Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014

David Goldman/AP NEW YORK -- U.S. service-sector business activity picked up in October and firms took on workers despite a partial government shutdown, but new order growth slowed for a second straight month, an industry report on Tuesday showed. The Institute for Supply Management said its services index rose a point to 55.4 last month. Economists had expected it to slip to 54.0. A reading above 50 indicates expansion While last month's reading was below the near eight-year high of 58.6 reached in August, it was notable for having climbed despite a political standoff in Washington that forced a partial government shutdown for the first 16 days of October. The employment index rose to 56.2, bringing it closer to the six-month peak hit in August. It slipped to 52.7 in September. But the forward-looking new orders component fell for a second month running, checking in at 56.8 in October from 59.6 the prior month. The data comes days after the ISM's national factory index showed U.S. manufacturing grew at its fastest pace last month in 2½ years. Overall, however, recent U.S. economic data has been mixed, and growth is expected to have slowed to a 1.9 percent rate in the third quarter from 2.5 percent between April and June. The Federal Reserve has said the timing of a decision to begin scaling back support for the U.S. economy will depend on the way the economy evolves.

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    Despite the weakness seen in precious metals a few weeks ago, silver has been relatively stable ever since mid-April, with the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) trading in a dollar-wide range ever since. With the presidents of the Chicago and Philadelphia Federal Reserve banks��releasing conflicting statements, turmoil may be just around the corner. Miners like Pan American (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) are still facing operating challenges, while silver streaming darling Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) struggles as well.

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

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

Best Companies For 2014: CME Group Inc.(CME)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Steve Sears]

    Shares of Nasdaq OMX Group have gained 0.4% to $30.58 today, while CME Group (CME) has fallen 1.1% to $71.89, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) has dropped 0.2% to $185.16, and NYSE Euronext (NYX) has ticked down 0.1% to $42.66.

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

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

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    One group of stocks not feeling the optimism today: Gold miners. With fewer concerns that a U.S. attack on Syria will be disruptive and more evidence that tapering will begin this month, the price of the precious metal has dropped 1.6% to $1,388.90 an ounce–and gold stocks are falling with it. New Gold (NGD), for one, has dropped 3% to $6.55, while Barrick Gold (ABX) has fallen 1.3% to $19.25.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Even bad news has failed to dent the rise in gold stocks today. NewGold (NGD), for instance, has gained 1.8% to $7.49 despite the fact that the wall of one of its mines collapsed. The Wall Street Journal has the details:

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonathan Yates]

    There is also a need for diversification in an investment portfolio that gold and silver holdings provide for a family office. It is a classic hedge against economic turmoil. Companies in the sector range from Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), the world's biggest, to Wishbone Gold, a small cap with promising holdings in Australia. If dividend income is desired by the family office, there is Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY), a favorite of financial columnist Jim Jubak, that has a 2.80 percent yield. Goldcorp has a dividend of around 2.50 percent, with Newmont Mining's (NYSE: NEM) even higher at nearly three percent.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Newmont has dropped 2.2% to $25.73 at 3:02 p.m. While that’s in-line with the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF’s (GDX) 2.2% fall to 23.03, it’s better than the most heavily traded gold-mining stocks. Shares of Barrick Gold (ABX), for instance, have dropped 3.6% to $17.20, Gold Corp (GG) is down 3.1% at $23.54 and Eldorado Gold (EGO) has declined 3.9% to $5.82.

  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    Due to gold's recent plunge marking its largest percentage drop since 1980, the explosive volume in the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) , and many swirling global macroeconomic factors, the precious yellow metal has spooked investors. The decline has not been limited to the commodity, as miners like Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) , and Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) are experiencing precipitous declines as well. Adding to the concern is the fact that investors have been unable to pinpoint the precise cause of the collapse.

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

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

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

    Thompson Creek Metals Co. Inc. (NYSE: TC) was at 54% discount to its book value of $8.30 per share at the time, and the stock price of $3.90 is up from $3.03 Deutsche Bank’s team nailed upside of more than 28% here. Its price target was $4 at the time versus a consensus target of $4.50 at the time. The 52-week range here is $2.42 to $4.55, but we would point out that the consensus price target is $3.93.

  • [By Selena Maranjian]

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

  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    The biggest new holdings are Chesapeake Energy�puts, and shares of Discovery Communications. Other new holdings of interest include Halcon Resources (NYSE: HK  ) , and Thompson Creek Metals (NYSE: TC  ) . Oil and gas company Halcon, operating in the promising Bakken region, as well as Texas's productive Eagle Ford shale region, among others, is expected to grow by 30% annually over the coming years. It recently reported 2012 net daily production 128% higher than year-ago levels, and proven reserves up 417%. Halcon was recently one of my colleague Joel South's top two energy holdings, and analysts at Stifel recently upped its rating�from Hold to Buy.

  • [By Jim Jubak]

    The stock market liked what it heard Wednesday, August 7, from Thompson Creek Metals (TC) after the close in New York. Second quarter adjusted net earnings of 8 cents a share crushed the Wall Street consensus of a penny a share. Revenue climbed 3.8% to $117.8 million versus expectations for revenue of just $1.3.8 million. The company also said that its new Mt. Milligan mine is on schedule with a start-up for the concentrator expected this month, with first ore-feed by mid-August. The company said it expects commercial production to begin in the fourth quarter of 2013, with production ramping to full capacity over the next twelve months.

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

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

Best Gold Companies To Watch For 2014: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

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

Monday, December 30, 2013

Helping Female Advisors Navigate a Male-Dominated Profession

“We are losing women in this profession and we do have a gender issue in this profession,” Rebecca Pomering of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors told a room full of women—and some men—during Schwab’s IMPACT conference Monday.

Speaking on a women’s panel along with Pomering, Peggy Ruhlin of Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, Inc., added that “25% of the attendees at conferences were women when I started, and that hasn’t changed”—a fact that she said both “surprises and upsets” her.

Ruhlin and Pomering were joined by Schwab’s Naureen Hassan as well as Suanne Ramar of Nelson Capital Management. They each shared their experiences in the profession and offered some sage—and frank—advice to the other female advisors in attendance.

Top Biotech Companies To Invest In Right Now

Ramar, who said she entered the advisory field “by accident” right out of college, noted the importance of mentoring. The woman who ended up mentoring her had an MBA and CFA, she said, two credentials she eventually secured for herself. Mentoring, she said, has to be a “path that’s best for both parties.”

Pomering agreed. “Mentoring has to be a two-way street,” she said. “You mentor people because they help you advance in your career and skills as well.” As her mentor said to her: “The more successful you are the more we can grow this.”

Ruhlin urged the women in attendance to join their local chapters of financial planning-related associations, which she said “can pay off big time.” While not having a mentor herself, Ruhlin said that early in her career she became president of her local chapter of the “old IAFP” [now the FPA].

“When I was president of the local IAFP, there was a big one-day stock market crash and ABC News decided to cover this event,” Ruhlin recalled. ABC News went to the IAFP looking for someone to interview, she said, “and they suggested me; it was casual day and I had to send my husband home to get an outfit.” Peter Jennings ended up being the newscaster who interviewed her on Monday night, “right before Monday night football,” so “everybody saw this show—I got all sorts of calls. What do you think that kind of publicity would cost?”

The women also agreed that challenges can be masked as opportunities. While opportunities came her way because she is a woman, Pomering said, “the bigger opportunities come from proving yourself in those initial opportunities.”

Ramar told attendees not to fall into the trap of being “self-deprecating” when opportunities come their way.

“Don’t say I was really lucky rather than being smart. Let’s be both lucky and smart and take advantage of that opportunity.”

---

Check out Beware a Fiduciary ‘Wild West’: Graff on ThinkAdvisor.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Sell JCP NOW – JCPenney Stock Slashed In Half Over Last Month

jcp jcpenney stockShares of JCPenney (JCP) fell below the $7 mark this week, bringing 1-month losses to around 50% and 12-month losses to 75%. That’s the lowest level JCP stock has seen in 33 years.

JCPenney stock did manage to regain a sliver of recent losses yesterday, but that still wasn’t enough to send shares of JCP back over the $7 mark, much less bring them back to the 20-day moving average just over $8. JCPenney stock closed up 1.87% at $6.50 for the day.

Fun fact: That makes the share price less than the amount of cash JCPenney held per share as of the end of the second quarter.

The balance sheet could have changed slightly since then — something we will find out when third-quarter JCPenney earnings are released next month, on Nov. 19. But it seems likely that there will still be little value, if any, in shares of JCP stock beyond the company’s pile of cash.

Besides, debt per share for JCP was around four times that cash per share as of the the second quarter’s end.

That’s an ugly picture for falling JCPenney stock, and just part of the growing pile of reasons investors are best advised to stay away.

A Pile of Struggles for JCP

If you’re still not convinced an investment in JCP stock is too big of a risk, the red flags don’t end there.

First of all, JCP stock continued its downtrend this week because Imperial Capital analyst Mary Ross-Gilbert reiterated her “underperform rating” and slashed her price target to just $1. That $1 floor was cited by a Citi analysts as the liquidation value last month as well.

While Ross-Gilbert pointed to the possibility of bankruptcy as the reason for more JCP downside, there are plenty of other headwinds for JCPenney stock.

Brian Sozzi, CEO & Chief Equities Strategist at Belus Capital Advisors recently said that the retailer needs a historic holiday season to survive, mentioning the aforementioned huge pile of bills to pay. That type of holiday season sure doesn’t look to be in the cards for JCP.

Deutsche Bank (DB) analysts, for example, expect the department store space overall to struggle this holiday season in the face of declining mall traffic and overall spending that is lackluster. That means they expect stronger stores like Macy’s (M) and Nordstrom (JWN) to post even lower earnings, and flailing JCPenney to post an even wider loss.

That’s hardly what JCPenney needs — especially considering holiday sales fell 30% last year under the reign of Ron Johnson.

And that means there’s a pretty good chance that JCP stock will continue its never-ending slide. Besides, on the off chance there is a substantial rebound, it’s almost guaranteed that bottom-fishing investors aren’t going to time it right.

The bottom line: Stay away from sinking JCPenney stock. Everytime it seems like the stock can’t fall any further, it doesn. And there’s simply no reason trying to time a bottom in a stock with little value and little hope at a turnaround anyways.

As of this writing, Robert Martin did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Advisors Overwhelmed by Product Pitches: Study

Advisors will probably say they don't need a study to tell them they're barraged by product pitches; for manufacturers, however, the results could be eye-opening.

The typical advisor receives 50 to 100 different marketing and sales contacts a week in various formats, according to a new report from the Boston-based research and consulting firm Practical Perspectives.

Additionally, the report, “Communicating with Financial Advisors–Insights and Opportunities 2013,” found roughly one in three advisors indicate they actually receive significantly more communications.

“Many advisors find the volume of marketing and sales contact to be overwhelming and are challenged to devote time to reflect on these outreach efforts,” the report says. “Consequently, a large portion of the messaging is given cursory attention or ignored, especially from firms that advisors are not currently engaged with.”

Howard Schneider, Practical Perspectives’ president and author of the report, says advisors see benefit in the marketing and sales outreach they receive from product providers and other sources, but most don’t have the time to digest the messages given other day-to-day priorities.

“Providers are spending countless resources on outreach each year to build awareness, loyalty and sales,” Schneider says. “Many advisors indicate these contacts do influence key factors such as their willingness to consider a particular provider or their loyalty to a provider. The struggle for firms is to use best practices to gain advisors' attention in a highly cluttered environment with so many firms competing for the chance to connect.”

Hot Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In 2014

Additional findings of the report include:

---

Check out 3 Steps to Reaching Prospects Online on ThinkAdvisor.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Looking for investment options? Bonds are your best bet

Top China Companies To Invest In Right Now

The economy is heading for a slowdown and bond yields are not far from peaks seen during the year.  This by itself is a good case for buying into bond yields and the risk return profile of investing in bonds is very much in your favour. Bond funds that invest in government and corporate bonds are an alternative if you do not want to invest directly in bonds.

Ten year benchmark government bond yields are trading at around 8.25% levels. The peak seen on the 7.80% 2021 government bond, which is the benchmark ten year bond, is 8.45%, seen in May 2011. Benchmark AAA corporate bonds of five and ten year maturities are trading at close to 9.5% levels, down from peaks of 9.75%. The current levels of bond yields are at close to three year highs and the levels are where they are due to inflation. Inflation as measured by the WPI (Wholesale Price Index) is running at 9.06% levels and is expected to come in higher for the month of June, due to the fuel price hikes by the government in June. The RBI has raised the benchmark policy rate, the repo rate by 275 bps over the last fifteen months as inflation kept steadily moving higher from levels of 5% to levels of 9% and above. The repo rate is at 7.50% at present.

The economy in the meanwhile has show signs of slowdown. The IIP (Index of Industrial Production) growth for the month of May 2011 came in at 5.6%, against market expectations of over 8%. The IIP growth for May 2010 was at 8.5%.  IIP growth for the month of April 2011 was at 5.7% taking the April-May 2011 average to 5.7%. While two months of weak industrial growth does not indicate a slowdown for the full year, the environment outside does suggest that the economy can slowdown faster than expected and force GDP growth numbers for 2011-12 to be revised downward from 8%.

The fall in IIP growth for May is to be seen in conjunction with the status of growth drivers in the economy. Monetary policy is tight and its effects are seen on credit growth, which has fallen from levels of 23.5% to levels of 20% over the last six months. Interest rate sensitive industries from auto to real estate are seeing a slowdown. Vehicle sales growth has dropped from high double digit growth levels to low single digit growth levels. Infrastructure spending is coming off due to tight liquidity and high interest rate conditions (as per industry leaders).  Financial services sector is facing issues of a weak capital market with broad equity indices still trading below levels seen in late 2007. High interest rates and weak capital markets are forcing corporates to put off expansion plans. There is clearly a case for the economy to slow down further.

The economic environment in the global front is not looking positive. Economic growth in the big economies of US, China and Japan is looking to come off. US unemployment rate at 9.2% has gone up from below 6% levels seen in 2006 and is not looking to go down soon. China is fighting inflation, which is trending at 6.4% levels and has raised rates and lowered growth forecasts. Japan is coming out of a natural disaster that closed down it nuclear facilities. Eurozone is facing a debt crisis and many countries in the Eurozone including Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland will see growth come off sharply on spending cuts, and this will bring down growth in the region.

Growth drivers absent, inflation drivers such as demand and commodity prices will also cool off leading to falling inflation expectations. In such a scenario, bond will do extremely well and at levels close to three year highs, chances of yields falling is much better than chances of yields rising. 

The author is editor www.investorsareidiots.com a financial web site for investors.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Can Dell Surge Higher?

With shares of Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) trading around $13, is DELL an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Dell is a global information technology company that offers its customers a range of solutions and services delivered directly by Dell and through other distribution channels. The company operates in four segments: Large Enterprise, Public, Small and Medium Business, and Consumer. Dell serves a wide range of customers: global and national corporate businesses; educational institutions, government, health care, and law enforcement agencies; small and medium-sized businesses; and end users. Through its four segments, Dell is able to provide information technology products to a growing user base around the world. As economies continue to develop, look for a company like Dell to provide important technology products for years to come.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Mixed

Dell stock has struggled to make any significant progress over the last several years. The stock is now trading near the middle of a range extending back to mid-2009. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Dell is trading between its key averages which signal neutral price action in the near-term.

Top 5 Biotech Companies To Watch In Right Now

DELL

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Dell options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

Implied Volatility (IV)

30-Day IV Percentile

90-Day IV Percentile

Dell Options

25.23%

86%

85%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very significant amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

Put IV Skew

Call IV Skew

July Options

Flat

Average

August Options

Flat

Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Decreasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Dell’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Dell look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

2013 Q1

2012 Q4

2012 Q3

2012 Q2

Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)

-80.56%

-29.00%

-44.90%

-12.50%

Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)

-2.41%

-10.71%

-10.70%

-7.50%

Earnings Reaction

-0.22%

0.21%

-7.32%

-5.34%

Dell has seen decreasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have not been too pleased with Dell’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Dell stock done relative to its peers, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), and sector?

Dell

Hewlett-Packard

Apple

International Business Machines

Sector

Year-to-Date Return

32.15%

67.37%

-24.35%

1.80%

25.46%

Dell has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Dell is a global information technology company that provides valuable solutions to consumers and companies. The stock has not seen much progress in recent years and is now trading near the middle of a multi-year range. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have not been too pleased as earnings and revenue figures have decreased. Relative to its peers and sector, Dell has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE what Dell does the remainder of this quarter.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Egypt Is In Turmoil: Should You Invest Now?

The recent unrest in Egypt has drawn the attention of the entire world. A backlash against Mohamed Morsi, the nation's first democratically elected president, spurred a coup by the Egyptian military early this month. With the transitional government working to form a cabinet and restore order, the country is a potential powder keg as the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists find themselves under threat of arrest.

As you'd expect during times of trouble, the stock market in Egypt plunged during early June as protests gradually grew in force and the conflict began to escalate. Yet courageous investors bought into the market during those declines, and since the military has taken power, the Egyptian stock market has recovered almost to its pre-conflict level. As the new government fleshes itself out, is now the right time to invest in Egypt?


Image source: Wikimedia Commons.

Finding your way in
The first thing to realize about investing in Egypt is that it's not terribly easy. The most popular way for U.S. investors to invest in Egypt is the Market Vectors Egypt ETF (NYSEMKT: EGPT  ) , which owns more than two dozen different stocks in the Middle Eastern country. The reason: Most of the stocks you'll find inside that ETF aren't available on major exchanges within the U.S., making it very difficult for investors to buy the stocks directly. The ETF is primarily concentrated in financial and telecom stocks, which make up almost 75% of its investments, with the remaining quarter of the fund's assets invested in the energy and basic-materials sectors.

Still, most investors haven't seen the crisis as an opportunity to invest in Egypt, making it a potential contrarian opportunity. Most analysts have instead looked at the current Egyptian crisis as a potential problem for global trade. With the strategically placed Suez Canal and oil pipeline greatly facilitate trade between Europe and Asia, especially for energy products, unrest in Egypt could threaten shipping and lead to trade disruptions that in turn could create temporary price moves for important commodities.

Solving the economic problems
Most of the discussion of Egypt's problems have centered on political clashes. But underlying those conflicts is the basic fact that the nation's gross domestic product has been falling recently in inflation-adjusted terms, leading to massive unemployment that compares unfavorably even to the sky-high jobless rates we've seen in hard-hit areas of Europe. Moreover, outdated policies -- e.g., expensive fuel-price subsidies that keep the price of gasoline artificially low -- have sapped financial resources away from potentially more productive uses like skills-training and investment in higher-growth industries such as technology and manufacturing. Those impediments sent the value of the Egypt ETF's price down by half between its inception in early 2010 and the late 2011 unrest that led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak and the eventual election of Morsi.

EGPT Total Return Price Chart

Egypt ETF Total Return Price data by YCharts.

Optimists now hope Egypt will be able to apply for assistance from the International Monetary Fund to help develop its economy. Unfortunately, without the extensive oil and gas reserves that so many of its neighbors benefit from, Egypt faces challenges that are unusual among its closest peers.

Hope for the future
For investors, though, the experience of investing in other countries following periods of civil strife and political upheaval should provide some solace. In Greece, demonstrations have continued under government austerity programs, but the stock market there is still up about 60% from about a year ago despite having given up ground lately. Spain, which also suffers from high unemployment, has climbed by about a third from year-ago levels.

There's no guarantee that Egypt will be able to match those gains, as a 50% rise in the Egyptian ETF during the first nine months of 2012 proved fleeting. But a lasting solution to the crisis there would make it clear in hindsight that now was the right time to invest in Egypt.

One way that investors have historically protected themselves against unrest is by investing in gold, but with its recent declines, is the yellow metal a smart buy right now? The Motley Fool's new free report, "The Best Way to Play Gold Right Now," dissects the recent volatility and provides a guide for gold investing. Click here to read the full report today!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Hooters Goes Global

Hooters are casual restaurants with sports on TV, jukeboxes, and the "world famous" Hooters Girls, notes small-cap stock specialist Konrad Kuhn in The KonLin Letter.

Chanticleer Holdings (HOTR), a franchisee of international Hooters restaurants, has exploded through its upside target prices; however, in our view, the stock has a long way to go, as it expands its restaurants abroad, and in the US.

The company currently owns, in whole or in part, the exclusive franchise rights to develop and operate Hooters restaurants in South Africa, Hungary, and Brazil.

It also has joint ventured with the current Hooters franchisee in Australia, while evaluating several additional international opportunities.

HOTR also signed a binding letter of intent to acquire an existing Hooters location in Nottigham, England; management expects further expansion in the UK market.

HOTR is progressing with an additional Australian restaurant, and recently signed a lease for a Pretoria, South Africa location.

It is also planning for a restaurant in Rio de Janiero, which, if successful, would bring the company to its goal of ten Hooters restaurants by year-end. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Brazil in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016, we see a tremendous opportunity.

The company also has a minority interest in the privately-held Hooters of America (HOA), the operator and franchisor of over 430 Hooters restaurants; HOTR's CEO Mike Pruitt is a member of the HOA Board of Directors.

HOTR also recently acquired American Roadside Burgers, a fast, casual burger chain with five existing restaurants.

Management's key strategic initiatives are coming to fruition as planned; the company is gaining momentum and growing stronger. Meanwhile, the stock surged through our first target of $4 to $4.50 for a 143% gain.

Our next revised target is in the $6 to $7 area, although the stock must close above $5 first. Our ultimate price target is a move to $10 or $11.

Subscribe to KonLin Letter here…

More from MoneyShow.com:

Campbell's Soup: Mmmm Good

Amira Foods: Bet on Basmati

Big Mac Investor Impact

Saturday, December 21, 2013

How Impressive Was Samsung's Galaxy S4 Launch?

No smartphone maker has challenged Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) like Samsung does. The South Korean conglomerate's Galaxy S lineup has proven to be the most viable contender for the title of "iPhone killer," a moniker that countless rivals have pursued to no avail.

In January, Samsung announced that its flagship product family had reached a cumulative total of 100 million units in channel sales over the first three generations. The newest addition is the Galaxy S4, which was unveiled in March and launched near the tail end of April.

An unnamed exec told The Chosun Ilbo that the company had "supplied" 4 million units to carriers worldwide by the end of April. As of last Friday, Samsung had shipped more than 6 million, and the company expects to break 10 million units by month's end.

That's an impressive headline figure, as 4 million units is pretty close to the 5 million iPhone 5 units that Apple sold during its last launch weekend. However, the devil is in the details. Since most of Samsung's sales are channel sales, a chunk of those 4 million units were making their way through the company's expansive distribution network at the end of April. There's a considerable difference between Samsung's estimated sell-through figures compared to its sell-in digits. The Galaxy S4 now qualifies as Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone, which is impressive considering the lukewarm reception it got after being unveiled.

Last year, the predecessor Galaxy S III dethroned the iPhone 4S as the top-selling smartphone model in the world, only for the iPhone 5 to reclaim that title later in the year. With Apple currently in a mid-cycle lull ahead of new iPhones this fall, the Galaxy S4 could easily become the top seller for a quarter or two, before Apple puts the heat on later.

Also, don't forget that the GS4 saw some inventory challenges in the U.S, which delayed its launch on Sprint and T-Mobile. Sprint began to get stock before April ended, but T-Mobile had to push launch into May. AT&T was the first to get the device, with retail availability on April 27, while Verizon Wireless is the last of the big four to get the GS4, which is slated for later this month.

That means that most of the U.S. launch wasn't captured in the 4 million units that Samsung announced. Even though many of its features are somewhat gimmicky, the Galaxy S4 is off to a strong start.

The titans of tech
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

Friday, December 20, 2013

10 Billionaires Who Made the Most Money in 2013

10 Billionaires Who Made The Most Money In 2013Nati Harnik/APBerkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Many familiar faces make an appearance on Wealth-X's list of the billionaires who made the most money this year. Businessmen like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have dominated wealth rankings for years, continued to add billions of dollars to their already sizable fortunes. Here's the full list, ranked by billions made from Jan. 1 to Dec. 11, 2013: 10. Carl Icahn made $7.2 billion The corporate raider had a big year after bets on Netflix and Herbalife (HLF) yielded Icahn Capital Management $800 million and $500 million profits, respectively. He tweeted his thanks to Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings and Kevin Spacey, star of the streaming service's hit show, "House of Cards." 9. Lui Chee Woo made $8.3 billion The founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group became Asia's second-richest man in 2013 as gambling revenue grew at a record pace in Macau. Lui is looking to expand his flagship casino in the city's Cotai area, which is known by many as the Asian version of the Las Vegas Strip. 8. Larry Page made $9.3 billion Google's co-founder and CEO made $3 billion in 24 hours when Google (GOOG) stocks hit an all-time high in October, breaking $1,000 for the first time. Android became the world's most popular operating system, running on 43 percent of the globe's smartphones. 7. Sergey Brin made $9.3 billion Brin, Google co-founder and head of special projects with Google X, made $2.9 billion in the October stock surge. As of Dec. 11, Brin is worth an estimated $30 billion, a 4.8 percent percent increase over the year. 6. Masayoshi Son made $10.3 billion The founder of Softbank, Asia's top Internet and telecommunications corporation, lost $70 billion in the dot-com crash, but he's surging back in a big way. The purchase of Sprint (S) and a large investment in Finnish game-maker Supercell are highlights in a year that saw Son's personal net worth more than double, growing from $8.8 billion to $19.1 billion. 5. Mark Zuckerberg made $10.5 billion Facebook (FB) stock hit an all-time high in October, and revenue continues to grow despite questions about the longevity of the product. 4. Jeff Bezos made $11.3 billion The founder and CEO of Amazon (AMZN), which made $17.1 billion in net sales in the third quarter, raised some eyebrows when he bought the Washington Post for $250 million this summer. 3. Sheldon Adelson made $11.4 billion According to Wealth-X, the casino mogul's personal net worth grew to an estimated $35.3 billion this year thanks to profits from his gambling properties in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore. 2. Bill Gates made $11.5 billion The world's wealthiest man ended the year with a personal net worth of $72.6 billion, up nearly 19 percent from $61.1 billion in 2012. 1. Warren Buffett made $12.7 billion Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A) (BRK-B) CEO personally made about $37 million a day in 2013, a year that saw the company's acquisition of Heinz and Nevada's NV Energy.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Why Hilton Stock Is Still Booming After Its IPO

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) stock opened trading on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, popping 7.5% Thursday from its initial price of $20. Shares were up another 2.9% a little after noon Friday.

Hilton sold 117.6 million shares, raising $2.35 billion in its initial public offering (IPO).

The deal was the second largest IPO of 2013, far outpacing Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) - the hottest deal of the year - last month, and less than the $2.8 billion Plains GP Holdings LP (NYSE: PAGP) raised in the year's largest deal.

Hilton, the world's largest hotel company with nearly 670,000 rooms worldwide, is the largest hotel IPO deal in market history.

The Hilton IPO caps a remarkable turnaround since the hotel operator's private takeover by Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) in 2007 - a deal that at one point looked doomed...

Hilton: Cashing in on a Hot Market

At the onset of the financial crisis, private equity firms swooped up companies when the economy tanked. Now those firms are looking to cash in when the market is surging and investor sentiment is high.

Blackstone's acquisition of Hilton was a huge story when it happened. At the time, there were many questions on whether the equity firm ultimately paid too much, after acquiring it for $26 billion.

Blackstone borrowed about $20.5 billion to buy Hilton. It used profits from the hotel chain to pay down the debt - instead of using that money for special dividends, which is often the case.

Then the financial crisis hit and reduced the value of Blackstone's Hilton investment. In 2010, Blackstone restructured the deal with its lenders.

The renegotiating helped Blackstone pay off its debt when interest rates were low. Then it continued to use Hilton profits to pay off lenders, and used cost-cutting measures to make Hilton more profitable.

Top Casino Companies For 2014

The reason to come to market now is Blackstone is looking to take advantage of investor appetite for the hospitality industry. Hotels have recovered greatly since the financial crisis, and other major hotel chains are currently trading near all-time highs...

Hilton Stock Shines in Surging Hospitality Industry

HLT's positive introduction to market is a sure sign that investors are checked into hospitality stocks. The Dow Jones U.S. Hotels index has spiked almost 30% year to date.

This year's strong growth is a radical change since the recession, where hospitality (which took a beating from both consumer and business cutbacks) suffered massive downturns.

The global recovery has benefited the industry, as demand for rooms has increased. A crunch on credit and concerns about the stability of recovery, however, has created a supply issue for the market. Many hotel chains have resisted new construction, a trend that is likely to end in 2014.

Thanks to these factors, the industry has benefited from strong increases in room rates and occupancy levels, both of which are expected to increase in 2014, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

With strong growth in the emerging markets, the industry is currently facing supply constraints that will lead to greater development around the world. However, as banks begin to increase lending, more construction is expected.

One way that Hilton outshines the competition: It has outpaced its competitors in revenue per room - an important metric for analysts. Bloomberg projects that Hilton will likely increase its per-room profit by 6% in 2014.

What's more optimistic news for potential HLT stock investors: Hilton stock traded above its IPO level on a day the market lost more than 100 points. At a $20 IPO price, Hilton had a market cap value of $19.7 billion on Thursday morning, far more than industry rivals Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H), Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT), and Marriott International Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR).

The fact that Blackstone didn't sell any shares in this week's IPO shows it's not attempting to gain capital, but instead increase the value of the share of the company it currently owns. This will hopefully drive up the return that Blackstone ultimately receives from Hilton. That's a short-term bullish sign for HLT stock.

But for now, it's best to take a wait-and-see approach with Hilton stock. The economy is still heavily dependent on central bank spending, and fears over a U.S. Federal Reserve QE taper could cause a pullback in hospitality industry spending, and in HLT's share price.

Today's Top Story: America's Bestselling Retirement "Plan" Is Jeopardizing - of All Things - Your Retirement

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via "13F" filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.

Today let's look at Tocqueville Asset Management, a portfolio manager with a contrarian bent, believing that "the best investment results over time are achieved outside the mainstream consensus" and seeking "undervalued companies that possess long-term earnings power."

The company's reportable stock portfolio totaled $8.8 billion in value as of March 31, 2013.

Interesting developments
So what does Tocqueville's latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details.

The biggest new holdings are The Finish Line�and Aeropostale. Other new holdings of interest include biotech company Exelixis (NASDAQ: EXEL  ) , which received FDA approval last year for its thyroid cancer drug, Cometriq. The drug may also get approved to treat prostate cancer, and the company is looking at treating as many as nine different cancers with it. On the other hand, Cometriq is expensive, and the company's debt has been growing, along with its share count.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Pharmacyclics Inc (PCYC)

Pharmacyclics, Inc., incorporated on April 19, 1991, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer and immune mediated diseases. The Company's clinical development and product candidates are small-molecule enzyme inhibitors designed to target biochemical pathways involved in human diseases. As of June 30, 2011, it had three drug candidates under clinical development and a number of preclinical lead molecules. This includes an inhibitor of Bruton�� tyrosine kinase (Btk) (PCI-32765) in Phase II studies in hematologic malignancies; a Btk inhibitor lead optimization program targeting autoimmune indications, an inhibitor of Factor VIIa (PCI-27483) in a Phase II clinical trial in pancreatic cancer, and a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (PCI-24781) in Phase I and II clinical trials in solid tumors and hematological malignancies as of June 30, 2012.

As of June 30, 2012, the Company developed ibrutinib, which has demonstrated clinical activity and tolerability in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in a variety of B-cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a number of non-Hodgkin�� lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. CLL, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are specific indications of its current or planned Phase Ib/II and Phase III development program. had development programs for B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases. For malignant indications it has developed PCI-32765, which has demonstrated clinical activity and tolerability in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in a range of B-cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a number of non-Hodgkin�� lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. CLL, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are specific indications of its Phase II development. It has developed an assay! to measure occupancy of Btk in PBMCs using a cell-permeable fluorescently-labeled derivative of PCI-32765.

Factor VII is an enzyme that becomes activated (FVIIa) by binding to the cell surface protein tissue factor (TF), a protein found in the body that helps to trigger the process of blood clotting in response to injury. TF is over expressed in many cancers including gastric, breast, colon, lung, prostate, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. In these tumors, the FVIIa/TF complex induces intracellular signaling pathways by activating protease activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), another cell-surface protein. This in turn increases the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a protein produced by white blood cells and other immune cells in response to pathogenic stimulation, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a signal protein produced by cells that stimulate the growth of blood vessels. Both proteins play an important role in tumor growth and metastases as well as angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels). FVIIa/TF complex also initiates the coagulation (a process by which blood forms clots) processes implicated in the high incidence of thromboembolic (the process by which the blood clots within a blood vessel) complications seen in patients with TF-expressing cancers. Thromboembolic events are a cause of death in patients with cancer and anticoagulant treatment has been shown to improve survival in a variety of cancers (Klerk et al. JCO. 2005).

PCI-27483 Factor VIIa Inhibitor

The Company�� Factor VIIa inhibitor PCI-27483 is a first-in-human small molecule inhibitor that selectively targets FVIIa. As an inhibitor of FVIIa, PCI-27483 has two potential mechanisms of action: inhibition of intracellular signaling involved in tumor growth and metastases and inhibition of early coagulation processes associated with thromboembolism.

Factor VIIa PCI-27483 Clinical Development Update

A multicenter Phase I/II of PCI-27483 in patients with locally a! dvanced o! r metastatic pancreatic cancer that are either receiving or are planned to receive gemcitabine therapy has completed enrollment. The Phase II portion of the study randomized patients to receive either gemcitabine alone or gemcitabine plus PCI-27483 (1.2 mg/kg twice daily). The objectives are to assess the safety of FVIIa Inhibitor PCI-27483 at pharmacologically active dose levels, to assess potential inhibition of tumor progression and to obtain initial information of the effects on the incidence of thromboembolic events. Due to a paradigm shift away from the use of gemcitabine alone for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, enrolling patients in this randomized study has been challenging. PCYC is evaluating other alternatives for development of this agent.

A multicenter Phase I/II of PCI-27483 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer that are either receiving or are planned to receive gemcitabine therapy has completed enrollment. The Phase II portion of the study randomized patients to receive either gemcitabine alone or gemcitabine plus PCI-27483 (1.2 mg/kg twice daily). PCI-27483 is covered by United States patents and patent applications and counterpart patents and patent applications in fourteen ex-United States territories, including Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia and Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Orelli]

    Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) announced on Monday that it had received a third Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the blood cancer drug ibrutinib that it's developing with Pharmacyclics� (NASDAQ: PCYC  ) . The designation covers patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma who have a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 17.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Bubble talk, biotech IPO setbacks plus news�about small cap biotechs like Intrexon Corp (NYSE: XON) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) have dominated biotech news this week or in recent weeks. Just consider the following news:

    Why There is No Biotech Bubble & Where to Look for Value in Biotech. Marshall Gordon, the Director and senior health-care analyst of ClearBridge Investments, was recently interviewed by Barron�� where he stated his belief that there is no biotech bubble because biotech stocks have delivered new drugs and have shown an ability to innovate. With that said, he added that the sector got ahead of itself while some biotechs suffered setbacks plus hedge funds decided to trim risk from their portfolios. Nevertheless, Marshall likes or is watching mid cap biotechs BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc (NASDAQ: BMRN) and Pharmacyclics, Inc (NASDAQ: PCYC) along with small cap biotechs�Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: PCRX) and Clovis Oncology Inc (NASDAQ: CLVS). He also added that recent biotech IPOs have been lesser quality names than earlier offerings. A Trio of Biotech�IPO Setbacks. FierceBiotech has�summarized how a trio of biotech IPO have suffered setbacks. Specifically, Relypsa (NASDAQ: RLYP), a late-stage biotech developing a treatment for hyperkalemia,�slashed its asking price on 6.9 million shares to $12 a share to raise $82 million�from a range of $16 to $19 a share while�Xencor (NASDAQ: XNCR), a biotech developing antibodies for severe autoimmune/allergic diseases and cancer,�has dropped its IPO price to $7 a share to raise $75 million from a range of $14 to $16. Meanwhile, Celladon, which is developing a first-in-class gene therapy for patients with systolic heart failure, has postponed its IPO citing poor market conditions. Coming�Biotech IPOs. Nevertheless, FierceBiotech has noted that GeNO Healthcare (NASDAQ: GNO) is looking to raise $50 million for its�new, patient-friendly approach for delivering inhaled nitric oxide on the

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: StemCells Inc (STEM)

StemCells, Inc. (StemCells), incorporated in August 1988, is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of stem cell therapeutics and related tools and technologies for academia and industry. The Company is focused on developing and commercializing stem and progenitor cells as the basis for therapeutics and therapies, and cells and related tools and technologies to enable stem cell-based research and drug discovery and development. The Company�� primary research and development efforts are focused on identifying and developing stem and progenitor cells as potential therapeutic agents. The Company has two therapeutic product development programs, including its CNS Program, which is developing applications for HuCNS-SC cells, its human neural stem cell product candidate, and its Liver Program, which is characterizing the Company�� human liver cells as a therapeutic product.

CNS Program

The Company in its CNS Program, is in clinical development with its HuCNS-SC cells for a range of disorders of the central nervous system. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord and eye. In February 2012, the Company had completed a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizeaus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in the brain.

The Company�� CNS Program is focused on developing clinical applications, in which transplanting HuCNS-SC cells protect or restore organ function of the patient before such function is irreversibly damaged or lost due to disease progression. The Company�� initial target indications are PMD, and more generally, diseases in which deficient myelination plays a central role, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis; spinal cord injury, disorders in which retinal degeneration plays a central role, such as age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. The Company�� product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified and expanded composition of normal human neural stem cells. Its HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transp! lanted.

Liver Program

Liver stem or progenitor cells offer an alternative treatment for liver diseases. A liver cellular therapy or cell-based therapeutic provide or support liver function in patients with liver disease. The Company held a portfolio of issued and allowed patents in the liver field, which cover the isolation and use of both hLEC cells and the isolated subset, as well as the composition of the cells themselves.

The Company�� range of cell culture products, which are sold under the SC Proven brand, includes iSTEM, GS1-R, GS2-M, RHB-A, RHB-Basal, NDiff N2, and NDiff N2B27. Its iSTEM is a serum-free, feeder-free medium that maintains mouse embryonic stem cells in their pluripotent ground state by using selective small molecule inhibitors to block the pathways, which induce differentiation. RHB-A is a defined, serum-free culture medium for the selective culture of human and mouse neural stem cells and their maintenance and expansion as adherent cell populations. RHB-Basal is a defined, serum-free basal medium. When supplemented with specific growth factors, this media is formulated for the propagation and differentiation of adherent neural stem cells. RHB-Basal can also be tailored to specific-cell type requirements by the addition of customer preferred supplements.

The Company�� NDiff N2 is a defined serum-free scell culture supplement for the derivation, maintenance, expansion and/or differentiation of human and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and tissue-derived neural stem cells supplement. Its NDiff N2-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N2. Its NDiff N2B27 is a defined, serum-free medium for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to neural cell types. NDiff N27-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N27. Its GS1-R is a serum-free media formulation shown to enable the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent rat embryonic stem cells without the add! ition of ! cytokines or growth factors. Its GS2-M is a defined, serum- and feeder-free medium for the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent mouse iPS cells.

The Company also markets a number of antibody reagents for use in cell detection, isolation and characterization. These reagents are also under the SC Proven brand and it includes STEM24, STEM101, STEM121 and STEM123. Its STEM24 is a human antibody that recognizes human CD24, also known as heat stable antigen (HSA), a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of many human cell types, including immature human hematopoietic cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes, erythrocytes and many human carcinomas. Its CD24 is also a marker of human neural differentiation. Its STEM101 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes the Ku80 protein found in human nuclei. Its STEM121 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes a cytoplasmic protein of human cells. Its STEM123 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

The Company�� Other products marketed under SC Proven include total cell genomic DNA (gDNA), RNA and protein lysate reagents purified from homogenous stem cell populations for intra-comparative studies, such as Epigenetic fingerprinting, Southern, Western and Northern blots, PCR, RT-PCR and microarrays. This range of purified stem cell line lysates includes mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells propagated in SC Proven 2i inhibitor-based GS2-M media and mouse ES cell-derived and fetal tissue-derived neural stem (NS) cells propagated in SC Proven RHB-A media.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    When an investor thinks of spinal-related stem cell stocks, usually a name like Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR) or StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM) comes to mind. And well they should. STEM has logged some amazing breakthroughs in the field of spinal cord repair, while CUR has done the same. Not all back problems are spinal cord related though. In fact, most back problems - and therefore the most opportunity - are bone and disc related problems. That's where a young gun like BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX) can step in and make stem cell waves. BRTX has developed an approach to rejuvenate and revive failing spinal discs, potentially ending pain for millions of back-pain sufferers, and circumventing expensive spinal surgeries that are in increasing burden on insurance companies.

  • [By John Udovich]

    The results of a recent Pew Center Poll regarding attitudes towards abortion and various forms of stem cell research could be a good sign for the stem cell industry along with small cap stem cell stocks like StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM), NeoStem Inc (NASDAQ: NBS), Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR),�International Stem Cell Corp (OTCMKTS: ISCO) and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX). Basically, Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue with 49% of American adults believing abortion is morally wrong, 23%�view it not as a moral issue and and 15% view it as morally acceptable. However and when Americans were asked about issues surrounding�human embryos, such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization, as a matter of morality, their views were different.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Own For 2014: Dyadic International Inc (DYAI)

Dyadic International, Inc. (Dyadic), incorporated in September 2002, is a holding company. The Company is a global biotechnology company. The Company has operations at the United States and the Netherlands. Dyadic uses its technologies to conduct research and development (R&D) and commercial activities for the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzymes and proteins for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme, and biopharmaceutical industries. The Company derives all of its revenues from the licensing of its technologies, the sale of its enzymes and conducting research and development (R&D) activities for third parties. The Company operates in two segments: the United States operations and The Netherlands operations. The United States segment includes a subsidiary in Poland.

The United States operating segment is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of enzyme products, proteins, peptides and other bio-molecules derived from genes and a collaborative licensor of enabling technologies for the development and manufacturing of biological products and use in R&D. The Netherlands operating segment is also a researcher and developer of enzyme products, proteins, peptides and other bio-molecules derived from genes and, to date, has mainly invested in R&D activities.

Dyadic�� R&D activities focus on its fungal strains and associated technologies. Dyadic uses its Trichoderma and C1 fungal strains in the production of its industrial enzymes. Dyadic manufactures and sells liquid and dry enzyme products to global customers for use within the animal feed, pulp and paper, starch and alcohol, food and brewing, textiles, and biofuels industries.

Dyadic also utilizes a technology platform based on its patented and C1 fungus (the C1 Platform Technology), which enables the development and manufacture of proteins and enzymes for diverse market opportunities. The C1 Platform Technology can also be used to screen for the discovery of novel genes and proteins. The C1 Platf! orm Technology also has the potential of developing and producing other biological products such as antibodies, vaccines, proteins and polypeptides for the biopharmaceutical industry.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Neoprobe Corporation(NEOP)

Neoprobe Corporation, a biomedical company, engages in the development and commercialization of precision diagnostics that enhance patient care and improve patient benefit. The company is developing and commercializing targeted agents aimed at the identification of occult (undetected) disease. Neoprobe?s two lead radiopharmaceutical agent platforms, Lymphoseek and RIGScan are intended to help surgeons better identify and treat certain types of cancer. Lymphoseek is a diagnostic imaging agent intended for radiolabeling and administration in radiodetection and visualization of the lymphatic system draining the region of injection for delineation of the lymphatic tissue; and RIGScan is an intraoperative biologic targeting agent consisting of a radiolabeled murine monoclonal antibody. The company has a biopharmaceutical development and supply agreement with Laureate Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc. to support the initial evaluation of the viability of the CC49 master working c ell bank, as well as the initial steps in re-validating the commercial production process for the biologic agent used in RIGScan CR. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Dublin, Ohio.

Top 5 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cannabis Science Inc (CBIS)

Cannabis Science, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treats disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance. On February 9, 2012, the Company acquired GGECO University, Inc. (GGECO). On March 21, 2012, the Company acquired Cannabis Consulting Inc. (CCI Group).

The Company is engaged in medical marijuana research and development. The Company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Although its summer, there has been a steady stream of good news about medical marijuana even though important small cap marijuana stocks�Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA) and Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS) have been fairly quietly lately while Growlife Inc (OTCBB: PHOT), a more indirect play on the spread of legalized marijuana, has produced�some news for investors:

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    The difference between Growlife's leadership and, say that of competitors like Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS: CBIS) or Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS: MJNA), has been relatively well documented here at the SmallCap Network site. I think the way I - well, someone else - put it back on June 25th says it best...."Growlife is sort of the demure girl in the corner who doesn't do shots off her navel in the bar." It may not have sizzle, but it does have substance.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Crowdtilt hauls in $23 million investment

SAN FRANCISCO -- Can the rise of crowdfunding bring money pooling to the masses?

With an explosion of consumer electronics, food trucks and art projects financed by crowds of individuals online, crowdfunding is in a boom. Startup Crowdtilt wants to make crowdfunding popular for everyday activities -- such as group-funded parties, trips or gifts -- and plans to take the business worldwide.

"It's typically really hard for a group to pool resources. It will resonate with people for smaller bite-sized campaigns," says Crowdtilt CEO and co-founder James Beshara.

The Startup, based here, today announced a $23 million second round of funding led by Andreessen Horowitz that includes SV Angel, Sean Parker and Silicon Valley Bank. Crowdtilt plans to use the investment to hire employees and stake out its international expansion.

"You've got a company capable of rapidly building a team in a bunch of broad use cases. "To fund virtually anything -- we think the sky's the limit." says Andreessen Horowitz partner Jeff Jordan, former CEO at OpenTable.

More than 100,000 people have pooled funds on Crowdtilt since its launch in 2012, according to the company.

Crowdfunding comes in many flavors. While there's a staggering number of platforms funding everything from people in need to products, the one that's grabbed the spotlight is AngelList and others like it. That's because provisions of the JOBS Act may soon allow non-accredited investors to make investments in startups.

"It is going to happen," says Josh Lerner, professor of investment banking at Harvard Business School. "A revolution is really already happening, but it's happening with a group of sophisticated investors."

Crowdfunding as an industry is expected to draw in more than $5 billion in funds this year, according to researcher Massolution, up from $2.7 billion in 2012.

Whether Crowdtilt can grow as a popular means to share costs on road trips, pool funds for tickets to concerts or split up dinner among f! riends remains to be seen.

"The early adopters it will certainly get. Getting to 10 million users is much, much harder," says Rocky Agrawal, analsyt at reDesign mobile, who points out Crowdtilt's 5% fee is steep.

Crowdtilt charges 5% for fundraising campaigns, including a credit card fee per user. The company does not disclose its revenue or whether it is profitable.

"The breath of use cases is only limited by the imagination of the community," says Jordan.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now

Someone who reads my articles asked me this question:

I have read Mohnish Pabrai considers the intrinsic value of a steady state business to be 10x FCF.

I am not sure if maybe you and Pabrai are on the same page if you are looking at a company whose FCF lags earnings due to capex/inflation etc, or if you are thinking about it a different way�� in other words 8x earnings and 10x FCF are equivalent for certain companies, but maybe you are thinking about it differently than Pabrai.

I believe Pabrai considers 10% to be his equity risk premium / cost of capital, so it makes sense that he would be willing to pay 10x FCF to earn a 10% return. Is it as simple as you personally consider 12.5% to be your equity risk premium / cost of capital?

I often have trouble deciding what the ��ight��multiple is. While I understand there is no ��ight��multiple, but rather a range of possible multiples depending on several variables, I am interested in any empirical/numerical system you may refer to (to) support whatever range of multiples you may use depending on growth, dividends, etc.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment provides products used in baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women?s health care fields, as well as nutritional, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the brands of JOHNSON?S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, JOHNSON?S Adult, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, LISTERINE, REACH, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, dermatology, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, neurology, oncology, pain management, and virology. Its principal products include REMICADE for the treatment of immune me diated inflammatory diseases; STELARA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis; SIMPONI, a treatment for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; VELCADE for the treatment of multiple myeloma; PREZISTA and INTELENCE for treating HIV/AIDS patients; NUCYNTA for moderate to severe acute pain; INVEGA SUSTENNAtm for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults; RISPERDAL CONSTA for the management of bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia; and PROCRIT to stimulate red blood cell production. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment primarily offers circulatory disease management products; orthopaedic joint reconstruction, spinal care, and sports medicine products; surgical care, aesthetics, and women?s health products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; professional diagnostic products; and disposable contact lenses. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Ne w Brunswick, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    In addition to General Electric's big gains for the day after reporting earnings, pharma stocks Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE  ) both posted nice gains of more than 2%. For J&J, an analyst downgrade of rival Merck yesterday highlighted the competitive threat that J&J's Invokana diabetes drug could pose to its existing blockbuster Januvia. With high hopes for Invokana, if J&J can tap into a portion of the billions of dollars that Januvia has brought in over the years, it could create a meaningful boost in earnings, even for a company of J&J's size. Meanwhile, Pfizer reportedly decided not to try to outbid Amgen for cancer-drug producer Onyx Pharmaceuticals, even as investors in Onyx have bid the shares well beyond Amgen's original $120 offer. Buying promising pipelines is a valid strategy, but having the discipline not to overpay is essential, and shareholders are right to reward Pfizer today.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Matthews International Corporation(MATW)

Matthews International Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets memorialization products and brand solutions for the cemetery and funeral home industries in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company's Bronze segment offers cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products; and cast and etched architectural products, as well as builds mausoleums. Its Casket segment provides wood and metal caskets; and casket components, such as stamped metal parts, metal locking mechanisms for gasketed metal caskets, adjustable beds, interior panels, and plastic ornamental hardware, as well as provides assortment planning and merchandising, and display products to funeral service businesses. The company's Cremation segment offers cremation equipment; cremation caskets; equipment service and supplies; and cremation urns and memorial products, as well as offers environmental systems; crematory operations and management services; and cremation col umbarium and niche units. Its Graphics Imaging segment provides brand management, pre-press services, printing plates, gravure cylinders, steel bases, embossing tools, special purpose machinery, engineering and print process assistance, print production management, digital asset management, content management, and package design services. The company's Marking Products segment offers a range of marking and coding products and related consumables, and industrial automation products for identifying, tracking, and conveying consumer and industrial products, components, and packaging containers. Its Merchandising Solutions segment provides merchandising displays and systems, such as permanent and temporary displays, custom store fixtures, brand concept shops, interactive kiosks, custom packaging, and screen and digitally printed promotional signage; and offers design and engineering services. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV  ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW  ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.

Top 10 Value Companies To Watch For 2014: Northeast Utilities(NU)

Northeast Utilities, a public utility holding company, provides electric and natural gas energy delivery services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts. The company engages in the purchase, delivery, and sale of electricity; and owns and operates approximately 1,200 megawatts of primarily fossil-fueled electricity generation assets. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns in Connecticut; 497,000 retail customers in 211 cities and towns in New Hampshire; and 206,000 retail customers in 59 cities and towns in western Massachusetts. The company also operates a natural gas distribution system in Connecticut and serves approximately 206,000 customers in 71 cities and towns. It offers gas supply to commercial and industrial customers; and to residential customers for heating, hot water, and cooking needs, as well as provides gas transportation services t o commercial and industrial customers. In addition, the company offers electric transmission services. Northeast Utilities was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Richard Stavros]

    Meanwhile, the companies that are projected to be spending more in 2015 than they are presently include The AES Corp (NYSE: AES), Ameren Corp (NYSE: AEE), American Electric Power Co Inc (NYSE: AEP), CMS Energy Corp (NYSE: CMS), and Northeast Utilities (NYSE: NU).

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Microchip Technology Incorporated(MCHP)

Microchip Technology Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products for various embedded control applications. It offers a family of microcontroller products that include 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers; and 16-bit dsPIC digital signal controllers, which feature on-board flash memory technology. The company also provides a set of application development tools that enable system designers to program a PIC microcontroller and dsPIC DSC for specific applications. In addition, it offers analog and interface products, which consist of various families with approximately 600 power management, linear, mixed-signal, thermal management, safety and security, and interface products. Further, the company provides memory products comprising serial electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. Its products are used in various applications in automotive, communications, computing, consumer, and industrial contr ol markets. Microchip Technology Incorporated markets its products primarily through a network of direct sales personnel and distributors in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Chandler, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Beth Piskora]

    They are listed below:

    Altera (ALTR)��ielding 1.7%

    Apple (AAPL)��ielding 2.5%

    Applied Materials (AMAT)��ielding 2.6%

    Cisco (CSCO)��ielding 2.9%

    EMC Corp. (EMC)��ielding 1.5%

    International Business Machines (IBM)��ielding 2.0%

    KLA-Tencor (KLAC)��ielding 3.2%

    Microchip Technology (MCHP)��ielding 3.6%

    Oracle (ORCL)��ielding 1.5%

    Qualcomm (QCOM)��ielding 2.1%

    Texas Instruments (TXN)��ielding 2.9%

    Xilinx (XLNX)��ielding 2.3%

    Subscribe to S&P's The Outlook here��/P>

  • [By CRWE]

    Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, reported that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 35.1 cents per share.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Hill]

    Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) reported a slight decline in first-quarter profits but revenues increased. Shares of the trash giant hit their highest point since 1999. In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts talk about the future of Waste Management.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Today, I plan to introduce the first of 10 selections to the Basic Needs Portfolio: Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) .

    How it fits in with our theme
    Waste Management fits the theme of the portfolio in actually more ways than one. Obviously, trash collection is a basic necessity that's needed regardless of whether the economy is booming or in a recession. The amount of trash we generate may fluctuate slightly based on the health of the economy, but hauling it away remains a basic need that creates consistent cash flow for Waste Management.

  • [By Daniel Sparks]

    Scouring the market for excellent dividend stocks isn't as easy as finding the stocks with the highest yields. In fact, dividend yield is just one of many factors investors should consider when they are looking for the best dividend stocks. To illustrate, I'll analyze two companies whose stocks have meaningful dividend yields: Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) and Ford (NYSE: F  ) .

Friday, December 13, 2013

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Q1 Earnings Preview: Membership Fees Or Bust

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) plans to release its operating results for the first quarter (12 weeks) of fiscal 2014 ended November 24, 2013, on December 11, 2013. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (PT) that day and will be available via webcast on www.costco.com.

Wall Street anticipates that the discount wholesaler will earn $1.02 per share for the quarter. iStock expects COST to miss Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $1.01.

Costco currently operates 648 warehouses, including 461 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 87 in Canada, 33 in Mexico, 25 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Japan, 10 in Taiwan, nine in Korea and five in Australia. Costco also operates electronic commerce web sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico.

[Related -Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN): Forget Drones: Here's Why Amazon's A 'Sell']

Since Costco pre-releases sales figures, we'll work backwards to see where revenue and EPS are likely to come in on Wednesday Morning.

On December 5, 2013, management announced, "For the twelve-week first quarter ended November 24, 2013, the Company reported net sales of $24.47 billion, an increase of five percent compared to $23.20 billion in the twelve-week first quarter of fiscal year 2013 ended November 25, 2012."

The announcement leaves out membership fees. The warehouse club business model is based on ultra-low mark-up on products, with the majority of profits generated from membership fees charged to customers. Costco derives more than 70 percent of operating income from membership fees received from its 37 million plus paid-up members.

[Related -Record Sales For Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) And Three Stocks That Could Benefit]

Investors will focus on new membership signups, membership renewal rates and rise in number of executive members. Membership metrics are critical because as long as people keep paying for annual membership, they're going to shop at Costco.

The membership factor gives Costco an edge over Target (NYSE:TGT) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT). For the fourth quarter ended Sept.1, Costco's membership fees rose to $716 million from $$694 million a year-ago.

We project membership fees to be in the neighborhood of $720 million, which puts total revenue at $25.19 billion.  The Street's consensus revenue estimate is $25.34 billion with a range of $25 billion to $26.66.

If net margin remains the same and our revenue estimate are close to correct, then EPS could come in at $0.99, which would mean a miss of $0.03.

It would not be too surprising if the NASDAQ 100 member falls short of the top and bottom lines consensus estimates as it's been a tough quarter for retailers. Plus, cost missed the mark last quarter; however, the stock price was essentially unchanged during the three-days surrounding the quarterly checkup.

Bearish EPS surprises have been a rarity for the wholesale-giant. Management has produced only four less than expected results in the last 16 quarters but never in the December announcement. So, a miss tomorrow would be a first.

Despite a potential miss, Costco continues to provide one of the most consistent traffic in the retail space and its top-line performance was one of the best in retail during a challenging period with strength domestically and internationally.

The company's solid traffic and membership renewal rates are unique within a space wrought with uncertainty of late. The uniqueness could help Costco post a solid quarterly print. However, investors could focus on forex fluctuations, volatile gas prices, gross profit and SG&A margins.

The Street will look for company's international expansion plans. It expects to open 36 new warehouse locations during the current fiscal year, and half of them would be in international markets.

In addition, the retailer's online business would be a key focus. Costco's online sales represent only 2 percent of its overall revenues, suggesting that the! re is a e! normous room for improvement given the optimistic outlook for the U.S. online retail industry. During the last two quarters of fiscal 2013, the company's e-commerce revenues rose by 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Overall: Earnings announcements have been tough on many retailers this quarter. Not because EPS have fallen short of Wall Street's expectations, but because forward guidance has been soft and lower than expected.

If Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) misses, but provides in-line guidance, it could be enough to ward of sellers. 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The New York-based auctioneer of fine art and jewelry, Sotheby’s (BID), announced on Monday that it had named a new CFO.

It was reported that William Sheridan, executive VP and CFO, is leaving the company after 17 years of employment; Patrick McClymont, a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs (GS), will succeed Mr. Sheridan effective on October 7th. Sheridan commented, “I have had the privilege of working with a highly skilled, highly professional finance, investor relations and information technology team at Sotheby’s that I invested in and helped build, and they deserve an enormous amount of�credit�for all that we accomplished. It has been a true pleasure to be part of Sotheby’s and now I look forward to spending more time with my family and focusing on charitable work.”

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Australian Dollar(AU)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    I think the answer to this is yes, but it's definitely going to need some help from gold spot prices, and it'll need to formulate solidly structured contracts with its labor force in Africa. Last year, AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU  ) was forced to come to a pay raise agreement with some 10,000 striking workers, after a strike that completely closed its TauTona and Mponeng mines for months. AngloGold understands that higher labor costs are never welcomed from a business perspective, but the alternative of mine closures is even worse.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    One way Yamana has kept its competitive cost advantage is through extensive sales of base-metal byproducts like copper and zinc, as both it and fellow low-cost rival Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) benefit from utilizing those secondary metals to offset the cost of their gold production. Peers Gold Fields (NYSE: GFI  ) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU  ) , on the other hand, face much higher costs in part because of their exposure to South Africa and its unstable labor market.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    The second largest market cap company, at $11.22 billion, is Anglogold Ashanti Ltd. (AU). Its afternoon stock price of $29.15 is within 5% of its three-year low, and has experienced a more significant drop than Newmont ��it is down 44.9% from its high price of $52.86 a share.

  • [By Daniel Putnam]

    First, and most important, earnings estimates are stabilizing. In the past sixty days, 2013 estimates for the major gold miners have begun to tick up. In most cases, the increase is very modest. For instance, Goldcorp‘s (GG) EPS estimates have climbed from $0.91 to $0.95, while Barrick Gold‘s (ABX) have inched up from $2.57 to $2.64. Newmont Mining (NEM), Anglogold Ashanti (AU), and Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) have shown similar gains. This positive rate of change marks a significant departure from the steady stream of bad news investors have had to endure in recent years.

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Claude Resources Inc.(CGR)

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

Top Performing Stocks To Own For 2014: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    Despite the weakness seen in precious metals a few weeks ago, silver has been relatively stable ever since mid-April, with the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) trading in a dollar-wide range ever since. With the presidents of the Chicago and Philadelphia Federal Reserve banks��releasing conflicting statements, turmoil may be just around the corner. Miners like Pan American (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) are still facing operating challenges, while silver streaming darling Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) struggles as well.

  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    It is no secret that precious metals companies have been taking a pounding for some time now. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) , the gold and silver ETFs, have been hard hit and operating companies like First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) have been hit even harder. Through all of these struggles, and in some cases because of them, one precious metals company continues to look attractive for the long term: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) .

  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    In terms of individual companies, there are several good choices, but these can behave very differently. Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) , for example, missed revenue expectations and beat earnings expectations in its last earnings release. But despite the beat, EPS shrank considerably from a year earlier on a GAAP basis. The stock has been fairly flat ever since. Conversely, First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) reported strong revenue growth and a small bump in profits, sending the stock higher since the announcement. First Majestic reported increased cash costs and tightening margins, largely driven by lower silver prices. Each of these companies faces pressure from increasing production costs and environmental concerns.

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Clash of the titans
    When bears are raging on the gold bullion market, it's not surprising to see gold stocks getting mauled as well. Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  ) was the biggest loser in the sector, losing a quarter of its market cap on no company-specific news, though a report last Friday indicated that a large number of hedge funds had recently dumped their positions in the mid-tier miner. Yet it wasn't all that much better among the majors, either, as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) fell almost 13% and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 14%.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  )
    It's simple physics: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. When gold prices nosedived earlier this week, gold miners with historically higher operating costs took the brunt of the hit. For the most part, that meant that development-stage miners, and those operating in Africa, where labor and political costs make cost-effective mining a challenge, took it on the chin. Possibly no stock was hammered more than Golden Star Resources, a gold miner in Ghana, which lost about one-quarter of its value on Monday alone.

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sally Jones]

    The once-troubled Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is hitting a new record for gold production in the third quarter at 315,828 ounces, according to the Financial Post, and the company�� executives are buying. Here�� a third quarter company update and a look at billionaire stakeholders of AEM, a stock that spiked 23.66% over the past five days.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

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

  • [By Markus Aarnio]

    Other gold miners that have seen intensive insider buying during the past four months include St. Andrew Goldfields (STADF.PK), Continental Gold (CGOOF.PK), Kinross (KGC) and Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM).

  • [By Hebba Investments]

    Even with rising Q2 costs, GG still has lower true all-in costs than many of its larger competitors' Q1FY13 costs. Compared to Q1FY13 numbers of competitors such as Yamana Gold (AUY) (costs just over $1300), Kinross Gold (KGC) (costs above $1350), Silvercrest Mines (SVLC) (costs below $1100), Newmont Gold (NEM) (costs around $1300) Agnico-Eagle (AEM) (costs around $1400) and Barrick Gold (ABX) (costs around $1200).

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

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

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

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

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

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

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chad Tracy]

    The five largest holdings in the GDX fund make up 45% of the total portfolio. They are Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW), and Randgold Resources (Nasdaq: GOLD).

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

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

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Even bad news has failed to dent the rise in gold stocks today. NewGold (NGD), for instance, has gained 1.8% to $7.49 despite the fact that the wall of one of its mines collapsed. The Wall Street Journal has the details: