Saturday, April 14, 2012

Greece debt deal, jobs numbers to drive stocks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Can stocks keep it up?

With all three major indexes last week hitting highs not seen since before the financial crisis, investors are looking for what could conceivably snap the 2012 stock rally that has reached into nearly every corner of the investing world.

The wild cards are Greece's debt deal and unemployment figures. On Friday, investors will have more information on both fronts.

Greece is waiting for private creditors to sign off on its bailout before the country can secure its €130 billion rescue package from the eurozone. The deadline for that signoff is Friday, and Greece must receive the rescue package before March 20 to avoid triggering a default on its sovereign debt.

"Investors will be teetering from day to day wondering if they (the Greeks) will be able to make a payment or maybe they won't," said Komal Sri-Kumar, chief global strategist at TCW. "This will go on until it's paid."

As investors wait for news on Greece, they will also be waiting for February's job numbers, which are due out before the market opens Friday.

Any indications that job growth has stalled will be taken as a negative by the markets. Investors expect the number of jobs added to increase from 243,000 added in January. Analysts surveyed by Briefing.com project 220,000 new jobs.

Investors are also expecting unemployment to drop again, after five straight months of declines. But the Briefing forecast is for the jobless rate to hold at 8.3%.

All three major stock indexes slipped slightly Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) snapped a two-week winning streak, ending down 4 points. The S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) both finished higher for the fourth straight week.

Overall, the major indexes are on a roll this year, with the Dow and S&P 500 near their highest levels since the summer of 2008. The Nasdaq is near its highest point since December 2000.

In addition to jobs numbers, investors w! ill see the number of factory orders placed in January, which analysts project to have dropped by 2.3%.

The government will also release data Friday on the U.S. trade balance, which economists predict will widen to $48 billion.

Plenty of market-moving companies will report quarterly results in the coming week.

On Tuesday, Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS, Fortune 500) and Pandora Media (P) will release results. On Wednesday, a host of retailers will report including American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), Bon-Ton Stores (BONT), Children Place (PLCE), Express (EXPR), Hot Topic (HOTT) and Coldwater Creek (CWTR) will release quarterly data. Home builder Hovnanian (HOV) will, too.

On Thursday, retailers Aeropostale (ARO) and Williams-Sonoma (WSM), car battery maker A123 Systems (AONE), and pork producer Smithfield Foods (SFD, Fortune 500) will report.  

Stocks Finish in the Red

Stocks fell from multiyear highs as the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting offered no signals that monetary stimulus is on the way.

Stocks ended the day down from multiyear highs after the Federal Reserve's most recent meeting minutes were released. Photo: AP.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke a three-session streak of gains, declining 64.94 points, or 0.5%, to 13199.55, one day after notching its highest close in more than four years. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index lost 5.66 points, or 0.4%, to 1413.38, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 6.13 points, or 0.2%, to 3113.57.

Stocks opened flat and drifted lower. After the Fed statement, the Dow dropped as much as 133 points, but later pared losses. The Fed minutes of its March 13 policy-setting committee meeting showed agreement that the U.S. economic recovery had strengthened moderately, but left investors to question the Fed's appetite for launching additional bond buying, or other programs, to shore up growth and whether the rally can continue without a prime driver.

WSJ's Jon Hilsenrath checks in on Mean Street with details of the minutes from the Fed's March 13 meeting.

"One of the things underpinning the rally has been Fed's easy-money policy, and this could be seen as the Fed moving to close off the liquidity spigot to some extent," said Etai Friedman, head of equity derivatives trading MKM Partners.

More Markets News

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  • MarketBeat: Apple: The $1 Trillion Company?

While Fed officials said they are prepared to buy or sell assets "as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery," the minutes didn't show widespread agreement for doing so anytime in the immediate future.

Insight from CFO Journal
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Read CFO Journal. �

"There's been a near-perfect correlation in equities gains each time the Fed induced more liquidity into the marketplace," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott.

Energy and materials stocks led the market lower. Tuesday's biggest blue-chip declin! es were Bank of America, down 19 cents, or 2%, to $9.49, and Hewlett-Packard, off 43 cents, or 1.8%, to 23.45.

Investors remained upbeat on Apple, which climbed 10.69, or 1.7%, to 629.32, an all-time high, after analysts at Piper Jaffray predicted the stock will reach $1,000 in 2014 and become the first company ever to have a $1 trillion market capitalization.

In economic data, orders for factory goods rose in February, a hair short of expectations, on rising demand for machinery, computers and aircraft. U.S. new-vehicle sales in March from the Detroit Three missed the expectations of industry researcher Edmunds.com, though sales figures topped year-earlier levels and were near the best since before the financial crisis.

Ford Motor rose two cents, or 0.2%, to 12.64, after reporting that sales rose 5.1% last month, its strongest March in five years. General Motors fell 1.22, or 4.6%, to 25.54, after posting a 12% jump in March vehicle sales, which fell short of estimates for a 21% rise. Chrysler Group, majority-owned by Fiat, reported its best quarter in four years, as U.S. vehicle sales rose 34% in March from a year earlier.

European markets were broadly lower. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 1.1% as the Spanish government presents details of its 2012 budget plans, which include deep budget cuts, to Parliament. The focus in the euro zone's sovereign-debt crisis has begun to shift to whether Spain can cut its deficit while battling with a slumping economy and soaring unemployment.

Asian bourses were mostly higher on the back of Monday's gains in U.S. stocks. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1.3%, snapping ! a four-s ession losing streak. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index added 0.2% after the Reserve Bank of Australia kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average bucked the trend, losing 0.6%.

Crude-oil prices shed 1.2%, to settle at $104.01 a barrel, while gold prices eased 0.5%, to $1,670 a troy ounce. The dollar rose against the euro and yen.

In other corporate news, CVR Energy rose 1.60, or 5.9%, 28.80, after activist investor Carl Icahn said about 55% of the petroleum refining and marketing company's outstanding shares were tendered in support of his bid to buy the company.

Uranium Energy slumped 48 cents, or 12%, 3.38, after the company said it plans to sell 5.56 million shares of its common stock to the public.

Conn's jumped 2.56, or 16%, to 19.05, after the regional consumer-electronics and appliances retailer reported a fiscal fourth-quarter profit, as it benefited from higher average selling prices and set aside less to cover bad loans.

Molson Coors Brewing fell 2.48, or 5.4%, to 43.18, after agreeing to buy StarBev, which operates breweries in Central and Eastern Europe, from CVC Capital Partners for about $3.54 billion.

Write to Chris Dieterich at christopher.dieterich@dowjones.com

APKT Jumps 5%: Barclays Sees Promise in Carrier’s VoIP

Shares of networking equipment vendor Acme Packet (APKT) are up $1.39, or over 5%, at $26.92 after Barclays Capital’s networking analyst Jeff Kvaal raised his rating on the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight, as part of a 60-page report that asserts the company is one of a handful that could benefit from increasing use of�voice-over-Internet Protocol, or VoIP — basically, Internet calling — by phone companies.

Other beneficiaries, he thinks, include Broadsoft (BSFT) and Shoretel (SHOR).

“Ongoing enterprise adoption, improving reliability, and a suite of new technologies should drive IP voice traffic materially higher,” writes Kvaal, who assigned a $33 price target to Acme shares.

Kvaal started Broadsoft at Overweight, as well, with a $46 price target. He rates Shoretel Overweight as well, with a $9 price target.

Telcos are increasingly bringing VoIP to their networks, writes Kvaal, using technologies that have been evolving for many years and that have mostly been used by enterprises, such as “session initiation protocol,” or SIP “trunking”:

The primary technologies in carrier networks that will enable the drivers mentioned above include: 1) SIP trunking which emerged meaningfully in late 2010 and 2011, 2) hosted/managed services, 3) voice-over-LTE or VoLTE, and 4) fixed mobile convergence or FMC. We also believe that traditional class 5 switch replacement will be a meaningful enabler. A relevant example of these services coming to market is Verizon�s hosted IP solution offered to enterprise customers. Another example is AT&T�s recently announced universal voice platform (UVP) offering SIP trunks and hosted solutions for enterprises and consumers. We believe projects similar to both of these will continue to pop up across the carrier landscape. We discuss these tec! hnology enablers in further detail below.

A key technology, writes Kvaal, is the “session border controller,” or SBC, a routing device for directing flows of data between carrier networks:

The SBC market has been a large success story in carrier VoIP. It was initially driven by IP peering (sharing and need for segmentation of IP traffic across carrier networks) but more recently has been driven by SIP trunking. The SBC market grew 25%-30% to about $450M in 2011 and sent Acme to a market cap that once reached $5 billion. Although the market traditionally is dominated by SBCs for wireline service providers (roughly two-thirds of the market), growth is coming from the enterprise and wireless carrier SBC segments. For ?example, Acme Packet�s enterprise sales grew more than 50% in 2011 compared to ~28% service provider growth.

Kvaal expects Acme to remain at the top of the pack in the product category:

We expect Acme Packet to remain the leader in the SBC market in 2012. Acme Packet continues to maintain a technological advantage and deep customer engagement based on their history. While carriers are increasingly looking for second source providers, it will be difficult for competitors to meaningfully uproot their hold on this nascent market in the near term, in our view. We discuss our Acme Packet upgrade in full detail at the end of this report.

Kvaal also cut his rating on�Polycom�(PLCM) to Equal Weight from Overweight, following the company’s Q1 warning last week. Kvaal is “optimistic�about the long term adoption of videoconferencing,” the company’s bread and butter, he writes.

However, “Polycom’s position in the market faces pressure not only from Cisco, but from traditional consumer-oriented services such as Skype and FaceTime.” Polycom is addressing this risk with vigor and inherent advantages,” he thinks, ! but he h as low confidence in a “near-term recovery.”

Shares of Shoretel are up 3 cents, or 0.6%, at $4.91. Broadsoft are up $1.54, over 4%, at $38.80. Polycom shares are down 14 cents, or 1%, at $13.77.

Google Conf Call: Click Cost is a Complex Matter, Says CFO

During a conference call with analysts following Google‘s (GOOG) Q1 report, chief financial officer Patrick Pichette�walked Street through details of the company’s “cost per click,” or CPC, a key metric of the search ad business that has received increased scrutiny since Google’s Q4 report.

Q4 saw the first year-over-year decline in CPC in more than two years, causing it to become a major point of concern for investors.

CPC in Q1 declined again, falling 12%, year over year, and 6%, quarter over quarter, the company reported.

Addressing CPC, Pichette remarked, “The most important thing for you to understand is that our business is healthy. We believe that shifts in CPC and paid clicks taken independently really do not reflect the fundamental health of our business.”

Pichette said the change was a result of five different factors, including foreign-exchange effects, the shift in search activity from desktop computer to mobile computer, from established, mature markets to emerging markets, and the shifts that happen between Google’s owned properties and the network of affiliates featuring its ads.

And changes in the ads that Google shows against search results, meaning, more relevant results, have a “huge effect” on the cost per click, said Pichette.

Pichette in a sense offered a warning to Street analysts, who he said too often tried to boil down the matter of CPC changes to just one or two of those factors.

In a sense, he said, understanding this stuff is complex, don’t try it at home:

So the dynamics around CPCs and paid clicks are just simply very complex because of all of these big factors and chain continue continually so trying to pick a horse so-to-speak just doesn’t make sense. We internally track all these factors. Who dig into all these details on an ongoing basis. So we wonR! 17;t go into that level of detail every quarter. But again, the key thing to understand is that we believe that shifts in CPC or paid clicks taken independently simply don’t reflect the fundamental health of our business which we believe is actually very healthy.

Pichette said the issue was not one of weakening demand, as “One important signal we have for advertiser demand is bidding behavior,” referring to the auctions where ad buyers secure listing in Google search results.

“And in fact, our advertisers’ bids continue to be very strong and are growing.”

Google shares are up $2 at $653.01 in late trading.

Will Stillwater Mining Make a 2012 Comeback?

With 2012 just beginning, now's a smart time to gauge how the stocks you're interested in are likely to do this year and beyond. By knowing what stock analysts and fellow investors expect from a stock, you'll be smarter about whether you should buy it for your portfolio -- or sell it if you already own it.

Today, let's take a look at Stillwater Mining (NYSE: SWC  ) . As I discussed last month, Stillwater Mining suffered a huge drop in 2011, as platinum and palladium prices failed to keep up with gold's strong run. In addition, the company made what many saw as a horrendous acquisition, paying premium prices for a gold and copper project in Argentina. Can Stillwater get its mojo back? Below, I'll take a closer look at what people expect from Stillwater Mining and its rivals.

Forecasts on Stillwater Mining

Median Target Stock Price $17
Fiscal 2011 EPS Estimate $1.20
Fiscal 2012 EPS Estimate $1.04
Expected Annual Earnings Growth, Next 5 Years 45%
Forward P/E 10.7
CAPS Rating (out of 5) ****

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

What will 2012 look like for Stillwater Mining?
Analysts and investors alike have mixed feelings about Stillwater's future. At least for 2012, analysts expect a significant drop in earnings. Yet their price target, which stands more than 50% above the current stock price, reflects the much higher growth expectations that those following the company have over the longer term.

If the first trading day of 2012 was any indication, though, Stillwater might have some hope to meet those high! expecta tions. With ETFS Physical Platinum (NYSE: PPLT  ) rising almost 3% and ETFS Physical Palladium (NYSE: PALL  ) up more than 1%, investor demand for platinum-group bullion appears to be starting off 2012 strong. Good news for the industrial sector also boosted the metals ETFs, as platinum and palladium are key components in auto production. Yet Stillwater did even better, posting a 6% gain in its first trading session.

Having seen shares of many miners fall disproportionately hard in 2011 compared with the performance of the metals they mine, Stillwater would benefit most from a reversal of that trend. Yesterday's trading action overall looked promising on that score, as both the Market Vectors Gold Miners and Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners outperformed gold bullion's jump. Rival North American Palladium (AMEX: PAL  ) , which is the only other producer of platinum-group metals on the North American continent, advanced 9% during the session on no apparent news other than the general uptrend in metals prices.

Platinum demand may prove to be the key to Stillwater's year. With platinum prices below gold, premium jeweler Tiffany (NYSE: TIF  ) could well see more customers gravitating toward the white metal. If that happens, Tiffany's margins could rise from customers who've grown to expect platinum jewelry to cost more than gold. If increased demand only pushed platinum prices to be on par with the price of gold, it would mean a $200 up-move -- and go a long way toward getting Stillwater back to its pre-2011 form.

If you want our favorite stock for digging money out of the ground, be sure to check out The Motley Fool's latest special report on gold. There, you'll discover the name of the tiny gold stock digging up massive profits. It'! s free b ut only available for a limited time, so click here to get your copy today.

Click here to add Stillwater Mining to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Gold's Stairway to Heaven


Gold's recent uptrend has investors wondering just how high it'll climb before it's time to sell.

Convincing yourself to hold out for the long bull run isn't easy, but it is usually wiser than giving in too early.

It'll be difficult to know for sure when it is time to sell, but a little history lesson may help guide investors in the right direction...

Looking at gold's historic record with charts helps deepen our understanding of gold's price trends.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, gold soared from $35 an ounce to a remarkable $850 in less than a decade's time.

Here's what “Gold's Stairway to Heaven” looked like then:

Flash forward a couple more decades, and gold began another epic climb.

Here's what it looks like now:

Gold spiked to an all-time high back on September 5, 2011.

As we're now resting smack in the middle of the Ides of March, that means gold's all-time peak was reached six months ago.

Patient gold owners are waiting for the next peak...

Throughout the 21st century, these six-month breathers are hardly uncommon. Some gold-corrections last even longer.

The BullionVault examines gold's “peak” trends from the year 2000 to the year 2011. Take a look:

This chart adequately proves that higher peak prices are more difficult to recover.

(For a few more charts indicating that a comin! g gold & ldquo;trigger” that may make prices explode, click here.)

If you're concerned about the long breather and considering selling your gold, read what Dylan Grice, strategist at Société Générale, says about it first:

"Eventually, there will be a crisis of such magnitude that the political winds change direction, and become blustering gales forcing us onto the course of fiscal sustainability," says Dylan Grice, strategist at Société Générale in his new Popular Delusions report for clients.

"Until it does, the temptation to inflate will remain, as will economists with spurious mathematical rationalisations as to why such inflation will make everything OK...Until [then], the outlook will remain favorable for gold. But eventually, majority opinion will accept the painful contractionary medicine because it will have to. That will be the time to sell gold."

If you're in it for the long haul, history tells us you'll reap more long-term rewards if you can trudge through and ignore the recent sell-off panic.

 

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. Distance from SMA20 Remained Positive - NYSE:DTG

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:DTG) shares were transacted unexpectedly with a volume of 1.02 million shares as compared to its average volume of 273,676.00 shares. DTG opened at $50.24 scored +0.94% closed $50.70. Its 52 week price range is $22.82 - $53.00.

DTG has earnings of $130.18 million and made $1.53 billion sales for the last 12 months. Its quarter to quarter sales remained 1.06%. The company has 28.74 million of outstanding shares and 28.26 million shares were floated in the market.

DTG has an insider ownership at 1.76% and institutional ownership remained 94.73%. Its return on investment (ROI) for the last 12 month was 5.63% as compare to its return on equity (ROE) of 33.22% for the last 12 months.

The price moved ahead +4.54% from the mean of 20 days, +6.08% from 50 and went up +7.06% from 200 days average price. Company�s performance for the week was +4.49%, +3.96% for month and yearly performance remained 102.96%.

Its price volatility for a month remained 1.35% whereas volatility for a week noted as 1.70% having beta of 3.86. Company�s price to sales ratio for last 12 months was 0.95 while its price to book ratio for the most recent quarter was 2.80 and its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) remained 319.13 million for the past twelve months.

Stock Picks – PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders Portfolio-PIE

 

PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders Portfolio (PIE) – This exchange-traded fund (ETF) seeks to mirror the price and yield performance of the Dorsey Wright Emerging Markets Technical Leaders Index.   

PIE Chart 

Chart Legend 

Since March 2009, the fund has doubled as it closely tracked its 50-day moving average from under $8 to $16. Now, however, it has broken from the pattern on high volume through a double-top with successive breakaway gaps. 

PIE appears to be a solid trade with an objective of $19 to $20. A stop-loss should be entered at $14.50.

Related Articles:

  • Bet Against Rising Oil Prices
  • Emerging Markets ETF Could Explode
  • Monsanto: Hot or Not? 

3 Stocks Under $10 Set to Double
Each stock sells for less than $10 a share and is set to double in the next 12 months. Get their names, plus the four simple steps to separating the bargains from the busts here.

(NHPR, CLNO, IAG, SKX, FMY) Stocks in Focus by DrStockPick.com

National Health Partners, Inc. (NHPR)

There are so many issues in USA and we understand it is hard to face all of them. Healthcare in America is one of the biggest issues in this country and needs to be addressed immediately. Families are going in to extreme debt because of healthcare’s rising costs. Healthcare has also set citizens back more than $20,000 dollars than what they would usually make. The specific problems inside the issue of healthcare are the affect it has on our country’s citizens, the rising costs of healthcare, and the debt it puts families into. These issues are affecting our citizens dramatically. The rising costs of healthcare are also hurting our country’s economy.

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called “CARExpress.” CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that belong to such PPOs as CareMark and Aetna.

National Health Partners, Inc.’s shares are publicly traded on the OTCBB under the ticker symbol NHPR.OB.

National Health Partners, Inc. recently announced that it has signed a new agreement with a major marketing company that will significantly enhance the growth of its CARExpress membership base.
According to the Company, this deal, in combination with the previous partnership with Xpress Healthcare, will enable the company to build its membership base exponentially, initially generating in excess of an additional 2,000 new members per month. The new campaign is set to launch within the next few weeks and will provide a material positive impact on the company’s 2nd quarter sales.

National Health Partners anticipate tha! t this n ew marketing agreement will provide a major impact on their overall sales not only for the 2nd quarter, but more importantly for the year. They look forward to building on the profits that they anticipate generating in 2011 that will be driven by substantial growth in sales of their CARExpress health discount programs. The combination of their substantial growth with their low price-to-equity ratio should reflect itself in the price of their stock over the coming months.

For more information about National Health Partners, Inc visit its website www.nationalhealthpartners.com

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Cleantech Transit, Inc. was founded to capitalize on technology advances and manufacturing opportunities in the growing clean energy public transportation sector. The Company has expanded its focus to invest directly in specific green projects.

Recognizing the many economic and operational advances of converting wood waste into renewable sources of energy, Cleantech has selected to invest in Phoenix Energy (www.phoenixenergy.net). This project can generate shareholder returns as well benefit the Company’s manufacturing clients worldwide.

Cleantech Transit, Inc.’s shares are publicly traded on the OTCBB under the ticker symbol CLNO.OB.

Cleantech Transit, Inc. original aim was to develop opportunities utilizing advances in technology and manufacturing processes in order to develop significant market share in the growing clean energy public transportation sector.

With the growth in the green sector as a whole the CLNO has expanded its focus to invest directly in specific projects. Recent advances in the technology of converting wood waste into power have so greatly enhanced the economic value of their systems they have launched the biomass division as a separate company, Phoenix Energy, to focus exclusively on generating greater returns for manufacturing clients worldwide.

Biom ass typically refers to organic material such as crops, crop wastes, trees, wood waste and animal waste. Some examples of biomass include wood chips, corn, corn stalks, soybeans, switchgrass, straw, animal waste and food-processing by-products.

For more information about Cleantech Transit, Inc. visit its website www.cleantechtransitinc.com

IAMGOLD Corp. (NYSE:IAG) provided an update on its Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Essakane Mine is located approximately 500 kilometres northeast of the capital city of Ouagadougou. Steve Letwin, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAMGOLD said, “It is business as usual. We have not had any disruption to the Essakane operation. We have had no interruptions to our supply chain. More importantly, all of our employees, including 1,800 Burkinabe nationals, are safe and going about their normal routines.

IAMGOLD Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties worldwide. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other precious metals.

Skechers USA Inc. (NYSE:SKX) announced that the Company’s conference call to review its fiscal 2011 first quarter financial results will be broadcast live over the internet on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 1:30 pm Pacific Time/4:30 pm Eastern Time. Participating on the call will be David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.skx.com. The call will be archived for two weeks. For those unable to participate during the live broadcast, a replay will be available beginning April 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. ET, through May 11, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To access the replay, dial 877-870-5176 (U.S.) or 858-384-5517 (International) and use passcode: 4435599.

Skechers U.S.A., I! nc. enga ges in the design, development, marketing, and distribution of footwear for men, women, and children in the United States and internationally.

First Trust/Fidac Mortgage Income Fund (NYSE:FMY) has declared the Fund’s regularly scheduled monthly common share distribution payable on May 16, 2011 to shareholders of record as of May 4, 2011. The ex-dividend date is expected to be May 2, 2011.

First Trust/FIDAC Mortgage Income Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund’s primary investment objective is to seek a high level of current income. As a secondary objective, the Fund seeks to preserve capital. The Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities representing part ownership in a pool of either residential or commercial mortgage loans.

John Wayne's True Grit Trophy - SmartMoney.com

Getty Images

The Big Score:

When an actor has appeared in more than 175 films, you'd expect an old eye patch to be the least of his legacy. But at least one fan of iconic actor John Wayne seems to disagree; late last year, a patch worn by the Duke in the film True Grit was auctioned off for $48,000 -- about eight times experts' predictions. By comparison, his costume from Sands of Iwo Jima (sold at the same auction) barely hit its pre-sale estimate, going for $23,900.

How It Happened:

The prop was part of a Wayne memorabilia sale that's been decades in the making; the actor's family held on to his estate for 32 years -- and their patience paid off. The auction, which included over 700 items, brought in upwards of $5.3 million, more than three times what was expected. Experts credit the excellent condition and verified authenticity of the items, as well as the lasting appeal of Wayne, for the staggering prices. "It can't get better than this," says Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, which hosted the sale. It helped that Wayne's son had signed certificates of authenticity for every item, adds Rohan.

What You Can Do:

Not all of us have a movie star in the family, but that doesn't mean investors can't take advantage of the celebrity-goods market. Experts say the keys to hitting the memorabilia jackpot are identifying a living star who might be undervalued and obtaining proof of authenticity on every purchase. And be prepared to get a little morbid: Nothing boosts the value of an item like the death of its former owner, says Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide, which handles the licenses of hundreds of deceased celebrities.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

AMZN: RBC Sees ‘Prime’ Bolstering Growth

RBC Capital’s Ross Sandler this morning reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Amazon.com, and a $205 price target, ruminating on the detail of the company’s subscription offering, “Amazon Prime,” which bills as “a major part of the growth story.”

Sandler, noting there is “much debate” over the exact member numbers for Prime, writes that he estimates it at 15 million paying members around the world, “and growing more quickly than the overall company growth rate,” based on some digging into the balance sheet.

Specifically, Sandler, after looking at the “unearned revenue” balance for Amazon, backing out hardware sales for the “Kindle” e-readers, and revenue from Amazon’s “Amazon Web Services,” writes that Amazon may be enjoying 27% year-over-year growth in 2010, and “in line with (or potentially ahead of) revenue growth of 41%” in 2011.

Sandler also offers a survey conducted in mid-March among 2,800 U.S. customers of Amazon, including 2,200 Amazon shoppers, 370 Prime members, and 240 former Prime members.

The key takeaway, writes Sandler, is that “our survey data disputes the theory that as Prime membership grows and basket size per order potentially declines, Amazon is likely to face declining unit economics.”

The survey showed the majority of Prime members would not pay more than the $79 annual fee, while 23% would pay as much as $99.

The results of that survey also showed that Prime members buy more frequently, on average:

The data shows that 43% of Prime members place 2�3 orders per months while 43% of non-Prime shoppers place fewer than one order per month. If we assume the midpoint of each order range and cap �more than 5� at 6 units, we arrive at an average of 2.5 orders per month for Prime members and 1.3 orders per month for n! on-Prime shoppers. This equates to approximately 30 orders and 15 orders per year for Prime and non-Prime, respectively.

The survey also showed that orders rose after people joined Prime:

Prior to joining Prime, more than 37% of shoppers placed less than one order on Amazon per month, and that number falls to almost 14% once they became Prime members. However, before joining Prime, 27% of shoppers placed 2�3 orders more month and only 2% of shoppers placed more than five orders per month; after joining Prime, those rates jumped significantly, to~43% and 11%, respectively. Applying the same midpoint distribution analysis outlined above, the average number of orders placed per month after joining prime increases from 1.0 order to 2.52 orders, or approximately 153%.

Amazon shares today are down 88 cents, or 0.4%, at $203.73.

No Merit Raises for These 3 Executives

Of the seven financial firms that received �exceptional assistance� bailout funds during the 2007-2009 financial crises, three remain indebted to the U.S. Treasury Department.

The chief executives of those three companies, Ally Financial (PINK:GMSPZ), General Motors (NYSE:GM), and American International Group (NYSE:AIG), all saw their executive compensation frozen for a second consecutive year, as they continue to make progress towards repayments of debt owed to the Treasury.

The Treasury also indicated that total compensation for 69 additional senior executives and employees at the firms was being cut by 10 % from 2011 levels according to CNBC.

While the executives were not directly named by the Treasury, the top spots at all three companies are held by widely known executives: Robert Benmosche at AIG, Daniel Ackerson at GM, and Michael Carpenter at Ally.

The pay packages of the executives will contain a mix of stock, stock options, and cash that still manages to put them into the now famous 1% category: the AIG package is worth $10.5 million, GM�s is worth $9 million, and Ally�s $9.5 million.

All three companies to continue to make progress towards repayment of all debts owed from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). AIG received $68 billion, GM $50 billion, and Ally $17 billion.

AIG has reduced their balance to around $17 billion, GM $25 billion, and Ally is now down to around $11 billion.

The compensation packages for all three companies will continue to be monitored by a �special master,� situated in the Treasury Department until such time as they have completely paid back the monies owed. The Obama administration set up the system to avoid exorbitant payouts to executives of firms involved in the TARP program.

– Marc Bastow, InvestorPlace Assistant Editor

Chinese Steelmakers Set to Swing Back at BHP Billiton

The question of how large the American economy is may seem trivial at first. A simple glance at the most recent GDP statistics should suffice, one would think. However, there are many things that go unreported in this figure, their failure to appear causes many policy errors, and in the unlikely event of a currency dislocation, companies’ exposure to specific markets may have big repercussions on their share of the global market.

There are three different factors influencing GDP and the global market share which go quite unnoticed. One of them, debt in all its form (household, corporate, state), will be left out in this article as the focus here is on exchange-rates and wealth-generating activities.

For years the U.S. government has been trying to lure the value of dollar down in order to increase exports. But that recommendation is missing the rationale of what an undervalued currency is supposed to achieve. The role of the exchange rate in Asian economies is usually misreported. The reason Asian nations manage the value of their currencies is because their emphasis lies on developing an industrial sector and becoming an advanced nation in the first place. It is not really jobs they want, they want the economic attributes of a modern nation – an industrial and manufacturing core. Before they can focus on living standards and consumption, they need to become developed first, and enthusiasm for reform usually runs out after a generation, which is why they need to be quick.

Initially, this strategy serves them well as they attract funds, investment and technology. Ultimately, however, they would like to transform their economies and become consumer-led economies as only that increases domestic living standards.

Looking at The Economist’s Big Mac index, it becomes evident that it is mainly producer nations' cu! rrencies that are undervalued and consumer nations' currencies that are overvalued. Initially, the Asian economies were far too small of a market and their consumers lacked sufficient purchasing power, hence the currency gambit. Ironically enough, just as their citizens' purchasing power rises, by moving up the value chain their produced goods become more expensive as well.

It is here that current American monetary policy comes into play. For decades, the process of Asian ‘handing over' purchasing power worked by and large to the benefit of American consumers. By virtue of being born American, one was in the enviable position of being able to consume more than could be justified in pure economic terms. When the White House talks about pushing up the value of the Chinese yuan, it at the same time also makes the case for bringing this arrangement to an end.

What goes unappreciated is that if the Fed increases the money supply, say via Quantitative Easing, this forces nations such as China to restrict their own share of the world economy. Typically, if a country goes through inflation, the value of its currency goes down (law of one price). But the U.S. is protected from this because of the role of the dollar. QE drives the price of commodities higher in dollar terms (all else being equal), but Asian nations cannot afford to let the value of currencies rise in the same fashion to cushion that effect. Europe’s protected from that as the euro is allowed to make the necessary adjustments and American workers’ compensation increases in line with inflation. The direct consequence is that Asian citizens are losing out on the world market. If you make 2500RMB a month, but the price of oil rises without the RMB moving upwards, you lose real purchasing power. America has the privilege of being able to flood the world economy with dollars while being able to push the cost of adapting to producer nations. That creates a dangerous dis-equilibrium in that currencies such as the RMB move further a! nd furth er away from their real value. Naturally, there are two sides to this issue. While Chinese anger about this is understandable, the free-market case for letting the currency appreciate is just as strong.

The difficulty of incorporating asset values and services into GDP is that they are basically leveraged plays on a country's core economic strength. The same task, e.g. serving burgers, adds more to GDP in developed than developing nations. Yet, if the country's core strength is miscalculated, the whole edifice suffers as a consequence. And this is where it gets phenomenally tricky. Some analysts disregard the importance of the Japanese export sector as it makes up only a small fraction of total GDP, yet it is from that exporting prowess that many other industries derive their prosperity.

China’s share of global private consumption is at a mere 5.6% compared with 29.1% for the US and 26.2% in Western Europe. Yet, at the same time, a China which isn’t even close to reaching its full potential is already the largest market for many consumer goods, including cars.

How would America’s share of global consumption look if other nations stopped undervaluing their currencies? What about commodity prices? Which countries could benefit from a proper adjustment? China is an easy answer, yet its export industries rely on the currency subsidy. In order to answer that question accurately, one would need much more data and a whole array of tools, but it is not far-fetched to assume that the global market share of America would fall substantially. Economies are complex systems and there’s never only one side to any given story.

As I noted in an earlier article, an undervalued RMB causes problems for the lower class in America and Europe via increased competition for low-skilled jobs, but a more market-based RMB would create problems for the middle and upper class via lowering their global purchasing power and higher commodity prices.

Disclosure: ! I have n o positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Apprehending Vital Details All About PSE Archery

The PSE Archery is considered as one of the leading companies when it comes to the great and high quality archery equipments that hunters and bow lovers would like to have. The different archery equipments that this company offers are guaranteed made from high quality that will give the satisfaction on its users.

If you are looking for the perfect equipment that you can use in your outdoor activity, you will be guided by most people to the PSE especially if you are fond of archery. Everything that you will see in this place are guaranteed to be made from the finest materials that will ensure you of giving the top performance that will make you excel in the activity you are into.

There are the different types of bow that you might want to have but you just do not know where to find it. We all know that these stuffs cost something so it is very important that we will choose carefully where we will make a purchase so we can avoid getting scam and be disappointed with the products that we will buy.

Below are the 5 top reasons why PSE is worth for you to know:

1.PSE stands for Precision Shooting Equipment is definitely the best choice among bow hunters as it has the features and the quality that most of them want to have. When a bow comes from PSE, it is expected that will have the high quality, durable and will give the accuracy on its users. These traits are very crucial to ensure that the person who will use it will be able to perform at the top level.

2.The PSE bows are considered the lightest among the bows that can be found in the industry. This trait of their bow is very useful and will come in handy especially at times that you will be out in the woods for several days or you will hike for several miles carrying many of your gears with you.

3.By going to the place of PSE Archery, you will be provided the things that will give you the things that you are looking for. There are the different lines of bows that are guaranteed to cover your taste and your needs. The ! names su ch as Diamond archery, Bear archery, Parker archery and Martin archery will also be found if ever you will decide o make your purchase in the PSE archery.

4.The PSE Archery, which is founded in 1971 by Pete Shepley, is now considered as the primary supplier of the bows that are made from high quality and can give users the great accuracy which most bow hunters are really looking.

5.It is the company of the PSE Company that first introduced the techniques that are now being followed by the different bow manufacturers today. The company has also pioneered the production of lightweight bows with the use of the 4 steps procedures.

Therefore, if you are looking for the right archery equipment, all you need to do is go to the PSE Archery and make your choice there.

The methods to get the best pricing making use of not much effort tonight. Head on over to our cheap crossbows for sale website and then take advantage of discounts now!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Plantronics FY Q4 Beats Guidance On Revenue, Non-GAAP EPS

Plantronics (PLT) reported better-than-forecast results for its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31.

For the quarter, the headset maker posted revenue of $162.3 million and non-GAAP profits of 53 cents a share; guidance had been for $150 million to $155 million and 40-44 cents.

For FY Q1, the company sees revenue of $160 million to $165 million and non-GAAP EPS of 46-50 cents, ahead of the Street consensus estimates of $160.3 million and 43 cents.

PLT in late trading is up $1.62, or 5%, to $33.99.

Japan Still Devastated but Outlook Hopeful

As Japan continued to battle an ongoing nuclear crisis in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami, its currency continued to fall on the world market thanks to a G7intervention on Friday, the first since 2000, that kept speculators at bay.

Warren Buffett also termed the country’s current situation a “buying opportunity,” and the World Bank said that, while the country’s economy would remain depressed through the middle of 2011, growth from rebuilding would result in a boost to the nation’s economy and end a “temporary growth slowdown.”

Reuters reported that the yen continued to fall on Monday after the G7 stepped in on Friday to prevent speculators from driving the currency’s value even higher; the yen had risen to a post-World War II high of 76.25 against the dollar on Thursday as speculators’ demand for the currency anticipated repatriation of funds for rebuilding and stop-loss orders were triggered by the dollar’s fall, driving it down even further.

The G7 intervention appeared successful, however, as Monday saw the yen extend its fall on the expectation of further intervention should the trend reverse. Closed markets in Japan also contributed to lower liquidity.

Warren Buffett also voiced his opinion that the earthquake presented investors with a rare opportunity. In the report, he said, “It will take some time to rebuild, but it will not change the economic future of Japan.”

Buffett, visiting a South Korean factory run by one of his fund-owned companies, added, “If I owned Japanese stocks, I would certainly not be selling them. Frequently, something out of the blue like this, an extraordinary event, really creates a buying opportunity. I have seen that happen in the United States, I have seen that happen around the world. I don't think Japan will be an exception.”

The World Bank seemed to agree with Buffett’s estimation, saying that while the devastation would briefly depress growth, both in Japan and in Asia, the surge of rebuilding to follow would boost its economy. In a supplement to its twice-yearly East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, it said, "If history is any guide, real GDP growth will be negatively affected through mid-2011. Growth should pick up in subsequent quarters as reconstruction efforts, which could last five years, accelerate.”

The report added, “A temporary growth slowdown in Japan will have a modest short-term impact on the region."

The World Bank further said that private insurers would likely absorb a small portion of the expense of rebuilding, with the Japanese government and the nation’s households having to absorb the rest. While it did not provide its own estimates of the cost of the disaster, it cited figures of $122 billion to $235 billion, or 2.5-4% of GDP, from other sources’ estimates, as possibilities.

The World Bank also theorized that the impact on developing nations in East Asia would translate to effects on exports, energy and finance. Regarding exports, if Japan’s GDP slowed by 0.25-0.5%, it could depress exports from developing East Asia countries by 0.75-1.5%. A 1% appreciation in the yen’s value would result in an increase of $250 million for the cost of regional annual debt service, and energy costs would likely rise, although that could benefit energy-producing nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

How to Invest in the Share Market

When starting out investing in the share market, it can be difficult to know and find out all the information you will need. One identity that you will deal with all the time is your broker. Your broker has a wealth of information and is available for you to help you make all the right choices.

How to Select A Broker That Will Work for You

Your investments mean a lot to you and will definitely play a large role in your future. Making sure that your investments get the best treatment and care you want for them is very important and will be reflected in the broker you choose. Here are some tips on how to choose the right broker that will provide the services you want for your investments.

Decide On Your Investment Goals

Before you start to look around, it is important that you decide what your goals are for your investments. This needs to be your first step because the type of broker you need depends on your goals – besides that, you will have to tell him or her what your goals are anyway.

If you simply want someone to handle your decisions for you, then you will want one type of broker (discount broker), but if you want more than that, like advice and tips, another kind (full-service) will be needed.

Choose Between Full-Service Or Discount Broker

A full-service broker can do much of what you are looking for, if you need advice, tips, and other direction or help with your investments. Other types of full-service brokers can even go beyond that if they are licensed financial planners. This would give them options to handle other investments for you including trusts, life insurance, and more.

A discount broker, on the other hand, will simply execute your plans. There is no advice and very little interaction except when you need some changes in your investments, or stocks.

Compare Services

After you have selected about three brokers whose services look go! od to yo u, you will want to compare each of the services that they offer. Every broker may vary in the services they provide for your investment, but only you have an idea of what you will need. As you look at their list of services, be sure that you get the services you want. If you should decide that you might need more services later, be sure to select one that will do those services as well, this way you do not need to start over in your search for the broker of your choice.

Understand the Fees Involved

Fees will vary among brokers, too. Some may give discounts in various situations so make sure you discover where you will get the most service for a good price from a reliable broker.

Get Referrals

As you should do when you choose any kind of professional, it always pays to get some referrals. These can come from your friends, or from the broker. Check them out and make sure that the individual really has had some kind of relationship with the broker (other than being a relative or friend) and is familiar with the quality of service being offered. This will help you make wise choices and have fewer headaches with your investments in the future.

After you go through each of these steps, you will probably find that only one or two will still look good to you. All you need to do then is to add one or two other deciding factors – such as how easily can he or she be contacted, office hours, unique services, special training, and more – then just go with the one that looks best.

For further information on�how to invest in shares visit the “I�Trade Options” website

James McInnes is a professional share market trader and investment entrepreneur, with many years experience trading the Australian Share market. You can visit his site to learn about Trading Options In Australia

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012

The market has been on fire since the dark days of the financial crisis. The S&P 500 has soared an astounding 85% since the lows of March 2009. Market returns have been propelled by more cyclical sectors like technology and consumer products, while the more defensive sectors have badly lagged the market. In short, it's the go-go stocks that have been the first to benefit in the post crisis market, but things might be changing...

The bull market has gotten long in the tooth while at the same time uncertainty is growing as the Middle East erupts in turmoil. Oil prices are soaring near $100 a barrel from just $85 a month ago and may climb still higher, threatening economic recovery.

It may be time for investors to look at defensive stocks that can perform in any economy. Health care, more specifically major drug manufacturers, earn consistent income in any economy and, best of all, pay fat dividends.

Health care stocks have their critics, however. Most large drug companies are facing steep patent cliffs and an accompanying fall in revenue in the years ahead. In addition, uncertainty regarding health care legislation and possible higher costs going forward are weighing on prospects.

However, these problems are largely factored into share prices already.

 

Three stocks in particular stand out as having strong business prospects, cheap valuations and high dividends.

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI)

 Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs and markets integrated circuits for digital consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications, mobile communications, automotive electronics, and industrial markets. Its primary products include low and medium density DRAM; and high speed and low power SRAM. The company?s low and medium density DRAM products are used in wireless local area networks (WLANs), base stations, networking switches and routers, fiber to the home (FTTH), DSL and cable modems, set top boxes, digital cameras, MP3, flat panel TVs, LCD TVs, HDTVs, video phones, Voice over Internet Protocol, printers, disk drives, tape drives, audio/video equipment, instrumentation, global positioning systems (GPS), telematics, infotainment, smart meters, and other applications. Its SRAM products are used in WLANs, cell phones, base stations, networking switches and routers, FTTH, DSL modems, LCD TVs, set-top boxes, GPS systems, instrumentation, engine control systems, medical equipment, telematics, audio and video equipment, satellite radio, POS terminals, fax machines, copiers, tape drives, and other applications. Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. also designs and markets application specific standard products, including high performance serial EEPROMs for use in TVs, networking systems, modems, telephone sets, security systems, video games, automobiles, and other consumer products; and SmartCards that have applications in transportation passes, payment cards, health care cards, and other cards that store secure data. The company markets and sells its products in Asia, the United States, and Europe through direct sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors. Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

  • By Arohan At 2012-2-12

    ISSI is another memory chip designer and marketer. It is a fabless semiconductor company so it outsources its manufacturing. The market currently values the company at $283 million ascribing a PE ratio of 4.75. The company has delivered an EPS growth of 39% in the last 5 years and its future outlook appears to be of modest growth as well, with a slight decline in the up coming year. The company has $88 million in cash and no debt and is well positioned to handle the slowdown in demand next year.

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:National Presto Industries Inc. (NPK)

 National Presto Industries, Inc. engages in the production and sale of housewares/small appliances, defense products, and absorbent products in North America. The company operates in three segments: Housewares/Small Appliance, Defense Products, and Absorbent Products. The Housewares/Small Appliance segment designs, markets, and distributes housewares and small electrical appliances, including pressure cookers and canners; the Presto Control Master heat control single thermostatic control line of skillets, griddles, woks, and multi-purpose cookers; deep fryers of various sizes; waffle makers; pizza ovens; slicer/shredders; electric heaters; corn poppers; microwave bacon cookers; coffeemakers and coffeemaker accessories; electric tea kettles; electric knife sharpeners; shoe polishers; and timers. It sells its products directly to retailers in the United States and Canada, as well as through independent distributors. The Defense Products segment manufactures 40mm ammunition, and precision mechanical and electro-mechanical products for the United States Department of Defense (DOD) and DOD prime contractors. Its products include training ammunition, fuzes, firing devices, and initiators, as well as offers munitions and ordnance-related products, and medium caliber cartridge cases. This segment also performs load, assemble, and pack operations on ordnance related products. The Absorbent Products segment manufactures and sells private label adult incontinence products and diapers. This segment sells its products to distributors and other absorbent product manufacturers. The company was founded in 1905 and is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:Tandy Leather Factory Inc. (TLF)

 Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. operates as a retailer and wholesale distributor of leather and related products in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company?s leather and related products consist of leather, leatherworking tools, buckles and adornments for belts, leather dyes and finishes, saddle and tack hardware, and do-it-yourself kits. It also manufactures leather lacing and do-it-yourself kits. As of June 14, 2011, the company distributed its products through its 29 Leather Factory stores and 77 Tandy Leather retail stores in the United States and Canada, as well as one combination wholesale/retail store located in Northampton, the United Kingdom. It sells its products to individuals, wholesale distributors, tack and saddle shops, western stores, craft stores and craft store chains, other large volume purchasers, manufacturers, and retailers, as well as institutions, such as prisons and prisoners, schools, hospitals. The company was formerly known as The Leather Factory, Inc. and changed its name to Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. in 2005. Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:Transportadora De Gas Sa Ord B (TGS)

 Transportadora de Gas Del Sur S.A. engages in the transportation of natural gas, as well as production and commercialization of natural gas liquids primarily in Argentina. It operates approximately 8627 km long pipeline system. The company transports its natural gas to distribution companies, industries, traders, producers, and power plant operators. The company?s production and commercialization activities are conducted at the Cerri Complex located near Bahia Blanca. Its natural gas liquid products comprise ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline. It also provides midstream services, which consist of gas treatment, gas compression, and wellhead gas gathering services; removal services for impurities from the natural gas stream; and pipeline construction, operation, and maintenance services. In addition, the company offers telecommunication services for telephone operators and other corporate users. Its telecommunication network includes a microwave's digital system with synchronous digital hierarchy technology. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Transportadora de Gas Del Sur S.A. is a subsidiary of Compania de Inversiones de Energia S.A.

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG)

 ConAgra Foods, Inc. operates as a food company primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Consumer Foods and Commercial Foods. The Consumer Foods segment provides branded, private label, and customized food products, which are sold in various retail and foodservice channels. It offers products in various categories, such as meals, entrees, condiments, sides, snacks, and desserts in frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable temperature classes. This segment?s principal brands include Alexia, ACT II, Banquet, Blue Bonnet, Chef Boyardee, DAVID, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt?s, Marie Callender?s, Orville Redenbacher?s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Snack Pack, Swiss Miss, Van Camp?s, and Wesson. The Commercial Foods segment provides commercially branded foods and ingredients that are sold to foodservice, food manufacturing, and industrial customers. Its primary products consist of specialty potato products, milled grain ingredients, a range of vegetable products, seasonings, blends, and flavors. This segment sells products under brands, such as ConAgra Mills, Lamb Weston, and Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

  • By Jonson At 2011-10-17

    Paul T Maass, who is President, Commercial at ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE:CAG), sold 4,781 shares on Sep 26 at $23.90 per share for a total value of $114,242. About the company: ConAgra Foods, Inc. manufactures and markets packaged foods for retail consumers, restaurants and institutions. The Company offers a wide range of food products, including meals, entrees, condiments, sides, snacks, specialty potato products, milled grain ingredients, dehydrated vegetables and seasonings, and blends and flavors.

  • By Jonson At 2011-10-17

    Kenneth E Stinson, who is s Director at ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE:! CAG), so ld 8,316 shares on Sep 26 at $23.81 per share for a total value of $198,013. About the company: ConAgra Foods, Inc. manufactures and markets packaged foods for retail consumers, restaurants and institutions. The Company offers a wide range of food products, including meals, entrees, condiments, sides, snacks, specialty potato products, milled grain ingredients, dehydrated vegetables and seasonings, and blends and flavors.

  • By Carlson At 2011-9-22

    ConAgra (CAG) withdrew its $94-per-share offer for Ralcorp (RAH) after the Ralcorp board rejected its most recent proposal, the company said in a statement released 2 minutes after Ralcorp’s deadline to enter into discussions had passed.

    ConAgra has said in recent days that it has heard from Ralcorp shareholders who wanted the company to consider selling to ConAgra. Clearly the pressure now is on Ralcorp. If the company can’t find a way to boost its value to its shareholders through a spin-off of its Post brands, which includes Grape Nuts, the $94-per-share offer will look like a big missed opportunity.

     

Great Stocks To Buy In 2012:JAKKS Pacific Inc. (JAKK)

 JAKKS Pacific, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and distributes toys and consumer products worldwide. The company offers traditional toys and electronics, such as action figures and accessories, including licensed characters under Pokemon name; toy vehicles and accessories under Road Champs, Fly Wheels, and MXS names; electronics products under EyeClops Bionic Eye, Laser Challenge, and Plug It In & Play TV Games names; dolls and accessories, including small and large dolls, fashion dolls, and baby dolls under Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Taylor Swift, Fancy Nancy, Hello Kitty, Graco, and Fisher Price names; private label products; pet products, including toys, consumables, and accessories under American Kennel Club and The Cat Fanciers? Association; and vehicles, play sets, plush products, construction toys, and infant and pre-school toys. It also offers role play, novelty, and seasonal toys, including food play and activity kits under Girl Gourmet, Creepy Crawlers, and BloPens names; role-play, dress-up, pretend play, and novelty products for boys and girls under Black & Decker, McDonald?s, Dirt Devil, Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Barbie, and Dora the Explorer names; indoor and outdoor kids? furniture, activity trays, tables and room d�cor, and seasonal and outdoor products under Crayola, Disney, and Funnoodle names; and Halloween and everyday costumes under Spiderman, Iron Man, Toy Story, Sesame Street, Power Rangers, Hasbro, and Disney Princess names. JAKKS Pacific, Inc. sells its products through own in-house sales staff and independent sales representatives to toy and mass-market retail chain stores, department stores, office supply stores, drug and grocery store chains, club stores, toy specialty stores, and wholesalers. It also licenses various trademarks, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Ultimate Fighting Championship, Hello Kitty, Graco, and Pokemon. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Malibu, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

  • By iStockAnalyst At 2011-9-24

    JAKK is a multi-line, multi-brand toy company that designs, produces, markets and distributes toys and related products, writing instruments and related products, pet toys, consumables and related products, electronics and related products, kids indoor and outdoor furniture, and other consumer products. It also develops products marketed under its own trademarks and brand names.

    The company is in the midst of evaluating Oaktree Capital Management's $20 per share cash buyout offer.

  • Growth is good for a stock - but is it growing fast enough?

    Do you think you have a potential investment that�s growing its profits and sales. Great! But is it growing fast enough? After all, most people expect Apple to do well. It�s not exactly news that the company has a hit gadget and will be selling more iPads next quarter or next year.

    But how many more … well, that�s up for debate.

    This is the slipperiest part of all. Wall Street prices stocks based on what they are going to do in the future, not what they�ve already done. A company�s profits might jump by 25%, but if investors were expecting 50% gains, shares will crash. On the other hand, a sleepy company forecasting a measly 5% growth could explode higher if it posts 25% growth instead.

    Confusing, I know. But remember this: Picking the right stocks is all about expectations.

    How Can You Check up on Expectations?

    This is the first real area where it becomes clear how much of a disadvantage individual investors have. Even if you are retired, you likely don�t have the inclination to pore over countless company filings with the SEC and make your own projections. Why spend hours researching fluctuations in European sales or calculating how profit margins will be affected by a 5% rise in the price of corn when you have grandkids to play with?

    But take heart! What you do have is the Internet, and the wisdom of crowds. That allows you access to the opinions of Wall Street investment banks already doing that work and publicly sharing their findings.

    My strategy is to ignore the actual figures people are forecasting and instead focus on the direction of the forecasts. That is, if they were expecting earnings of $1.50 per share this quarter last month, are they expecting $1.75 now — or $1.25?

    In a nutshell, if forecasts are moving up I take that as a good sign because people keep setting the bar higher. If they are moving down, expectations are fading, which is cause for concern.

    Forecasts might sound ! difficul t to find, but they�re not. Just go to Yahoo!�Finance and type in the ticker of your stock of choice, as usual. Click on �Analyst Estimates� in the left rail and then check �EPS trends� to see what�s up.

    Click to Enlarge

    Notice this view of Apple estimates. Notice for almost every successive time period, revisions continue to move higher. That is an encouraging sign. The average earnings estimate for a given stock is almost always a moving target — but it�s an undeniably good thing to see that target moving up.

    What�s the History of the Company in Regards to Expectations?

    It�s also valuable to look at how the company fared against forecasts in recent history. Some companies have �beating the Street� down to a science, carefully controlling optimism and then impressing investors with their results. Others are all over the place, and Wall Street frequently is very surprised or very disappointed, causing the stock to gyrate in price.

    As the saying goes, past performance is no guarantee of future returns. But it�s worth at least looking into the consistency of a company�s performance on the earnings front. And thanks to Yahoo! Finance, it�s also incredibly easy to find this, too.

    Again, click on �Analyst Estimates� in the left rail. This time, look under �Earnings History.� You�ll find the forecast for each of the past four quarters, the actual earnings per share reported and the percent by which a company missed or exceeded expectations.

    A long track record of earnings beats is no promise of another great report in the quarter to come. But it�s certainly something to note.

    More importantly, however, is a long history of earnings misses. The ugly reality is that the majority of stocks — or more than 50% of the S&P 500, according to research — have beaten Wall Street expectations every year since the third quarter of 1998! For a variety of reasons, analysts are trained to set the bar a bit low ! for thei r corporate overlords.

    So if a company has a history of mediocre performances, it�s a bit of a concern. And missing expectations obviously are very disturbing.

    Think of it this way: The earnings tests administered by Wall Street are often designed to be pretty easy. A company that gets C�s or D�s looks bad enough — but when you consider how unimpressive the test is, it makes poor performance all that more disconcerting.

    Check out a complete list of Investing 101 articles by Jeff Reeves for more on learning how to invest and pick stocks.

    Also, for just 99 cents you can download Jeff�s e-book �The Frugal Investor’s Guide to Finding Great Stocks: 11 Free Resources to Help Beginners Identify Fantastic Investments.�

    Tuesday, April 10, 2012

    What Every Blogger Should Know About WordPress SEO

    Since WordPress comes as a complete package with everything ready, making it very easy to create a blog. When trying to get your blog to rank highly in the SERPs, there are certain variables that are important to keep in mind, like the following:

    Incoming Links: We are all aware of essential link building is in relation to search engine optimization. When WordPress is utilized, search engine optimization is simpler and the correct link building process will yield wonderful results. Even though outbound links are crucial for your WebPress site to be successful, you must also focus on creating internal links so that you can get the most from inbound linking. If you look around, you’ll see all the top ranking blogs/sites linking to their own articles internally wherever needed. Creating a strong internal linking structure will not only benefit your visitors with added navigation, but will also create a strong impression on the search engines. Major search engines like Google view internal linking as something necessary on a content site.

    The Right XHTML code: This is necessary step for making a solid WordPress website that gets good results. There are various reasons why you should get your site authorized according to the guidelines of the internet world. If you do not know a thing about HTML, you will not have problems in the beginning. Key in the name of your website into the W3C Validator. If you find out that your website is not validating, then go through the instructions until you find the issue and correct it.

    Proper XHTML Code This is an essential step in relation to producing a solid WordPress site that provides results. There are several reasons why your site should be validated according to the standards of the World Wide Web. Even if you do not familiar with HTML, it will not be hard for you to catch on. Go to the W3C Validator and key in the name of your blog. If you notice that it does not validate, then just go through the instructions and fix the problem.

    Ge! tting yo ur website to validate will make sure that there are not any factors that will deter it being ranked well by the search engines.

    Use slugs, located below your post in the WordPress panel to determine your article’s address. Using the same keywords in the META data, content, and title of your page will let the search engines see that your page is consistently focused on that specific keyword of phrase. WordPress goes out of its way to make the entire SEO process easy but you cannot ignore the importance of keywords and keyword placement as part of the SEO process. And that’s it! By implementing these suggestions, which is certainly not difficult, you will find your WordPress blog’s performance will increase dramatically.

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    Crack Spread Plummets as Refineries Suffer Through Petroleum Supply Glut

    U.S. refineries are in the midst of a petroleum supply glut that's driving down profit margins for refining crude --the crack spread-and depressing prices by over 25% since last week.

    U.S. supplies of oil and all petroleum-based fuels were at the highest levels in at least 20 years, jumping to 1.81 billion barrels for the week that ended May 14, knocking profit margins at refineries off a 15 month high.

    The crack spread--the profit margin that an oil refinery can expect to make by "cracking" three barrels of oil into two barrels of gasoline and one barrel of heating oil-traded as low as $11.33 a barrel Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). It touched $16.909 on May 13, the highest price since Feb. 12, 2009. The margin has dropped 62% from a record $30.479 reached on May 17, 2007.

    The supply glut is likely to depress prices, despite an Energy Department forecast calling for the first increase in domestic consumption in four years amid signs of an economic rebound. Refinery utilization dropped to 87.9% last week, the lowest level in a month, Bloomberg News reported.

    "Entering the summer driving season, the market is more concerned with supply outstripping demand than vice versa," Stephen Schork, president of the Schork Group Inc. in Villanova, Pennsylvania told Bloomberg. referring to the peak gasoline demand season in the U.S., which traditionally begins at the end of May and runs through early September.

    Contract prices for crude-oil futures traded mostly flat on Friday after the June contract traded as low as $64.24 a barrel on the NYMEX before closing Thursday at $68.01. Since May 3, the June contract lost 21%.  Thursday's close was the lowest closing price for crude since Sept. 29.

    Volatility measures have nearly doubled in the oil market in the past few weeks, reaching an eight-month high on Thur! sday.

    "It's been a bloody market to trade in over the last several weeks," Matt Zeman, head of trading at LaSalle Futures Group told The Wall Street Journal. "I can't remember too many times that crude has dropped so far, so fast."

    U.S. oil supplies have risen for 15 of the past 16 weeks, jumping 11% between Jan. 22 and May 14. Stockpiles were 6.5% above the five-year average last week.

    According to a government report on May 19, gasoline supplies were 6% above the five-year average last week, Consumption fell 0.2% to 9.2 million barrels a day in the four weeks ended May 14. It was the second consecutive four-week decline after 11 increases, Bloomberg reported.

    "Surplus inventories on the product side are more bearish than surplus inventories on the crude side," Tim Evans, an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York told Bloomberg.  "If we have surplus inventories all the way around, there's not much of a credible risk of market tightness."

    Still, the fundamentals for oil, while not great, aren't enough to justify the steep loss, analysts say. Oil has been trading on "disturbing" events, Charles Maxwell, senior energy analyst at Weeden & Co. told the Journal.

    Crude's decline comes as concern about Europe's debt crisis raises fears it will slow the global economic recovery, crimping demand for oil and reducing the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment. Officials in China, the world's fastest-growing energy user, have also taken steps to cool their economy.
    Additionally, U.S. inflation slowed in April to the slowest rate in 44 years, raising concerns about deflation. Demand for commodities tends to fall in a deflationary environment as consumers pull back on spending.

    "That'll be very hard for commodities," Maxwell said.

    The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index has now lost all the ground i! t has ga ined since September 2009.

    Preliminary figures from the International Energy Agency in Paris showed last week that demand growth for petroleum in North America was flat in the first three months of the year, making it the first quarter without a year-on-year decline since the second quarter of 2007.

    But that probably won't be enough to reduce the U.S. supply glut, which will continue to pressure prices, Tom Bentz, a broker at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures Inc. in New York told Bloomberg.

    Demand forecasts "can always be adjusted down," Bentz said. "They're based on what economists believe the demand will be if the economy continues to go down the road it was on. I'm not sure they were factoring into that the slowdown in China and the slowdown in Europe. You may see some of those demand forecasts being adjusted down."

    News & Related Story Links:

    • Wikipedia: Crack Spread
    • Bloomberg:
      Record U.S. Fuel Supply Cools Refining Margins: Energy Markets
    • Wall Street Journal: Oil prices continue to slide
    • Money Morning:
      European Debt Crisis Raises Caution Flags But U.S. Economy Won't Be Derailed
    • Money Morning: How the Little Guy Will Fix Oil Futures and Get In on the Profits

    PRU: Wells Fargo Ups to “Buy”; $64 Target

    Shares of Prudential Financial (PRU) are up $1.38, or 3%, at $50.46 today after Wells Fargo (WFC) analyst John Hall raised his rating on the stock to “Outperform” from “Market Perform” with a price target of $64. Pru has weathered the financial crisis “quite well,” Hall writes, having gotten through the crisis without selling core assets and without taking government aid, instead taking on debt and selling equity. Pru looks much as it did before the crisis, he writes, with a focus on international life insurance, group insurance, and asset management. Pru has more capital than it needs, which the firm can put to work through acquisitions or by growing existing businesses.

    Stocks with Negative Movement at NASDAQ BIIB, CREE, NFLX, FFIV

    Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) opened at $69.73 and with a decrease of 0.26% closed at $70.00. Company�s fifty days average price is $66.95 whereas it has a market capitalization $16.86 billion.

    The total of 1.94 million shares was transacted over last trading day.

    Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) opened at $50.84 and with a decrease of 0.24% closed at $50.82. Company�s fifty days average price is $58.91 whereas it has a market capitalization $5.56 billion.

    The total of 1.91 million shares was transacted over last trading day.

    Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) opened at $205.00 and with a decrease of 0.2% closed at $204.23. Company�s fifty days average price is $200.38 whereas it has a market capitalization $10.8 billion.

    The total of 4.72 million shares was transacted over last trading day.

    F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) opened at $112.68 and with a decrease of 0.16% closed at $113.20. Company�s fifty days average price is $126.46 whereas it has a market capitalization $9.14 billion.

    The total of 3.00 million shares was transacted over last trading day.

    Monday, April 9, 2012

    Best Wall St. Stocks Today: AAPL,ASCA,CSTR,JCI,NFLX,TEVA,WPI

    There are several key stocks to watch this coming week in The Unusual Suspects.� We are watching for moves and events in the stocks of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Ameristar Casinos Inc. (NASDAQ: ASCA), Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR), Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI), Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA), and Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: WPI).� We have compiled the n
    ews or the catalyst for each, as well as offered additional color and an expected move for the week ahead.

    We did not cover any earnings previews this week on The Unusual Suspects.� We gave a detailed preview on the major earnings reports on deck this week.� Those include tickers LOW, HD, WMT, TGT, SHLD, DLTR, HPQ, and DELL.� We also tracked much of the usual options volume from Friday in individual names in case it was a prelude to something large.� We saw unusual options trading in the tickers NLY, COCO, HPQ, PCS, NTAP, NFLX, PHM, and SUN.� Here are the eight best IPOs of 2010.� Also listed were three of our top defensive stock picks which can still grow if we enter into a new bear market.

    Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) may not get clipped too hard on this because of the cult-like love from the public.� The reports from the weekend show an Apple manager getting a grand jury indictment over kickbacks from suppliers.� Couple this with the labor problems of contract companies and the handling the Steve Jobs health disclosures of 2009 and the recent iPhone issues, its “clean transparency” could become a real issue if any more lapses of judgment come to light.� The problem is that Apple is now 10% off of recent highs, so the bargain hunters may have more of an argument than the naysayers.� Food for thought.

    Ameristar Casinos Inc. (NASDAQ: ASCA) confirmed late last week that it is considering strategic alternatives which could include a sale of the company.� TheStreet.com ran a poll showing that Boyd Gaming was the likely buyer, but we&! #8217;d throw out there that Ameristar’s $1 billion market cal after a 1.76% gain on Friday leaves it in an easy category that would allow private equity or traditional casinos to bid.� At $17.36, the 52-week range is $13.44 to $20.69.

    Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) was listed in Barron’s as a stock which could rise from $44 to $60 over the next year and perhaps to $80 by 2013. In a market neutral scenario this could be up 3% on Monday morning.

    Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI) was given the cover story for this weekend in Barron’s called “Totally In Control.” Mike Santoli said it is greening investors’ wallets and� is a promising play on an auto revival and a cleaner world.� With this being the cover story, in a market neutral scenario it could be up 2% to 3%.

    Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was listed as the #1 pole position chart in IBD this weekend. A 12% gain this last week despite a drop of -0.6% Friday to $132.26 was hard to ignore when you consider how poor the markets were last week.

    Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA) is getting close to a 52-week low as the market pulls back.� We covered this one twice on Friday and have more in-depth analysis coming this week.� This alone may not be a catalyst and admittedly weak stocks tend to stay weak until a critical point is reached.� For long-term investors, Teva looks like one that should beone of the safer defensive stocks that still offers growth during a bear market.

    Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: WPI) is the apparent beneficiary of a new emergency contraceptive approved by the FDA.� HRA Pharma won approval and Watson will manufacture the drug.� With Watson’s market cap only at $5.2 billion, this is potentially going to be close to free new business for Watson.

    You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, I! POs, sec ondary offerings, private equity, and more.

    JON C. OGG

    Best Wall St. Stocks Today:

    Facing the blank sheet of paper that will eventually be the chronicle of his life in government and the success or failure of the Administration�s programs to radically overhaul the regulation of the financial world, Larry Summers, the intemperate former President of Harvard, said something that he and his colleagues will regret. �Every important problem that was a contributor to past crises, and every import
    ant problem that we believe is potentially going to shape future crises, has been addressed,� he told Bloomberg TV. Put more succinctly, we are gods and not men.

    Summers� comments were part of his barnstorming for The White House�s new set of proposals to oversee American financial markets, large institutions, mitigate the risk of complicated derivatives, and give Americans an advocacy program to defend them from financial predators. Summers makes the assumptions that experience is an infallible guide to predicting and influencing the future.

    Summers, a brilliant economist and former Treasury Secretary, knows better. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 did not create an organization that could either predict or prevent the country from the Great Depression. The Treasury Department could do no better. The SEC was created in 1934 and the number of major securities scandals and violations of the national securities laws since then can barely be counted.

    A number of catastrophes could have been avoided if each generation of financial regulation had been crafted so well that it could cover every danger and contingency. It would have been easy for the American government to limit bank exposure to Latin American debt during the 1970s. There were no such limitations. When sovereign nations in the region defaulted on their debt, it nearly took Citibank under in 1982.

    One of the central pieces of the Administration�s plan is that the Fed, apparently in consultation with the Treasury, will be able to take over and dismantle ! large Am erican financial firms if they are on the brink of failure. That still leaves to human judgment and its potential fallibility the ability to discern which institutions cannot right themselves in a period of trouble. It brings into question how regulators decide what to do with the pieces of a huge private firm that has been taken apart. Risk does not disappear because it has been moved from one large operation into several smaller ones. The toxic pieces still have to be dealt with, properly, if the overall financial system is to be appropriately protected. Human judgment is still the final gatekeeper in that process. A new law will not create generations of prudence.

    One of the pillars of the new regulations and regulatory bodies that will be put into place is the �Consumer Financial Protection Agency.� It will be this agency�s job to make sure that the average citizen is not faced with predators which would try to overcharge for lending him money or managing his retirement account or try to market him a mortgage he cannot afford. One of the issues going forward is whether financial firms can reasonably charge fees for the risk that they take doing business with consumers. The housing market will never recover if banks cannot make money on mortgages and granting mortgages is a process which is, by its nature, very risky during a recession. Banks need to set rates to offset and mitigate that risk. The mortgage business will become a dicey way for banks to make money if the government elects to keep consumers happy by lowering their costs of living at the expense of the profits of the financial system.

    Looking back on the new programs several decades from now, historians may have to admit that the new regulations that were proposed today did fix the financial system and created a series of laws that were so perfect that the system could not be broken again. It would be the first time in recorded history that a government enterprise of long standing only solved problems and never created them. I! t would also be the first time that a large new set of regulations actually anticipated the future path of every institution and action it was meant to regulate, thereby keeping, in this case, the financial system and the consumer completely safe.

    None of the current crisis, which nearly overwhelmed the national financial and credit system, would have happened if only the federal government of the 1930s had made its attempts at regulation right in the first place

    Douglas A. McIntyre

    Car Leasing For Trade And The Public At Large – We Clarify The Finer Points

    In opposition what many think, car leasing is accessible to the public in addition to businesses. Most individuals or businesses thinking of taking out a motor vehicle lease or vehicle leasing agreement, will in all probability end up going down the contract hire route (often known as ‘personal contract hire lease’ where individuals are concerned).

    Not only does contract hire car leasing enable the lease customer to benefit from having the car taken back on the finish of the lease interval, instead of being saddled with a depreciating asset, it may well also provide a tax-saving option to individual company vehicle drivers.

    ‘Contract purchase’, alternatively (known as ‘personal contract purchase’ for non-business clients) can provide the lease customer with the choice of buying the motor vehicle, as soon as the lease period is over, at a value agreed on the outset of the lease agreement. In some cases, the lease customer will benefit should the true value of the vehicle on the finish of the lease interval be higher than the worth initially anticipated at the start of the lease.

    Nonetheless, for businesses, there are two other types of car leasing: ‘lease purchase’, whereby the firm commits to purchasing the motor vehicle on the end of the lease interval, and ‘finance lease’ where the car is sold on the finish of the lease interval, in order that the leasing company recovers the full acquisition price of the car, with any balance from the sale going to the business.

    For small companies, credit could be hard to come by, even with a promising economic plan or self-evident business success. With regards to securing vans however, obtaining credit is one thing the sensible business-person doesn’t have to worry about.

    Van leasing permits a small business to enjoy long-term access to the latest makes and models of vans, without having to satisfy the strict standards needed for a financial advance from a bank.

    Van lea sing works on the principle of accessing one’s own choice of van in return for a fixed month-to-month payment to a leasing company. Van leasing prices are usually much cheaper than the equivalent monthly payments for a finance purchase agreement or loan, just because they are primarily based on the amount by which each van depreciates in the course of the lease interval, rather than on a van’s acquisition price.

    Depending on the needs of the company, van leasing can involve: a return of the vans to the lease company at the end of the 2 to 4 year lease period, the choice to purchase the vans once the lease period is over, or the facility for the lease company and the company to sell the automobiles on the end of the lease period, with the company benefitting from any returns over and above the balance of the original acquisition prices.

    contract hire specialists lease4less can take the monetary worries out of driving visit our website for more details of our latest deals and money saving offers.