Source: Alcoa.
For years, aluminum giant Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) failed to benefit from the broader economy's recovery, performing so poorly that the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) expelled the company from its ranks in 2013. Since then, though, Alcoa shares have rocketed higher on signs of budding strength and hopes for better times ahead. Nevertheless, the company faces a number of challenges, and there are several reasons to believe Alcoa stock could give back some of its hard-fought gains from over the past year. Let's look at three of them.
1. Gains in natural gas prices could put pressure on marginsRefining raw materials takes huge amounts of energy. Image source: Alcoa.
One challenge of aluminum production is that it's extremely energy-intensive. Although recycling aluminum scrap saves energy, many key customers require primary aluminum production to address quality and consistency concerns. In particular, converting bauxite to alumina requires substantial use of natural gas, while further conversion involves smelting, which employs significant amounts of electricity.
Hot Clean Energy Companies To Invest In 2015: Saes Getters SpA (SG&A)
SAES Getters SpA is an Italy-based company primarily engaged in the production of getters and metal dispensers. The Company structures its business into three main units: Industrial Applications, which includes getters and metal dispensers used in light sources and electron vacuum devices, getters for microelectronic and micromechanical systems, pumps for vacuum systems, getters for solar collectors, products for thermal insulation, and gas purifier systems; Shape Memory Alloys, which includes shape memory alloy semi-finished products, components and devices for medical and industrial applications, and Information Displays, which includes getters and metal dispensers for liquid crystal displays, and barium getters for cathode ray tubes. Additionally, through the Business Development Unit, the Company produces dryers and getters for organic light-emitting diode (OLED), sealants for solar panels and energy storage getter devices. Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
For investors, Qualcomm understand the benefits of cloud services. It seems there are numerous questions unresolved. Over the last decade, pharmaceutical companies have been aggregating years of research and development data into medical databases, initiating overhauls of its R&D and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) segments for Pharma. A company willing to build their capabilities, and open to a new view of value will likely achieve better outcomes. Delivering support, personalization, scalability, speed and flexibility are attractive areas for growth.
- [By Jason Rivera]
To help facilitate this destruction of value has been that Koss has bought back a lot of its shares as the company has been overvalued. The below quote is from its most recent annual report.
In April of 1995, the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase from time to time up to $2,000,000 of its common stock for its own account. Subsequently, the Board of Directors periodically has approved increases in the stock repurchase program. As of June 30, 2012, the most recently approved increase was for additional purchases of $2,000,000, which occurred in October of 2006, for an aggregate maximum of $45,500,000, of which $43,360,247 had been expended through June 30, 2012 . No purchases were made during the year ended June 30, 2012. The Company intends to effect all stock purchases either on the open market or through privately negotiated transactions and intends to finance all stock purchases through its own cash flow or by borrowing for such purchases.As you can see from this page, most of KOSS' margins have dropped substantially since 2007. Especially of note is its operating margin, ROE and ROIC. Book value per share, cash flow per share, revenue and working capital have all dropped substantially as well. Normally when I have evaluated companies' cost of goods sold rising is what has caused the above metrics to drop, but that has stayed relatively stable over the years at KOSS. The culprit in this case is selling, general and administrative (SG&A) related expenses expressed below as a percentage of its sales. The following numbers were taken from Morningstar:
Top Quality Companies To Watch For 2014: UniPixel Inc (UNXL)
Uni-Pixel, Inc. (Uni-Pixel), incorporated on October 13, 2000, is a production-stage company delivering its Performance Engineered Film (PEF) to the display, touch screen and flexible electronics markets. The Company has developed thin film high volume roll to roll or continuous flow manufacturing process. The Company sells its films as sub-components for use in liquid crystal display (LCD) as a back light film and active film sub-component. Uni-Pixel is shipping its Diamond Guard Finger Print Resistant and Hard Coat (Anti-Scratch) protective cover films for multiple touch enabled devices. The Company sells its films under the Diamond Guard brand as well as private label to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). It is making ITO-Less Touch Films and Flexible Electronic Films based on its UniBoss manufacturing process for high volume roll to roll printing of flexible thin-film conductor patterns.
The Company�� Diamond Guard FPR product can protect a touch screen device from damage while also preventing fingerprints and smudges from obscuring the viewing experience. Its Diamond Guard Anti-Scratch protective cover film product is used to protect touch screen devices from scratches while providing a transparency and gloss equivalent to glass. In other embodiments, the Company's Diamond Guard coating can be applied to substrates that can be used as the first surface of hand held electronic devices. The Company developed a color display technology called Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter (TMOS).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
To take advantage of an industry the companies expect to more than double over the next five years, UniPixel (NASDAQ: UNXL ) and Eastman Kodak (NASDAQOTH: EKDKQ ) have entered into a manufacturing and supply chain agreement to produce�touchscreen sensors for the touch module market.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap engineered film stock UniPixel Inc (NASDAQ: UNXL) has not been rewarding investors lately but there are signs of light at the end of the tunnel, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential peers or benchmarks like Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and small caps Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ: OLED) and GT Advanced Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: GTAT).
- [By James E. Brumley]
If the name UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) rings a bell, it may be because I suggested it as a bullish idea about a month ago. In fact, I've pegged UNXL as a buy-worthy stock a handful of times over the past year or so. It was my July 12th look, however, that was decisive and left little doubt as to my stance - buy it.
- [By James E. Brumley]
My enthusiasm for UniPixel Inc. (NASDAQ:UNXL) hasn't exactly been veiled; I penned bullish comments on the stock back on July 10th and August 12th. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm hasn't borne fruit - UNXL is up a little since my initial call a month and a half ago, but we've yet to see the explosive bullish move I figured was on the way. BUT, that may be about to change... like, today.
Top Quality Companies To Watch For 2014: Acura Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACUR)
Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical product candidates utilizing its proprietary Aversion and Impede technologies. Its Aversion Technology is a proprietary platform technology providing abuse deterrent features and benefits to orally administered pharmaceutical drug products containing abusable active ingredients, such as tranquillizers, stimulants, sedatives, and decongestants. The company offers OXECTA Tablets CII, which are oral formulations of oxycodone HCl for the management of acute and chronic moderate to severe pain; and Impede PSE, a pseudoephedrine hydrochloride tablet product candidate. It is also developing opioid analgesic product candidates, which would be used to relieve pain while discouraging common methods of opioid product misuse and abuse, including intravenous injection of dissolved tablets or capsules; nasal snorting of crushed tablets or capsules; and intentional swallowing of excess quantities of tablets or capsules. In addition, the company investigates and develops mechanisms to incorporate abuse deterrent features into abused and misused pharmaceutical products using its Impede Technology. Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a license, development, and commercialization agreement with King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development, Inc. to develop and commercialize certain opioid analgesic products utilizing the company?s proprietary Aversion Technology in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company was founded in 1935 and is based in Palatine, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
On Tuesday, small cap specialty pharmaceutical company�Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: ACUR) surged 27.52% to $1.90 on no apparent news beyond a speculative Seeking Alpha article that talked about certain catalysts����meaning its worth taking a closer look at the company to see what�� going on and whether shares could move higher.�
- [By Sean Williams]
ALKS-7106 for the treatment of pain has big potential as it encompasses a broad audience, but it'll need to overcome the common stigma of pain drugs with regard to easy abuse potential. According to the press release, Alkermes will be introducing newer technology that will make its opioid-based drug more resistant to abuse. It should be curious to see how well this performs as there aren't many successful abuse-resistant drugs, or companies developing those drugs for that matter. Acura Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACUR ) , for instance, successfully brought moderate-to-severe painkiller Oxecta to market in 2011 (which it subsequently licensed to Pfizer) and a bioequivalent version of decongestant pseudoephedrine to market last year, but sales of neither drug has exactly taken off. Like with its MMF prodrug, Alkermes anticipates a mid-2014 clinical trial launch date.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
Thursday
Acura Pharmaceuticas (NASDAQ: ACUR ) checks in on Thursday. Drugmakers use Acura's Aversion and Impede technologies to create abuse-deterrent treatments. In short, if an abuser tries to extract the active ingredient of a drug to heighten addictive experiences, Acura's technologies kick in to make the whole dose unusable.
Top Quality Companies To Watch For 2014: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.(REGN)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes pharmaceutical products for the treatment of serious medical conditions in the United States. The company?s commercial product includes ARCALYST (rilonacept) injection for subcutaneous use for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, including familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome and muckle-wells syndrome in adults and children. Its products under Phase III clinical development stage consist of VEGF Trap-Eye, an aflibercept ophthalmic solution developed using intraocular delivery for the treatment of serious eye diseases; ARCALYST for the prevention of gout flares in patients initiating uric acid-lowering treatment; and Aflibercept (VEGF Trap), which is developed in oncology. The company?s earlier stage clinical programs include various human antibodies, such as REGN727 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction, REGN88 for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis; REGN668 for atopic dermatitis and asthma; REGN421 and REGN910 for oncology; REGN475 for the treatment of pain; and REGN728 and REGN846. It also conducts preclinical research programs in the areas of oncology and angiogenesis, ophthalmology, metabolic and related diseases, muscle diseases and disorders, inflammation and immune diseases, bone and cartilage, pain, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. The company distributes its products through third party service providers. It has strategic collaboration with sanofi-aventis Group to discover, develop, and commercialize human monoclonal antibodies; and Bayer HealthCare LLC to develop and commercialize VEGF Trap. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in Tarrytown, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN ) , up 55%
Interestingly enough, part of the reason for Regeneron's big advance comes from the fact that it wasn't even part of the S&P 500 until a couple weeks ago. The biotech company came into the index at the end of April, replacing MetroPCS after its merger with T-Mobile. Yet even after that, Regeneron's stock has soared 27%, largely because of the misfortunes of rival Allergan and its failed phase 2 study of competing vision-loss drug candidate DARPin. The move should pave the way for Regeneron's Eylea to enjoy even faster growth. - [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) �shares declined 3.5%. The stock had risen almost 12% over the past month due to strong interest in its cholesterol drug alirocumab.
Top Quality Companies To Watch For 2014: Elephant Talk Communications Corp (ETAK)
Elephant Talk Communications Corp., incorporated on September 26, 2011, is a provider of mobile networking software and services. The Company provides operating software, managed services, cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, an integrated transaction and delivery platform to the mobile telecommunications industry globally. The Company�� products include remote health care, credit card fraud prevention, mobile Internet ID security, secure remote file access management, loyalty and transaction management services and a whole range of other emerging mobile services.
The Company empowers Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) by providing a cloud based mobile communications infrastructure, operating software and managed services, based mostly on company developed and owned software. In addition to the mobile based services, the Company also provides landline services like Carrier Select and Carrier Pre-Select Services, Toll Free and Premium Rate Services to the business market through its fixed line telecom infrastructure and its centrally operated and managed ET Boss and Infitel platform.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bryan Murphy]
If you're reading this, then odds are you already know that small caps WidePoint Corporation (NYSEMKT:WYY), CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR), and Elephant Talk Communications Corp. (NYSEMKT:ETAK) are among the recent big winners from the small cap stock realm. ETAK is up 100% since the end of October, largely spurred by encouraging numbers in its third-quarter results. CYTR shares have rallied more than 150% in just the past three days on the heels of an announcement that a cancer drug the biotech company is developing has shown wonderful Phase 2 results. And, WYY has advanced 93% over the past month or so, thanks to Q3's earnings announcement, though the trading public - and then the media - certainly took the ball and ran with it.
Top Quality Companies To Watch For 2014: XOMA Ltd.(XOMA)
XOMA Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and manufacture of therapeutic antibodies to treat autoimmune, infectious, inflammatory, and oncological diseases. Its products under development include gevokizumab, an anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin-1 beta and has completed Phase 2 development stage for the treatment of Behcet?s uveitis, as well as is in Phase 2b clinical trail for Type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular biomarkers; XOMA 3AB, a biodefense anti-botulism product candidate comprising a combination or cocktail of antibodies for the treatment of botulism poisoning; and preclinical antibody discovery programs in various indications, including autoimmune, cardio-metabolic, inflammatory, and oncological diseases. The company, through its collaboration agreement with Novartis AG, is also developing HCD122, a human anti-CD40 antagonist antibody that is in Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of B-cell mediated diseases, including malignancies and autoimmune diseases; and LFA102, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of hematologic tumors and other undisclosed diseases. In addition, it licenses proprietary technologies relating to bacterial expression of recombinant pharmaceutical products to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The company has collaboration agreements with Les Laboratoires Servier; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; SRI International; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Novartis AG; Arana Therapeutics Limited; Kaketsuken; Genentech, Inc.; and UCB Celltech. XOMA Ltd. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Berkeley, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
XOMA (NASDAQ: XOMA) shares reached a new 52-week high of $8.61. XOMA shares have jumped 196.09% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 25.27% in the same period.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of XOMA (NASDAQ: XOMA) were down 27.54 percent to $6.84 after the company reported Q4 results and provided anupdate on its gevokizumab development program. Credit Suisse downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral.
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