Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now

Global equity markets continued their ascent during the second quarter of 2013, with several major equity indices setting all-time highs during May. Momentum was then halted after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that stimulus efforts would be tapered if the U.S. economy continued to strengthen. Clear signs of stress in the Chinese 铿�ancial system and ongoing uncertainty over the implications of Japan's massive stimulus efforts added to investor fears. Equity markets corrected sharply before 铿�ding solid footing during the 铿�al days of June.

Despite this mid-quarter swoon, global equity markets, as measured by the MSCI World Index (C$) posted a 4.4% gain. The chart below illustrates the quarterly performance, expressed in Canadian dollars, of some notable equity indices from around the world:

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During this past quarter the relative strength in U.S. markets continued to be apparent as the 6.5% gain in the S&P 500 Index (C$) signi铿�antly outpaced the returns of most other regions.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Bouygues SA (EN)

Bouygues SA is a France-based group that operates in two sectors: Telecommunications and Media, and Construction. The Construction division comprises three core subsidiaries: Bouygues Construction, specializing in building and public works activities, notably in the areas of electrical engineering, and facility maintenance; Bouygues Immobilier, a property development company, whose activities include the development of residential, corporate and commercial properties, and the execution of urban development schemes, and Colas, engaged in the construction and maintenance of transport, urban development and leisure infrastructure. The Telecommunications and Media division of the Group comprises two companies: TF1, specializing in audiovisual and cinema production, the acquisition and sale of audiovisual rights, and the publishing and distribution of compact discs, among others, and Bouygues Telecom, which offers mobile telephone and broadband Internet services. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    Bouygues SA (EN), the French building, telecommunications and television company, surged 7.2 percent to 26.96 euros, the highest close since November 2011. Credit Suisse Group AG upgraded the shares to neutral, similar to a hold recommendation, from underperform.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Hovnanian Enterprises Inc (HOV)

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (Hovnanian), incorporated in 1967, designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, mid-rise condominiums, urban infill and active adult homes in planned residential developments. The Company consists of two distinct operations: homebuilding and financial services. Its homebuilding operations consist of six segments: Northeast,including New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Mid-Atlantic, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C; Midwest, including Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio; Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina; Southwest, including Arizona and Texas, and West, including California. Its financial services operations provide mortgage loans and title services to the customers of its homebuilding operations. During fiscal year ended October 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company had delivered 4,216 homes.

As of October 31, 2011, the Company was, excluding unconsolidated joint ventures, offering homes for sale in 192 communities in 37 markets in 16 states throughout the United States. It markets and builds homes for first-time buyers, first-time and second-time move-up buyers, luxury buyers, active adult buyers and empty nesters. It offers a product range to provide housing to a range of customers. Its diverse product array includes single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, mid-rise condominiums, urban infill and active adult homes.

The Company�� residential development activities include site planning and engineering, obtaining environmental and other regulatory approvals and constructing roads, sewer, water, and drainage facilities, recreational facilities and other amenities and marketing and selling homes. These activities are performed by its associates, together with independent architects, consultants, and contractors.

The Company sells its homes to customers who finance their purchases th! rough mortgages. It originates loans in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bloomberg]

    Gene J. Puskar/AP Purchases of previously owned homes in the U.S. declined in February to the lowest level since July 2012, a sign the industry may be slow to recover. Contract closings on existing properties fell 0.4 percent to a 4.6 million annual rate, matching the median projection in a Bloomberg survey, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed Thursday in Washington. Prices rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier, the group said. The slowdown in housing since the middle of last year reflects a pickup in borrowing costs, declining affordability, limited job growth and, more recently, bad weather. At the same time, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Wednesday that more household formation will allow the real-estate market to strengthen. "It may take some time to get sales back on track after the weather effect," Tom Simons, an economist at Jefferies in New York, said before the report. "Home sales will keep growing this year though maybe not at the pace we saw last year. Rising mortgage rates are a modest negative for demand." Estimates in the Bloomberg survey of economists ranged from 4.5 million to 4.76 million. The prior month's pace was unrevised at 4.62 million. Stocks declined, sending equities to a second day of losses, after Yellen signaled Wednesday that interest rates may rise by the middle of next year. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GSPC) dropped 0.1 percent to 1,859.18 at 10:05 a.m. in New York. Jobless Claims Another report Thursday showed the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits held last week near the lowest level in almost four months, a sign the labor market continues to strengthen. Jobless claims increased by 5,000 to 320,000 in the week ended March 15. The median price of an existing home rose from February 2013, to $189,000, Thursday's report showed. Sales of home priced $250,000 and less declined, while those selling for more increased. First-time buyers accounted for 2

  • [By Erika Janowicz]

    Compass Point analyst Wilkes Graham updated his housing forecast:

    Graham increased assumed ROI's to 9% on average from 7%. Reduced targeted sector price/ book from $190% to 170%. Expects 20-30% growth in starts and new home sales in 2012 and 2013 to stabilize in 2014 and on at approximately 10%. For covered builders, the analyst lowered estimates by 8% and lowered price targets by 10%. Compass Point expects 10% annual growth in single family starts and new home sales and 2-5% pricing growth. Downgraded DR Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) from Buy to Neutral and KB Home (NYSE: KBH) from Neutral to Sell. DR Horton's and KB Home's PT was lowered from $23.50 to $20.00 and from $17.50 to $14.00, respectively. Graham reiterated a Buy rating on Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE: RYL) and Standard Pacific Corp. (NYSE: SPF). The analyst raised the PT on Ryland from $50.00 to $50.50 and lowered the PT on Standard Pacific from $10.00 to $9.50. Compass Point reiterated a Neutral rating on Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH), Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV), Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN), PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), and Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL). The price target for Beazer and Hovnanian was raised from $15.50 to $24.00 and $5.00 to $5.75, respectively. Graham lowered the PT for Lennar, Pulte, and Toll to $34.50, $17.00, and $31.00.

    This Week's Data

  • [By Morgan Housel]

    Ara Hovnanian, CEO, Hovnanian (NYSE: HOV  ) :

    In the majority of the situations, we have been able to raise our home prices more than the construction costs have increased, thereby increasing gross margin. Southern and Northern California, as well as Phoenix, certainly have many communities that fall into that category. In other markets, we've been able to raise prices -- home prices equal to construction cost increases. Houston and Dallas are examples of that. And finally in some markets, the construction cost increases have actually risen ahead of our community home price increases. This is in a minority of the markets, but Minneapolis comes to mind in this category. Fortunately, home prices are gaining momentum here as well. In the aggregate, our home price increases have more than offset any increases in construction costs that we have seen to date, helping contribute to our gross margin increase.

10 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now: Golar LNG Limited(GLNG)

Golar LNG Limited, a mid-stream liquefied natural gas (LNG) company, engages in the transportation, regasification, and liquefaction and trading of LNG. It acquires, owns, operates, and charters LNG carriers and floating storage regasification units (FSRUs). As of March 31, 2011, the company had a fleet of 12 vessels, including 8 LNG carriers and 4 FSRUs; and a 50% equity interest in 1 vessel. Golar LNG Limited was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Golar LNG (NASDAQ: GLNG  ) is also a gusher. The liquefied natural gas transporter is increasing its quarterly rate by 6% to $0.45 a share.

  • [By Oil and Gas Investments Bulletin]

    In this article I want to talk about permitting - but before that, remember that the first LNG proposal that will export BC and Alberta gas, the Douglas Channel project with Golar (GLNG), is so small at 0.2 bcf/d that it doesn't need all this permitting.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Golar LNG (NASDAQ: GLNG  ) isn't full of hot air when it comes to dividend pronouncements. The company has declared its latest quarterly distribution, which amounts to $0.45 per share to be paid "on or about" June 27 to shareholders of record as of June 13. That amount is a 6% improvement over the previous two disbursements of $0.425 apiece, both of which were paid simultaneously last December.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Premier Exhibitions Inc.(PRXI)

Premier Exhibitions, Inc. provides museum quality touring exhibitions worldwide. It develops, deploys, and operates exhibition products; sells apparel, posters, and Titanic-related jewelry; publishes exhibition catalogs; and provides ancillary services, such as audio tours and photographs for public in the exhibition centers, museums, and non-traditional venues. The company operates and promotes various exhibitions, including Bodies Revealed and Bodies, The Exhibition, that display multiple human anatomy sets, which contain a collection of whole human body specimens, single human organs, and body parts; Titanic, the artifact exhibition, which features the artifacts recovered from the wreck site; and Dialog in the Dark that is intended to provide insight and experience to the paradox of learning to see without the use of sight. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Premier Exhibitions (NASDAQ: PRXI) is projected to post its Q2 earnings.

    Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE) is estimated to post its Q2 earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $292.15 million.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Webxu Inc (WBXU)

WebXU, Inc. (WebXU), incorporated on July 16, 2010, is a media company. The Company develops, acquires and integrates consumer-oriented businesses in the online customer acquisition and e-commerce field, focusing on operational improvement and augmenting of management resources. The Company also provides marketing solutions for online businesses, media agencies and marketers. The Company generates revenue by providing advertiser clients with targeted consumer traffic. In December 2012, the Company acquired M.T. Performance Marketing, Inc. (MediaTrust). In May 2013, Webxu Inc acquired BarNone Inc.

The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include Bonus Interactive Inc. and Lot6 Media, Inc. Bonus Interactive Inc. is engaged in the business of customer acquisition and retention programs in both the online and offline arenas. Lot6 Media, Inc. provides a variety of solutions for online businesses, media agencies, and marketers.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Last Friday, small cap marijuana stock Petrotech Oil & Gas Inc (OTCMKTS: PTOG) surged 65.7% while OSL Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: OSLH) and WebXU Inc (OTCMKTS: WBXU) sank 20.47% and 12.02%, respectively, thanks in part to news and (in the case of two of these small caps) some paid promotions or investor relations type of activities. But will these three small cap marijuana stocks be able to sustain their highs or come out of rehab this week? Here is a reality check before you look for a quick high with them:

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Tiffany & Co.(TIF)

Tiffany & Co., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and retail of fine jewelry worldwide. Its jewelry products include fine and solitaire jewelry; diamond engagement rings and wedding bands for brides and grooms; and non-gemstone, sterling silver, gold, and platinum jewelry. The company also provides timepieces, sterling silver goods, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances, personal accessories, and leather goods. Tiffany & Co. sells its products through retail sales, Internet and catalog sales, business-to-business sales, and wholesale distribution primarily in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company also sells its products through its stores, as well as through department store boutiques in Japan. As of January 31, 2011, it operated 233 TIFFANY & CO. stores and boutiques worldwide. The company was founded in 1837 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    The stock market continues its on-step forward/one-step back pattern of trading today, with major indexes all heading higher following yesterday’s losses as the market waits for the release of the Fed minutes. Goldman Sachs (GS) and United Technologies (UTX) have led blue chips higher, while Tiffany (TIF), TJX (TJX) and Netflix (NFLX) have been the big gainers among large-company stocks.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    New York City-based Tiffany (NYSE: TIF  ) is moving to Red Square.

    Well, not "moving" so much as opening a new store, and not "to" Red Square so much as to the second-most famous building adjoining Moscow's most famous Square -- the mammoth GUM department store.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rentrak Corporation(RENT)

Rentrak Corporation, an information management company, provides content measurement and analytical services to companies in the entertainment industry. The company delivers content performance data for various entertainment platforms and media technologies, including television, theatrical, home entertainment, mobile, and broadband video. It operates in two divisions, Home Entertainment, and Advanced Media and Information. The Home Entertainment division delivers home entertainment content products, such as DVDs and blue-ray discs; and offers related rental and sales information for the content to home video specialty stores and other retailers in the United States and Canada. It leases products from various suppliers, including motion picture studios; and retailers sublease and rent these products to consumers. This division also includes direct revenue sharing (DRS) services, which encompasses the collection, tracking, auditing, and reporting of transaction and revenue data generated by DRS retailers to its respective DRS clients. The AMI division offers Essentials Suite of business information services. This division?s Essentials Suite software and services provide data collection, management, analysis, and reporting functions. It also collects and process data from across 26 countries. This division has operations in California, New York, Florida, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Russia. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon with additional offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Rentrak (Nasdaq: RENT  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on June 13. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

    The 10-second takeaway
    Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Rentrak's revenues will expand 12.1% and EPS will turn positive

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Symmetricom Inc.(SYMM)

Symmetricom, Inc. provides timekeeping technologies, instruments, and solutions worldwide. Its Communications business unit provides timing technologies and services for communications infrastructure. The Communications business unit products comprise primary reference sources; edge clocks and distribution products for synchronization outside the network core; building integrated timing supply and sync supply unit for the central office; the PackeTime product suite; data over cable service interface specifications timing interface systems; network management and monitoring software; and embedded hardware and software solutions for integration with various elements of the communications ecosystem, such as silicon, routers, switches, microwave backhaul, and base stations. The company?s Government business unit offers time technology products for aerospace/defense, IT infrastructure, power infrastructure, and science and metrology applications. The Government business unit p roduct portfolio comprises timescale clock sources; network time servers; network time displays; time code generators; bus level timing cards; primary reference standards, such as rubidium and cesium oscillator standards; high stability masers; chip-scale atomic clocks; ruggedized crystal oscillators; and custom time and frequency systems. It offers timekeeping in GPS satellites, national time references, and national power grids, as well as in critical military and civilian networks, which enable data, voice, mobile, and video networks and services. The company sells its products through distributors, systems integrators, and manufacturer sales representatives. It serves various markets, including communications service providers; network equipment manufacturers; silicon suppliers; aerospace/defense; power utility infrastructure; IT infrastructure; underwater exploration and navigation; and science and metrology. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San J ose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Microsemi Corp.(MSCC) agreed to pay almost $298 million to acquire Symmetricom Inc.(SYMM), a deal that will expand the power-management supplier’s exposure into the aerospace and defense industries while also immediately adding to earnings. Shares in Symmetricom soared.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    San Jose, Calif.-based Symmetricom (NASDAQ: SYMM  ) has a new chief executive officer.

    On Tuesday, the "precise time" computer announced a series of changes in upper management. Current CEO David G. Cote is leaving the company "to pursue other interests" and has been replaced by new CEO Elizabeth A. Fetter, a current board member. Details on Fetter's compensation have yet to be filed with the SEC.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Panasonic Corporation(PC)

Panasonic Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells electronic products worldwide. The company offers video and audio equipment, and information and communications equipment; imaging equipment, such as flat-panel TVs and LCDs; digital AVC network equipment, including blu-ray disc recorders, digital cameras, and digital camcorders; business-use audiovisual (AV) equipment; notebook PCs; printers; security-related products comprising network cameras and POS system solutions; mobile phones; motors; car navigation systems, cameras, and digital terrestrial tuners. It also provides home appliances consisting of refrigerators, room air conditioners, washing machines and clothes dryers, and vacuum cleaners; and lighting and environmental systems, as well as components and devices for use in various products ranging from digital AV equipment, and information and communication devices to home appliances and industrial equipment; and offers electronic-parts-mounting machines, indu strial robots, and industrial equipment. In addition, the company provides solar photovoltaic systems and rechargeable batteries; electrical supplies, electric products, and building materials and equipment; personal care products, such as massage sofa, men?s shavers, hair dryers, and vibration toothbrushes; EV relays, and back and corner sensors; living station modular kitchen systems; home appliance- and communications-use relays and printed circuit board materials, and factory-automation -related products; and solar power generation systems and all-electric home design fixtures. It serves consumer, industrial and business corporations, governments, and other institutions, such as electric and electronic equipment manufacturers, automotive manufacturers, and various machinery makers. The company was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Panasonic Corporation in October 2008. Panasonic Corporation is founded in 1918 and is based in Kadoma-shi, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Kyle Woodley]

    The short, sucky answer? A lot:

    Plans for a ��igafactory��meant to produce millions of electric-car batteries ginned up excitement, but also raised eyebrows. The Wall Street Journal reported on skepticism in the space — including from heads at Volkswagen (VLKAY) and battery maker Highpower International (HPJ). Now, even planned investment partner Panasonic (PC) now sounds iffy on the project, with company Kazuhiro Tsuga saying “the investment risk is definitely larger.” Not good. There also was Tesla�� direct sales snafu. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie huffed and puffed and (on March 11) successfully blew down Tesla�� direct sales model, with the Motor Vehicle Commission approving a measure to enforce an already-existing ban on direct sales. On the flip side, Tesla has scored victories in New York and Ohio in the past month, and is making progress in Arizona (which has a little incentive on the board). Production of the Model X has been pushed further back, to 2015. Musk’s reasons — mostly having to do with focusing on bolstering Model S sales — are valid, but that doesn�� really soften the blow of a longer wait for the much-anticipated addition to Tesla�� line. To address the issue of battery fires in the Model S, TSLA added titanium shields and aluminum deflector plates to new vehicles and offered to install them for free in all its existing cars. Tesla�� margins are excellent, and there�� no hard number on the cost impact of the fix, but titanium ain�� cheap. This definitely isn�� going to add to Tesla�� bottom line. What Now?

    I won�� belabor you with my bullish position on TSLA stock, but if you want, you can see it here. In short, Musk is a genius; Tesla products are quality and appeal to (and are priced for) the all-important luxury segment; and just given size and scale, TSLA has oh-so-much room to grow.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX)

Market Vectors-Russia ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the DAXglobal Russia+ Index (the Russia+ Index). The Russia+ Index includes a basket of securities of 30 of the most heavily traded Russian companies that have listings on global exchanges, either through an American depository receipt (ADR), a global depository receipt (GDR) or local Russian shares. The Russia+ Index, which was launched in March 2007, is a modified market capitalization-weighted index designed to track the movements of certain depository receipts (DRs) and stocks of publicly traded companies that are domiciled in Russia, and traded in Russia and on global exchanges. The Russia+ Index consists of companies with market capitalization greater than $150 million that have a daily average traded volume of at least $1 million over the past six months. The Russia+ Index includes energy companies, such as Lukoil, OAO Gazprom and Surgutneftgaz; utility company, Unified Energy Systems; steel manufacturing firms, such as Mechel OAO and Evraz Group SA; mining firm, JSC MMC Norilsk Nickel; communications firms, such as Mobile TeleSystems OJSC and Vimpel-Communications, and Sberbank.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in stocks and depositary receipts (DRs) of publicly traded companies that are domiciled in Russia. Publicly traded companies that are domiciled in Russia means companies organized in, or for which the principal trading market is in Russia; companies that, alone or on a consolidated basis, have 50% or more of their assets invested in Russia, or companies that alone or on a consolidated basis derive 50% or more of their revenues primarily from either goods produced, sales made or services performed in Russia. The Fund, utilizing a passive or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Russia+ Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicate the Russia+ Index. The Fund! will hold all of the securities that comprise the Russia+ Index in proportion to their weightings in the Russia+ Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 95% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Russia+ Index. The Russia+ Index is calculated and maintained by the Deutsche Borse (the Index Provider).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Louis Navellier]

    It is surreal to see how depressed Russian shares are, in general. They are still underwater since 2007, as measured by the Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX) ��charted above vs. the S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The Russian economy has grown significantly since then, and so have the earnings and revenues of the mainstream Russian companies.

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