Surveys show most Americans plan to use their refund toward paying down debt, though an Edward Jones survey of more than 1,000 adults found those between 18 and 34 were the most likely to say they planned to spend their refund on shopping or going out.
Betsey Buckingham, a tax specialist with CPA firm David C. Murray and Co., in Troy, Ohio, says she's noticed more clients are qualifying for the earned income tax credit, giving them higher refunds.
"A lot of the people that we've serviced, we've seen several of them lose their job and get a different job or different combination of jobs and they're underemployed," Buckingham says. "So they're not making as much as they were and all the sudden they're qualifying."
Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch For 2015: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc (BFAM)
Bright Horizons Family Solution Inc., incorporated on May 9, 2008, provider of child care and early education services, as well as other services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and life. The Company provides services primarily under multi-year contracts with employers who offer child care and other dependent care solutions as part of their employee benefits packages to improve employee engagement, productivity, recruitment and retention. The Company�� service offerings include Center-based full service child care and early education; back-up dependent care, and educational advisory services. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated a total of 773 child care and early education centers across a range of customer industries with the capacity to serve approximately 87,400 children in the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada and India. In April 2013, it announced the acquisition of kidsunlimited, operator of nurseries throughout England and Scotland.
The Company�� curriculum adapts to the changing needs, interests, and abilities of each child in its care. The Company�� Great Places for Babies program provides a caring, welcoming environment where baby can grow from a bundle of joy to a bundle of curiosity. The Company develops a personal care plan for each infant based on his or her schedule, nutritional guidelines, and any other special attention he/she requires. The Company�� Growing World of Toddlers program uses hands-on exploration and social interaction in safe, engaging surroundings to help the child learn about his or her world. The Company�� back-up dependent care programs provide employees with a safety net for those days when regular arrangements fall through.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
3. Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NYSE: BFAM )
Parents can't always be around. Having a stay-at-home parent isn't always feasible, and that's where day care comes in. Bright Horizons is the country's largest provider of employer-sponsored child care services, operating more than 750 child-care and early-education centers. It went public in January. - [By Rich Smith]
Watertown, Mass.-based Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NYSE: BFAM ) , the international employer-sponsored child care and education company, is expanding its business in one country in particular this week. On Thursday, Bright Horizons announced that it has acquired Britain's kidsunlimited, operator of 64 nurseries in England and Scotland.
- [By Rich Smith]
The world is getting bigger for Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NYSE: BFAM ) .
On Monday, Bright Horizons announced that it has purchased Dallas-based Children's Choice Learning Centers, an operator of 49 employer-sponsored child care centers, primarily in the American Southwest, but also scattered across the U.S. "in regions that match well with Bright Horizons' existing network of centers."
Best Integrated Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Rimage Corporation(RIMG)
Rimage Corporation provides disc publishing and virtual publishing solutions that enable businesses to deliver digital content to their customers and employees worldwide. Its solutions enable delivery of videos, documents, audio files, and images. The company?s digital publishing solutions archive, distribute, and protect content on CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray Discs. It also offers a video platform, which captures, manages, and distributes live and on-demand content. The company, through its joint venture with Taiwan Electronic Data Processing Corporation, also provides Medical Disc System, a medical imaging disc publishing solution. Rimage Corporation was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By ShadowStock]
RIMG: Rimage Corporation (RIMG)
"Helps businesses deliver digital content directly and securely to their customers, employees and partners"
Market Cap: $83.72M
Enterprise Value: $16.93M
Best Integrated Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)
SPDR Trust, Series 1 (the Trust) is a unit investment trust. The Trust is an exchange-traded fund created to provide investors with the opportunity to purchase a security representing a proportionate undivided interest in a portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the common stocks, in substantially the same weighting, which comprise the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Price Index (the S&P Index). Each unit of fractional undivided interest in the Trust is referred to as a Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt (SPDR).
The Trust utilizes a full replication approach. With this approach, all 500 securities of the Index are owned by the Trust in their approximate market capitalization weight.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Aspray]
As of early Friday, the Spyder Trust (SPY) is up 2.6% while the Vanguard European Stock Index (VGK) is trailing a bit, up 1.9%. The emerging markets, as represented by the Vanguard Emerging Markets Index (VWO) were unchanged for the year in late January, but by early February, were down 7.6% for the year. VWO has improved from its worst levels as it is currently down just 2% for 2014.
- [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]
One way to grow your retirement savings is by investing in low-fee index funds, such as State Street's (NYSE: STT ) ETF that tracks the S&P 500 index: SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEMKT: SPY ) . State Street invented the ETF concept two decades ago and remains a leader in the ETF market, with index funds tracking individual S&P 500 sectors as well as the full index. (State Street has actively managed funds, as well.)
- [By Tom Aspray]
If the S&P 500 were to correct sharply in the last two weeks of the year and drop 5%, the Spyder Trust (SPY) would still be up over 24% for the year. This has given many money mangers fits as at the end of the 3rd quarter, the average hedge fund was only up about 6%. Since many charge a management fee of 2%, facing their clients after this kind of year won’t be pleasant.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
2. Hedge fund performance has been weak lately.
Inevitably, hedge funds will tout whatever performance numbers put them in the best light. But at least recently, they haven't been able to deliver an advantage over less exclusive investment vehicles. According to Bianco Research, one popular index of hedge fund performance has underperformed the universally investable SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPY ) by 50 percentage points since the end of 2010. High-profile hedge funds like John Paulson's gold fund have been in the news lately because of their massive losses that haven't compared favorably to bullion ETF SPDR Gold (NYSEMKT: GLD ) or to the mining-company ETF Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSEMKT: GDX ) .
Best Integrated Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: MWI Veterinary Supply Inc.(MWIV)
MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. It primarily offers pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, capital equipment, supplies, specialty products, veterinary pet food, and nutritional products. The company?s pharmaceutical products include anesthetics, analgesics, antibiotics, ophthalmics, and hormones; vaccine products consist of small animal, equine, and production animal biologicals; and parasiticides are used for control of fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, and internal parasites. Its diagnostics products comprise consumable in-clinic tests for detecting heartworm, lyme, feline leukemia, and parvovirus, as well as consumable products for measuring blood chemistry, electrolyte balance, and cell counts; capital equipment products include anesthesia machines, surgical monitors, diagnostic equipment, dental machines, cage s, lights, and x-ray machines; and supplies consists of syringes, instruments, bandages, IV products, surgical consumables, grooming materials, and other small equipment items. The company?s veterinary pet foods products include foods for specialty diets and premium pet foods; and nutritional products comprise dietary supplements, vitamins, dental chews, and specialty treats. As of September 30, 2011, it served approximately 24,000 veterinary practices in the United States; and 1,500 veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as MWI Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. in April 2005. MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on MWI Veterinary Supply (Nasdaq: MWIV ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Rupert Hargreaves]
Pet-related companies are highly sought after
Having said that, it would appear that in comparison to the rest of the pet-related sector, Zoetis is fairly valued. Peer MWI Veterinary Supply (NASDAQ: MWIV ) trades at 27 times forward earnings, and again the company is highly defensive, engaging in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. Veterinary supply is exposed to the same demand factors as Zoetis -- greater demand for animal treatments will lead to more demand for the distribution of animal health products.
Best Integrated Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP)
Phillips 66 Partners LP, incorporated on February 20, 2013, owns, operates, develops and acquires primarily fee-based crude oil, refined petroleum product and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines and terminals and other transportation and midstream assets. The Company�� initial assets consist of the three systems, which include Clifton Ridge crude system, Sweeny to Pasadena products system and Hartford Connector products system. A refined petroleum product pipeline, terminal and storage system extending from Phillips 66�� Sweeny refinery in Old Ocean, Texas, to its refined petroleum product terminal in Pasadena, Texas, and ultimately connecting to the Explorer and Colonial refined petroleum product pipeline systems and other third-party pipeline and terminal systems.
A crude oil pipeline, terminal and storage system located in Sulphur, Louisiana, that is the primary source for delivery of crude oil to Phillips 66�� Lake Charles refinery. A refined petroleum product pipeline, terminal and storage system located in Hartford, Illinois, that distributes diesel and gasoline produced at the Wood River refinery (a refinery owned by a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Cenovus Energy Inc.) to third-party pipeline and terminal systems, including the Explorer refined petroleum product pipeline system.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
We've watched several midstream spinoffs from refiners hit the market with very low yields. Most recently, Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE: PSXP ) was less than 3% when it debuted, and it collapsed even further with PSXP's first-day pop -- all this despite the average yield for an MLP in today's market coming in around 6%. Here's a quick look at what the other refining midstream MLPs are yielding right now.
- [By Robert Rapier]
The top performing MLP of the first half was�Emerge Energy Services (NYSE: EMES), a supplier of sand used in hydraulic fracking (+146 percent). The second leading gainer with a gain of 110 percent was�Phillips 66 Partners�(NYSE: PSXP), which IPO�� a year ago and consists of midstream assets dropped down from its sponsor,�Phillips 66�(NYSE: PSX).
- [By Grace L. Williams]
Pipeline MLP Phillips 66 (PSXP) made our list after COO J.T. Liberti bought 4,100 shares for $182,000. InsiderScore noted that Liberti also bought at the company�� IPO in July 2013, and writes: ��hares have doubled from their IPO price seven months ago and so Liberti’s move to add to his position on strength is an incremental positive.��/p>
- [By Eric Volkman]
A new oil partnership with a storied name has made a splash on its market debut. Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE: PSXP ) began trading on the New York Stock Exchange this morning and at the moment is trading at $29.87, nearly 30% above its IPO price of $23 per share.
Best Integrated Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Taylor Capital Group Inc.(TAYC)
Taylor Capital Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Cole Taylor Bank that provides a range of commercial banking products and services primarily to closely-held commercial customers and their owner operators in the Chicago area. It offers various deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, and other deposit and credit services to commercial clients and community-based customers, including individuals and small local businesses. The company?s commercial lending activities primarily consist of providing loans for working capital and business expansion or acquisition; owner-occupied commercial real estate financing; revolving lines of credit; and stand-by and commercial letters of credit. It also originates and sells mortgage loans. In addition, the company provides treasury cash management services, including repurchase agreements, Internet balance reporting, remote deposit capture, positive pay, automa ted clearing house products, imaged lock-box processing, controlled disbursement, and account reconciliation services to commercial clients; and investment management and brokerage services. Further, it offers asset-based financing, including revolving lines of credit supported by receivables and inventory; and term loans supported by equipment and real estate. The company?s target commercial lending customers include businesses engaged in various industries, such as manufacturing, wholesale and retail distribution, transportation, construction contracting, and professional services. It operates through nine banking centers in the Chicago area. The company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Looking to expand its banking business in the Windy City, MB Financial (NASDAQ: MBFI ) jointly announced with Taylor Capital (NASDAQ: TAYC ) that it was buying the�holding company of�Cole Taylor�Bank, a Chicago-based commercial bank with $5.9 billion in assets, $3.3 billion in loans, and $3.7 billion in deposits.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Commercial banking concern Taylor Capital Group (NASDAQ: TAYC ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.50 per share on its�Series A perpetual non-cumulative preferred stock, which trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol TAYCO.
- [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Taylor Capital (NASDAQ: TAYC ) , the holding company of Cole Taylor Bank, a commercial and consumer lending and financial services company located in the Chicago area, skyrocketed as much as 22% after agreeing to be purchased by MB Financial (NASDAQ: MBFI ) .
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