Thursday, July 31, 2014

Best Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Start scratching names off the asset list of Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) . The company announced that it has closed the sale of Brockville 1, a 10 megawatt AC solar power plant. The buyer is TransCanada (NYSE: TRP  ) , and the plant is one of nine that TransCanada will ultimately take over from its national peer. All told, the nine plants have a combined capacity of 86 megawatts.

The price for all nine is roughly C$470 million ($447 million). In its press release announcing the news, Canadian Solar quoted its CEO, Shawn Qu, as saying that the deal "puts us�on track to target 50% of our revenue in 2013 from our total solutions business, and to return the company to profitability for the full fiscal year."

As far as TransCanada is concerned, the transaction will aid greatly in the effort to "expand our emission-less portfolio and help modernize and transform Ontario's power facilities," according to CEO Russ Girling.

TransCanada expects that the remaining eight plants will come into service by the end of next year.

Hot Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 2015: Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd (AAV)

Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd. and its subsidiaries engage in the acquisition, exploitation, development, and production of oil and gas in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. It produces and sells crude oil, natural gas, sulphur, and natural gas liquids primarily through marketing companies. As of February 5, 2013, the company�s core properties comprised of Glacier Montney natural gas asset with approximately 80 net sections of land located in Alberta. Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    While Bakken formation oil and gas stocks have grabbed the attention of�American investors, small cap Alberta or Saskatchewan oil and gas stocks Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd (NYSE: AAV), Sonde Resources Corp (NYSEMKT: SOQ) and up and coming Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) have been largely overlooked as they seek to exploit oil and gas (including oil sands) in the resource rich Canadian provinces of Alberta or Saskatchewan or seek strategic alternatives for their assets in these areas or themselves. It should be mentioned that Canada�� oil reserves are third only to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the oil sands of Alberta plus that province contains much of the country�� conventional oil reserves as well. In addition, the province of Saskatchewan along with offshore areas of Newfoundland contain substantial production and reserves. Excluding oil sands, Alberta would have 39% of Canada�� remaining conventional oil reserves,�followed by�offshore Newfoundland with�28% and Saskatchewan with 27%.

  • [By Eric Lam]

    Royal Bank gained 1.2 percent as the market value of the nation�� largest lender rose past C$100 billion for the first time. Bankers Petroleum Ltd. and Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd. (AAV) climbed more than 2.7 percent as oil companies advanced. H&R Real Estate Investment Trust and Canadian Apartment Properties REIT added at least 2.5 percent to pace gains among financial stocks. Athabasca Oil Corp. tumbled 9.9 percent after an Alberta court decided to allow an aboriginal group to appeal an approval of the company�� Dover oil-sands project.

  • [By Stephan Dube]

    Comparing the netbacks with its peers, we can see that MEG Energy reported Q2 operating netbacks of $41.93/Boe, Advantage Oil & Gas' (AAV) Q2 operating netbacks totaled $14.74/Boe, Baytex has realized $25.76/Boe for Q1 and Bonavista Energy operating netbacks for Q1 amounted to $19.49/Boe. Therefore, with an average netback of $26.11/Boe, BlackPearl's $28.65/Boe is a little higher than the average of its peers with higher realized prices and stronger recoveries.

Best Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership, operation, management, development, acquisition, and redevelopment of properties for the life sciences industry. Its properties consist of buildings containing scientific research and development laboratories, and other improvements. The company offers its properties for lease primarily to universities and independent not-for-profit institutions; and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, life science product, service, biodefense, and translational research entities, as well as governmental agencies. As of December 31, 2006, it had 159 properties, including 156 properties located in 9 states in the United States and 3 properties located in Canada. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes 100% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GuruFocus]

    George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

Best Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MicroFinancial Incorporated(MFI)

Microfinancial Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialized commercial finance company that provides microticket equipment leasing and rental, and other financing services in the United States. The company provides financing alternatives, and leases and rents commercial equipment to start-up and established businesses for use in their daily operations. It leases water filtration systems, food service equipment, security equipment, point-of-sale cash registers, salon equipment, health care and fitness equipment, and automotive equipment. The company primarily sources its originations through a network of independent equipment vendors, sales organizations, and other dealer-based origination networks. Microfinancial Incorporated was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Lam]

    Alacer Gold Corp. and Iamgold Corp. rallied at least 5.9 percent as the metal traded at its highest in 11 weeks. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI) jumped 7.8 percent as it agreed to sell a unit for C$645 million ($614 million). Penn West Petroleum (PWT) Ltd. added 1.7 percent after cutting 25 percent of its workforce to reduce costs.

  • [By Gerrit De Vynck]

    Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI), the Canadian producer of foods from hamburgers to frozen pasta, has drawn bids for its bread unit from Grupo Bimbo SAB, Flowers Foods Inc. (FLO) and several private-equity firms, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

  • [By Magic Diligence]

    One stock that has been in the official Magic Formula (MFI) screen for the past month or so has piqued my interest: Kraft (KRFT).

    The MFI screens, particularly the $50 million screen, are usually reserved for deep value stocks. Usually you find stocks in here suffering serious adverse business developments (LQDT, NSR, etc.), operate in out-of-favor industries (APOL, STRA, etc.), have volatile and difficult-to-predict future prospects (PDLI comes to mind), or are just simply cheap quantitatively (CSCO, COH, et.al.).

Best Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Suntech Power Holdings Co. LTD.(STP)

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a solar energy company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products. The company also provides engineering, procurement, and construction services to building solar power systems for certain related party and third party customers. Its products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon PV cells; PV modules; and building-integrated photovoltaics products. In addition, the company provides PV system integration services, including designing, installing, and testing PV systems used in lighting for outdoor urban public facilities, as well as in farms, villages, and commercial buildings; and project development services. Its products are used to provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility applications. The company sells its products through value-added resellers, such as distributors and system integrators; and to end users, such as project develo pers primarily in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Benelux, Greece, the United States, Canada, China, the Middle East, Australia, and Japan. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Wuxi, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Provided that the Chinese government either encourages or permits consolidation, any of these three could be an acquirer. The likeliest target, of course, is SunTech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), which is reorganizing and which the government has already seemed to give up on. Other possible targets include ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

4 Specialty Retail Stocks to Buy Now

RSS Logo Portfolio Grader Popular Posts: 10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks — GMK TRGP TPL and more10 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy Now15 Oil and Gas Stocks to Sell Now Recent Posts: Biggest Movers in Healthcare Stocks Now – HGR SLXP MD MWIV Biggest Movers in Technology Stocks Now – MITL CNQR WNS IACI Hottest Basic Materials Stocks Now – GPK FBR CW PCP View All Posts 4 Specialty Retail Stocks to Buy Now

Four specialty retail stocks are moving up in their overall rating this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these is graded an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

This week, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) is showing significant improvement as the company’s rating hops from a C (“hold”) to a B (“buy”). Williams-Sonoma is a retailer of home products, mainly culinary and serving equipment. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategory of Equity, WSM also gets an A. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of WSM stock.

Hot Recreation Companies To Watch For 2015

Signet Jewelers Limited’s (SIG) ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a B from last week’s C. Signet Jewelers is engaged in the retailing of jewelry, watches and gifts with branches throughout UK and US. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of SIG stock.

Gap, Inc. (GPS) gets a higher grade this week, advancing from a C last week to a B. Gap is an international specialty retailer operating retail and outlet stores. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of GPS stock.

Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. Tractor Supply operates retail farm and ranch stores in the United States. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of TSCO stock.

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now

Among U.S. solar-related stocks, First Solar (NASDAQ: SUNE) saw the most significant swings in short interest in the most recent period.

Advanced Energy Industries (NASDAQ: AEIS) saw short interest in its shares grow somewhat between the June 28 and July 15 settlement dates.

But the number of shares sold short in GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: SPWR) decreased in the final weeks of June.

Furthermore, the number of U.S.-listed shares (or ADRs) sold short of foreign-based companies Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), China Sunergy (NASDAQ: CSUN), JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) and Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP) grew in the period

But short interest in LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK), ReneSola (NYSE: SOL), Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE) shrank.

Here is a quick look at how First Solar, Real Goods and SunEdison have fared and what analysts expect from them.

First Solar

Short interest in this solar energy company declined more than 17 percent to around 11.23 million shares during the period. That was the smallest number of shares sold short in at least a year, but it still represents more than 16 percent of the float. Days to cover rose to more than two for the first time since May.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    News and notes
    Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) announced another $100 million in financing this week, this time a term loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea. �

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Solar stocks are shooting higher again today as the strong run in 2013 continues. LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) , Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) , and JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) led the way, gaining between 10% and 22% today.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    In the Chinese solar sector we tracked the following short interest changes: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), LDK Solar Co. Inc. (NYSE: LDK), Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE).�For China-based firms, the percentage of shares short is not available because the companies are also listed on other exchanges.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: Canadian Solar Inc.(CSIQ)

Canadian Solar Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of solar power products in Canada and internationally. The company offers solar cell and solar module products that convert sunlight into electricity for various uses. Its products include a range of standard solar modules for use in a range of residential, commercial, and industrial solar power generation systems. The company also designs and produces specialty solar modules and products consisting of customized modules that its customers incorporate into their products, such as solar-powered bus stop lighting; and specialty products, such as portable solar home systems and solar-powered car battery chargers. In addition, it sells solar system kits, a package consisting of solar modules produced by it and third party supplied components, such as inverters, racking system, and other accessories, as well as implements solar power development projects. The company sells its products under the Canad ian Solar brand name. Canadian Solar Inc. offers its standard solar modules through a direct sales force and sales agents primarily to distributors, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturer customers, as well as to solar projects; and specialty solar modules and products to the automotive, telecommunications, and light-emitting diode lighting sectors. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Kitchener, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    As prices for solar panels and modules stabilize, stocks in the solar energy companies have once more put on a growth spurt. Since the beginning of the year shares of SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) are up more than 300% and shares of China�� Canadian Solar Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) are up nearly as much. Industry consolidation is not a far-fetched notion any longer.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Solar power shop Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) has landed the biggest engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract in its history, for a 130-megawatt utility-scale solar power plant being built�in conjunction with�Grand Renewable Solar, a project�developed by�Samsung Renewable Energy, the company announced today.

  • [By Claudia Assis]

    Canadian Solar (CSIQ) �said it expects to report first-quarter revenues between $460 million and $470 million, compared with a previous forecast of $415 million to $430 million. Shipments of solar modules will be in a range of 490 megawatts to 500 megawatts, compared with previous guidance of 470 megawatts to 490 megawatts.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Stocks on the move: Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) is up 31.5% at $5.13 on the announcement that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) will acquire the Finnish firm�� mobile phone business for $7.2 billion. Chinese solar energy stocks are getting a boost again today, with Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) up more than 15.9% and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) up 14.9%.

  • [By Gary Bourgeault]

    Other companies of note that will be hurt will be LDK Solar (LDK), Suntech Power (STP), JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASO) and Renesola (SOL) among others. Some these are already hanging on by a thread because of taking on too much debt and defaulting on bonds.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited(YGE)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. The company offers PV cells, PV modules, and integrated PV systems, as well as polysilicon ingots, blocks, and wafers. It sells its PV modules to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators in Germany, the United States, Italy, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan under the Yingli and Yingli Solar brand names. The company also offers its integrated PV systems directly to end-users or to contractors for use in the electricity projects, as well as to mobile communications companies in the People's Republic of China. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Baoding, the People? s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Source: Company earnings releases.��

    Solar companies have reported losses for some time now, but LDK Solar has more debt than most companies, and won't be able to survive with such feeble numbers. At the end of 2012, debt stood at $2.8 billion, and we know now that the company ran out of cash just this week. There's no way LDK Solar can survive on just $135.9 million in quarterly revenue and that kind of debt level.� � A problem across solar High debt loads and feeble margins aren't a challenge faced by LDK Solar alone. Suntech Power gave in to these pressures last month, defaulting on its own debt. Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) is now the most indebted Chinese solar company, with $2.5 billion in debt, and I wouldn't doubt if they're not far behind LDK and Suntech. The defaults of Suntech and LDK has to be concerning for all of Chinese solar, especially if banks don't keep the free flow of funds that have powered a rapid expansion in production.� � Balance sheets matter
    What's becoming clearer and clearer every quarter is that balance sheets matter, not just for investors, but also for solar installers. Solar modules come with warranties, sometimes stretching as long as 25 years, and if a customer questions whether a company will be around in only a year or two, they may choose another option. Since Chinese modules vary very little from a performance perspective, the customer may choose a better-capitalized company like JinkoSolar instead of Yingli or LDK, or even move to a U.S. company like First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) or SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) . As financial conditions get worse at these companies more and more customers leave and the problems get worse, creating a downward spiral. LDK and Suntech are the poster children for this and are a major reason investors need to stick with quality in solar. � I've been down on LDK Solar since I began predicting its failure in 2011. Investors interested in g
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) is to be the supplier to a large-scale solar power plant in its home continent of Asia. The company announced it had reached a deal for its Singapore subsidiary to supply over 10 MW of its multicrystalline photovoltaic modules to a solar facility in Malaysia.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    Who will win the solar panel battle?
    Installers, particularly those in residential, deal with this conundrum every day, and the industry is changing rapidly. SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY  ) has been known to use manufacturers like Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL  ) and Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , who are two of the biggest manufacturers in the world and compete mostly on cost. Where system costs are low, they will win business.

Hot Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc.(ASTI)

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, focuses on commercializing flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules using its proprietary technology. The company intends to manufacture roll-format PV modules that use copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) on a plastic substrate. Its proprietary manufacturing process deposits multiple layers of materials, including a thin-film of CIGS semiconductor material on a plastic substrate and laser patterns the layers to create interconnected PV cells or PV modules through monolithic integration process. The company would serve the building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market, as well as specialty markets, such as defense, portable power, transportation, electronic integrated photovoltaic, and space and near-space. It has a strategic relationship with Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS to access customers in the BIPV/BAPV markets worldwide. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 200 5 and is based in Thornton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Solar stocks have not exactly given buy and hold investors a smooth ride, but small cap�GT Advanced Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: GTAT) could be an interesting materials play on the solar sector���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential peers like Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: ASTI) and STR Holdings, Inc (NYSE: STRI) plus solar ETF Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA: TAN). I should mention that just last week, we added GT Advanced Technologies to our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio for both�fundamentals and technical reasons and we are already up almost 9%.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Amazon Drops on Q2 Profit Miss - And Yet Sales Were Up 23%

Updated July 25, 2014Amazon stock: After closing up 0.13% on Thursday, Amazon stock(Nasdaq: AMZN) plummeted more than 7.5% after hours when it reported a miss on its Q2 2014 earnings.

We said to look for AMZN stock to keep tumbling, and it sure has. On Friday morning, shares were down 11.03% at 10 a.m. EDT.

We called it because the Seattle, Wash.-based retail giant has historically gained or lost 9.5% the day after its earnings release (which always takes place after market close), according to Bespoke research. Prior to yesterday, Amazon.com had beaten earnings per share (EPS) forecasts 56.4% in the last 10 years, according to CNBC. It had beaten revenue forecasts 66.8% of the time

Amazon posted a wider-than-expected second-quarter EPS loss of $0.27, missing analyst expectations by $0.12. This marks Amazon's biggest quarterly loss since 2012. However, it beat revenue expectations handily - its $19.34 billion was $20 million more than projected. A year ago in the same quarter, AMZN reported a $0.02 loss per share on revenue of $15.7 billion. That means Q2 2014 saw 23.3% higher revenue year-over-year.

That the company notched an EPS loss should come as no surprise - for many analysts, this is a number to ignore when it comes to Amazon.

"Amazon is not going to turn a profit. We already know that," Keith Bliss, senior vice president and director of sales & marketing at Cuttone & Co., said to IBTimes. The company hasn't done so since 2012.

Citigroup appeared more skeptical when it downgraded Amazon from "Buy" to "Neutral" on Tuesday.

"While we believe that the core retail business is performing well and posting solid revenue growth and bottom-line leverage, we believe earnings and the stock could remain under pressure during this period of aggressive investment in AWS [Amazon Web Services] as many investors have become frustrated by AMZN's lack of leverage (continued aggressive investment) and lack of transparency," Citigroup analyst Mark May wrote in a note to investors.

But our own Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald shared similar sentiments with Bliss earlier this year.

"I don't care whether Amazon misses, I just care that it's the company's status quo," he said. "With Amazon, I'll take anything but no big surprises - only if there's a big surprise would I be concerned."

Best Gas Utility Stocks For 2015

Here are the top numbers to focus on from second-quarter Amazon earnings...

Amazon Stock Predictably Dropped Around 9.5% on These Numbers

What Bliss had his eye on was revenue growth.

"The metric that everybody looks for is their year-on-year revenue growth. Early channel checks suggested that they're going to have 24% to 25% year-on-year revenue growth, which is outstanding."

According to Bliss' metric, Thursday's 23% Q2 revenue bump means a win for Amazon and its investors.

But we can be more specific than just revenue growth.

Market research firm Trefis was expecting Amazon's momentum in the electronics and general merchandise segment to fuel revenue with a continuation of its 25% growth rate. Indeed, the segment posted a 26% gain consolidated year-over-year in Q2.

Trefis was also calling for "stellar growth" in web services, "driven by new product launches and continued adoption of existing products among clients." Web services includes Amazon's cloud infrastructure, which gives the company a competitive foothold into the corporate market. It's listed under "Other" in earnings, and had a consolidated year-over-year growth of 36% this quarter.

"[Amazon] launched a bunch of products to strengthen this segment during the second quarter of 2014," Trefis wrote earlier this week. "It introduced an SSD-backed storage service that saves money for customers without sacrificing on speed. The service is aimed at personal users and small/medium sized enterprises. While targeting large enterprises is important, there is a huge opportunity for Amazon to expand its cloud storage and computing business by going for smaller companies which tend to be more flexible. The retailer launched two more new products including new capability for mobile developers. In Q1 2014, Amazon's 'Other' segment revenues jumped by 58%. Most of the sales from this reported segment can be attributed to Amazon's web services."

Web services isn't Amazon's only segment pumping out product in 2014.

Amazon earningsSo far this year, the company has already released a set top box, a wand for shopping with Amazon Pantry, a new, unlimited e-book subscription, and its own music streaming product. And today, Amazon will launch the Fire Phone, its first foray into smartphones. It connects simply and directly with Amazon's library of wares - videos, books, music, and apps - and it's the easiest way to buy merchandise from Amazon.com.

"We continue working hard on making the Amazon customer experience better and better," chief executive officer Jeff Bezos said at earnings release today. "We've recently introduced Sunday delivery coverage to 25% of the U.S. population, launched European cross-border Two-Day Delivery for Prime, launched Prime Music with over one million songs, created three original kids TV series, added world-class parental controls to Fire TV with FreeTime, and launched Kindle Unlimited, an eBook subscription service. For our AWS customers we launched Amazon Zocalo, T2 instances, an SSD-backed EBS volume, Amazon Cognito, Amazon Mobile Analytics, and the AWS Mobile SDK, and we substantially reduced prices. And today customers all over the U.S. will begin receiving their new Fire phones - including Firefly, Dynamic Perspective, and one full year of Prime - we can't wait to get them in customers' hands."

Money Morning Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson is a fan of Amazon's resourcefulness and product growth.

"These guys leave no stones unturned for the next dollar they can bring in," Robinson said earlier this year. "Amazon is constantly upselling, cross-selling, and looking for new products, and they're great at it. Once this franchise is built out, there are billions of dollars in cash flow that will fall to the bottom line."

Lastly, if you expected a profit loss and revenue growth in Amazon's earnings, there's still one number that might surprise you - take a look at operating loss. It was $15 million in Q2, versus an operating income of $79 million in Q2 2013. Net loss was $126 million. And the operating loss guidance for the next quarter is between $410 million and $810 million, versus only $25 million a year ago in the same quarter.

You see, Amazon plans to spend more than $100 million on original video content in the third-quarter, according to chief financial officer Tom Szkutak on the earnings call Thursday evening.

As for how to play Amazon stock right now, stay focused on revenue and growth, and don't let the lack of profits shake you - just be cautious.

"Amazon is so rich compared to its earnings. I think it won't go away anytime soon, and it's going to change the world - but it makes you think twice about investing, because if the company does ever take a hit, it's the investors that would bear the brunt of it," Fitz-Gerald said.

Where do you think Amazon stock is headed in coming months? Leave us a comment on Money Morning's Facebook page. Also, you can join us on Twitter by following @moneymorning.

Finding a great "safety play" is a good idea for investors in case U.S. stocks begin to sputter - or even stall. And this "20% catalyst" Money Morning's Executive Editor Bill Patalon has found could send shares of this company soaring...

Related Articles:

CNBC: With Amazon Earnings Coming, How Its Stock Has Been 'Killing' Rivals International Business Times: Earnings Preview: Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB), Amazon.com (AMZN) Trefis: Amazon Earnings Preview: Web and Prime Services to Drive Growth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now

Any time an 800-pound gorilla moves into the neighborhood current residents have reason to be worried. And that is exactly what is happening with Apple, Inc. (AAPL) and Pandora (P) right now.

Apple has been making headlines lately with the release of its new iPhone and operating system iOS7. But what is turning out to be one of the most interesting components of the release, the iOS7 comes embedded with Apple's new streaming radio service called iTunes Radio. Although iTunes Radio isn't dominating the headlines like the new iPhone 5C, the service is quickly making a big impact on the market and represents a huge threat to Pandora.

At the very top, iTunes Radio offers more than 25 million songs compared to just 1 million for Pandora. That is a huge difference that makes Pandora look like a little kid trying to play with the big boys.

Best New Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Aviva PLC (AVV)

Aviva plc (Aviva) is an insurance group engaged in provision of products and services, such as long-term insurance and savings, fund management and general insurance. Aviva provides long-term insurance and savings, general and health insurance, and fund management products and services. Its business is managed on four geographic regions: United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The four regions, together with Aviva Investors, function as six operating segments. The UK region is split into the UK Life and UK General Insurance segments, which undertake long-term insurance and savings business and general insurance, respectively. In April 2013, it transferred its holding in Spanish joint venture Aseval to Bankia. In October 2013, Aviva sold Aviva USA Corporation to Athene Holding Ltd. Effective December 12, 2013, Redefine International Plc, a unit of Redefine Properties Ltd, acquired Weston Favell Shopping Centre from Aviva Commercial Finance Ltd, a unit of Aviva plc. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

    Kabel Deutschland Holding AG rose to a record after getting an offer from Liberty Global Plc. Aveva Group Plc (AVV) jumped 5.4 percent as Citigroup Inc. upgraded the shares. Danske Bank A/S (DANSKE) dropped 6.1 percent after Denmark�� financial regulator ordered it to increase its risk-weighted assets. Royal Imtech NV fell to the lowest price since 2004 after posting a first-quarter loss on costs relating to a fraud investigation.

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wintrust Financial Corporation(WTFC)

Wintrust Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in community banking, specialty finance, and wealth management operations. Its Community Banking segment offers banking and financial services primarily to individuals, small to mid-sized businesses, local governmental units, and institutional customers. This segment?s products and services include deposit products, such as demand, negotiable order of withdrawal, money market, savings, and time deposit accounts; home equity, home mortgage, consumer, real estate, and commercial loans; safe deposit facilities; automated teller machines (ATMs); and Internet banking services. The company?s Specialty Finance segment offers financing for the payment of commercial insurance premiums to businesses and individuals; short-term accounts receivable financing; and out-sourced administrative services, including data processing of payrolls, billing, and cash management services to customers in the temporary staffing indu stry, as well as engages in the origination and purchase of residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market and provides the document preparation and other loan closing services to a network of mortgage brokers. This segment markets its products primarily through insurance agents and brokers. Its Wealth Management segment provides trust and investment services, asset management, and securities brokerage services, which are marketed primarily under the Wayne Hummer name. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated through 78 banking facilities, as well as owned 123 ATMs. Wintrust Financial Corporation was founded in 1992 and is based in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Monday

    Earnings Releases Expected: Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: STLY), Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: WTFC) Economic Releases Expected: Swiss PPI, eurozone industrial production

    Tuesday

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ: WTFC) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $196.07 million.

    International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $5.99 per share on revenue of $28.25 billion.

  • [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

    Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From a new tablet from Amazon to Microsoft giving Windows an overdue makeover, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Bank on It: We're just getting started with earnings season, but Monday will be relatively quiet on that front. One of the few companies kicking off the week with fresh financials will be Wintrust (WTFC), a financial holding company with $18 billion in assets. It operates 15 different community bank subsidiaries with 100 different locations. It may not be the same kind of snapshot of the financial industry that we got this past Friday when bigger banks reported, but we can't ignore the importance of community banks in gauging the state of the economic turnaround. Tuesday -- Pop Stars: Coca-Cola (KO) reports on Tuesday, and if that isn't enough we will have PepsiCo (PEP) checking in on Wednesday. Coke and Pepsi have been battling one another for years, but in some ways, they're united against common adversaries these days. Between the growing popularity of making sodas at home, and critics taking them on over the health implications of consuming too many sugary (or artificially sweetened) drinks, it's a whole different kind of cola war these days. Investors looking for growth may want to look elsewhere. Analysts see Pepsi's revenue inching just 2 percent higher when it reports. It's worse for Coca-Cola, with Wall Street targeting a 2 percent decline in sales. Wednesday -- Paypal Day: eBay (EBAY) reports its third quarter results on Wednesday. There was a time when eBay was strictly an online flea market, but these days we're seeing PayPal become a bigger part of the model. Yes, eBay also owns PayPal, the most popular way to settle online transactions outside of plastic. PayPal has started to expand its reach into traditional retailers, making it possible

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ: WTFC) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $195.50 million.

    Art's-Way Manufacturing Co (NASDAQ: ARTW) is estimated to post its quarterly earnings.

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: BRE Properties Inc (BRE)

BRE Properties, Inc. (BRE), incorporated in 1970, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the development, acquisition and management of multifamily apartment communities primarily located in the metropolitan markets within the State of California, and the Seattle, Washington region. BRE also owns and operates communities in the Phoenix, Arizona and in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan markets. As of December 31, 2011, its multifamily portfolio had real estate assets, which included 76 wholly or majority owned stabilized multifamily communities, aggregating 21,336 units in California, Washington and Arizona; 11 stabilized multifamily communities owned through joint ventures comprised of 3,592 apartment units; and seven apartment communities in various stages of construction and development. In October 2013, the Company acquired Jefferson at Hollywood.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, BRE acquired three communities totaling 652 units: Lafayette Highlands, with 150 units, located in Lafayette, California; The Landing at Jack London Square, with 282 units, located in Oakland, California, and The Vistas of West Hills, with 220 units, located in Valencia, California. In addition to the communities, the Company acquired two parcels of land for future development in San Francisco, California�� Mission Bay district, and it purchased a 4.4 acre site contiguous to its existing Park Viridian operating community and its existing second phase land site in Anaheim, California. As of December 31, 2011, BRE had seven sites under development or construction.

During 2011, the Company sold two communities totaling 634 units: Galleria at Towngate, with 268 units located in Moreno Valley, California; and Windrush Village, a 366 unit property located in Colton, California. The two properties sold were located in the eastern half of the Inland Empire. In addition, during 2011, two joint venture assets were sold; The Landing at Bear Creek, a 224 unit j! oint venture community, located in Lakewood, Colorado; and The Pinnacle at Hunters Glen, a 264 unit joint venture community located in Thornton, Colorado.

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

    BRE Properties (NYSE: BRE) was also up, gaining 11.79 percent to $59.66 after Bloomberg reported that the company is working with Wells Fargo on a possible sale.

  • [By Michael Flannelly]

    Real estate investment trust BRE Properties Inc (BRE) was downgraded by analysts at Goldman Sachs on Tuesday due to a number of risks.

    The analysts downgraded BRE from “Neutral” to “Sell” and now see shares reaching $44, down from $50. This new price target suggests a 13% downside to the stock’s Monday closing price of $50.72.

    Goldman Sachs cited two factors for the downgrade. For one, there is development funding risk due to the development size. Also, the analysts downgraded the stock due to its current valuation.

    “BRE has one of the largest development pipelines under our apartment coverage at 23% of market cap, where 7.5% of market cap remains to be funded,” the analyst notes. “These funding needs would increase if the company commences construction on Pleasanton in 2014, as management noted on the company�� 2Q13 earnings call.”

    BRE Properties shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Tuesday. The stock is down a fraction year-to-date.

  • [By Jayson Derrick]

    Owners of BRE Properties (NYSE: BRE) will receive $12.33 in cash and 0.2971 shares of newly created Essex common stock following Essex Property Trust's (NYSE: ESS) acquisition. Shares of Essex lost 3.31 percent, closing at $142.81.

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: WebMD Health Corp (WBMD)

WebMD Health Corp. provides health information services to consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through its public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications in the United States. The company?s public portals enable consumers to obtain health and wellness information, including information on specific diseases or conditions; check symptoms; locate physicians; store individual healthcare information; receive periodic e-newsletters on topics of individual interest; and participate in online communities with peers and experts. Its public portals for physicians and healthcare professionals provide access to clinical reference sources; stay abreast of the latest clinical information; learn about new treatment options; earn continuing medical education credit; and communicate with peers. The company also provides mobile health information applications for use by consumers and physicians. In addit ion, WebMD Health Corp. offers e-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services, content syndication and distribution, and information services, as well as print services, including the advertisements in WebMD the Magazine, a consumer magazine distributed to physician office waiting rooms. The public portals? sponsors and advertisers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer products companies. The company?s private portals enable employers and health plans to provide their employees and members with access to personalized health and benefit information and decision support technology that helps them to make more informed benefit, treatment, and provider decisions. Further, it offers telephonic health coaching services on a per participant basis across an employee or plan population for clients of its private portals. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    A comparison to WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ:WBMD) is conjured up almost immediately, but it's not a comparison an investor or patient would want to make. WBMD is primarily aimed at individuals who don't have a medical background, and are looking more for tips than for science. The CollabRx site is exclusively built for doctors (oncologists in particular) and diagnostic laboratories that need detailed information parsed out of a sea of data that could be overwhelming were it not curated and focused. Indeed, unlike WebMD or the kind of websites that Bridgeline Digital is going to provide for its new client, the information that's going to be found via CollabRx may be little more than gibberish to a layperson, but it will be highly instructive to doctors and caregivers.

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: Innophos Holdings Inc.(IPHS)

Innophos Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production of mineral based specialty ingredients that are used in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, oral care, and industrial end markets. The company?s specialty ingredients include specialty phosphate salts, specialty phosphoric acids, and a range of other mineral based specialty ingredients that are used as flavor enhancers in beverages; electrolytes in sports drinks; texture modifiers in cheeses; leavening agents in baked goods; mineral sources for nutritional supplements; pharmaceutical excipients; and abrasives in toothpaste, as well as in industrial applications, such as asphalt modification and petrochemical catalysis. It also provides food and technical grade purified phosphoric acid (PPA) used in the production of fertilizer, and specialty phosphate salts and acids, as well as in beverage and water treatment applications; technical grade sodium tri polyphosphate (STPP), a specialty phosphate, which is used as an ingredient in cleaning products, such as industrial and institutional cleaners, automatic dishwashing detergents, and consumer laundry detergents, as well as in water treatment, clay processing, and copper ore processing activities; and detergent grade PPA that is primarily used in the production of STPP. In addition, the company offers granular triple super phosphate, a fertilizer product line used for increasing crop yields in various agricultural sectors. It serves primarily consumer goods manufacturers, distributors, and specialty chemical manufacturers in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and internationally. Innophos Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Cranbury, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of specialty phosphates maker Innophos Holdings (NASDAQ: IPHS  ) dropped as much as 10% today after releasing earnings.

    So what: First quarter sales dropped 6% to $214 million and company's earnings per share dropped from $1.22 a year ago to just $0.55. Analysts expected revenue of $230 million and earnings of $0.79 per share so this is way below expectations. �

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: The Navigators Group Inc.(NAVG)

The Navigators Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in underwriting ocean marine, property and casualty, professional liability, and specialty insurance products and services. The company?s marine and inland marine insurance products include marine and energy liability, cargo, craft/fishing vessel, bluewater hull, brownwater hull, protection and indemnity, war, customs bonds, commercial output policy, construction, transportation, specialty, specie, and marine excess-of-loss reinsurance Its property and casualty insurance products comprise general and environmental liability, umbrella and excess, offshore energy, onshore energy, operational engineering, construction, life sciences, exporters package liability, accident and health reinsurance, Latin America property and casualty reinsurance, agriculture reinsurance, professional liability reinsurance, bloodstock, and the U.S. casualty insurance products. The company?s professional liability products inclu de directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary, crime, accountants professional, lawyers professional, insurance agent errors and omissions, miscellaneous professional, technology and media, design professionals, and real estate agent liability insurance products. The Navigators Group, Inc. distributes its products through global, national, and regional retail and wholesale insurance brokers. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in Rye Brook, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Tower Group has dropped 12% to $3.88 today at 11:39 a.m., while Stewart Information Services (STC) has dipped 0.1% to $31.16, the�Navigators Group�(NAVG) has fallen 1.4% to $54.78 and HCI Group�(HCI) has gained 1% to $38.16.

  • [By CRWE]

    The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NAVG) reported that its principal underwriting agency subsidiary, Navigators Management Company, Inc., has expanded Adrien T. Robinson’s responsibilities to include the open-brokerage products of Life Sciences, Global Package, Environmental Casualty, Commercial Auto and Excess Casualty Retail. Mr. Robinson was previously President of the Environmental Casualty division.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Tower Group has dropped 40% to $4.43 today, and some other small insurers are also getting dinged this morning. HCI Group (HCI) has fallen 1.8% to $39.36, Stewart Information Services (STC) has declined 0.7% to $31.36 and the Navigators Group (NAVG) has ticked down 0.4% to $56.10.

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Invest In Right Now: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc.! was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

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

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-small-cap-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014

Del Frisco's Restaurant Group (Nasdaq: DFRG  ) reported earnings on July 16. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 11 (Q2), Del Frisco's Restaurant Group beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded significantly. Non-GAAP earnings per share dropped significantly. GAAP earnings per share shrank.

Gross margins dropped, operating margins contracted, net margins grew.

Revenue details
Del Frisco's Restaurant Group logged revenue of $60.4 million. The seven analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated sales of $58.8 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 19% higher than the prior-year quarter's $50.7 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Best Regional Bank Companies To Own For 2015: Richoux Group PLC (RIC)

Richoux Group plc is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in the operation of restaurants. The Company has three segments: Richoux, Villagio Zippers and Dean�� Diner. Richoux restaurants operate in the areas of central London. The restaurants are open all day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The restaurants also offers patisserie. Zippers is a spacious, stylish and contemporary restaurant with a relaxed ambience. Dean's Diner offers a range of freshly prepared dishes. Villagio is a modern local Italian restaurant with a menu suitable for the whole family. The Company�� subsidiaries include Newultra Limited and Richoux Limited. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Richmont Mines (RIC) engages in the mining, exploration and development of mining properties, principally gold in Canada. This stock closed up 2.4% to $1.68 in Tuesday's trading session.

    Tuesday's Range: $1.61-$1.68

    52-Week Range: $1.31-$5.50

    Tuesday's Volume: 76,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 101,786

    From a technical perspective, RIC bounced higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $1.59 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.31 to its recent high of $1.71. During that move, shares of RIC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of RIC within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if RIC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $1.71 to $1.80 with high volume.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RIC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.59 or above more near-term support levels at $1.50 to $1.44 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 101,786 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RIC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.10 to $2.20. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give RIC a chance to tag its 200-day moving average at $2.48.

  • [By Sally Jones]


    Richmont Mines Inc. (RIC)

    Down 70% over 12 months, Richmont Mines Inc. has a market cap of $56.23 billion, and trades with a P/B of 0.60.

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc (BAGL)

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (ENRGI), incorporated on October 21, 1992, is an owner/operator, franchisor and licensor of bagel specialty restaurants in the United States. ENRGI operates under the Einstein Bros. Bagels (Einstein Bros.), Noah�� New York Bagels (Noah��) and Manhattan Bagel Company (Manhattan Bagel) brands. ENRGI operates in three business segments: the Company-owned restaurants segment, the manufacturing and commissary segment, and the franchise and license segment. The Company-owned restaurants segment includes the restaurants that it owns. The manufacturing and commissary segment produces and distributes bagel dough and other products to its Company-owned restaurants, licensees and franchisees and other third parties. The franchise and license segment earns royalties and other fees from the use of trademarks and operating systems developed for the Einstein Bros., Noah�� and Manhattan Bagel brands.

During the fiscal year ended January 1, 2013 (fiscal 2012), ENRGI acquired eight restaurants and opened an additional 15 Company-owned restaurants. It closed one Company-owned restaurant during fiscal 2012. On January 31, 2012, the Company sold a Company-owned restaurant. As of January 1, 2013, it had 816 restaurants in 39 states and in the District of Columbia. In January 2013, the Company opened an Einstein Bros. franchise in Montana. Its product offerings include fresh-baked bagels and other bakery items baked onsite, ma de-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches on a range of bagels, breads or wraps, gourmet soups and salads, assorted pastries, premium coffees and an assortment of snacks. Its manufacturing and independent distribution network delivers ingredients that are delivered fresh to its restaurants.

Company-owned restaurants

Einstein Bros. offers a menu that provides food for breakfast and lunch, including fresh-baked bagels and hot breakfast sandwiches, freshly prepared lunch sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specia! lty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Noah�� is a neighborhood-based bakery/deli restaurant that serves fresh-baked bagels, hot breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order deli-style sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specialty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Manhattan Bagel provides a traditional New York style boil and baked bagel. Manhattan Bagel also serves a range of grilled sandwiches, freshly made deli sandwiches, freshly prepared breakfast sandwiches, soups, and a range of other fresh-baked sweets. Similar to Einstein Bros. and Noah��, Manhattan Bagel also features a line of fresh brewed coffees and specialty coffee/espresso beverages. During fiscal 2012, ENRGI generated approximately 90% of its total revenue from restaurant sales at its Company-owned restaurants.

Manufacturing and Commissaries

ENRGI operates a bagel dough manufacturing facility in Whittier, California and has contracts with two suppliers to produce bagel dough and sweets to the specifications. These facilities provide frozen dough, partially-baked frozen bagels and fully baked sweets for its Company-owned restaurants, franchisees and licensees. These operations provide the restaurants with food products, such as sliced meats, cheeses, and/or certain salad ingredients. It has recipes and production processes for the bagel dough, cream cheese and coffee. Frozen, or partially baked and frozen, bagel dough is shipped to all of its Company-owned, franchised and licensed restaurants where the dough is then baked onsite. Its purchases other ingredients used in the restaurants, such as meat, lettuce, tomatoes and condiments, from a select group of third party suppliers.

Franchise and Licensing

ENRGI offers Einstein Bros. franchises to qualified area developers. As of January 1, 2013, the Company was registered to offer Einstein Bros. franchises in 49 states and the District of Columbia. It also has a franchise base in the Manhatt! an Bagel ! brand. Its licensees are located primarily in colleges and universities, hospitals, airports and military bases. As of February 25, 2013, it had 28 development agreements in place for 136 total restaurants, 34 of which have already opened. During fiscal 2012, it opened 13 franchised locations and 27 licensed locations. During fiscal 2012, approximately 3% of its total revenue was generated by the Company�� franchise and license operations.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    The Q1 2014 Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) earnings report is scheduled for after the market closes on Tuesday, May 6th, with investors and traders alike who follow either the sandwich restaurant chain stock (which debuted last October and is down some 44% for retail investors)�or who are into potential small cap peers like Cosi Inc (NASDAQ: COSI), Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: BAGL) and Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) should be paying attention. Aside from the Potbelly Corp earnings report, it should be said that the Q1 2014 Panera Bread Co earnings report was last Tuesday while the�Q1 2014 Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc earnings report came last Thursday and the the Q1 2014 Cosi Inc�earnings report is likely scheduled for Monday, May 12. However, Potbelly Corp has attracted a bit of attention for its potential growth trajectory as well as its�vision to be the ��eighborhood Sandwich Shop.��/p>

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: Noodles & Co (NDLS)

Noodles & Company, incorporated on December 19, 2002, is a casual restaurant concept offering lunch and dinner. The Company offers noodle and pasta dishes, staples of many cuisines, with the goal of delivering fresh ingredients and flavors globally under one roof from Pad Thai to Mac & Cheese. The Company�� globally inspired menu includes a variety of cooked-to-order dishes, including noodles and pasta, soups, salads and sandwiches, which are served on china by its friendly team members.

As of May 28, 2013, including the 16 Company owned restaurants and one franchise restaurant opened in 2013. The Company opened 39 new company owned restaurants and six franchise restaurants. In 2012, the Company began using Your World Kitchen to describe the breadth of its offering and its customers' dining experience.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jason Moser]

    In today's "Ask a Fool" segment,�Motley Fool One�analyst Jason Moser fields a question from a Fool who asks: "Is Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) a long-term investment?" There's no question Noodles and Company's IPO has the stock headed in the right direction. Jason offers his take on the situation, and what investors should look out for.

  • [By Alyce Lomax]

    Meanwhile, high-flying IPO Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) has been frequently compared to Chipotle since its very recent debut. The noodle slinger's incredible growth is the Chipotle parallel that most investors are banking on right now. Another interesting element, to my way of thinking, is that it offers vegetarian and vegan menu items as well.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) more than doubled after going public on Friday, and the shares rose another 5% on Monday.

    As a fast-growing casual dining concept, investors are naturally going to compare the new carb-laden kid on the block to Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) , but the comparisons may be premature.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is quick-service restaurant player Noodles (NDLS), which is set to release numbers on Wednesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Noodles to report revenue of $91.01 million on earnings of 11 cents per share.

    The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Noodles is very high at 18.3%. That means that out of the 18.33 million shares in the tradable float, 3.01 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 11.4%, or by about 307,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of NDLS could experience a large short squeeze post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their bets.

    From a technical perspective, NDLS is currently trending right below its 50-day moving average, which is bearish. This stock has been trending sideways for the last four months, with shares moving between $38.90 on the downside and $51.97 on the upside. If this stock can manage to take out the upper-end of its recent range post-earnings, then we could see a big breakout trade get triggered that would take NDLS outside of its massive range.

    If you're bullish on NDLS, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $47.50 to $49.75 a share, and then once it takes out its all-time high at $51.97 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 455,155 shares. If that breakout hits, then NDLS will set up to enter new all-time high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $60 to $70 a share.

    I would avoid NDLS or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops bac

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: BAB Inc (BABB)

BAB, Inc., incorporated on July 12, 2000, franchises and licenses bagel and muffin retail units under the Big Apple Bagel (BAB) and My Favorite Muffin (MFM) trade names. At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and 6 licensed units in operation in 24 states. The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: BAB Systems, Inc. (Systems) and BAB Operations, Inc. (Operations). At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and six licensed units in operation in 24 states.

The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The BAB franchised brand consists of units operating as Big Apple Bagels, featuring daily baked bagels, flavored cream cheeses, premium coffees, gourmet bagel sandwiches and other related products. Licensed BAB units serve the Company's par-baked frozen bagel and related products baked daily. BAB units are primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Western United States. The MFM brand consists of units operating as My Favorite Muffin, featuring a variety of freshly baked muffins, coffees and related products, and units operating as My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe, featuring these products as well as a variety of specialty bagel sandwiches and related products.

The Company�� BAB offering franchises in all 50 states, its initial development focus is targeted for the Midwest, specifically Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. A! s part of its introductory development plan, BAB will be donating 10% of the initial franchise fee from its 50 SweetDuet units to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which BAB is a corporate sponsor. SweetDuet, as its name implies, is a fusion concept, pairing self-serve frozen yogurt with BAB's exclusive line of My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins, broadening the shop's offering and therefore differentiating itself from the numerous frozen yogurt outlets already populating the market. SweetDuet shops include BAB's Brewster's Coffee and a streamlined breakfast menu. The concept is designed to work in 1600 square feet of space.

BAB franchised stores daily bake a variety of fresh bagels and offer up to 11 varieties of cream cheese spreads. Stores also offer a variety of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, various dessert items, fruit smoothies, gourmet coffees and other beverages. A typical BAB store is in an area with a mix of both residential and commercial properties and ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. The Company's current store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons, and includes approximately 750 square feet devoted to production and baking. A satellite store is typically smaller than a production store, averaging 800 to 1,200 square feet. Although franchise stores may vary in size from other franchise stores, store layout is generally consistent.

MFM franchised stores daily bake 20 to 25 varieties of muffins from over 250 recipes, plus a variety of bagels. They also serve gourmet coffees, beverages and, at My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe locations, a variety of bagel sandwiches and related products. The typical MFM store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons.The Company advertises its franchising opportunities in directories, newspapers and the Internet.

The Company competes with Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Panera Bread Company and Brue! gger's Ba! gel Bakery.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Today, BABB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.800 thus far (ref. google finance July 11, 2013).

    For the quarter ended May 31, 2013, BAB had revenues of $658,000 and net income of $125,000, or $0.02 per share, versus revenues of $826,000 and net income of $267,000, or $0.04 per share, for the same quarter last year. For the quarter ended May 31, 2012, the Company received a $171,000 payment for the buyout of the Franchise Agreement from its Minot, ND franchisee so the franchisee could pursue its other business interests associated with the local energy boom. In that acceptance by the Company of the voluntary buyout is unique, no such transaction occurred nor was such income earned in the quarter ended May 31, 2013.

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: Brinker International Inc (EAT)

Brinker International, Inc. (Brinker), incorporated on September 30, 1983, owns, develops, operates and franchises the Chili�� Grill & Bar (Chili��) and Maggiano�� Little Italy (Maggiano��) restaurant brands. As of June 27, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company's system of Company-owned and franchised restaurants included 1,591 restaurants located in 50 states, and Washington, D.C. It also has restaurants in the Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Chili�� Grill & Bar

Chili�� operates in the Bar and Grill category of casual dining. The Company has operations worldwide, with locations in 32 foreign countries and two United States territories. Chili�� menu features items, such as Baby Back Ribs smoked in-house, Big Mouth Burgers, Sizzling Fajitas, hand-battered Chicken Crispers and house-made Chips and Salsa. The all-day menu offers a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts. A special lunch section is available on weekdays. In addition to its flavorful food, Chili�� offers a line of alcoholic beverages available from the bar, including Margaritas and draft beer. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 86.1% of Chili�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 13.9%.

Maggiano�� Little Italy

Maggiano�� is a full-service, casual dining Italian restaurant brand. Its Maggiano�� restaurants feature individual and family-style menus, and its restaurants also have banquet facilities designed to host party business or social events. It has lunch and dinner menu offering chef-prepared, classic Italian-American fare in the form of appetizers, entrees with portions of pasta, ch! icken, seafood, veal and prime steaks, and desserts. The Company�� Maggiano�� restaurants also offer a range of alcoholic beverages, including wines. In addition, Maggiano�� offers a full carryout menu, as well as local delivery services. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 83.0% of Maggiano�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 17.0%.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GURUFOCUS]

    Brinker International Inc. (EAT) owns, develops, operates, and franchises various restaurant brands primarily in the United States. August 22nd the company increased its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.24 per share. The dividend is payable Sept. 26, 2013 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 6, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.3%.

  • [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

    AP/Jae C. Hong For all the talk about drones replacing parcel carriers or self-driving cars disrupting the taxi industry, there's a bigger tech revolution happening in the restaurant industry right now that may displace workers far sooner than anything futurists foresee in those other industries. The arrival of tablets and smartphone apps that detail menu items, take orders, and let you settle up your tab at the en of the meal will be a big theme among casual dining chains and even a few independent foodie haunts this year. Brinker International's (EAT) Chili's, DineEquity's (DIN) Applebee's, and a handful of San Francisco fine dining establishments are leading the push to add the technology, which will make waiters and waitresses less necessary. None of the chains have said that these tech initiatives will lead them to reduce waitstaff headcount -- but it doesn't take a lot of foresight to connect the dots. If folks are using table-side tablets to place orders and ask for drink refills, or firing up a smartphone app to pay at the end of a meal, that naturally translates into fewer front-of-house employees needed to keep an eatery going. Order Up In fact, some industry leaders outright deny that mobile tech will displace staff. "This really isn't a labor play," DineEquity CEO Julia Stewart said on CNBC late last year, explaining Applebee's move to deploy 100,000 tablets this year -- one at every table. "It's not about saving labor. This is really about creating an opportunity to talk to our guest, have an interactive conversation with our guest, and give our guest a lot more opportunities." At first, a waitstaff will be instrumental in assisting customers as they use the tablets to place orders or pay their bills. There will also be patrons who are apprehensive about embracing the technology, and Applebee's will still have waiters taking orders the old-fashioned way for people who prefer talking to a person. Chili's is going with a less-comprehensive table

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: Blue Water Global Group Inc (BLUU)

Blue Water Global Group, Inc. (Blue Water), incorporated on March 3, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on developing a chain of casual dining restaurants in tourist destinations throughout the Caribbean region. The Company's initial restaurant is going to be called Blue Water Bar & Grill and will be located in St. Maarten, Dutch West Indies.

As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not operate any restaurant properties, and did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties. As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Naturalnano Inc (OTCMKTS: NNAN), Global Payout, Inc (OTCMKTS: GOHE) and Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) were either jumping higher or diving lower yesterday. To complicate matters for investors, two of these small cap stocks have been subjects of disclosures about paid promotion or investor relation campaigns. So what will these three small caps do for the rest of this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Caribbean International Holdings (OTCMKTS: CIHN), Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) and Metrospaces Inc (OTCMKTS: MSPC) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and all three have focused their activities in the Caribbean or South America. However, all three have been the subject of paid promotions which have helped to get them mentions in various investment newsletters. With that in mind, will bets on the Caribbean or South America pay off big for these three small cap stocks and their investors? Here is a quick reality check:

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Last Friday, small cap Digital Brand Media & Marketing Group Inc (OTCMKTS: DBMM) surged 22.22% while Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) sank 18.42% and Medina International Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: MIHI) sank 50%. However, one of these small caps (Blue Water Global Group) appears to be reversing course in early morning trading today. So with it and the rest of these small cap stocks either sink or swim in trading this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Top Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2014: Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc (ARCO)

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2010, is a McDonald�� franchisee. As of December 31, 2010, the Company operated or franchised 1,755 McDonald��-branded restaurants, which represented 6.7% of McDonald�� total franchised restaurants globally. It operates McDonald��-branded restaurants under two different operating formats, Company-operated restaurants and franchised restaurants. As of December 31, 2010, of its 1,755 McDonald��-branded restaurants in the territories, 1,292 (or 74%) were Company-operated restaurants and 463 (or 26%) were franchised restaurants. It generates revenues from two sources: sales by Company-operated restaurants and revenues from franchised restaurants, which consist of rental income, which is based on the greater of a flat fee or a percentage of sales reported by franchised restaurants. As of December 31, 2010, it owned the land for 510 of its restaurants (totaling approximately 1.2 million square meters) and the buildings for all but 12 of its restaurants. It divides its operations into four geographical divisions: Brazil; the Caribbean division, consisting of Aruba, Curacao, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas; North Latin America division (NOLAD), consisting of Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama, and South Latin America division (SLAD), consisting of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. As of December 31, 2010, 35.1% of its restaurants were located in Brazil, 29.7% in SLAD, 27.1% in NOLAD and 8.1% in the Caribbean division. The Company conducts its business through its indirect, wholly owned subsidiary Arcos Dorados B.V.

Company-Operated and Franchised Restaurants

The Company operates its McDonald��-branded restaurants under two basic structures: Company-operated restaurants operated by the Company and franchised restaurants operated by franchisees. Under both operating alternatives the real estate location may ! either be owned or leased by the Company. It owns, fully manages and operates the Company-operated restaurants and retains any operating profits generated by such restaurants, after paying operating expenses and the franchise and other fees owed to McDonald�� under the Master Franchise Agreements (MFAs). In Company-operated restaurants, it assumes the capital expenditures for the building and equipment of the restaurant and, if it owns the real estate location, for the land as well. Under its franchise arrangements, franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the equipment, signs, seating and decor of their restaurants, and by reinvesting in the business over time. It is required by the MFAs to own the real estate or to secure long-term leases for franchised restaurant sites. It subsequently leases or subleases the property to franchisees.

In exchange for the lease and services, franchisees pay a monthly rent to the Company, based on the greater of a fixed rent or a certain percentage of gross sales. In addition to this monthly rent, it collects the monthly continuing franchise fee, which generally is 5% of the United States dollar equivalent of the restaurant�� gross sales, and pays these fees to McDonald�� pursuant to the MFAs. However, if a franchisee fails to pay its monthly continuing franchise fee, it remains liable for payment in full of these fees to McDonald��. As of December 31, 2010, it was engaged in several joint ventures, which collectively owned 24 restaurants, in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.

Restaurant Categories

The Company classifies its restaurants into one of four categories: freestanding, food court, in-store and mall stores. Freestanding restaurants are the type of restaurant, which have ample indoor seating and include a drive-through area. Food court restaurants are located in malls and consist of a front counter and kitchen and do not have their own seating area. In-store restaurants are part ! of a larg! er building and resemble freestanding restaurants, except for the lack of a drive-through area. Mall stores are located in malls like food court restaurants, but have their own seating areas. As of December 31, 2010, 808 (or 46.2%) of its restaurants were freestanding, 359 (or 20.5%) were food court, 265 (or 15.1%) were in-stores and 319 (or 18.2%) were mall stores. In addition, it has four non-traditional stores, such as food carts.

Reimaging

As of December 31, 2010, the Company had completed the reimaging of 308 of 1,569 restaurants. Many of the reimaging projects include the addition of McCafe locations to the restaurant. It has developed system-wide guidelines for the interior and exterior design of reimaged restaurants.

McCafe Locations and Dessert Centers

McCafe locations are stylish, separate areas within restaurants where customers can purchase a range of customizable beverages, including lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, hot and iced premium coffees and hot chocolate. As of December 31, 2010, there were 267 McCafe locations in the Territories, of which 12% were operated by franchisees. Argentina, with 71 locations, has McCafe locations, followed by Brazil, with 67 locations. In addition to McCafe locations, it has Dessert Centers. Dessert Centers operate from existing restaurants, but depend on them for supplies and operational support. As of December 31, 2010, there were 1,306 Dessert Centers in the Territories.

Product Offerings

The Company�� menus feature three tiers of products: affordable entry-level options, such as its Big Pleasures, Small Prices or Combo del Dia (Daily Extra Value Meal) offerings, core menu options, such as the Big Mac, Happy Meal and Quarter Pounder, and premium options, such as Big Tasty or Angus premium hamburgers and chicken sandwiches and low-calorie or low-sodium products, which are marketed through common platforms rather than as individual items. These platforms can be based on the ty! pe of pro! ducts, such as beef, chicken, salads or desserts, or on the type of customer targeted, such as the children�� menu.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Next Tuesday, Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO  ) 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.

  • [By Asit Sharma]

    Arcos Dorados' (NYSE: ARCO  ) stock has remained basically flat this year, as a strong U.S. dollar has weakened the company's earnings, which are derived almost entirely from Latin America. As an example, the company's Brazilian division sales were up almost 11% in 2012 versus the prior year on an organic basis, from $1.8 billion to more than $2.0 billion. However, due to the depreciation of the Brazilian real, the division's revenues actually decreased by $93 million in dollar terms. In the accompanying video, Fool contributor Asit Sharma discusses Arcos' recent results, and why he sees a buying opportunity in Arcos Dorados stock.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Arcos Dorados Holdings (NYSE: ARCO  ) , which operates McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) franchises in Latin America, has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Latin American McDonald's franchisee�Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.0596�per share on its Class A and Class B stock, slightly lower than the steady rate of $0.0597 per share it's paid since 2011.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Top 5 Semiconductor Companies To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Semiconductor Companies To Buy Right Now: Aeroflex Holding Corp (ARX)

Aeroflex Holding Corp. (Aeroflex Holding) is a provider of radio frequency (RF) and microwave integrated circuits, components and systems used in the design, development and maintenance of wireless communication systems. The Company's solutions include microelectronic components and test and measurement equipment used by companies in the space, avionics and defense; commercial wireless communications, and medical and other markets. Its products include a range of RF, microwave and millimeter wave microelectronic components, integrated circuits (ICs), and analog and mixed-signal devices. It also manufactures a range of RF and microwave wireless radio and avionics test equipment and solutions particularly for the wireless, avionics and radio test markets. The Company operates in two segments: Aeroflex Microelectronics Solutions (AMS) and Aeroflex Test Solutions (ATS). In August 2010, it acquired Advanced Control Components. In September 2013, the Company announced the sale of its Aeroflex Test Equipment Services (ATES) business to Trescal Limited. In February 2014, Aeroflex Holding Corp announced the acquisition of Shenick Network Systems.

Aeroflex Microelectronic Solutions

AMS offers a range of microelectronics products and is a provider of specialty products for the space, avionics, defense, commercial wireless communications, medical and other markets. RadHard products are specifically designed to tolerate high radiation level environments, which otherwise can degrade electronic components. The Company principally operates on a fabless semiconductor manufacturing model, outsourcing virtually all front-end semiconductor fabrication activities to commercial foundries. AMS offers a range of complementary products that provide connectivity and computing functionality for applications. Its product! portfolio includes RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, including discrete components, ICs, monolithic microwave IC s and multi-chip modules.

AMS designs and manu! factures application specific, analog and mixed-signal devices for use in medical, industrial and intelligent sensors. The Company's AMS products are used in over 100 space, avionics and defense platforms, including the Wideband Global Satellite Communications satellites, the Geostationary Operational Environmental satellites, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites, the Boeing 777 airliner's databus, the F-16's modular mission computer, the B-1 flight controls upgrade and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program. Its AMS products are also used in wireless communications platforms, including WCDMA and LTE cellular base station systems, as well as point-to-point broadband radio applications. In the medical area, our products are used by two of the top four manufacturers of CT scan equipment.

AMS provides HiRel standard and custom integrated circuits and circuit card assembly for the aerospace, altitude avionics, medical, x-ray cargo scanners, cr itical transportation systems, nuclear power controls, global positioning systems (GPS) receivers, networking and telecommunication markets. AMS' HiRel products include transceivers, analog multiplexers, clock management generators, MSI logic products, battery electronics units, voltage regulators, high-speed power controllers, MIL-STD 1553 bus controllers, remote terminals, bus monitors, microcontrollers and microprocessors, RadHard Pulse Width Modulation Controllers, RadHard Resolver-to-Digital and memory modules. HiRel Microelectronics/ Semiconductors have a typical life cycle of 10-20 years.

AMS provides a set of standard and application specific RF/microwave diodes and semiconductor devices. Microwave semiconductor products offered include diodes, amplifiers, resistors, inductors, capacitors, switches, and integrated devices. RF! and Micr! owave active components and subsystems offered include PIN diode-based microwave control components, variable attenuators , phase shifters, limiters, time delay units and Multi-Funct! ion Micro! wave assemblies. AMS offers resistor products, which include a variety of low and high reliability power surface mounted passive devices for the wireless infrastructure and defense markets with applications in isolators, circulators, single and multi-carrier power amplifiers and circuits. Passive components offered include attenuators, terminations, adapters, DC blocks, and other components for commercial, military and laboratory applications. Other products include power amplifiers, up and down converters, mixers, filters and micro-receivers operating to over 40 giga hertz (GHz). RF and Microwave components have a typical life cycle of 5-15 years. The Company's motion control products provide complete and integrated motion control solutions for space (both military and commercial), military, avionics, and industrial customers. Its product line offerings include actuators and mechanisms, electronic controllers, slip rings and twist capsules, DC motors and Gimbal Systems. M otion control products have a typical life cycle of 10-20 years.

Aeroflex Test Solutions

ATS is a provider of a line of specialized test and measurement hardware and software products, primarily for the space, avionics, defense, commercial wireless communications and other markets. ATS products and their applications include wireless test equipment, which is used to develop and test handsets and base stations; military radio and PMR test equipment, which is used by radio manufacturers and military, police, fire, and emergency response units to test handheld radios; avionics test equipment, which is used in the design, manufacture and maintenance of electronics systems for aircraft; synthetic test equipment, which is used to test satellites and transmit / receive modules prior to launch and deployment, and gener! al purpos! e test equipment, including spectrum analyzers and signal generators.

Wireless Test Equipment is used by wireless ser vice providers and equipment manufacturers to test wireless ! handsets ! and base stations. The Company offers a range of cellular tests across a range of wireless standards and communication frequencies, including 2G and 3G, with particular capability in EDGE protocols, and the new 4G LTE/LTE(A) protocols. Products include a range of system, protocol, physical layer and parametric test solutions, such as the TM500 test mobile, RF synthesizers, digitizers and combiners, and application software. In addition, ATS provides PXI-based products which are modular scalable solutions for the handset manufacturing environment. Product applications include research and development, conformance, manufacturing/production, installation and commissioning, field service, and network optimization.

ATS Radio Test Equipment is used by radio manufacturers and military, police, fire and emergency response units to test handheld radio units. ATS provides TErrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), and Project 25 (P25), radio test equipment, addressing both mobil e and repeater test applications. TETRA is a global standard for private mobile radio (PMR), systems used by emergency services, public transport and utilities. P25 is a standard for digital radio communications for use by federal, state, private, and local public safety agencies in North America. Its military communications testing systems are primarily used by the United States military to test complex voice and data frequency hopping radios and accessories. Military radio and PMR test equipment has a typical life cycle of 5-20 years.

Avionics test equipment is used in the design, manufacture, test and maintenance of commercial, civil and military airborne electronic systems, or avionics. ATS equipment provides the stimulus and signals necessary for certification, verification, fault finding and diagnosis of air! borne sys! tems on the ground. For civil and commercial aviation, it has test solutions for various transponder modes, communications frequencies, emerg ency locator transmitters, weather radars and GPS systems. F! or milita! ry aviation, it has test solutions for microwave landing systems, tactical air navigation, enhanced traffic alert and collision avoidance systems, various identification friend or foe, or IFF, transponder/interrogator modes and IFF monopulse antenna simulation. ATS also provides customized avionics test solutions to support manual and automatic test equipment for manufacturing, repair and ground support operations. Avionics test equipment has a typical life cycle of 8-15 years.

Synthetic test systems test several attributes through one box and can take multiple complex measurements simultaneously. ATS provides synthetic test environment that allows digital, analog, RF/microwave and power test of circuits, modules, subsystems and complete systems for commercial, military, and aerospace customers. ATS' STI 1000C+ and TRM 1000C products offer synthetic microwave test systems optimized for testing Transmit/Receive modules and satellite payloads in a factory setting . Its SMART^E and SMART^E 5300 products offer a modular approach for implementing multi-function configurable and reconfigurable test systems. Synthetic test solutions products have a typical life cycle of 10-15 years.

ATS offers a variety of general purpose test solutions including microwave test solutions, counters and power meters. ATS microwave test solutions cover frequency ranges from 1 megahertz (MHz) to 46 gigahertz (GHz), with various tracking, offset, continuous wave, modulated source, fault location, and group delay configuration options provided. ATS power meters are designed for field use, automated test equipment requirements and standard bench applications. General purpose test solutions have a typical life cycle of 4-7 years.

The Company Competes with Agilent Technologies, H! oneywell,! BAE Systems, Hittite Microwave Corporation, ILC / Data Devices Corporation, Microsemi, Anaren, Anite, Anritsu, Rohde & Schwarz, Spirent and National I nstruments.

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

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    In trading on Tuesday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.12 percent. Leading the sector was strength from Aeroflex Holding (NYSE: ARX) and Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ). Cyclical consumer goods & services shares declined around 0.71 percent in Tuesday's trading.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    The Department of Defense issued some 22 separate contract awards Thursday, totaling just under $1 billion in combined value. Not all of them went to publicly traded defense contractors, of course, but enough of them did to be worth mentioning. Here are a few of the lucky winners:

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-semiconductor-companies-to-buy-right-now.html