Australian Medicare is facing many of the same challenges of American Medicare as the population ages in the Land Down Under. Australia’s Productivity Commission, an independent governmental research and advisory group, recently estimated that by 2060 caring for the nation’s elderly will cost the country about 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). That forecast is based on the commission’s estimate that the number of Australians age 75 or older will increase by 4 million by 2060, with 25 centenarians for every 100 babies born.
At the same time, the country’s population grew by 1.6 percent last year and has averaged better than 1 percent growth over the last four decades. In fact, because of the country’s birth rate and immigration, it is now growing more rapidly than either India (1.3 percent population growth) or China (0.5 percent).
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: Fast Retailing Co Ltd (FRCOF)
FAST RETAILING CO., LTD. is a Japan-based holding company primarily engaged in the clothing business. The Company operates in three business segments. The UNIQLO segment is engaged in the sale of casual clothing such as men's, women's, children's and babies' clothing, as well as other goods in domestic market and overseas markets under the brand name of UNIQLO. The Global Brand segment is engaged in the planning, manufacture and sale of clothing under the brands of COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS, PRINCESSE TAM.TAM, Theory, Helmut Lang, PLST and others in domestic and overseas markets. The Others segment is involved in the leasing of real estate and others. As of August 31, 2012, the Company had 91 consolidated subsidiaries and six non-consolidated subsidiaries. In December, 2012, it acquired a 80.1% stake in United States-based J Brand Holdings, LLC. In September 2013, it established a wholly owned subsidiary, J Brand Japan Co., Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks weakened in early Thursday trading as the yen rose and Wall Street ended mixed, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) falling 1.2% to 15,929.74 after a 1.9% advance a day earlier. With the yen (USDJPY) slightly firmer than in the previous session, some investors sold currency-sensitive exporters, with Fanuc Corp. (JP:6954) (FANUF) down 2%, Kyocera Corp. (JP:6971) (KYOCF) off 1.9%, and Fujitsu Ltd. (JP:6702) (FJTSY) losing 2.3%. News that China would lift a ban on some sales of videogame consoles had sent shares of Nintendo Co. (JP:7974) (NTDOF) shooting 11% higher on Wednesday, but apparent profit-taking sent the stock down 4.2% in early Thursday action. Shares of rival Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) , however, followed with a 4% rise, also possibly buoyed by a Nikkei Asian Review report that it was planning a "smartphone offensive" in the U.S. and China. Canon Inc. (JP:7751) (CAJ) fell 2% on a separate Nikkei report that the company's 2013 operating profit would miss forecasts. Toshiba Corp. (JP:6502) (TOSYY)
- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Stocks in Japan started with losses Friday, the final session before the release of the closely watched U.S. jobs report later in the day. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) shed 0.3% to 15,836.37, as the yen edged higher against the U.S. dollar overnight, and the broader Topix gave up 0.5%. Tech issues were mostly lower, including a 3.3% pullback in Trend Micro Inc. (JP:4704) (TMICY) , and a 2.7% decline in Nintendo Co. (JP:7974) (NTDOF) . Nintendo shares rallied Thursday after China temporarily lifted a ban on manufacturing and selling video game consoles within in the country. But among Friday's best performers were shares of Fast Retailing Co. (JP:9983) (FRCOF) , up 4.4% after the company posted a nearly 9% rise in its fiscal first-quarter net profit to 楼41.85 billion ($399 million). Sales were driven by a nearly 80% gain in Fast Retailing's overseas sales at Uniqlo stores.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: Enventis Corp (ENVE)
Enventis Corporation, formerly HickoryTech Corporation, is an integrated communications provider. The Company has a five-state fiber network spanning more than 3,250 route miles with facilities-based operations across Minnesota and into Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Enventis Telecom, Inc. (Enventis) provides business Internet protocol (IP) voice, data and video solutions, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) networking, data center and managed hosted services and communication systems. HickoryTech delivers broadband, Internet, digital television (TV), voice and data services to businesses and consumers in southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa. The Company�� operations are conducted through nine subsidiaries. Its Fiber and Data and Equipment Segments subsidiaries include Enventis, Enterprise Integration Services, Inc. (EIS) and IdeaOne. Its Telecom Segment subsidiaries include Mankato Citizens Telephone Company (MCTC), Mid-Communications, Inc. (Mid-Com), Heartland Telecommunications Company of Iowa, Inc. (Heartland), Cable Network, Inc. (CNI), Crystal Communications, Inc. (Crystal) and National Independent Billing, Inc. (NIBI). The Company operates in three segments: Fiber and Data, Equipment and Telecom. The Company formed Enterprise Integration Services, Inc. (EIS) on January 2, 2012. On March 1, 2012, the Company acquired IdeaOne Telecom Group, LLC.
Fiber and Data and Equipment segments portion of its business serves customers across a five-state region with IP-based voice, transport, data and network solutions, managed services, equipment, network integration and support services. Through its regional fiber network, the Company provides wholesale fiber and data services to regional and national service providers, including interexchange and wireless carriers. It also specializes in providing integrated unified communication solutions for businesses, such as enterprise multi-office organizations, small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), primarily in the Upper Midwes! t. Residential customers are not targeted by the Fiber and Data or Equipment Segments. Its Telecom Segment provides residential and business services, including high-speed Internet, broadband services, digital TV and voice services in its legacy telecom markets. Telecom consists of the operation of local telephone companies or incumbent local exchange carriers (ILEC) and the operation of a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC). All of its telecom operations are operated as one integrated unit. Its ILECs and CLEC are the primary users of the services provided by its subsidiary, National Independent Billing, Inc. (NIBI). NIBI also sells its services externally to other companies in the communications industry.
Fiber and Data and Equipment Segments
The Company, through its two business-to-business segments, Fiber and Data and Equipment, provides integrated data services and fiber based communication solutions, including IP-based voice, data and network solutions to business customers in the Upper Midwest. The product portfolio includes fiber, data and Internet, Voice and Voice over IP (VoIP), Managed and hosted services and data center services. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or had long-term leases to approximately 2,175 fiber route miles of fiber optic cable, including 225 miles acquired with the IdeaOne acquisition and has metro fiber optic rings that directly connect the network with businesses (interexchange carriers, wireless carriers, retail, health care, Government and education customers). Additional local fiber rings connect its network to local telephone central offices along with the Telecom Sector network, which has 1,155 fiber optic miles. It also serves customers through interconnections that are leased from third party service providers.
The Company�� product portfolio includes SingleLink Unified Communications (SingleLink), a hosted or managed IP communications service, which includes local and long distance voice, business IP telephony via ! a hosted ! IP private branch exchange, unified messaging and Internet access. The SingleLink solution is primarily targeted at SMB customers but also has enterprise customer applications. IdeaOne Telecom Group, LLC is a metro fiber network provider in Fargo, North Dakota. IdeaOne provides data networking, Internet, colocation, phone and hosting services to approximately 3,600 customers in the Fargo area. The acquisition added 225 fiber route miles to HickoryTech�� regional network. It has Minnesota offices located in Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester and operates data centers in Edina, Duluth and Mankato. It also has an office located in the Des Moines, Iowa area. The Equipment segment product portfolio includes equipment solutions, total care support and monitoring and professional services. The Company provides converged IP services that allow all communications (voice, video and data) to use the same IP data infrastructure. Equipment solutions include TelePresence, Unified Communications, Data Center and Virtualization, Professional Services, Total Care and Security.
Telecom
The Telecom Segment provides local telephone service, long distance, calling features, digital subscriber line (DSL), Internet, digital TV, data services and a phone book directory to residents and businesses in its legacy markets. As an auxiliary business, the data processing services of NIBI are also included within this Sector. Telecom includes three ILECs: MCTC, Mid-Com and Heartland. MCTC and Mid-Com provide telephone services in south central Minnesota, specifically the Mankato, Minnesota region, and 11 rural communities surrounding Mankato. Heartland, its third ILEC, provides telephone services for 11 rural communities in northwest Iowa. In total, there are 23 ILEC exchanges within this Segment. Also included is a CLEC, Crystal, which provides services in south central Minnesota and near Des Moines, Iowa. There are eight Minnesota CLEC exchanges and two Iowa CLEC exchanges. NIBI provides data processing an! d related! services for its affiliated companies, as well as for other ILECs, CLECs, interexchange network carriers, wireless companies and cable TV providers throughout the United States and Canada.
The Company owns and operates a 1,075 mile fiber optic network and facilities in Minnesota and Iowa. These facilities are used to transport voice, data and video services between the Company�� exchanges, to connect customers to interexchange carriers and to provide service directly to end users. This network is interconnected with its 2,175 fiber mile network in the Fiber and Data Segment. Its Minnesota ILECs and CLEC are the primary users of these fiber optic cable facilities. The Company provides interexchange telephone access by connecting the communications networks of interexchange carriers and wireless carriers with the equipment and facilities of end users through its switched networks or private lines. As local exchange telephone companies, it provides end office switching and circuits to long distance interexchange carriers. The Company provides access to its network for interexchange carriers to conduct long distance business with individual customers who select a long distance carrier for the origination and termination of calls to all customers.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anna Prior]
Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc.(CNSL) has agreed to acquire broadband communications provider Enventis Corp.(ENVE) in an all-stock deal that values Enventis at about $228 million. The deal values Enventis at about $16.50 a share, a 17% premium to Friday’s close.
5 Best Construction Stocks To Own Right Now: American States Water Co (AWR)
American States Water Company (AWR), incorporated on February 25, 1998, is the parent company of Golden State Water Company (GSWC) and American States Utility Services, Inc. (ASUS) and its subsidiaries (Fort Bliss Water Services Company (FBWS), Terrapin Utility Services, Inc. (TUS), Old Dominion Utility Services, Inc. (ODUS), Palmetto State Utility Services, Inc. (PSUS) and Old North Utility Services, Inc. (ONUS)). AWR operates in three segments: water, electric and contracted services. Within the segments, AWR has two principal business units, water and electric service utility operations, conducted through GSWC, and contracted services conducted through ASUS and its subsidiaries.
GSWC is a California public utility company engaged principally in the purchase, production and distribution of water in 75 communities in 10 counties in the State of California. GSWC also provides electric service to the City of Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas in San Bernardino County, California through its Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES) division. GSWC served 255,657 water customers and 23,379 electric customers as of December 31, 2012. ASUS, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, has contracted with the United States government to provide water and/or wastewater services at various military installations, including the operation, maintenance, renewal and replacement of the water and/or wastewater systems, pursuant to 50-year firm, fixed-price contracts. As of December 31, 2012, GSWC�� physical properties consisted of water transmission and distribution systems which included 2,786 miles of pipeline together with services, meters and fire hydrants and approximately 425 parcels of land.
As of December 31, 2012, GSWC owned 244 wells, of which 188 are active operable wells equipped with pumps with an aggregate production capacity of approximately 202.7 million gallons per day. GSWC has 63 connections to the water distribution facilities of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali! fornia (MWD), and other municipal water agencies. GSWC�� storage reservoirs and tanks have an aggregate capacity of approximately 111 million gallons. GSWC owns no dams. GSWC�� electric properties are located in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California. As of December 31, 2012, GSWC owned and operated 29.6 miles of overhead 34.5 kilovolt transmission lines, 1.4 mile of underground 34.5 kilovolt transmission lines, 179.6 miles of 4.16 kilovolt or 2.4 kilovolt distribution lines, 53.2 miles of underground cable, 13 sub-stations and a natural gas-fueled 8.4 megawatt peaking generation facility. GSWC also has franchises, easements and other rights of way for the purpose of constructing and using poles, wires and other appurtenances for transmitting electricity.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Debt is another big concern in the utility sector. In order to expand and maintain its existing network of pipes and sewers, American Water and its peers have had to take on a significant amount of debt. American Water Works, for example, carries $5.6 billion in net debt on its balance sheet, but has brought in close to $1 billion in operating cash flow over the trailing-12-month period. By comparison, California's American States Water (NYSE: AWR ) only has $303 million in net debt but generated only $106 million in operating cash flow over the past 12 months. American States may be in better financial shape than American Water Works with regard to debt to equity, but it doesn't have nearly the same bargaining or expansionary power.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: Ecotality Inc.(ECTY)
ECOtality, INC., through its subsidiaries, provides clean electric transportation and storage technologies in the United States and internationally. It offers electric vehicle supply equipment for on-road vehicular applications under the Blink name; and advanced fast-charge systems for material handling, airport ground support equipment, and various motive applications under the Minit-Charger name, as well as engages in the development, manufacture, assembly, and sale of specialty solar products, advanced battery systems, and hydrogen and fuel cell systems. The company also provides testing, engineering, and consulting services, including the advanced vehicle testing activities; the EV Micro-Climate process, a planning and consulting program for municipal planning organizations and utilities; bridge power manager systems; and EV network management and software solutions. In addition, it offers energy engineering services comprising hydrogen, solar, battery, coal gasificati on, and energy delivery infrastructure; hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle conversions; industrial battery systems; specialty solar solutions; specialty thin-sealed lead battery products; and third-party hydrogen and education related products. Further, the company operates an online retail store that provides a range of fuel cell products, such as fuel cell stacks, systems, component parts, and educational materials. It serves commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental, and utility sector consumers. The company was formerly known as Alchemy Enterprises, Ltd. and changed its name to ECOtality, Inc. in November 2006. ECOtality, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
About ECOtality
ECOtality, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECTY), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, please visit www.ecotality.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: Iconix Brand Group Inc (ICON)
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (Iconix), incorporated in 1978, is a brand management company engaged in licensing, marketing and providing trend direction for a portfolio of consumer brands. The Company is the owner of the brands through its wholly owned subsidiaries: Candie's, Bongo, Badgley Mischka, Joe Boxer, Rampage, Mudd, London Fog, Mossimo, Ocean Pacific/OP, Danskin/Danskin Now, Rocawear, Cannon, Royal Velvet, Fieldcrest, Charisma, Starter, Waverly, Zoo York and Sharper Image, which it licenses directly to retailers (herein referred to as direct-to-retail), wholesalers and suppliers for use a range of product categories, including apparel, footwear, sportswear, fashion accessories, home products and decor, beauty and fragrance, and, in the case of Sharper Image brand, consumer electronics and novelty products. In July 2011, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary ZY Holdings, purchased the Zoo York brand and related assets from its IPH Unltd joint venture, increasing its ownership in the Zoo York brand from 51% to 100%. In October 2011, the Company acquired Sharper Image. In December 2012, the Company acquired Umbro brand and related intellectual property assets from NIKE Inc. In February 2013, the Company acquired a 51% stake in the Buffalo David Bitton brand. In February 2013, the Company acquired Lee Cooper. In May 2013, the Company acquired 49% interest in IP Holdings Unltd LLC (IPHU), owner of the Ecko Unltd. and Marc Ecko Cut & Sew.
Scion, a joint venture in which the Company has a 50% investment, owns the Artful Dodger brand; Hardy Way, a joint venture in which the Company has an 85% investment, owns the Ed Hardy brand; IPH Unltd, a joint venture in which the Company has a 51% investment, owns the Ecko portfolio of brands; MG Icon, a joint venture in which the Company has a 50% investment, owns the Material Girl and Truth or Dare brands; and Peanuts Holdings, a joint venture in which the Company has an 80% investment, owns the Peanuts brand and characters through its whol! ly owned subsidiary Peanuts . Products bearing the Company�� brands are sold across a range of distribution channels through direct-to-retail and wholesale licenses, from the mass tier to the luxury market. The Company also continues to arrange, as agent, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Bright Star, for the manufacture of footwear products for mass market and discount retailers under their private label brands.
As of December 31, 2011, the combined brand portfolio of the Company and its joint ventures consisted of iconic consumer brands Candie��, Bongo, Badgley Mischka, Joe Boxer, Rampage, Mudd, London Fog, Mossimo, Ocean Pacific/OP, Danskin, Rocawear, Cannon, Royal Velvet, Fieldcrest, Charisma, Starter, Waverly, Zoo York and Sharper Image. Candie�� is a junior lifestyle brand, with products in the footwear, apparel and accessories categories. The primary licensee for Candie�� is Kohl�� Department Stores, Inc. (Kohl��) with a multi-category line of Candie�� lifestyle products, including sportswear, denim, footwear, handbags, intimate apparel, children�� apparel, fragrance and home accessories. The Candie�� brand is also sold through Candie�� retail stores being developed in Greater China through its Iconix China joint venture and is also licensed in South Korea and the Philippines. The Bongo brand is positioned as a California lifestyle brand, with a range of women�� and children�� casual apparel and accessories, including denim, sportswear, eyewear, footwear and watches. The Bongo brand is also licensed in categories in Latin America and Canada. The Badgley Mischka brand is an eveningwear brands. Badgley Mischka products are sold in the United States through luxury department and specialty stores, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, with its retail categories being women�� apparel, footwear, handbags and other accessories. Joe Boxer is an underwear, sleepwear and loungewear brand. The brand is also licensed in Mexico, Europe, Lat! in Americ! a, Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East. Rampage products are sold through department stores, such as Macy��, with the retail categories being sportswear, footwear, intimate apparel and swimwear. The brand is also licensed in Canada, Latin America, South Korea, Thailand and the Middle East. Mudd is a junior lifestyle brand, particularly in the denim, footwear and accessories categories.
London Fog is a classic brand known for the Company's outerwear, cold weather accessories, umbrellas, luggage and travel products. The brand is sold in a range of categories through wholesale licenses in the United States, through the department store channel. The Company has a direct-to-retail license agreement for London Fog with Hudson�� Bay Corporation in Canada, covering apparel, accessories and lifestyle products and the brand has also been licensed in South Korea and Mexico. Mossimo is known as a contemporary, active and youthful lifestyle brand and is an apparel brands in the United States. Target Corporation (Target) has held the Mossimo license in the United States, covering apparel products for men, women and children, including casual sportswear, denim, swimwear, bodywear, watches, handbags and other fashion accessories. The brand is also licensed on a direct-to-retail basis to Falabella Retail S.A. in Argentina, Columbia, Chile and Peru and to licensees in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, India and Japan.
Ocean Pacific and OP are global action-sports lifestyle apparel brands. The brand is distributed by Wal-Mart in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Argentina, and through licensees in Europe, the Middle East and Chile. In addition, the brand is licensed in Japan and its surrounding territories through its OP Japan joint venture.
Danskin is a brand of women's activewear, legwear, dancewear, yoga apparel and fitness equipment. The primary license for the Danskin brand is a direct-to-retail license with Wal-Mart for Danskin Now covering a range of women�! � and gi! rl�� apparel, footwear, accessories and fitness equipment. Rocawear is an urban lifestyle apparel brand established by Shawn Jay-Z Carter and his partners. The Rocawear brand is licensed in the United States in a range of categories, including men��, women�� and kids��apparel, outerwear, footwear, jewelry, handbags and fragrance. Rocawear products are sold through department and specialty stores. Cannon is a brand in home textiles.
Royal Velvet is a luxury home textile brand. Royal Velvet products include towels, sheets, rugs and shams. Fieldcrest is a brand for bed and bath textiles that are classic in style. Charisma home textiles are known for their classic designs. The brand is also licensed in the United States and Canada for distribution through better department stores, such as Bloomingdales. In addition, the brand is licensed in Australia and New Zealand. Starter is a brand in licensed team sports merchandise and is a brand of athletic apparel and footwear. Waverly is a home fashion and lifestyle brand in home decor. Waverly has a direct-to-retail agreement in the United States with Lowe�� Companies, Inc. for Waverly Home Classics for a range of select home furnishings. Zoo York is an East Coast based action lifestyle brand. Zoo York has licenses with wholesalers covering a range of products, including men��, women�� and kids��apparel and footwear. The brand is also licensed in Canada, Europe, Latin America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa, the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia. Sharper Image is a brand in the consumer electronics industry. Its licenses for Sharper Image cover a range of products, including audio and video electronics, travel gear, personal home products, kitchen and bath accessories, massage products, air purification products and giftables, and in territories including the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Japan, Turkey and the Middle East.
Bright Star provides design direction and arr! anges for! the manufacturing and distribution of men�� private label footwear products primarily for Wal-Mart under its private labels. Bright Star acts solely as an agent. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Bright Star�� agency commissions represented less than 1% of the Company�� revenues.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vera Yuan]
The Partners Value Fund�� Investor Class returned -1.4% in the third calendar quarter, compared to a +1.1% return for the S&P 500 and flat results for the Russell 3000. The largest companies were generally the strongest performers in the third quarter, most notably Microsoft (MSFT) (+12%), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) (+9%) and Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) (+4%) for our Fund. Conversely, small cap stocks fell sharply in July and again in September, with the Russell 2000 index finishing down 7.4% for the quarter. While smaller companies account for approximately 10% of our net assets, these stocks drove most of the Fund�� quarterly decline. Iconix Brand Group (ICON) (-14%), Redwood Trust (RWT) (-14%) and Interval Leisure Group (IILG) (-13%) were the primary small cap detractors. Energy holdings Range Resources (RRC) (-22%) and Apache (APA) (-6%) also impacted results as natural gas and oil prices dropped. We remain optimistic on the long-term outlooks for all five of these stocks, which trade at moderate to large discounts to our business value estimates.
- [By Louis Navellier]
Iconix Brand Group (ICON) is in the business of licensing, marketing, and providing trend direction for a portfolio of consumer and entertainment brands. The company owns 33 well-known brands like Candie’s, Bongo, Joe Boxer, London Fog and Starter. It licenses the name for use in products like apparel, footwear, fashion accessories, home products and beauty products.
- [By Marshall Hargrave]
If we narrow these comps down to some of GIII's fellow small-cap apparel peers, we see just how cheap the stock is. GIII trades at an 8.4x EV/EBITDA multiple, while QuikSilver (ZQK) trades at 16.2x, Iconix Brand (ICON) at 11.5x and Jones New York (JNY) 8.8x.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: Abbott Laboratories(ABT)
Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of health care products worldwide. The company offers adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease; dyslipidemia; HIV infection; prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and anemia caused by uterine fibroids; respiratory syncytial virus; adult males who have low or no testosterone; secondary hyperparathyroidism; hypothyroidism; and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, as well as anesthesia products. It also provides diagnostic products, such as immunoassay systems; chemistry systems; assays used for screening and/or diagnosis for drugs of abuse, cancer, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, physiological, and infectious diseases; instruments that automate the extraction, purification, and preparation of DNA and RNA from patient samples, and detect and measure infections agents; genomic-b ased tests; hematology systems and reagents; and point-of-care diagnostic systems and tests for blood analysis. In addition, the company offers a line of pediatric and adult nutritional products. Further, it provides coronary, endovascular, vessel closure, and structural heart devices, such as drug-eluting stent systems, coronary metallic stents, balloon dilatation products, coronary guidewires, vessel closure devices, carotid stent systems, percutaneous valve repair systems, and drug eluting bioresorbable vascular products. Additionally, the company provides blood glucose monitoring meters, test strips, data management software, and accessories for people with diabetes; and medical devices for the eye, including cataract surgery, lasik surgery, contact lens, and dry eye products, as well as branded generic pharmaceutical products. Abbott primarily serves retailers, wholesalers, hospitals, and health care facilities. Abbott was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Keith Speights]
Investors looking to find out how well Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT ) performed in the second quarter had reason to be confused this morning. One headline stated that "Abbott's quarterly profit rises" while another said that the company's "second-quarter profit falls." Which headline was correct? Actually, both were. Let's look at Abbott's financial results to find out how and why.
- [By Sean Williams]
Coming in a close second was Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT ) , which rallied 2.4% after reporting its first-quarter results. For the quarter, net sales increased just shy of 2% to $5.38 billion as adjusted earnings rose 5% to $0.42 from $0.40 in the year-ago period. Revenue was about $30 million short of estimates, but EPS came in $0.01 above target, providing the impetus to send Abbott's shares higher. Perhaps the most intriguing factor from an optimists' perspective was that more than 40% of total sales came from fast-growing emerging markets during the quarter, giving the company ample opportunity to continue growing.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG)
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG), incorporated on May 21, 2004, is a global hotel company, operating seven brands internationally. IHG is the holding company. The principal activities of the Company are in hotels and resorts, with franchising, management, ownership and leasehold interests in over 4,400 establishments, with more than 658,000 guest rooms in over 100 countries and territories worldwide. IHG�� hotels brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Priority Club Rewards. It has four geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Greater China. As of December 31, 2011, the pipeline totalled 1,144 hotels (180,484 rooms). In March 2012, the Company announced the launch of HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts in China. During the year ended 31 December 2011, it sold four hotels, three in the Americas region and one in the AMEA region. IHG also manages the hotel loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has 3,832 hotels operate under franchise agreements; managed 637 hotels worldwide and owned 11 hotels. During 2011, the Company opened 241hotels (44,265rooms) and removed 98 hotels (33,078 rooms). IHG is focused on the three segments that together generate over 90% of branded hotel revenues: midscale (broadly 3-star hotels), upscale (4-star), and luxury (5-star). InterContinental Hotels & Resorts InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG�� 5-star brand located in cities and resort destinations across more than 60 countries worldwide. Hotels under InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand are principally managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 169 hotels and 57,598 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 51 hotels in development pipeline. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is the IHG�� upscale 4-star segment, specializes in offering modern business and meeting facilities with a service style to provide productive and energising experiences to guests. The majority of hotels under Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand are principally operated under franchise agreements in the United States and Europe, and are managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 387 hotels and 105,104 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 108 hotels in development pipeline. Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo provides guests with the refreshing design and service experience with a boutique hotel. The Hotels Indigo brand is principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 39 hotels and 4,564 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 59 hotels in development pipeline Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations The Holiday Inn brand family consists of Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations is the midscale hotel brand. Focused on creating an atmosphere where guests can relax, the brand is designed to support both business and leisure travellers. The brand family operates under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 1,240 hotels and 228,256 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 267 hotels in development pipeline. Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express offers convenience and comfort. As of December 31, 2011, there were 2,114 hotels and 196,666 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 470 hotels in development pipeline. Staybridge Suites Staybridge Suites is the Company�� upscale extended stay brand for guests on longer trips, offering studios and suites complete with full kitchens and separate sleeping and work areas in a sociable, family-like atmosphere. Properties under Staybridge Suites brand are operated under a mixture of franchise and management agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 179 hotels and 19,567 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 95 hotels in development pipeline. Candlewood Suites Candlewood Suites is the Company�� midscale extended stay brand that gives its guests all the essentials they need for a home-like stay. Properties under Candlewood Suites brand are principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 285 hotels and 27,500 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 94 hotels in development pipeline. The Company competes with Accor, Choice Hotels International, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tony Reading]
In this series, I'm assessing the boardrooms of companies within the FTSE 100 (UKX). I hope to separate the management teams that are worth following from those that are not. Today, I am looking at�InterContinental Hotels� (LSE: IHG ) (NYSE: IHG ) , the world's largest listed hotels group.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: CGG SA (CGG)
CGG SA, formerly Compagnie Generale de Geophysique-Veritas, is a manufacturer of geophysical equipment and a provider of a range of seismic services in data acquisition and processing both onshore and offshore, principally to clients in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The Company operates in two segments: Services and Equipment.
Services
The services segment includes land contract, marine contract, multi-client land and marine, and processing, imaging and reservoir. The land contract includes seismic data acquisition for land, transition zones and shallow water undertaken by the Company on behalf of a specific client. The marine contract includes seismic data acquisition offshore undertaken by the Company on behalf of a specific client. The multi-client land and marine includes seismic data acquisition undertaken by the Company and licensed to a number of clients on a non-exclusive basis. The processing, imaging and reservoir includes processing, imaging and interpretation of geophysical data, data management and reservoir studies for clients.
Land seismic acquisition includes all seismic surveying techniques where the recording sensor is either in direct contact with, or in close proximity to, the ground. The Company�� land business line offers integrated services, including the acquisition and on site processing of seismic data on land, in transition zones and on the ocean floor (shallow water and seabed surveys). It undertakes land surveys with both a contract and multi-client basis. The land operations include surveying and recording crews. Surveying crews lay out the lines to be recorded and mark the sites for shot-hole placement or equipment location. Recording crews produce acoustic impulses and use recording units to synchronize the shooting and record the seismic signals through geophones.
The Company provides a range of three-dimensional (3D) marine seismic services, principally in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea an! d off the coasts of West Africa and Brazil, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a fleet of 19 vessels, including 11 three dimension (3D) high capacity vessels (12 or more streamers), two 10 streamer 3D vessels, three eight streamer 3D vessels and three 3D/two dimension (2D) vessels of lower capacity. Marine seismic surveys are conducted through the deployment of submersible cables (streamers) and acoustic sources (airguns) from marine vessels.
Seismic data processing operations transform seismic data acquired in the field into 2D cross-sections, or 3D images of the earth�� subsurface or four-dimensional (4D) time-lapse seismic data using Geovation and Hampson-Russell software, or third party applications. These images are then interpreted by geophysicists and geologists for use by oil and gas companies in evaluating prospective areas, selecting drilling sites and managing producing reservoirs. The Company provides seismic data processing and reservoir services through the network of data processing centers and reservoir teams located worldwide. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 43 worldwide processing and imaging centers, including 13 dedicated client centers.
Equipment
The Company conducts its equipment development and production operations through Sercel and its subsidiaries. Sercel operates five seismic equipment manufacturing facilities, located in Nantes and Saint Gaudens in France, Houston, Singapore and Alfreton in England. In China, Sercel operates through Hebei Sercel-JunFeng Geophysical Equipment Co. Ltd, based in Hebei. Sercel offers and supports worldwide a range of geophysical equipment for seismic data acquisition, including seismic recording equipment, software and seismic sources, and provides its clients with integrated solutions. Sercel�� principal product line is seismic recording equipment, particularly the 400 family of recording systems, the 408UL and the 428XL. Sercel also markets for vibros! eismic ve! hicles and for vibrator electronic systems (VE 464). Sercel develops and produces a range of geophysical equipment for seismic data acquisition and other ancillary geophysical products, such as geophones, cables and connectors.
The Company competes with WesternGeco, Global Geophysical Services, BGP, Geokinetics, PGS, Fugro and Ion Geophysical Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Smith]
Despite Craighead's relative ebullience regarding North America, it nevertheless appears that the sizzle at Baker Hughes lies in the international markets. As I noted last week, the company has teamed up with CGGVeritaz (NYSE: CGG ) to add substantial seismic capabilities to its global repertoire. Further, it's working with Norway's Statoil (NYSE: STO ) on new projects in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea. It's also been contracted by Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) for work on the giant Gorgon project in Australia, and its gearing up with Russia's Lukoil and Statoil on the West Qurna-2 oil fields in Iraq.
- [By Holly LaFon]
The largest detractor from the Fund�� performance for the past quarter ��and one of the largest detractors in the calendar year ��was a holding just added in June: CGG (CGG), an operator and provider of seismic acquisition and data processing.� As a seismic company, CGG relies directly on oil and gas companies' investments.� During the second half of 2013, in an environment with flat oil prices and continuing inflation across the supply chain, several oil and gas companies decided to further postpone their investments and wait until the economy improves to sanction new projects.� Positioned at the beginning of the supply chain, CGG has been hurt by the cancellation of several projects, as well as lower-than-expected price increases.� As a result, management smartly decided to launch a three-year plan to downsize CGG's fleet in order to lower fixed costs and to focus on the most profitable segments.� Despite these conditions, we think our investment case remains valid.� With the end of "easy oil," we believe that this offshore seismic company still offers an attractive investment opportunity.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: EXACT Sciences Corporation(EXAS)
Exact Sciences Corporation, a molecular diagnostics company, focuses on developing a molecular diagnostic technology for the early detection and prevention of colorectal pre-cancer and cancer. The company develops the Cologuard, a non-invasive stool-based DNA colorectal cancer screening test that is designed to detect each of the four stages of colorectal cancer, as well as pre-cancerous lesions. Its test includes proprietary and patented methods, which isolate and analyze the trace amounts of human DNA that are shed into stool every day from the exfoliation of cells that line the colon. The company?s Cologuard test is also used to detect blood in stool, utilizing an antibody-based fecal immunochemical test. It has a strategic alliance agreement with LabCorp under which it licenses its patents and patent applications relating to the stool-based colorectal cancer screening technology to LabCorp; a collaboration, license, and purchase agreement with Genzyme Corporation to d eliver intellectual property improvements through licenses; and a license agreement with MAYO Foundation for medical education and research. Exact Sciences Corporation was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a pair of optimistic notes urging investors to buy shares of Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS ) and Under Armour (NYSE: UA ) . Before we get to those two, however, a few words are in order on why...
- [By John Udovich]
Biotech and the cancer treatment segment of the biotech market has been a hot area for some time with important cancer stocks like large cap Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) and small caps�Array BioPharma (NASDAQ: ARRY), Cancer Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: CGIX), EXACT Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAS) and�MetaStat Inc (OTCMKTS: MTST) all producing a steady flow of important news�for investors this week or in recent weeks. Consider the following:
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) were down throughout Tuesday's session, falling 11.10 percent to $10.01, possibly linked to this being the first week its options are tradable.
Hot Forestry Companies To Watch For 2015: EastGroup Properties Inc. (EGP)
EastGroup Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), focuses on the development, acquisition, and operation of industrial properties in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, it owned 202 industrial properties and 1 office building, as well as approximately 1.7 million square feet properties in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax purposes, provided it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its shareholders. EastGroup Properties, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Sunbelt industrial property investor�EastGroup Properties� (NYSE: EGP ) �announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.53�per share, the same rate it paid for the last three quarters after raising the payout 2%, from $0.52 per share. It had previously maintained that same payout rate since 2005.
- [By Ken McGaha]
The four REITS I reviewed are Kilroy Realty Corp. (KRC), Kimco Realty Corp. (KIM), Eastgroup Properties (EGP) and Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT).
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