Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Top 5 Shipping Companies To Watch For 2014

On Thursday, Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Union Pacific has benefited from the cost advantage that railroads have during periods of high energy prices, but the devastation in the commodities markets recently has had a negative impact on shipping volume. Nevertheless, the railroad giant has managed to turn to alternative revenue sources. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Union Pacific over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Union Pacific

Analyst EPS Estimate

Hot Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rostelekom OAO (ROSYY)

Rostelecom is a telecommunications services provider and carrier of domestic long distance (DLD) and international long distance (ILD) traffic in the Russian Federation. The Company owns and operates a trunk telecommunications network and carries the bulk of Russia's long-distance and international traffic. The Company renders domestic and international long-distance telecommunications services to end users and provides traffic throughput services to Russian operators, including each of Russia's seven inter-regional companies (IRCs) and alternative operators. In addition, the Company provides telecommunications services to various government entities across Russia and ensures the operation of the ground-based network of television and radio broadcasting channels. In December 2008, through Westelcom, its wholly owned subsidiary, Rostelecom acquired an additional 15.2% interest in CJSC Incom (Incom). Subsequently Incom became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. In December 2008, it sold 10.87% interest in CJSC Expo-Telecom.

In February 2008, the Company sold its 10.97% interest in Golden Telecom. In March 2008, the Company sold its 10.30% interest in OJSC AVIANET. In July 2008, Rostelecom acquired a 68.42% interest in OJSC RTComm.RU (RTComm.RU). In September 2008, the Company sold its 15% interest in CJSC Transportation Digital Networks.

The Company has entered into service contracts with the IRCs and other operators of local and intra-regional networks to act as its regional agents. In this capacity, the Company�� agents bill end users, prepare, print and deliver invoices and collect payments from end users and perform customer service functions. Its trunk network, which transmits a Russia's domestic and international long-distance traffic, comprises approximately 150,000 kilometers of digital and analog lines.

The Company�� primary network consists of trunk cables linked to the IRCs networks and to its international exchanges for connections with for! eign operators, as well as a satellite communications network. As of December 31, 2008, the Company�� digital network comprised 49,987 kilometers, including 35,291 kilometers of fiber optic lines (FOLs) and 14,696 kilometers of digital radio-relay lines.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company owned 13 international exchanges, which allow for ILD traffic management, including four in Moscow, two in St. Petersburg (Lyuban) and one each in Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad and Murmansk. The combined capacity of these switches was 235,500 channels. In addition, the Company had 15 transit and six multi-transit domestic long-distance exchanges interconnected to its telecommunications network for traffic transit that provide access to DLD services to local users. The domestic long-distance exchanges and their connecting digital channels constitute an integrated services digital network (ISDN) with channel switches, to which the networks of IRCs and alternative operators are connected. The trunk exchanges of Moscow and Pavlov Posad route domestic long-distance traffic between switching centers, as well as directly to and from end users.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company�� domestic long-distance trunk network consisted of 675,300 digital and 900 analog channels. Rostelecom provides domestic and international ISDN services through 76 trunk exchanges. The Company has an open network of multimedia communications. Connected to this network are subscriber units in 76 Russian regions and 13 retail outlets.

Rostelecom�� main satellite communications network is operated by 16 nodal land-based stations located in Russia. The Company also operates a second satellite communications network, Reserv, which comprises one central and one periphery land-based station. To enable its operation, it leases channels from OJSC Gazcom, which operates earth satellite vehicle Yamal-200. The Company rents domestic and international fixed satellite chan! nels from! FSUE Space Communications, CJSC SatComLine, CJSC SvyazContactInform, OJSC YamalTelecom and CJSC Zond Holding, which are Russian satellite telecommunications companies that operate satellites in the FSUE Space Communications and Intelsat systems.

The Company competes with TransTelecom, Synterra, FSUE Space Communications, TeliaSonera and Golden Telecom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Halia Pavliva]

    The Bloomberg Russia-US gauge slipped 0.4 percent to 104.16, paring its advance this month to 7.7 percent. CTC Media Inc. (CTCM), the Nasdaq-listed Russian television company, rallied 2.6 percent to $12.86, the highest level since April 25. The stock has climbed 22 percent this month, making it the best performer on the Bloomberg-Russia gauge. VimpelCom is the second-biggest gainer on the index this month, followed by OAO Rostelecom (ROSYY), which has increased 17 percent after two months of declines.

Top 5 Shipping Companies To Watch For 2014: Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (LL)

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (Lumber Liquidators) is retailer of hardwood flooring, and hardwood flooring enhancements and accessories. The Company offers an assortment of wood flooring, which includes prefinished domestic and exotic hardwoods, engineered hardwoods, unfinished hardwoods, bamboo, cork and laminates, as well as resilient flooring. Its flooring enhancements and accessories include moldings, noise-reducing underlay and adhesives. Lumber Liquidators and Bellawood are it brands. Its hardwood flooring products are available in various widths and lengths. It offers approximately 350 different flooring product stock-keeping units. In September 2011, it acquired certain assets of Sequoia Floorings Inc. (Sequoia) relating to Sequoia�� quality control and assurance, product development and logistics operations in China.

In June 2013, Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc announced that the Company has opened its 300th store, located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company opened 40 stores. As of February 20, 2012, the Company operated 266 stores located in 46 states and Canada. During 2011, Lumber Liquidators opened its first stores in Canada. It operates a central distribution center located in Hampton, Virginia, supplemented by its facilities in Toano, Virginia. In addition, it operates a facility in Toronto, Canada, with both a store front and a small warehouse serving that metropolitan market. In 2011, Lumber Liquidators finished approximately 79% of its Bellawood products at its finishing facility in Toano, Virginia.

Solid Hardwood

The Company�� solid hardwood products are milled from one thick piece of wood, which can be sanded and refinished numerous times. It offers flooring products made from more than 25 wood species, including both domestic woods, such as ash, beech, birch, hickory, northern hard maple, northern red oak, pine and American walnut, and exotic woods, such as bloodwood, cherry, cypress, e! bony, koa, mesquite, mahogany, rosewood and teak. Lumber Liquidators sells these products either prefinished or unfinished.

Engineered Hardwood

The Company�� engineered hardwood products are produced by bonding a layer of hardwood to a plywood or fiber board backing. Its engineered hardwood floors are offered in domestic and exotic wood species, and in either glue down or floating application. All of its engineered hardwood products are prefinished. Engineered flooring is designed primarily to be installed in areas where hardwood is not conducive, such as slab construction, basements and areas where moisture may be a factor.

Laminates

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.�� laminate flooring is constructed with a fiber board core, inserted between a melamine laminate backing and photographic paper displaying an image of wood and a ceramic finish, abrasion-resistant laminate top. Its laminate flooring brands allow for easy-click installation, and some include a pre-glued undersurface, moisture repellent, soundproofing, single-strip format or a handscraped textured finish.

Moldings and Accessories

Lumber Liquidators offer a variety of wood flooring moldings and accessories. It sells stair treads and risers in both finished and unfinished versions. Accessories include underlayments that are placed between the new floor and the sub-floor, insulating sound and cushioning the floors. In addition, it sells installation supplies, such as sealers, adhesives and trowels, floor cleaning supplies, and butcher-block kitchen countertops.

Bamboo and Cork

The Company�� bamboo products, harvested from the bamboo plant, are offered as a prefinished, natural or stained, solid or engineered floor. Its cork flooring is produced by harvesting the outer bark of the cork oak tree.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) was also down, falling 12.25 percent to $91.01 after the company provided weak guidance following the close Monday. A defense from Piper Jaffray did little to buoy shares.

  • [By Jim Jubak]

    Another one might be Lumber Liquidators, symbol (LL). They've taken a big hit recently, because the FBI is doing an investigation on the sourcing of their lumber, some of which seems to be questionable. I think the company would be insane to be sourcing lumber from illegal countries and illegal operations. There are probably a couple of glitches. There are probably some fires where there is all this smoke, but it doesn't concern the whole spread of their products, so it took a beating on that. It started to recover. It was also up about 6% on the Fed news, but that's a stock that normally trades much higher and has a really good expanding retail sales story. I'd look at those two if I'm going to try to play the housing recovery, if you will, on the housing starts number, rather than looking at the whole sector.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Shares of Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) soared 12% yesterday -- and have continued to hit new all-time highs this morning -- after posting blowout quarterly results.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    If that sounds familiar, it's because Tile Shop's hardwood counterpart in�Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) follows nearly the exact same business model by negotiating directly with the lumber mills which produce its products. Of course, this is also the same Lumber Liquidators that recently taught me a humbling lesson�after I doubted its seemingly rich valuation.

Top 5 Shipping Companies To Watch For 2014: U.S. Energy Corp.(USEG)

U.S. Energy Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, holding, sale, and/or development of mineral properties. It primarily explores for molybdenum, and other base and precious metals. The company holds interests in Mount Emmons property that covers approximately 9,311 acres located in Gunnison County, Colorado. It also holds interests in oil and gas properties located in Williston Basin North Dakota and Gulf Coast region. In addition, the company holds interests in geothermal properties. Further, it develops multifamily apartment project in Gillette, Wyoming. As of December 31, 2009, its estimated proved reserves were approximately 1,086,203 BOE. The company was founded in 1966 and is based in Riverton, Wyoming.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

     

    US Energy (USEG), an independent energy company, focuses on the acquisition and development of oil and gas producing properties in the continental U.S. This stock closed up 6.9% to $3.53 in Thursday's trading session.

     

    Thursday's Range: $3.29-$3.53

    52-Week Range: $1.45-$4.06

    Thursday's Volume: 116,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 219,710

     

    From a technical perspective, USEG bounced sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $3.27 and back above its 50-day moving average of $3.45 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern at $3.32, $3.21 and $3.27. Since finding buying interest at those levels, shares of USEG are now spiking higher and moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if USEG manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.65 to $3.80 with high volume.

     

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in USEG as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $3.27 or at $3.21 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 219,710 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then USEG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $4.06. Any high-volume move above that level will then give USEG a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.60 to $5.

     

Top 5 Shipping Companies To Watch For 2014: Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (GDP)

Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. The company holds interest in the Eagle Ford Shale Trend located in South Texas; the Haynesville Shale and Cotton Valley Taylor Sand in northwest Louisiana and East Texas; and the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale located in southwest Mississippi and southeast Louisiana. It owns working interests in 392 producing oil and natural gas wells located in 32 fields in 8 states. As of December 31, 2012, the company had estimated proved reserves of approximately 254.0 billion cubic feet of natural gas, 5.1 million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons (MMBbls) of natural gas liquids, and 8.1 MMBbls of oil and condensate. Goodrich Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1995 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading DOWN
    Shares of Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP) were down 5.43 percent to $16.32 following the news of plugging at Tuscaloosa Marine Shale.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Energy shares fell around 0.95 percent in Monday’s trading. Top losers in the sector included Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP), down 8.39 percent, and Tidewater (NYSE: TDW), off 4.81 percent.

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