1.41 per share, compared with earnings of $1.97 billion, or $2.26 per share, for the same period a year ago.

HOTCHKIS & WILEY bought 1,468,899 shares in the quarter that ended on 09/30/2013, which is 0.28% of the $21.74 billion portfolio of Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC. Ray Dalio bought 75,300 shares in the quarter that ended on 09/30/2013, which is 0.026% of the $11.87 billion portfolio of Bridgewater Associates.

Director David J. Grain bought 10,000 shares of SO stock on 11/01/2013 at the average price of $41.13. David J. Grain owns at least 10,500 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 0.17% since.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) Reached the 52-Week Low of $79.26

The prices of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) shares have declined to close to the 52-week low of $79.26, which is 17.1% off the 52-week high of $92.99. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP is owned by three Gurus we are tracking. Among them, one has added to their positions during the past quarter. Three reduced their positions.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP is a Delaware limited partnership formed in August 1992. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP has a! market ca! p of $34.7 billion; its shares were traded at around $79.26 with a P/E ratio of 27.10 and P/S ratio of 2.79. The dividend yield of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP stocks is 6.64%. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP had an annual average earnings growth of 5.10% over the past 10 years.

Jean-Marie Eveillard owns 4,563 shares as of 09/30/2013, which accounts for 0.0011% of the $34.43 billion portfolio of First Eagle Investment Management LLC. Ken Fisher owns 2,713 shares as of 09/30/2013, which accounts for 0.0005% of the $40.58 billion portfolio of Fisher Asset Management LLC.Director Manfred Walt, bought 743 shares of KMP stock on 09/26/2013 at the average price of $0.

Exelon Corp (EXC) Reached the 52-Week Low of $27.26

The prices of Exelon Corp (EXC) shares have declined to close to the 52-week low of $27.26, which is 29.5% off the 52-week high of $37.80. Exelon Corp is owned by 12 Gurus we are tracking. Among them, five have added to their positions during the past quarter. Seven reduced their positions.

Exelon Corporation, a public utility holding company, operates through its principal subsidiaries- ComEd, PECO and Generation. Exelon Corp has a market cap of $23.36 billion; its shares were traded at around $27.26 with a P/E ratio of 14.60 and P/S ratio of 0.94. The dividend yield of Exelon Corp stocks is 5.34%. Exelon Corp had an annual average earnings growth of 5.10% over the past 10 years.

Charles Brandes bought 283,764 shares in the quarter that ended on 09/30/2013, which is 0.11% of the $7.77 billion portfolio of Brandes Investment. Mario Gabelli owns 8,255 shares as of 09/30/2013, which accounts for 0.0014% of the $17.03 billion portfolio of GAMCO Investors. PRIMECAP Management owns 636,500 shares as of 09/30/2013, which accounts for 0.025% of the $76.01 billion portfolio of PRIMECAP Management.


Also check out: PRIMECAP Management Undervalued Stocks PRIMECAP Management Top Growth Companies PRIMECAP Management High Yield stocks, and Stocks that PRIMECAP Management keeps buying Jean-Marie Eveillard Undervalued Stocks Jean-Marie Eveillard Top Growth Companies Jean-Marie Eveillard High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Jean-Marie Eveillard keeps buying

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