In an exclusive interview that aired Saturday on CNN's "Smerconish," former GM manager Bill McAleer told host Michael Smerconish that employees who work at GM were "faced with a culture where you get fired if you do talk about quality and safety issues, and you get fired if you don't talk about them."
GM (GM) is dealing with a backlash for delaying the recall of 2.6 million vehicles for an ignition switch defect that's been tied to at least 13 deaths. Some GM employees knew the part was causing trouble more than a decade before the recall was issued in February.
Top Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2015: Unione di Banche Italiane ScpA (BPD)
Unione di Banche Italiane Scpa is an Italy-based holding company engaged in the governance, control, coordination and support of Unione di Banche Italiane Group. The Company�� activities are divided into three business segments. The Banking sector comprises of nine network banks of the Group, including IW Bank SpA, Banque de Depots et de Gestione SA and UBI International SA. The Non-banking financial sector includes Centrobanca SpA, Ubi Leasing SpA, Ubi Factor SpA, Ubi Pramerica SGR SpA, Banca 24-7 SpA, Silf SpA, Prestitalia SpA, Ubi Fiduciaria SpA and UBI Gestioni Fiduciarie SIM SpA. The Corporate Centre segment comprises UBI Banca Scpa and Ubi Sistemi e Servizi Scpa, among others. The Company is engaged in the corporate banking, consumer credit, asset management, factoring, leasing, life and non-life bancassurance sectors, among others. On May 6, 2013, it completed merger of Centrobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario e Mobiliare SpA into the Company. Advisors' Opinion:- [By April Yee]
In its annual outlook, released this month, Opec said demand for its crude would dip to between 28 million and 29.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2018, from 30.3 million bpd today.
- [By Robert Rapier]
US oil production has risen from 5 million barrels per day (BPD) in 2008 to 7.3 million BPD in the most recent quarter. The US is now the fastest-growing oil producing region in the world.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: CNinsure Inc.(CISG)
CNinsure Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance brokerage and agency services, and insurance claims adjusting services in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers property, casualty, and life insurance products underwritten by domestic and foreign insurance companies operating in China. Its property and casualty insurance products include automobile, individual accident, commercial property, homeowner, cargo, hull, liability, and construction insurance; and life insurance products comprise individual whole life insurance, term life insurance, education annuity, and health insurance, as well as universal insurance and group life insurance. The company also offers insurance claims adjusting services, which include pre-underwriting survey, claims adjusting, disposal of residual value, loading and unloading supervision, and consulting services, as well as damage assessment, survey, authentication, and loss estimation to insurance companies and the i nsured; and value-added services to its customers in conjunction with distributing automobile insurance products. As of April 15, 2010, its distribution and service network consisted of 49 insurance agencies, 3 insurance brokerages, and 4 claims adjusting firms, with 571 sales and service outlets. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
CNinsure (NASDAQ: CISG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.10 per share.
Ferrellgas Partners LP (NYSE: FGP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $722.07 million.
- [By John Udovich]
China is set to ease the one child policy, something that could benefit Chinese stocks in general but be especially beneficial to insurance stocks like China Life Insurance Company Ltd (NYSE: LFC) and CNinsure Inc (NASDAQ: CISG) plus health care stocks like Mindray Medical International Ltd�(NYSE: MR) and Concord Medical Services Hldg Ltd (NYSE: CCM). First, let�� be clear that China is NOT abolishing the one child policy as the changes will merely�allow married couples to have two children if one spouse is an only child plus it will be up to China�� 34 province-level administrations to revise�their laws and put the new policy into effect. Moreover, China�� family-planning bureaucracy employs more than 500,000 full-time workers and six million part-time workers all the way down to the village level to�collect billions of dollars in fines and these bureaucrats have fought for years against policy changes���meaning they could throw up roadblocks if not placated. With that said, the insurance and health care sectors are two sectors with publicly Chinese stocks that look set to�take advantage of the coming changes.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Fifth Third Bancorp (FFH)
Fifth Third Bancorp (the Bancorp), incorporated on October 7, 1974, is a diversified financial services company. As of December 31, 2011, the Bancorp had $117 billion in assets, operated 15 affiliates with 1,316 full-service Banking Centers, including 104 Bank Mart locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores, and 2,425 automated teller machines (ATMs) in 12 states throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. The Bancorp operates in four business segments: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Investment Advisors. The Bancorp also has a 49% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC.
Commercial Banking
Commercial Banking offers credit intermediation, cash management and financial services to large and middle-market businesses and government and professional customers. In addition to the traditional lending and depository offerings, Commercial Banking products and services include global cash management, foreign exchange and international trade finance, derivatives and capital markets services, asset-based lending, real estate finance, public finance, commercial leasing and syndicated finance.
Branch Banking
Branch Banking provides a range of deposit and loan and lease products to individuals and small businesses through 1,316 full-service Banking Centers. Branch Banking offers depository and loan products, such as checking and savings accounts, home equity loans and lines of credit, credit cards and loans for automobiles and other personal financing needs, as well as products designed to meet the specific needs of small businesses, including cash management services.
Consumer Lending
Consumer Lending includes the Bancorp�� mortgage, home equity, automobile and other indirect lending activities. Mortgage and home equity lending activities include the origination, retention and servicing of mortgage and home equity loans or lines of credit, sales and securitizations of t! hose loans, pools of loans or lines of credit, and all associated hedging activities. Indirect lending activities include loans to consumers through mortgage brokers and automobile dealers.
Investment Advisors
Investment Advisors provides a range of investment alternatives for individuals, companies and not-for-profit organizations. Investment Advisors is made up of four main businesses: Fifth Third Securities (FTS), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc. (FTAM), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Private Bank; and Fifth Third Institutional Services. FTS offers full service retail brokerage services to individual clients and broker dealer services to the institutional marketplace. FTAM provides asset management services and also advises the Bancorp�� family of mutual funds. Fifth Third Private Bank offers holistic strategies to affluent clients in wealth planning, investing, insurance and wealth protection. Fifth Third Institutional Services provide advisory services for institutional clients including states and municipalities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bloomberg]
Mattel (MAT), the world's largest toymaker, agreed to buy Mega Brands (MB) for $460 million, acquiring the biggest challenger to Lego A/S in the construction-toy market. Mattel is offering C$17.75 ($16) a share, according to a statement today, a 36 percent premium over yesterday's closing price. The board of Montreal-based Mega Brands unanimously approved the transaction, and investors holding 39 percent of the stock, including Chief Executive Officer Marc Bertrand and Fairfax Financial Holdings (FFH), agreed to the deal. The purchase of Mega Brands, the world's second-largest maker of snap-together blocks, will fill a product hole for Mattel. It doesn't have its own construction line, locking it out of a $4 billion market in the U.S. and Europe. The category also is a bright spot in a toy industry that has seen growth stall in the U.S. Mattel considered starting its own construction line, then opted instead to buy Mega Brands because it would be faster and less risky, Mattel CEO Bryan G. Stockton said on a call with reporters. Mattel got its first taste of construction in 2012 when it debuted blocks for its Barbie brand through a licensing deal with Mega Brands. Mattel realized that replicating this kind of expertise would take years, Stockton said. 'About Growth' "This acquisition is all about growth," Stockton said. "We see an opportunity to expand our brands in this category across boys, girls and preschool." Mattel shares rose 0.8 percent to $37.44 at 10:34 a.m. in New York. They had declined 9 percent over the past year through yesterday. Shares of Montreal-based Mega Brands surged 36 percent to C$17.73 today in Toronto. Mattel is coming off a lackluster holiday season, with sales sinking 6.3 percent -- the biggest quarterly drop since 2009. The El Segundo, California-based toymaker has looked to acquisitions to boost sales in the past. In February of 2012, it paid $680 million to buy HIT Entertainment, owner of Thomas the Tank Engine. It also acq
- [By Riddhi Kharkia]
Last year, Blackberry investors were not quite pleased with the collapse of a $4.7 billion buyout by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (FFH) because the management had clearly highlighted the vulnerable cash position of the company and an uncontrollable rate of cash burn that reduced the time available to the company to bounce back. However, in retrospect, the decision made by FairFax to abandon the deal and instead fund the company with $1 billion in convertible bonds along with the appointment of a new management team proved to be beneficial for the struggling giant. In a bid to create superior products and innovate on the existing products, the current management has sparked reasonable hope among investors of a possible comeback.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Beam Inc (BEAM)
Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.
The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.
The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM) was downgraded to Hold from Buy based on valuation at Argus.
Covidien Ltd. (NYSE: COV) was started as Buy at Needham & Co.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Spirits maker�Beam� (NYSE: BEAM ) did the same thing after its Maker's Mark brand announced that it was going to water down its iconic bourbon to stretch volume, lowering alcohol content from 45% to 42%. After the outcry, it quickly reversed course and made a big show of contrition on its Facebook page.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: FMC Corporation (FMC)
FMC Corporation, a chemical company, provides solutions, applications, and products for agricultural, consumer, and industrial markets. The company operates in three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals, and Industrial Chemicals. The Agricultural Products segment develops, markets, and sells a portfolio of crop protection, pest control, and lawn and garden products. It produces insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides to protect crops, including cotton, sugarcane, rice, corn, soybeans, cereals, fruits, and vegetables from insects and weed growth; and for non-agricultural applications, including pest control for home, garden, and other specialty markets, as well as for turf and roadside applications. The Specialty Chemicals segment focuses on food ingredients, pharmaceutical excipients, biomedical technologies, and lithium products. It produces microcrystalline cellulose that is used as drug dry tablet binder and disintegrant, and food ingredient; carrageena n, which is used as food ingredient for thickening and stabilizing; encapsulant for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications; alginates that are used as food ingredients, and for pharmaceutical excipient, wound care, orthopedic uses, and industrial uses; and lithium that is used in pharmaceuticals, polymers, batteries, greases and lubricants, air conditioning, and other industrial applications. The Industrial Chemicals segment produces inorganic materials, such as soda ash for glass, chemicals, and detergents; specialty peroxygens for pulp and paper, chemical processing, detergents, antimicrobial disinfectants, environmental applications, electronics, and polymers; and zeolites and silicates for detergents, car tires, pulp, and paper. It has operations in North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
FMC (NYSE: FMC) was down, falling 4.64 percent to $71.28 after the company lowered its FY14 earnings forecast and issued a weak Q2 outlook.
Commodities
- [By Garrett Cook]
FMC (NYSE: FMC) was down, falling 3.65 percent to $72.02 after the company lowered its FY14 earnings forecast and issued a weak Q2 outlook.
Commodities
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Euro/Swiss(RF)
Regions Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Regions Bank that provides a range of commercial, retail, and mortgage banking services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including savings and transaction accounts; demand deposit accounts; money market accounts; and time deposits, such as certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, such as commercial and industrial, and owner occupied commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; investor real estate loans, including commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; and consumer loans, which consist of residential first mortgage, home equity, indirect, consumer credit card, and other consumer loans. Regions Financial Corporation, through other subsidiaries, also provides regional brokerage and investment banking products and services, such as securities brokerage, trust, asset management, finan cial planning, mutual funds, securities underwriting, sales and trading, and investment banking services for individual and institutional investors; and insurance brokerage services for various lines of personal and commercial insurance comprising property, casualty, life, health, and accident. In addition, the company offers credit-related insurance, including title, term life, credit life, environmental, crop, and mortgage insurance; debt cancellation products; and equipment financing products primary for commercial clients. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,100 ATMs and 1,726 banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) is a top pick at Jefferies for 2014 in its most recent sector and themes trend report�for the year ahead. The super-regional bank is the 15th largest one in the United States, and its net interest margin keeps moving up. Regions’ consensus analyst price target is posted up about $1 from current prices, implying gains of 10% over the coming year.
- [By Matthew Smith]
We also think that Regions Financial (RF) should be bought on the weakness in their share price right now. The shares trade roughly $1/share below their 52-week high right now but with what we see happening in the financial space over the next few months and few years we think that this name is a deal under $10/share. Like the discount brokers, as the yield curve steepens the company's profits shall increase and with that taking place and the continued improvement in the company's balance sheet we think share buybacks and dividends will be carried out and even raised.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: American International Group Inc.(AIG)
American International Group, Inc. is an international insurance organization. The company operates property and casualty insurance networks worldwide and conducts activities in the U.S. life insurance and retirement services industry. It also involves in commercial aircraft leasing and residential mortgage guaranty insurance businesses. The company, through Chartis Inc., provides various property and casualty insurance products under commercial and consumer categories worldwide. These products include surplus lines, executive liability/directors? and officers? liability, employment practices, excess casualty, and travel/assistance lines. American International Group, through SunAmerica Financial Group, offers a suite of life insurance and retirement products and services, including term life, universal life, accident and health, fixed and variable deferred annuities, fixed payout annuities, mutual funds, and financial planning products and services to individuals and grou ps in the United States. The company, through International Lease Finance Corporation, operates as an aircraft lessor that acquires commercial jet aircraft from various manufacturers and other parties, and leases those aircraft to airlines worldwide. It also sells aircraft from its fleet to other leasing companies, financial services companies, and airlines, as well as provides management services to third-party owners of aircraft portfolios. American International Group, through United Guaranty Corporation, issues residential mortgage guaranty insurance that covers mortgage lenders from the first loss for credit defaults on high loan-to-value conventional first-lien mortgages for the purchase or refinance of one- to four-family residences in the U.S. and internationally. The company was founded in 1967 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Global insurance company AIG (AIG) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 12.5 cents per share, payable March 25 to shareholders of record as of March 11.
AIG Dividend Yield: 1.03% - [By Jessica Alling]
After Monday's tornado in Oklahoma, Allstate (NYSE: ALL ) , Progressive Insurance (NYSE: PGR ) , and�Traveler's Companies (NYSE: TRV ) all fell in the market. Along with AIG (NYSE: AIG ) , these insurance companies represent four of the top 10 providers for property and casualty insurance in the U.S. But when disaster strikes, should investors flee, or hunker down and wait it out?
- [By Matt Koppenheffer]
On hiring executives from�AIG� (NYSE: AIG ) . Buffett pointed out that "these are people that reached out to Berkshire, in the case at least one of them had reached out numerous times in the past" and added that "we've had a number of people reach out since the announcement was made." That's a big positive for Berkshire since it's looking to aggressively build out its commercial insurance capabilities.
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
AIG is an international insurance provider that is still seeing a recovery from �the 2008 Financial Crisis. The stock has been coasting higher over the last couple of years but may be coming up against some selling pressure soon. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been decreasing and revenue figures have been mixed. However, investors in the company have been optimistic about the earnings reports. Relative to its peers and sector, AIG has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE what AIG does in coming quarters.
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