Thursday, June 12, 2014

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are holding their annual spring meetings in Washington, D.C., April 11-13 amid a strengthening global economy but weak growth in the eurozone and financial volatility in emerging markets. USA TODAY economics reporter Paul Davidson spoke with IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton, the fund's second highest ranking official after Managing Director Christine Lagarde about some of the key issues.

Q: How serious is the low inflation problem in the eurozone?

A: Their target is to have inflation a little below 2 (percent), and now it's a little below 1. Our concern is we would hate to see the European economies stuck in a low-inflation, low-growth trap. So we're just suggesting that in essence they achieve their stated goal and warning that too much delay in taking action to achieve that goal runs the risk that Europe could get stuck in low inflation.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY)

Dassault Systemes SA provides software solutions and consulting services. The Company�� global customer base includes companies primarily in 11 industrial sectors: automotive; industrial equipment; aerospace; consumer goods; consumer packaged goods; energy; high-tech; shipbuilding; life sciences; construction, and business services. It organizes its business and markets its products and services in two types of applications: the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market, to support product development, production, maintenance and lifecycle management, and the Mainstream three-dimensional (3D) market, which is primarily focused on product design. Its software applications address a range of products, from apparel, consumer goods, machine parts and semiconductors to automobiles, aircraft, ships and factories. In March 2011, the Company acquired Intercim. In April 2011, the Company acquired Enginuity PLM. On March 31, 2010, it acquired the IBM PLM. On June 8, 2010, the Company acquired Exalead, a French company providing Search Platforms and Search-Based Applications (SBA). In June 2010, the Company acquired Geensoft, a provider of embedded systems development solutions.

The Company has developed a software applications portfolio, organized in brands, in order to provide solutions responding to the requirements of product development: Design, Realistic Simulation, Digital Manufacturing and Production, Collaborative Innovation, and Lifelike Experiences. The Company�� principal brands include SolidWorks , CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and Universal Services.

SolidWorks

SolidWorks applications include 3D tools to design, manage, simulate, sustain and communicate. SolidWorks include 3D Design, Data management, Simulation and Environmental assessments. SolidWorks 3D�� include complex part and assembly modeling, production drawing creation, data management, design validation and simulation of motion, flow and structural performance, environmental impact evaluation! and publishing. SolidWorks Data Management solutions enable control over all design information, eliminating concerns about version control or data loss. SolidWorks simulation technology ensures the quality and performance of the design before users commit to production. SolidWorks Sustainability technology enables users to assess the environmental impact of their design to create more sustainable products.

CATIA

CATIA is the Company�� PLM solution for 3D collaborative creation. CATIA addresses the complete product development process, from early product concept specification through product in service. CATIA V6 is designed to enable the spectrum of next generation collaborative virtual design. Its product portfolio is consists of four main domains, which include systems, shape design, mechanical design and equipment engineering. CATIA Systems captures, manages, and tracks product requirements with traceability, ensuring that early requirements are met accurately all along the product development cycle. CATIA Shape provides a line of surfacing, reverse engineering, and visualization solutions to create, modify, and validate any type of complex shapes and help streamline the transition and collaboration among industrial designers. CATIA Mechanical delivers a collaborative and flexible design environment with concurrent engineering and change management through relational design. CATIA Equipment provides an integrated environment that enables the collaborative detailed design of electronic, electrical, and fluidic systems in context of a virtual product.

SIMULIA

SIMULIA provides a scalable portfolio of realistic simulation solutions designed to enable companies across a range of industries to improve product performance, reduce the number of physical prototypes and drive innovation. SIMULIA�� V6 portfolio spans include finite element analysis, multi-physics solutions, optimization analysis, and simulation lifecycle management. Its finite element an! alysis so! ftware companies are able to create and test virtual prototypes of products and processes. Its multi-physics solutions enable companies to reach beyond the boundaries of a single domain. SIMULIA also provides design exploration and optimization technology, enabling designers and engineers to perform rapid trade-off studies of real-world behavior and accelerate product development. SIMULIA offers simulation lifecycle management, based upon the Company�� ENOVIA architecture offering an open collaborative platform for management of simulation data, processes and intellectual property.

DELMIA

DELMIA covers the Company�� PLM digital manufacturing solutions ranging from virtual process definition, workcell set-up, optimization, scheduling, and operation, to maintenance of real-time production systems. DELMIA V6 covers four principal domains, including Manufacturing planning, with 3D process and resource planning tools for creating and optimizing build-to-order and lean production manufacturing systems; plant and resources engineering, with tools to virtually define and optimize manufacturing assets concurrently with manufacturing planning; program and control engineering, to virtually program, validate and simulate manufacturing systems for the virtual commissioning of production facilities, and control and production execution, which offers an accurate virtual production system to enable companies to track real time production activities, perform schedule changes, launch new programs and introduce model changeovers, and schedule maintenance operations.

ENOVIA

ENOVIA addresses business process needs across a broad spectrum of industries, managing simple, as well as engineered, complex products. The ENOVIA V6 products are organized by business processes, which include governance, global sourcing, global sourcing, and unified live collaboration. The Governance domain is designed to help companies launch enterprise new product introductions on time and on ! budget. G! overnance includes these sub-processes: Requirements Management, Portfolio Configuration, Program Management, Decision Support Business Intelligence, and Compliance. The Global Sourcing domain allows companies to leverage supply chain capabilities throughout the product lifecycle. The IP Lifecycle domain helps eliminate costly product development errors as it is designed to enable improved cross-functional product design, manufacturing planning and performance simulation. The Unified Live Collaboration domain allows companies to deploy product lifecycle processes across the extended enterprise by providing a single, real-time view of information protocol (IP) across all business process domains, collaborative process management capabilities, and a service-oriented architecture that integrates with other enterprise system

The Company competes with Parametric Technology Corporation, ANSYS, Inc., MSC Software Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP AG, Siemens PLM Software, Adobe, Altair Engineering, Autonomy, Aveva, Bentley, Google, Intergraph, MathWorks, Nemetschek AG, Right Hemisphere, and Autodesk, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    At the May�30 annual shareholders' meeting of Dassault Systemes (NASDAQOTH: DASTY  ) , a dividend of 0.80 euros per share for fiscal 2012 was agreed upon, with each investor able to determine whether he or she wanted to receive the payout in cash or in new shares of the�3-D design software specialist.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Elephant Talk Communications Corp (ETAK)

Elephant Talk Communications Corp., incorporated on September 26, 2011, is a provider of mobile networking software and services. The Company provides operating software, managed services, cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, an integrated transaction and delivery platform to the mobile telecommunications industry globally. The Company�� products include remote health care, credit card fraud prevention, mobile Internet ID security, secure remote file access management, loyalty and transaction management services and a whole range of other emerging mobile services.

The Company empowers Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) by providing a cloud based mobile communications infrastructure, operating software and managed services, based mostly on company developed and owned software. In addition to the mobile based services, the Company also provides landline services like Carrier Select and Carrier Pre-Select Services, Toll Free and Premium Rate Services to the business market through its fixed line telecom infrastructure and its centrally operated and managed ET Boss and Infitel platform.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    If you're reading this, then odds are you already know that small caps WidePoint Corporation (NYSEMKT:WYY), CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR), and Elephant Talk Communications Corp. (NYSEMKT:ETAK) are among the recent big winners from the small cap stock realm. ETAK is up 100% since the end of October, largely spurred by encouraging numbers in its third-quarter results. CYTR shares have rallied more than 150% in just the past three days on the heels of an announcement that a cancer drug the biotech company is developing has shown wonderful Phase 2 results. And, WYY has advanced 93% over the past month or so, thanks to Q3's earnings announcement, though the trading public - and then the media - certainly took the ball and ran with it.

Top Shipping Stocks For 2015: Caplease Funding Inc (LSE)

CapLease, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT), focused on financing and investing in commercial real estate that is net leased primarily to single tenants with investment grade or near investment grade credit ratings. It provides private and corporate owners of net lease real estate with equity, debt, and mezzanine financing options. The company is organized to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and accordingly it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Capital Lease is based in New York City.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of CapLease (NYSE: LSE  ) , a REIT focused on investing in commercial real estate that is net-leased, soared as much as 23% after agreeing to be acquired by American Realty Capital (NASDAQ: ARCP  ) for $2.2 billion.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Net-lease property REIT American Realty Capital Properties� (NASDAQ: ARCP  ) says that with Capital Lease Funding (NYSE: LSE  ) announcing the expiration of its 40-day "go shop" period and no other buyers being found, it plans to buy its rival sooner than originally intended.

  • [By Sarah Jones]

    London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE) jumped 6.6 percent as the operator of Europe�� oldest independent bourse reported a 39 percent increase in first-quarter revenue.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: OMNOVA Solutions Inc.(OMN)

OMNOVA Solutions Inc. provides emulsion polymers, specialty chemicals, and decorative and functional surfaces for commercial, industrial, and residential end uses primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company operates in two segments, Performance Chemicals and Decorative Products. The Performance Chemicals segment offers a range of emulsion polymers and specialty chemicals based primarily on styrene butadiene, styrene butadiene acrylonitrile, styrene butadiene vinyl pyridine, nitrile butadiene, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic, glyoxal, phenolic and diphenylamine antioxidants, hollow plastic pigment, fluorochemicals, and bio-based chemistries. Its custom-formulated products include tailored resins, binders, adhesives, specialty rubbers, antioxidants, and elastomeric modifiers, which are used in paper, specialty coatings, carpets, nonwovens, construction, oil/gas drilling, adhesives, tapes, tire cords, floor care, textiles, graphic arts , polymer stabilization, industrial rubbers and hoses, bio-based polymers, and various other applications. This segment primarily sells its products directly to manufacturers. The Decorative Products segment develops, designs, produces, and markets a line of functional and decorative surfacing products, including coated fabrics, vinyl, paper and specialty laminates, and performance films. Its products are used in various applications, such as commercial building refurbishment, remodeling, and new construction; residential cabinets, flooring, and furnishings; retail display; transportation markets; recreational vehicles; manufactured housing; medical devices and products; and various industrial film applications. This segment distributes its products primarily through a direct sales force; and agents to manufacturers of cabinets, furniture, seating, health care and medical components, and other products. OMNOVA Solutions Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Fairla wn, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Chemical reaction
    The disappointments are starting to mount for investors in OMNOVA Solutions (NYSE: OMN  ) , an emulsion polymer and specialty chemicals maker that has missed the Street's estimates in worsening fashion for three straight quarters. Its first-quarter results, released earlier this month, showed a 9% decline in total revenue from the year-ago period because of lower volumes in Europe and India, and business seasonality. However, optimistic contentions could also be made based on this same earnings report.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Terex Corporation(TEX)

Terex Corporation manufactures capital goods machinery products worldwide. Its Aerial Work Platforms segment offers portable material lifts, portable aerial work platforms, trailer-mounted articulating booms and light towers, self-propelled articulating and telescopic booms, scissor lifts, telehandlers, and bridge inspection and utility equipment under the Terex and Genie brands. The company?s Construction segment provides off-highway trucks and material handlers; loader backhoes, compaction equipment, mini and midi excavators, site dumpers, compact track loaders, skid steer loaders, wheel loaders, and tunneling equipment; and asphalt and concrete equipment, and landfill compactors principally under the Terex name. Its Cranes segment offers mobile telescopic and tower cranes, lattice boom crawler and truck cranes, and truck-mounted cranes; and straddle and sprinter carriers, gantry cranes, ship-to-shore cranes, reach stackers, empty and full container handlers, and genera l cargo lift trucks under the Terex brand. The company?s Material Handling and Port Solutions segment provides standard and process cranes, rope and chain hoists, electric motors, and light crane systems; and crane components and port equipment, such as mobile harbor and automated stacking cranes, and automated guided vehicles, as well as terminal automation technology, including software under the Demag and Gottwald names. Its Materials Processing segment offers crushers, washing systems, screens, apron feeders, chippers, and related components and replacement parts under the Terex and Powerscreen brands. The company provides financing solutions to assist customers in the rental, leasing, and acquisition of its products. It serves construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, manufacturing, shipping, transportation, refining, energy, and utility industries through dealers, rental companies, direct sales, and major accounts. The company was founded in 1925 and is based i n Westport, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Shares of Manitowoc have gained 33% so far in 2014, easily besting Caterpillar’s (CAT) 6.6% rise, Deere’s (DE) 3.1% drop, Joy Global’s (JOY) 3.1% fall and Terex’s (TEX) 2.3% advance.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    But don’t just buy any company, DeBlase says. Instead, focus on those that have EPS momentum, which has generated outperformance in 10 of the past 11 years, DeBlase says. As a result, investors should prefer Terex (TEX), her top pick, and Agco (AGCO), which she rates Outperform. John Deere (DE) and Parker Hannifin (PH) get tarred with Underweight ratings.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc.(SCHN)

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. engages in recycling ferrous and nonferrous scrap metals, and used and salvaged vehicles; and manufacturing finished steel products. The company operates through three segments: Metals Recycling Business (MRB), Auto Parts Business (APB), and Steel Manufacturing Business (SMB). The MRB segment involves in the purchase, collection, processing, recycling, sale, and broking of ferrous scrap metals. It processes mixed and large pieces of scrap metal into smaller pieces by sorting, shearing, shredding, and torching. This segment?s products include ferrous products, including ferrous scrap metal, a feedstock used in the production of finished steel products; and nonferrous scrap metals, including aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel, brass, titanium, lead, high temperature alloys, and joint products, such as zorba (mixed nonferrous material) and zurik (stainless steel). The MRB segment sells its products to steel mills and smelters. The APB segment purchases used and salvaged vehicles and sells serviceable used auto parts from these vehicles through its 45 self-service auto parts stores, which are located across the United States and western Canada. It also sells other vehicles, including auto bodies; cores, such as engines, transmissions, alternators, and catalytic converters; and nonferrous materials to metal recyclers. The SMB segment engages in the purchase of recycled metal, and processing of the recycled metal and other raw materials into finished steel products. Its product portfolio comprises semi-finished goods and finished goods consisting of rebar, coiled rebar, wire rod, merchant bar, and other specialty products. This segment serves steel service centers, construction industry subcontractors, steel fabricators, wire drawers, and farm and wood product suppliers. The company exports its products worldwide. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. was founded in 1946 and is based in Portland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    You see, there are two main dynamics at play for companies like Nucor and Steel Dynamics, which rely on supplies of scrap steel to smelt their new steel. Scrap steel specialist Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) is also suffering from weak profits, which is bad news for it, but could be good news for Nucor, which views scrap steel as an input cost. Nucor says that "average scrap and scrap substitute cost per ton used in the second quarter of 2013 was $377 ... a decrease of 12% from $427 in the second quarter of 2012."

  • [By Rich Smith]

    So what's going on with Steel Dynamics? Basically, it's exactly what I warned you about last month, after reviewing the disturbing news of weak demand for steel in China, revealed by Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) in its earnings report. Steel Dynamics is hitting headwinds all around the globe:

  • [By Rich Smith]

    If you want to know what the future holds for global steel giants like Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT  ) , U.S. Steel (NYSE: X  ) , and Nucor (NYSE: NUE  ) , one of the best ways you can spend your time, I suspect, is by reviewing the earnings reports of another company entirely -- Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) .

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Another problem that ArcelorMittal and other steel companies have faced is the emerging Chinese steel industry. China subsidizes its steelmakers, and with Chinese infrastructure and construction activity being relatively weak, oversupply is spilling over and having an impact on world steel prices. Recycled scrap producer Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN  ) noted last month that market prices for its exports fell by $50 per ton during its most recent quarter, and given Schnitzer's exposure to Asia, those figures likely reflect China's contribution to the global weakness.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Veolia Environnement(VE)

Veolia Environnement S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides environmental management services to individuals, public authorities, and industrial and commercial services customers worldwide. It operates in four segments: Water, Environmental Services, Energy Services, and Transportation. The Water segment offers water and wastewater services, including the management and operation of large-scale and customized drinking water plants, wastewater decontamination and recycling plants, drinking water distribution networks, and wastewater collection networks; and provision of call centers and billing services. The Environmental Services segment provides waste management and logistical services, which include waste collection, waste processing, cleaning of public spaces, maintenance of production equipment, treatment of polluted soil, and management of waste discharge at industrial sites. The Energy Services segment offers a range of energy management services comprising o peration of heating and cooling networks, decentralized energy production, thermal and multi-technical services, industrial utilities, installation and maintenance of production equipment, integrated facilities management, and electrical services on public streets and roads; and provides heating systems maintenance services, plumbing and renewable energy services, and meter-reading services. The Transportation segment operates various bus networks, suburban trains, tramways, metros, and ferries, as well as offers customized transportation-on-demand services. This segment also provides intercity and regional passenger transportation, infrastructure management and airport services, and transportation management services. The company was formerly known as Vivendi Environnement and changed its name to Veolia Environnement S.A. in April 2003. Veolia Environnement S.A. was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Benjamin Shepherd]

    The first is to focus on infrastructure companies that lay the groundwork for easier water access, such as France-based Veolia Environment (NYSE: VE).

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Another factor that easily puts Waste Management on top in the waste-collection sector is its dividend yield of 3.4%. The only company with a higher yield is global waste solutions company Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE  ) , with a 6.2% yield. However, Veolia also boats a higher debt-to-equity ratio than Waste Management, has unwanted exposure to European markets, and has lower overall margins relative to Waste Management. By comparison, Republic Services, Progressive Waste, and Waste Connections pay out a yield of 2.7%, 2.4% and 1%, respectively. Even better, Waste Management's payout has grown by an average annualized rate of 7.7% since 2004.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation(CDE)

Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, operation, exploration, and development of silver and gold mining properties located primarily in South America, Mexico, the United States, and Australia. The company also explores for lead and zinc ores. Its properties include the Palmarejo mine located in the state of Chihuahua, northern Mexico; San Bartolome mine located near Potosi, Bolivia; Kensington mine located north-northwest of Juneau, Alaska; Rochester mine located in northwestern Nevada; Martha mine located in Santa Cruz, Argentina; and the Endeavor mine in New South Wales, Australia, as well as Joaquin, Tornado, and Satelite properties in Santa Cruz, Argentina. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Coeur d?Alene, Idaho.

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

    Coeur�Mining Inc. (NYSE: CDE) was trading at $13.30 when we reviewed the Deutsche Bank call, and that was after a gain of almost 10% right before this review on July 1. At the time, Deutsche Bank had an $18 price target and the consensus price was higher at $19. With shares now up at about $16.00, Coeur�is up over 20%. Coeur’s 52-week range is $11.29 to $31.97 and the consensus price target is now lower than the current share price down at $15.12.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE: CDE  ) is to sell its interest in two mines, one in Australia, and one in Chile.� The company has entered into a letter of intent with private company XDM to sell its stake in the silver production and reserves from the Endeavor mine in the former, and the royalty from the Cerro Bayo gold and silver mine in the latter.

  • [By Tim Melvin]

    Once again, rather than making a wish on burning match bets, I prefer to buy out of favor companies at a steep discount to their asset and business value. And a�look at the silver miners shows deep discounts to the value of corporate assets that could lead to significant profits.

    Pan American Silver (PAAS) trades at just 65% of book value and has fallen by about 75% over the past few years. Couer Mines (CDE) is fetching just 54% of book and has fallen by around 80% since 2006. Silver Standard Resources (SSRI) trades at 55% of book and for less than the value of the cash the company has in the bank.

    In reality, silver just needs to stop falling in price for these stocks to start to recover. If the analysts are right and silver hits a new high in the next decade, these could easily be the best investments you ever make in your lifetime.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    We continue to recommend Newmont, [Coeur Mining (CDE)] and [Gold Resource Corp. (GORO)] as large cap, silver and small cap picks, respectively.

    Sterne Agee’s comments come one day after Ned Davis Research upgraded the gold sector to Neutral from Underweight. “…gold miners look to be finally bottoming,” John Laforge and Waren Pies wrote, though they say it’s too early to know if a new uptrend has begun.

Best International Companies To Buy For 2015: Synacor Inc (SYNC)

Synacor, Inc. (Synacor) is a provider of solutions for delivery of online content and services. Synacor delivers its solutions as a set of services through its hosted and managed platform, enabling cable and telecom service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers to provide the online content and services. The Company platform allows its customers to package an array of online content and services with their Internet, communications, television and other offerings. Its platform includes Website design and development, unified registration and login (single sign-on), billing integration, personalization, video delivery capability, content management system, household management, toolbar and television listings. Its customers offer the services under their own brands on Internet-enabled devices such as personal computers (PCs), tablets, smartphones and connected televisions. In January 2012, Synacor acquired the assets of Carbyn, Inc. (Carbyn). In May 2012, the Company acquired Carbyn, the hypertext markup language 5 (HTML5) Platform. In November 2013, Synacor Inc acquired Teknision.

Synacor�� acquired assets consist of mobile device software and technology and other property, which it enhances the efforts in the development of next generation Web applications for mobile devices. The Company�� hosted and managed platform allows the customers to enhance their consumers��online experience. Its customers use the platform to develop personalized Websites that serve as their consumers��respective online hubs for communication services, entertainment offerings and support services. Its platform enables the customers to combine entertainment, such as television shows, multi-player games and streaming music based on a subscriber�� access rights and preferences with communications offerings, such as voicemail, e-mail, and third party messaging services, such as Yahoo Mail, Google Gmail, AOL Mail, Facebook, and Twitter. Its platform also allows the customers to deliver appropriate ! account tools, support, bill pay services and up-sell promotions to their consumers, all without leaving the applicable customer�� Website.

Website Design and Development

Synacor creates, designs and develops branded Websites for the customers. The Company�� Websites is designed to be the online destination for the customers��consumers and aggregate an array of resources, including free-to-subscriber content and service offerings, value added services, online content and search, all in one location.

Unified Registration and Login (Single Sign-On)

Synacor�� platform gives subscribers access to all of the services and paid content, including subscription television programming the consumer have the right to consume, using a single user ID and password, which are the same credentials that they use for e-mail. Single sign-on for subscribers is integrated with both its customers and the content and value added service partners.

Billing Integration

Synacor�� platform allows the customers to integrate billing for services and paid content purchases with other services and products provided to their subscribers, including television and telephony service. A customer may collect transaction fees through credit card or on the subscriber�� service provider bill, and it may bill transactions each time the consumer occur or on a monthly basis using monthly summary totals. The Company's system enables online bill review, providing subscribers with access to a detailed transaction account.

Personalization

Synacor�� platform enables the consumer to personalize his or her online experience through customization and localization. Consumers may add, delete, move, and otherwise customize the content displayed on its customers��branded Websites, such as by setting preferred television stations in its television-at-a-glance module. Localization allows consumers to set a Website to a favorite zip code to ! gain acce! ss to radio stations, weather, movies, and events, all in the local area. The Company�� platform also allows consumers to comment on online articles and to create shortcuts to their favorite content using an online personal assistant on the personalized Website.

Video Delivery Capability

Synacor�� video delivery capability includes two primary components: a video player and a video discovery and delivery system. The video player contains video controls, such as play, pause, fast forward and rewind and full-screen viewing and can be configured to play within or on top of a page. The Company's video discovery and delivery system is database-driven, supports multiple video hosting methods and enables transcoding from a number of video formats to formats that are playable on a variety of devices. The system contains a number of access control mechanisms, including the ability to restrict access based on Internet protocol (IP) address location, consumer type or household management settings. The system also permits consumers to search videos and browse by channel, genre or content type.

Content Management System

Synacor�� content management system enables the customers and it to create customizable online experiences containing content from various sources. Content is distributed through Web services in an architecture that is portable to multiple devices and platforms. The Company�� system is comprised of administrative interfaces, a scalable content storage system and a system to distribute content to the platform. The interface is easy to use and displays a preview of page or component designs prior to approval and publishing. Its system can also automatically publish content from outside sources or assign publishing rights, by site section, to outside vendors.

Household Management

Synacor�� household management system puts parents in control of the content their children are allowed to purchase or consume through i! ts platfo! rm. This system allows the head of household to specify the range of products the consumer�� child accounts may access and utilize and to establish preset spending limits for content purchases, such as music.

Toolbar and Television Listings

Synacor offers its customers the ability to create branded toolbars that can be personalized by their consumers. The toolbar can be updated automatically as new features become available and may be configured with search, weather, television and movie listings, as well as services and paid content packages, enabling consumers to access their favorite features on the platform even when they leave the customers��Websites. The toolbars can also integrate internal services, such as instant messaging, customer support and e-mail. The Company�� platform provides television listings and corresponding television channels, which enables consumers to search and browse local television programming.

The Company competes with Yahoo! Inc., Google, AOL LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Netflix, Inc., Hulu, LLC and Amazon.com Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Synacor (SYNC), a provider of startpages, TV Everywhere solutions, Identity Management services and various cloud-based services across multiple devices for cable, satellite, telecom and consumer electronics companies. This stock has been hammered by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 39%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Synacor, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $2.85 to $2.96 a share. Following that bottom, shares of SYNC have started to surge higher and move back above its 50-day moving average at $3.27 a share. That move is quickly pushing SYNC within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in SYNC if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.43 to $3.56 a share and then once it takes out more resistance at $4 to $4.17 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 388,369 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SYNC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $6.50 a share.

    Traders can look to buy SYNC off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $2.96 to $2.85 a share. One can also buy SYNC off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

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