Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of trucking company Arkansas Best (NASDAQ: ABFS ) revved up the engine, and jumped as much as 17% after announcing its ABF Freight Systems employees had ratified a five-year collective bargaining agreement.
So what: According to Arkansas Best's press release, not only did the collective bargaining agreement pass, but it also passed a majority of the supplements in the ABF National Master Freight Agreement. There are still a few items left to be voted on over the near term, but this vote clears the way for Arkansas Best to be price competitive once again with its peers.
Now what: This agreement has seriously been far too long in coming, but it's precisely what Arkansas Best needs to get the company back to profitability. With the labor agreement ratified, Arkansas Best will not have to shed any jobs, and can utilize its pricing power and a stabilization in fuel costs to its advantage. The labor union gray cloud was the final piece of the puzzle left that I felt would make Arkansas Best a great company, and was the primary impetus behind my selection of the trucking company for my One Person's Trash Is Another Person's Treasure portfolio. While I still have high hopes for Arkansas Best, I'd probably temper my expectations a bit with the company having doubled in just three months.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (CWCO)
Consolidated Water Co. Ltd., through its subsidiaries, develops and operates seawater desalination plants and water distribution systems. It operates through three segments: Retail, Bulk, and Services. The Retail segment produces and supplies water to end-users, including residential, commercial, and government customers, as well as tourist properties. The Bulk segment supplies potable water to government utilities and private customers. The Services segment designs, constructs, and sells desalination plants to third parties, as well as provides desalination plant management and operating services to plants owned by others. The company uses reverse osmosis technology to produce fresh water from seawater. It operates approximately 14 reverse osmosis desalination plants in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and the United States. Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is based in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Utilities sector surged 0.26%, saw CPFL Energia SA (NYSE: CPL) as the top gainer. Among leading sector stocks, gains came from Consolidated Water Co (NASDAQ: CWCO), Companhia Paranaense de Energia (NYSE: ELP) and Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE: PEG).
- [By David Dittman]
Question: Thanks for your input and the chat opportunity! Your long term thoughts on water stocks such as Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo (NYSE: SBS), known popularly as Sabesp, and Consolidated Water Co Ltd (NSDQ: CWCO)? I hold Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR) since your recommendation.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Among the sector stocks, Consolidated Water Co (NASDAQ: CWCO) was down more than 1.9 percent, while Pepco Holdings (NYSE: POM) tumbled around 0.9 percent.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Public Storage(PSA)
Public Storage operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the acquisition, development, ownership, and operation of self-storage facilities in the United States and Europe. The company?s self-storage facilities offer storage spaces for lease on a month-to-month basis for personal and business use. Public Storage also has interests in commercial properties containing commercial and industrial rental space; facilities that lease storage containers; and ancillary operations, which include reinsurance of policies against losses to goods stored by its self-storage tenants, retail operations comprising merchandise sales and truck rental operations. As of December 31, 2008, the company had interests in 2,012 self-storage facilities with approximately 127 million net rentable square feet in 38 states; and 181 self-storage facilities with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet in 7 western European nations. It also had direct and indirect equity int erests in approximately 21 million net rentable square feet of commercial space located in 11 states in the U.S. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. Public Storage was founded in 1971 and is based in Glendale, California.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jonas Elmerraji]
$29 billion self-storage REIT Public Storage (PSA) stands apart from most of the other names on this list because of its structure. As a self-storage stock, the firm receives far more revenue directly from consumers than the typical retail landlord ever would. Likewise, it generally leases storage units on a month-to-month basis rather than through a long-term arrangement. Despite the glaring differences, PSA is still a REIT worth taking a closer look at in 2014.
Hedge funds agree. They picked up 2.37 million shares of PSA last quarter.
Public Storage owns approximately 140 million square feet of leasable storage units spread across 38 states here in the U.S. as well as parts of Western Europe. Unlike a conventional landlord, where location is typically the deciding tenant factor, brand matters to PSA. Because the items stored at PSA's facilities are inherently valuable (they must be worth something for customers to bother storing them), customers are more likely to weigh a brand's reputation before securing space. Public Storage's huge scale gives it advertising and reputational advantages that smaller rivals can't match. Demand remains high for storage facilities in 2014, and that tailwind should help to propel growth.
Financing is another space where PSA stands out from its peers. Unlike most REITs, Public Storage has historically opted to finance most of its growth through equity rather than debt, leaving just $360 million in net borrowings on its balance sheet at last count. Right now, PSA pays out a 3.3% dividend yield.
- [By Damian Illia]
Since 1973 Compuware Corp (CPWR) has been providing software solutions both on-premise and through a software as a service (SaaS) model, as well as professional technical services related to mobile application developments and mainframe systems. The company reported revenues of $944.5 million in fiscal 2013, working through four segments: Performance Management (APM), Mainframe, Changepoint and Uniface. Through the APM segment Compuware provides services to maximize efficiency of web, non-web, mobile, streaming and cloud applications. Mainframe solutions are designed for organizations which require high developer productivity and enhanced service quality at lower costs, and through Changepoint it provides Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Project Portfolio Management services (PPM). Uniface, a rapid application development platform, creates renews and integrates enterprise applications. Currently, more than 7,100 companies, including many of the world's largest organizations, depend on Compuware and our new generation approach to performance management to do just that.
- [By Mike Deane]
Public Storage (PSA) announced its third quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday, posting an increase in net income and revenues.
PSA Earnings in Brief
-Public Storage announced total quarterly revenues of $419 million, which were up from last year’s $397 million, but below the average analyst estimate of $464.58 million.
-The company’s net income came in at $231.4 million, or $1.34 per share, which was up from last year’s Q3 net income of $202.5 million, or $1.18 per share.
-PSA’s core FFO per share was up from last year’s $1.76 to $1.92 for the most recent quarter; this beat analysts’ estimates of $1.89.
Dividend Raise
Public Storage announced that its board has approved to raise its dividend 12% to $1.40 per common share. This is a 15 cent raise from the company’s previous quarterly payout of $1.25 and brings the annualized payout to $5.60. The new dividend is payable on December 30 to all shareholders on record as of December 13.
Share Performance
PSA stock was down 66 cents, or 0.39%, on the day, but was up steeply in after-hours trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 14.74%.
- [By Susan J. Aluise]
Like all ETFs, REZ offers the diversification of a mutual fund, with low expenses and the advantages of trading on a major exchange just like a stock. REZ�� top holdings include multifamily REITs like AvalonBay (AVB), Equity Residential (EQR), Essex Property Trust (ESS) as well as Public Storage (PSA) common stock, which also benefits from the rental housing boom.
10 Best Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Corelogic Inc (CLGX)
CoreLogic, Inc. (CoreLogic),incorporated on October 13, 2009, is a provider of property information, analytics and services provider in the United States of America and Australia. The Company provides detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets the Company serves include real estate and mortgage finances, insurance, capital markets and government. The Company offers its customers databases of public, contributory data covering real property and mortgages information, judgments and liens, parcel and geospatial data, criminal background records, national coverage eviction information, non-prime lending records, credit information, and tax information, among other data types. It serves its customers' needs for mortgage and automotive credit reporting, property tax, property valuation, flood plain location determination and other geospatial data, data, analytics and related services. The Company operates in three segments: data and analytics, mortgage origination services and asset management and processing solutions.
Data and Analytics
The Company's data and analytics segment offers access to data assets including real estate information, such as property characteristic information, mortgage information, collateral information, and images of publicly recorded documents relating to real property, mortgage-backed securities information, criminal and eviction records, employment verification, flood and hazard information and under-banked credit information. The Company licenses its data directly to its customers and provide its customers with analytical products and services for risk management, collateral assessment and fraud prediction. The Company also provides consumer screening and risks management for the multi-family housing and under-banked credit services industries. The Company's primary customers are commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, inves! tment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, property management companies and government-sponsored enterprises.
The Company is a provider of fraud detection, collateral and mortgages performance analytics and real estate and mortgage-backed securities information. The Company uses its data to link property location and characteristics , real estate transactions and consumer and loans information to provide useful insights and analysis for its customers. The Company's customers span many industries, including mortgage lending, government, capital markets, consumer-direct, property and casualty insurance, direct marketing, utilities and retail. The Company obtains, normalizes and aggregates real estate property and loans data and make such data available to its customers with a standard format over the Web or in bulk data form. In addition, the Company offers a number of other services that help its customers make risk assessments, determine property values and track market performance. The Company offers its customers a host of property valuation services in an effort to assist them in assessing their risk of loss with alternative forms of property valuations, depending upon their needs and regulatory requirements. These include, among others, automated valuation models collateral risk scores, appraisal review services and valuation reconciliation services.
The Company provides solutions designed to assist its customers in detecting and preventing mortgage fraud and managing risk. The Company also provides advisory services that allow holders of mortgage-backed securities, loan and real property portfolios to gain insight on the value, quality and attributes of those assets. The Company provides document retrieval, custom fulfillment, advisory and other services that allows its customers to benefit from its specialists and their knowledge of its data to provide project-based or client-customized r! eports. T! he Company is a provider of screening and risks management services for the multi-family housing industry. The Company conducts applicant screening and generate consumer reports containing information that may includes landlord-tenant court records, lease and payment performance history, credit history and criminal records history primarily for residential property managers and owners throughout the United States.
The Company is a provider of natural hazard risk management and information solutions with premium locational accuracy and spatial datasets. The Company also offers specialized data and analytical models including Wildfire Risk Score, Coastal Risk Score, Flood Risk Score, Earthquake and Fire Protection Class. The Company's analytics and hazard data are delivered to customers through multiple methods including the RiskMeter Online platform, a software as a service platform targeted to insurance industry participants. The Company is a provider of credit reports for under-banked consumer and specialty borrowers. The Company's customers range in size from single proprietorships to major credit card issuers. The Company is a provider of real estate listing software systems.
Mortgage Origination Services
The Company provides loan origination and closing-related services and solutions to mortgages originators, including tax services and flood and data services. The segment's primary customers are national mortgage lenders and servicers, but the Company also serves regional mortgage lenders and brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, government agencies and property and casualty insurance companies.
The Company provides property tax services in the United States. The Company procures and aggregates property taxes information from over 20,000 taxing authorities. The Company uses this information to advise mortgage originators and servicers of the property taxes payment status on their loans and to monitor that status for the life of the loans. Th! e Company! also may indemnify mortgage lenders against losses for any failure to make transfers to taxing authorities.
The Company provides flood zone determinations in the United States. The Company typically furnishes a mortgage originator or servicer with a report as to whether a property lies within a governmentally delineated flood hazard area and then monitor the property for flood hazard status changes for as long as the loan is active.
The Company provides credit services in the United States mortgage and transportation markets, with solutions that helps its customers meet their lending, leasing and other consumer credit automation needs. The Company provides cloud computing-based lending solutions to the financial services market through a comprehensive suite of enterprise lending automation solutions.
Asset Management and Processing Solutions
The Company provides analytical and outsourcing services primarily relating to defaulting and foreclosed mortgages loans to mortgage servicers, financial institutions, government and governmental-sponsored enterprises and other companies. The Company inspects , preserves, maintain and , where required, registers vacant properties with local authorities on behalf of its mortgage servicer customers.
The Company through its business processing outsourcing (BPO) offers mortgage servicers and investors a alternative to traditional appraisals. The Company provides outsourcing services to residential mortgage servicers. The Company's processing competencies provide the servicers operational, audit and quality control services throughout the default cycle, from collections to foreclosure. The Company provides property recovery services, including eviction logistics. The Company values the asset using one or more of its full range of valuation products. The Company also offers marketing and closing services. The Company provides mortgage servicers with a suite of hosted default management servicing applicatio! ns. The C! ompany's component-based solution provides modules for loss mitigation, foreclosure, bankruptcy, collateral valuations, property preservation, REO asset management and claims processing.
The Company competes with Equifax Inc., Lexis-Nexis, Lender Processing Services, Inc, TransUnion Corp., Verisk Analytics, Safeguard Properties, Clear-Capital.com, Inc, and Experian plc.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Thursday, industrials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.43 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), up 9 percent, and ITT Educational Services (NYSE: ESI), up 9 percent.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Insulet Corporation(PODD)
Insulet Corporation, a medical device company, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of insulin infusion systems for people with insulin-dependent diabetes in the United States. The company offers OmniPod Insulin Management System (OmniPod System), which consists of the OmniPod disposable insulin infusion device and the handheld wireless personal diabetes manager to provide diabetes management solution for people with insulin-dependent diabetes. It is also involved in the distribution of durable medical equipment, including blood glucose testing supplies, insulin pumps, pump supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other products for the management and treatment of diabetes. The company sells its OmniPod System directly to patients through referrals from healthcare professionals and through patient leads, as well as through third-party distributors; and delivers durable medical equipment to endocrinologists, insurers, and clients. Insulet Corporation was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a pair of downgrades for document storage company Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM ) and insulin treatments-equipment maker Insulet (NASDAQ: PODD ) . But the headlines aren't all bad, so before we break the bad news to you, let's start off on a bright note about...
- [By James Brumley]
And just for the record, theme-based buyout speculation doesn’t improve your chances of picking an acquisition target. Back in 2012 after Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) bought Amylin for control of its diabetes pipeline following the purchase of Neighborhood Diabetes by Insulet (PODD), pundits were sure it would spark a wave of other diabetes-driven acquisitions. Those other M&A candidates began getting bid up, but as it turns out, no more meaningful buyouts materialized in the diabetes space.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Boulder Brands Inc (BDBD)
Boulder Brands, Inc., incorporated on May 31, 2005, is a supplier of gluten-free and health and wellness products in the United States and Canada. The Company distributes its products in all retail channels, including natural, grocery, club and mass merchandise. The Company also has a presence in the foodservice and industrial channels. The Company�� product portfolio consists of spreads, milk and other grocery products marketed under the Smart Balance, Earth Balance and Bestlife brands, and gluten-free products sold under the Udi's, Glutino and Gluten-Free Pantry brands. The Company operates in two segments: Smart Balance and Natural. The Smart Balance segment consists of its branded products in spreads, butter, grocery and milk. The Natural segment consists of its Earth Balance, Glutino and Udi's branded products. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired 100% interests of Phil's Fresh Foods, LLC, owner of EVOL Foods (EVOL).
Smart Balance Products
The Smart Balance line of products is available in a range of categories, formats and sizes in the supermarket, mass merchandise and convenience store channels of distribution. Some of the Company�� buttery spreads are also available in bulk and individual serving formats for use in the industrial and foodservice channels. The Company�� Smart Balance buttery spreads are made from a patented blend of natural oils to help balance fats in the consumer's diet and to help improve the good-to-bad cholesterol ratio when used as part of the Smart Balance Food Plan. Smart Balance Spreadable Butters, available in original, light and extra virgin olive oil varieties, are a blend of creamery fresh butter and canola oil that contain less saturated fat than butter, as well as functional ingredients like EPA/DHA Omega-3 and plant sterols.
The Company offers a range of enhanced milk products, with different varieties containing EPA/DHA Omega-3s, plant sterols, and added levels of calcium and protein. The Comp! any use low and fat-free milks enhanced with non-fat milk solids to give the taste and texture of whole or reduced fat milk. The Company�� milk varieties include fat-free milk, 1% lowfat milk and lactose-free milk and are available in markets across the United States. The Company�� peanut butter products contain ALA Omega-3 from flax oil. The Company�� cooking oil and cooking sprays are designed for use in cooking, baking and salads to aid in avoiding trans fat and hydrogenated oils. The Company also markets a Smart Balance Buttery Burst Spray. The spray has zero calories, zero carbs and zero fats per serving and can be used as a pan spray or as a topping.
The Company�� Smart Balance Light Mayonnaise Dressing has half the fat of regular mayonnaise, is non-hydrogenated, contains zero grams of trans fat and contains natural plant sterols and ALA Omega-3. The Company created the Smart Balance Food Plan, incorporating many of its Smart Balance products, in order to help consumers achieve a healthy balance of natural fats in their daily diet. The plan includes menus, as well as numerous recipes.
Natural
The Earth Balance line of products offers a range of buttery spreads, sticks, soymilks, nut butters and vegan mayo dressings formulated for consumers interested in natural, plant based and organic products. Glutino offers a range of shelf stable and frozen gluten-free products, including snack foods, frozen baked goods, frozen entrees and baking mixes, throughout the United States and Canada. Glutino also offers a range of fresh breads under the Genius brand name. Based in Denver, Colorado, Udi's markets gluten-free products under the Udi's Gluten Free Foods brand in the retail market. The Company owns and operates a health and wellness, subscripton-based Website at www.thebestlife.com, which is based on the philosophies of Bob Greene.
The Company competes with Unilever, ConAgra Foods, Dean Foods, Land O' Lakes, Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Food for L! ife, Van'! s, Nature's Path, Mary's Gone Crackers, Enjoy Life, Pamela's Gluten Free, Rudi's Gluten-Free, French Meadow Bakery, Schar, Kinnikinnick, Amy's Gluten Free, Snyder's, Blue Diamond Gluten-Free, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free and Food Should Taste Good.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By John Udovich]
If you are looking for way to invest in the trend towards gluten free food, small cap Boulder Brands Inc (NASDAQ: BDBD) is probably the closest thing to a pure play gluten free stock while large cap General Mills, Inc (NYSE: GIS) and small cap Giggles N Hugs Inc (OTCMKTS: GIGL) offer exposure to consumer trends away from gluten. To begin with, a gluten free diet or product will�exclude gluten, a protein composite found in wheat and related grains such as barley and rye that is believed to cause health problems�for sufferers of celiac disease (1% of the population), non-celiac gluten sensitivity (as many as 18 million Americans) and some cases of wheat allergy. Many Western consumers are adopting a gluten-free lifestyle whether or not they have actually been diagnosed (by a doctor) with CD or gluten sensitivity. With that in mind, here is a look at three gluten free stocks or potential plays on the gluten free fad:
- [By Pendulum]
Gluten-free products are the growth engine for Boulder Brands (BDBD). Certain consumers require gluten-free products for medical reasons, but Boulder Brands believes that the potential for gluten-free products is much wider. Bulls argue that the benefits of gluten-free foods extend to the broader population and consumers will gravitate toward gluten-free over time. Bears argue that only a small segment of the population really requires gluten-free food and the much hyped gluten-free diet (for the broader population) is a fad. In the near term, the company has the potential to benefit from new gluten-free labeling as well as broader distribution and an expanded product offering. With the company trading at a high valuation, after a nice rally, is the optimism about gluten-free already priced-in or is there more upside?
- [By David Sterman]
Although shares of Boulder Brands (Nasdaq: BDBD) are up more than 60% since then, Home Loan Servicing (Nasdaq: HLSS) has merely treaded water while Swift Energy has continued its downward ascent.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: WGL Holdings Inc (WGL)
WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL Holdings) is a holding company. The Company own subsidiaries, which sells and delivers natural gas and/or provide a range of energy-related products and services to customers in the District of Columbia and the surrounding metropolitan areas in Maryland and Virginia. The Company operates in three subsidiaries: regulated utility segment, retail energy-marketing segment and design-build energy systems segment. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include Washington Gas Light Company (Washington Gas), Washington Gas Resources Corporation (Washington Gas Resources), Hampshire Gas Company (Hampshire) and Crab Run Gas Company (Crab Run). Washington Gas is a regulated public utility that sells and delivers natural gas to customers in the District of Columbia and adjoining areas in Maryland, Virginia and several cities and towns in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Washington Gas Resources owns four subsidiaries include Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGEServices), Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc. (WGESystems), Capitol Energy Ventures Corp. (CEV) and WGSW, Inc. (WGSW).
Regulated Utility Segment
The Company�� regulated utility segment consists of Washington Gas and Hampshire. Washington Gas delivers natural gas to retail customers. Washington Gas also sells natural gas to customers who have not elected to purchase natural gas from un-regulated third-party marketers. Washington Gas recovers the cost of the natural gas to serve firm customers through gas cost recovery mechanisms. Hampshire operates and owns full and partial interests in underground natural gas storage facilities, including pipeline delivery facilities located in and around Hampshire County, West Virginia. Washington Gas purchases all of the storage services of Hampshire and includes the cost of these services in the bills sent to its customers.
As of September 30, 2011, Washington Gas had 1.083 million active customer meters. During the fiscal year ! ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company delivered 1,772.5 million therms.
Washington Gas is responsible for acquiring sufficient natural gas supplies, interstate pipeline capacity and storage capacity. Washington Gas obtains natural gas supplies, which originate from multiple regions throughout the United States and Canada. It also obtains natural gas in the form of vaporized liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Cove Point LNG terminal owned by Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP and Dominion Transmission, Inc. (collectively Dominion). As of September 30, 2011, Washington Gas had service agreements with four pipeline companies, which provided firm transportation and/or storage services directly to Washington Gas�� city gate.
Retail Energy-Marketing Segment
The retail energy-marketing segment consists of the operations of WGEServices, which sells the natural gas and electric commodity directly to residential, commercial and industrial customers. These commodities are delivered to retail customers through the distribution systems owned by regulated utilities, such as Washington Gas or other unaffiliated natural gas or electric utilities. Washington Gas delivers the natural gas sold by WGEServices, and unaffiliated electric utilities deliver all of the electricity sold. In addition, WGEServices bills its customers through the billing services of the regulated utilities, which deliver its commodities, as well as directly through its own billing capabilities. WGEServices owns multiple solar photovoltaic (Solar PV) power generating systems. As of September 30, 2011, WGEServices served approximately 172,000 residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers accounts and approximately 183,000 residential, commercial and industrial electricity customers located in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.
Design-Build Energy Systems Segment
The design-build energy systems segment, which consists ! of the op! erations of WGESystems, provides design-build energy solutions to governmental and commercial clients. WGESystems focuses on upgrading the mechanical, electrical, water and energy-related systems of governmental and commercial facilities by implementing both traditional, as well as alternative energy technologies, in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
Other Activities
Other activities consist of the operations of CEV, an unregulated, non-utility subsidiary of Washington Gas Resources, which engages in the acquisition, management and optimization of natural gas storage and transportation assets and WGSW, which was formed to invest in solar power generation and other energy efficiency solutions for customers. In addition other activities include the operation of Crab Run, a small exploration company, and administrative with WGL Holdings and Washington Gas Resources. WGSW, a wholly owned subsidiary of Washington Gas Resources, holds a 99% partnership interest in ASD Solar, LP.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Ali Berri]
Utilities shares surged around 0.87 percent in today’s trading. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included WGL Holdings (NYSE: WGL), up 6.3 percent, and Genie Energy (NYSE: GNE), up 2.4 percent.
- [By Shauna O'Brien]
Brean Capital reported on Friday that it has upgraded natural gas utility company WGL Holdings Inc (WGL).
The firm has raised its rating on WGL from “Hold” to “Buy,” and has given the company a $46 price target. This price target suggests a 12% increase from the stock’s current price of $40.62. The upgrade was primarily based on valuation and future investment opportunities.
“Like many utilities in the gas LDC space, the shares of WGL Holdings have come off recent highs and are now trading at a level we consider attractive,” analyst Michael Gaugler comments. “Beyond valuation, we consider the recent announcement of conditional approval of Dominion’s Cove Point facility for LNG export as a positive development in terms of future investment opportunities, given the company’s one-third interest in the Commonwealth Pipeline project, which we believe will be revisited due to future increased demand.”
WGL Holdings shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Friday. The stock has been mostly flat YTD.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
Today, we��e got three lesser-known dividend stocks that have all been paying dividends for more than thirty years.
WGL Holdings (WGL) The first of the secret dividend stocks is WGL Holdings�(WGL), a rather unique stock in that it�� a diversified energy play.�The company is split into four segments, of which two are regulated natural gas utilities, representing about 82% of the company�� total assets. The utility portions sell and deliver natural gas to some two million customers in the Washington D.C. and Virginia areas.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
Here are three dividend stocks that have been paying out for decades:
WGL Holdings (WGL) Dividend yield: 4.4%
Have you ever heard of WGL Holdings (WGL)? Probably not, and that’s actually a good thing. This is the kind of energy play I like because it�� highly diversified. For starters, WGL stock owns natural gas storage facilities — not the gas itself in these cases, but the storage and pipeline delivery infrastructure. Those facilities allow the company to store stuff for other people. That�� a nice margin business.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Conn's Inc.(CONN)
Conn?s, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of home appliances, consumer electronics, home office equipment, lawn and garden products, mattresses, and furniture in the United States. Its home appliances products include refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, and room air conditioners; consumer electronics products consist of LED, LCD, plasma, DLP and 3-D televisions, camcorders, digital cameras, Blu-ray and DVD players, video game equipment, portable audio, MP3 players, GPS devices, and home theater products; and furniture and mattresses include living room, bedroom, and dining room furniture. The company's products also comprise lawn and garden equipment, which includes lawn mowers, lawn tractors, and handheld equipment; and home office equipment, including computers, notebooks, and computer accessories. It also offers repair service agreements and customer credit programs, including installment and revolving credit account programs, and various credit insurance products. In addition, the company sells its products online. As of January 20, 2012, it operated 70 retail locations in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The company was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Beaumont, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
It's been a rough year for consumer electronics retailers, and Conn's (CONN) investors know all about it. The same stock that soared 157 percent higher in 2013 has surrendered more than 40 percent of its value so far in 2014. The turnaround that investors were betting on for the industry failed to materialize. It also may not seem like a good omen for Conn's that larger peer Best Buy (BBY) posted disappointing financial results last week. However, Conn's is growing, while Best Buy is retreating. Analysts see sales and earnings rocketing higher at a double-digit rate. It will be interesting to see if what's eating Best Buy is also nibbling on Conn's. Wednesday -- Homebuilders on Parade
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Global Sources Ltd.(GSOL)
Global Sources Ltd. operates as a business-to-business media company primarily in greater China. It provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. The company offers trade information using online media, print media, and face-to-face events. Its products and services comprise online product information and listing services; organizing trade shows; and advertising and marketing creative services; trade publications in print and digital formats; and china sourcing reports. The company uses English-language media to facilitate trade from Greater China to the world, as well as utilizes Chinese-language media to enable companies to sell to, and within, Greater China. It delivers information on approximately 5.7 million products and approximately 262,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly print and 18 digital magazines, approximately 90 sourcing research reports, and 73 specialized trade shows a year in 9 cities. The company was founded in 1970 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Global Sources (Nasdaq: GSOL ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: Sterling Financial Corporation(STSA)
Sterling Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Sterling Savings Bank that provides various banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, commercial organizations, and corporations in the United States. Its deposit products include transaction (checking) accounts, savings accounts, money market demand accounts, certificates of deposit, interest and non-interest bearing checking accounts, and time deposits. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial lending products, such as lines of credit, receivable and inventory financing, equipment loans, and term real estate financing for owner-occupied properties; multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans; one-to four-family residential loans; and consumer loans for automobiles, boats and recreational vehicles, and lines of credit for personal use. Sterling Financial Corporation also markets fixed income and equity products, mutual funds, annuities, and other financial products. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 72 branches in Washington, 67 branches in Oregon, 13 branches in California, 18 branches in Idaho, and 8 branches in Montana, as well as 169 automated teller machines. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Eric Volkman]
Washington state-based Sterling Financial Bank (NASDAQ: STSA ) has added a California asset to its portfolio. The lender announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to buy Commerce National Bank, headquartered in affluent Orange County. The price is $15.10 per share in cash. All told, the value of the transaction is just shy of $43 million.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Sterling Financial (STSA) is engaged in the business of purchasing, managing and collecting portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables, as well as offering accounts receivable management and payment services. This stock closed up 2% to $26.84 in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Volume: 589,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 188,505
Volume % Change: 201%
From a technical perspective, STSA bounced modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $25.61 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of STSA within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if STSA manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $27.47 to its 52-week high at $27.57 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in STSA as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $25.61 or above more near-term support at $25, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 188,505 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then STSA will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $30 to $32.50.
Top Trucking Companies To Invest In 2015: SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA)
Diamonds Trust, Series 1 (the Trust) is a unit investment trust. The Trust was created to provide investors with the opportunity to purchase units of beneficial interest in the Trust representing proportionate undivided interests in the portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the component common stocks, which comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the DJIA). The Trust�� objective is to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the DJIA.
The Trust's holdings consist of the 30 stocks in the DJIA, which is designed to capture the price performance of 30 United States blue-chip stocks. The Trust ended its fiscal year on October 31, 2007, with a 12-month return of 17.72% on net asset value as compared to the DJIA return of 17.94%. As of October 31, 2007, some of the Trust�� investments included 3M Co., Alcoa, Inc., Altria Group, Inc., American Express Co., American International Group, Inc., AT&T, Inc., Boeing Co., Caterpillar, Inc., Citigroup, Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Markos Kaminis]
The Fed Chairman handled the questions well enough, indicating that one theorized future action would not mean that a series of tapering operations would follow. In other words, if the Fed were to stop its purchases in the treasury market, it might not mean it would do the same in the mortgage-backed securities market, and it certainly did not mean the Fed would be raising interest rates anytime soon. After all, deflation is the current issue of concern, not inflation. But the meeting minutes showed some discussion among the members about monetary policy, which is (surprisingly it seems to the market) what they discuss at these meetings. I suppose out of boredom or perhaps the duties of the job, somebody always has to bring up change and the prospect of raising rates. Woe, said the market; we do not want any of that! It drove turbulence in the performance of the broader indexes and the ETFs that mimic them, with the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) and the PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) each turning downward since the May 22nd events.
