Hot Stocks 2014, Top Stocks Market 2014, Best Stock Investment: 5/26/13

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In 2014

The Korea Times is reporting that�Apple� (NASDAQ: AAPL ) has cut Samsung out of producing its next-generation A7 chip. The Mac maker continues to diversify its component supplier base away from Samsung. Apple has already begun moving display sourcing to�LG Display� (NYSE: LPL ) . The A7 business is reportedly going to�Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing� (NYSE: TSM ) and its 20-nanometer process. The transition could hurt Samsung, since it would be left with excess unused. Samsung has supposedly been trying to grow its business with�NVIDIA� (NASDAQ: NVDA ) to mitigate the risk of losing some Apple business.

In the video below, Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, explains what it means for investors.

There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Applied Materials Inc.(AMAT)

Applied Materials, Inc. provides manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, flat panel display, solar photovoltaic (PV), and related industries worldwide. The company?s Silicon Systems Group segment offers a range of manufacturing equipment used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits. This segment provides systems that perform primary processes used in chip fabrication, including atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition, rapid thermal processing, chemical mechanical planarization, wet cleaning, and wafer metrology and inspection, as well as systems that etch or inspect circuit patterns on masks used in the photolithography process. Its Applied Global Services segment offers products and services designed to enhance the performance and productivity, and reduce the environmental impact of the fab operations of semiconductor, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and solar P V manufacturers. The company?s Display segment provides products for manufacturing thin film transistor LCDs for televisions, personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs, smartphones, and other consumer-oriented electronic applications. Its Energy and Environmental Solutions segment offers manufacturing systems for the generation and conservation of energy, as well as manufacturing solutions for wafer-based crystalline silicon applications. This segment also provides roll-to-roll vacuum Web coating systems for deposition of a range of films on flexible substrates for functional, aesthetic, or optical properties; and roll-to-roll machine for depositing ultra-thin aluminum films for flexible packaging applications. The company serves manufacturers of semiconductor wafers and chips, flat panel LCDs, solar PV cells and modules, and other electronic devices. Applied Materials, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Kevin1977]
Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT): Up 2.22% to $10.59. Applied Materials, Inc. develops, manufactures, markets, and services semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment and related spare parts for the worldwide semiconductor industry. The Company’s customers include semiconductor wafer and integrated circuit manufacturers, flat panel liquid crystal displays, solar photovoltaic cells and modules and other electronic devices manufacturers.

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In 2014: NVIDIA Corp (NVDA.F)

NVIDIA Corporation (NVIDIA), incorporated on February 24, 1998, is engaged in creating the graphics chips used in personal computers (PCs). The Company operates in three segments: graphics processing unit (GPU) Business, professional solutions business (PSB) and consumer products business (CPB). Its mobile processors are used in cell phones, tablets and auto infotainment systems. Designers use GPUs to create visual effects in movies and create everything from golf clubs to jumbo jets. NVIDIA solutions are based on two technologies: the GPU and the mobile processor. GPUs are the engines of visual computing, the science and art of using computers to understand, create and enhance images. It has three GPU product brands: GeForce, which creates visual experiences for gamers; Quadro, which is engaged in visual computing for designers and digital artists, and Tesla, which accelerates applications for scientists and researchers. Tegra is its mobile processor and is built for a pplications ranging from smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs to televisions and cars. During the fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it acquired Icera Inc.In fiscal 2012, it launched Project Maximus, which uses the compute power of Tesla with the visualization power of Quadro to merge the design and simulation stages into one workstation. In May 2012, the Company and Intellectual Ventures announced that they jointly acquired a set of patents developed and owned by IPWireless. The portfolio comprises approximately 500 patents granted and pending in the wireless communications area, including concepts in LTE, LTE-Advanced and 3G/4G technologies.

GPU Business

The Company�� GPU business revenue includes primarily sales of its GeForce discrete and chipset products that support desktop and notebook PCs plus license fees from Intel and sales of memory products. It also accelerates video editing and high definition (HD), content creation by consumers. GeForce GPUs power PCs made by or distributed! ! by PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in the world. Its media and communications processor (MCP) chipsets primarily comprised of its ION motherboard GPUs, a product reaching the end of its life cycle.

Professional Solutions Business

The Company�� PSB consists of its Quadro professional workstation products and its Tesla computing products. Its Quadro products are designed to deliver the graphics performance and application compatibility for professionals. Tesla applies the processing power of its GPUs to general-purpose computing problems. Quadro products add functionality, such as photorealistic rendering, to computer-aided design workstations, and are used in professional video editing applications and for generating special effects in movies. Tesla is used in supercomputing centers and in oil exploration; other applications include accelerating drug discovery, weather simulations and derivative price modeling.

Consumer P roducts Business

The Company�� CPB includes its Tegra system-on-chip products for smartphones, tablets, automotive infotainment systems, and other similar devices, and Icera baseband processors. The Tegra revenues are generated by sales in smart phones and tablets. CPB also includes license, royalty, other revenue and associated costs related to video game consoles and other digital consumer electronics devices. NVIDIA Tegra mobile products implement design techniques, both inside the chips and at the system level. These technologies enhance visual display capabilities, connectivity and minimize chip and system-level power consumption. During fiscal 2012, it launched Tegra 3, quad-core mobile computing chip, bringing PC levels of performance within the power envelope of a cellular phone chip. It also launched DirectTouch.

The Company competes with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Intel, Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd., VIA Technologies, Inc., ARM Hol dings plc, Broadcom Corporation, Freescale Semiconducto! r Inc! .,! Fujits! u Limited, Imagination Technologies Ltd., Intel, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., NEC Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated, Renesas Technology Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seiko Epson Corporation, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., Imagination Technologies Group plc., HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd., Mediatek, Qualcomm Incorporated, Spreadtrum Communications Co., Ltd and ST-Ericsson.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: NVIDIA Corp (NVD)

NVIDIA Corporation (NVIDIA), incorporated on February 24, 1998, is engaged in creating the graphics chips used in personal computers (PCs). The Company operates in three segments: graphics processing unit (GPU) Business, professional solutions business (PSB) and consumer products business (CPB). Its mobile processors are used in cell phones, tablets and auto infotainment systems. Designers use GPUs to create visual effects in movies and create everything from golf clubs to jumbo jets. NVIDIA solutions are based on two technologies: the GPU and the mobile processor. GPUs are the engines of visual computing, the science and art of using computers to understand, create and enhance images. It has three GPU product brands: GeForce, which creates visual experiences for gamers; Quadro, which is engaged in visual computing for designers and digital artists, and Tesla, which accelerates applications for scientists and researchers. Tegra is its mobile processor and is built for applications ranging from smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs to televisions and cars. During the fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it acquired Icera Inc.In fiscal 2012, it launched Project Maximus, which uses the compute power of Tesla with the visualization power of Quadro to merge the design and simulation stages into one workstation. In May 2012, the Company and Intellectual Ventures announced that they jointly acquired a set of patents developed and owned by IPWireless. The portfolio comprises approximately 500 patents granted and pending in the wireless communications area, including concepts in LTE, LTE-Advanced and 3G/4G technologies.

GPU Business

The Company�� GPU business revenue includes primarily sales of its GeForce discrete and chipset products that support desktop and notebook PCs plus license fees from Intel and sales of memory products. It also accelerates video editing and high definition (HD), content creation by consumers. GeForce GPUs power PCs made by or distributed by ! PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in the world. Its media and communications processor (MCP) chipsets primarily comprised of its ION motherboard GPUs, a product reaching the end of its life cycle.

Professional Solutions Business

Consumer Products Business

The Company competes with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Intel, Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd., VIA Technologies, Inc., ARM Holdings plc, Broadcom Corporation, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., ! Fujitsu L! imited, Imagination Technologies Ltd., Intel, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., NEC Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated, Renesas Technology Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seiko Epson Corporation, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., Imagination Technologies Group plc., HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd., Mediatek, Qualcomm Incorporated, Spreadtrum Communications Co., Ltd and ST-Ericsson.

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Analog Devices Inc (ADI)

Analog Devices, Inc. (Analog Devices), incorporated on January 18, 1965, is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of a range of analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits (ICs). The Company produces a range of products, including data converters, amplifiers and linear products, radio frequency (RF) ICs, power management products, sensors based on micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and other sensors, and processing products, including DSP and other processors, which are designed to meet the needs of a base of customers. The Company's products are embedded inside many different types of electronic equipment, including industrial process control systems; instrumentation and measurement systems; wireless infrastructure equipment, and aerospace and defense electronics. The Company designs , manufactures and markets a range of ICs, which incorporate analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing technologies. The Company's product portfolio includes both general-purpose products used by a range of customers and applications, as well as application-specific products. On March 30, 2012, the Company acquired Multigig, Inc.

Analog Products

The Company's product portfolio includes several thousand analog ICs. The Company's analog IC customers include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and customers who build electronic subsystems for integration into larger systems. The Company is a supplier of data converter products. Data converters translate real-world analog signals into digital data and also translate digital data into analog signals. The Company is also a supplier of amplifiers. Amplifiers are used to condition analog signals. The Company provides precision, instrumentation, intermediate frequency/radio frequency (RF), broadband, and other amplifiers. The Company also offers a range of precision voltage references, which are used in a range of applications. The Company's analog product line also includes a range port! folio of RF ICs covering the RF signal chain, from RF function blocks, such as phase locked loops, frequency synthesizers, mixers, modulators, demodulators, and power detectors, to broadband and short-range single chip transceiver solutions.

The Company's RF ICs support the requirements of cellular infrastructure and a range of applications in the Company's target markets. Also within the Company's analog technology portfolio are products, which are based on MEMS technology. This technology enables the Company to build small sensors, which incorporate an electromechanical structure and the supporting analog circuitry for conditioning signals obtained from the sensing element. The Company's MEMS product portfolio includes accelerometers used to sense acceleration, gyroscopes used to sense rotation, inertial measurement units used to sense multiple degrees of freedom combining multiple sensing types along multiple axis, and MEMS microphones used to sense audio. The Company's current revenue from MEMS products is derived from the automotive end market. In addition to the Company's MEMS products, its other analog product category includes isolators. The Company's isolators have been designed for applications, such as universal serial bus isolation in patient monitors, where it allows hospitals and physicians to adopt the advances in computer technology to supervise patient health and wirelessly transmit medical records. In smart metering applications, the Company's isolators provide electrostatic discharge performance. In satellites, where any malfunction can be catastrophic, the Company's isolators help protect the power system while enabling designers to achieve small form factors. Power management & reference products make up the balance of the Company's analog sales. Those products, which include functions such as power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing and energy management, are developed to complement analog signal chain components across core market segments from micro power, en! ergy-sens! itive battery applications to power systems in infrastructure and industrial applications.

Digital Signal Processing Products

Digital Signal Processing products (DSPs) complete the Company's product portfolio. DSPs are optimized for numeric calculations, which are essential for instantaneous, or real-time, processing of digital data generated, from analog to digital signal conversion. The Company's DSPs are designed to be fully programmable and to execute specialized software programs, or algorithms, associated with processing digitized real-time, real-world data. Programmable DSPs are designed to provide the flexibility to modify the device's function using software. The Company's DSP IC customers write their own algorithms using software development tools provided by the Company and third-party suppliers. The Company's DSPs are designed in families of products, which share common architectures and therefore can execute the same software across a range of products. The Company's customers use the Company's products to solve a range of signal processing challenges across its core market and segment focus areas within the industrial, automotive, consumer and communications end markets. As an integrated part of the Company's customers' signal chain, there are other Analog Devices products connected to its processors, including converters, audio and video codecs and power management solutions.

The Company competes with Broadcom Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., Cirrus Logic, Inc., Microchip Technology, Inc., Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, ST Microelectronics, Intersil Corporation, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Knowles Electronics, Texas Instruments, Inc. and Linear Technology Corporation.

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In 2014: Micron Technology Inc.(MU)

Micron Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of semiconductor devices worldwide. Its products include dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products that provide data storage and retrieval, which include DDR2 and DDR3; and other specialty DRAM memory products, including DDR, SDRAM, DDR and DDR2 mobile low power DRAM, pseudo-static RAM, and reduced latency DRAM. The company also offers NAND flash memory products, which are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor devices that retain content when power is turned off. In addition, it provides NOR flash memory products that are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor memory devices; phase change memory products; and image sensor products. Micron Technology?s products are used in a range of electronic applications, including personal computers, workstations, network servers, mobile phones, flash memory cards, USB storage devices, digital still c ameras, MP3/4 players, and in automotive applications. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and retailers through internal sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors, as well as through a Web-based customer direct sales channel. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jonas Elmerraji]
We're seeing another bottoming pattern forming in shares of Micron Technology (MU). Like Microsoft, Micron has underperformed the broad market this year, barely breaking even between the first trading day of January and today. But a long-term double bottom formation in shares is a sign that shareholders could be getting a reprieve from selling very soon.

A double bottom is a price pattern that's formed by two swing lows that bottom out at approximately the same price level. The two bottoms are separated by a peak that marks that resistance level for the setup -- a breakout above that price (right around $7 for MU) is the buy signal for shares. It's worth noting that resistance in Micron is actually tougher than just a single peak: that $7 barrier has been acting like strong resistance on the last five attempts higher. Believe it or not, that's actually a good thing because it means that a breakout above resistance carries more technical significance for MU.

Remember that this is a long-term pattern -- it's been forming since all the way back in April, so its trading implications are bigger too. The breakout above $7 is likely to come with a long-term shift towards buyers being in control of this stock…
[By Jonas Elmerraji]
Nearest Support: $10

Catalyst: Technical Setup

Micron Technology (MU) is unlike most of the high-volume names on our list today because it's not an earnings mover. Instead, this large-cap semiconductor stock is seeing huge trading activity thanks to a technical breakout in shares.

Micron has spent the last few months consolidating sideways in a rectangle pattern with resistance at $10 and support at $9. That well-formed rectangle was providing investors with a chance for the stock to bleed off some overbought momentum after rallying more than 100% since the end of November. The breakout above $10 is a buy signal at this point.
[By Fitz Gerald]
The company's management has indicated a positive and more-balanced DRAM and NAND flash demand/supply outlook for 2011. The company also indicated a more-resilient near-term business model with low exposure to the weak PC DRAM segment (25 percent of revenues).

Micron also indicated strong demand for NAND flash and price reductions consistent with learning curve cost reductions. With many smartphone and iPad/new Web tablets ramping, Micron management expects the benign pricing environment for NAND flash to continue in 2012.

Markets Pop as Bernanke Preaches

This morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified in front of Congress on the health of the economy and the future plans of the Fed. And, in short, investors liked what they heard. At one point during his speech, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) was up more than 150 points, but as of 12:55 p.m. EDT the index is up 93 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) is up 0.57%, while the Nasdaq has risen 0.32%.

After both the Dow and the S&P 500 set new record closing prices yesterday, they seem poised to do it again today. And even though the Dow has given back some of its earlier gains, only three of its 30 components are trading in the red today. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ) are among the losers this afternoon.

As my Foolish colleague discussed this morning, on May 22, 1990, Microsoft seized controlled of the PC industry. Well, on May 22, 2013, it seems the company is fighting to seize control of the gaming industry. Microsoft's Xbox gaming console is in a grueling battle with Sony's PlayStation and other devices that allow users not only to play video games but also to stream video content and surf the Internet. After the poor Windows 8 release back in the fall, the company and its shareholders both need a big win. But today investors don't seem to have the confidence they once had in the company: Microsoft shares have fallen 0.4%.

After Monday and Tuesday's gains piled onto last week's enormous 14.9% move higher, Cisco is finally pulling back a little, down 0.7% at the time of writing. The massive run-up in the share price may have investors cashing in today. But another reason for the stock's drop may be a report by an analyst at Zacks, who believes declining IT spending and the growth prospects of EMC could pose a major threat to some of Cisco's businesses and relationships with other companies.

More foolish insight
It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who have watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In a new premium report on Microsoft, a Motley Fool analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, so are the challenges. The report includes regular updates as key events occur, so be sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.

PetSmart's Earnings Beat Last Year's by 15%

PetSmart (Nasdaq: PETM ) reported earnings on May 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended May 5 (Q1), PetSmart met expectations on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share.

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

Margins grew across the board.

Revenue details
PetSmart recorded revenue of $1.71 billion. The 22 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated revenue of $1.72 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were the same as the prior-year quarter's.

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

EPS details
EPS came in at $0.98. The 24 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.96 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.98 for Q1 were 15% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.85 per share.

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

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 31.0%, 50 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 9.8%, 30 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 6.0%, 20 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $1.72 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.86.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $7.02 billion. The average EPS estimate is $4.01.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 728 members out of 781 rating the stock outperform, and 53 members rating it underperform. Among 302 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 289 give PetSmart a green thumbs-up, and 13 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on PetSmart is hold, with an average price target of $72.26.

Is PetSmart the right retailer for your portfolio? Learn how to maximize your investment income and "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks," including one above-average retailing powerhouse. Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add PetSmart to My Watchlist.

Why PepsiCo Is Poised to Keep Poppin'

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, soft-drink and snack giant PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at PepsiCo and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

PepsiCo facts


Headquarters (founded)	Purchase, N.Y. (1898)
Market Cap	$127.7 billion
Industry	Soft drinks
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$65.6 billion
Management	Chairman/CEO Indra Nooyi CFO Hugh Johnston
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	27.2%
Cash/Debt	$7.0 billion/$29.4 billion
Dividend Yield	2.7%
Competitors	Coca-Cola Dr Pepper Snapple Group Mondelez International

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 97% of the 4,549 members who have rated PepsiCo believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just last week, one of those Fools, cschweit, tapped PepsiCo as a particularly tasty opportunity:

It's got options. Not as in stock options, but rather business options. This company has many choices to make in the coming years. These decisions: buy/don't buy Mondelez International, spin off the beverage group, sell the beverage group, any combination of these and others. It will be interesting what will happen, but I think this company is a strong one that will continue to grow.

PepsiCo has quenched consumers' thirst for more than a century. But recently the company has left shareholders craving more. With increased competition and loss of market share, many investors wonder if this global snack food and beverage giant is simply fizzling out. Are more bland results ahead for PepsiCo? The Motley Fool's premium report on the company guides you through everything you need to know about PepsiCo, including the key opportunities and threats facing the company's future. Simply click here now to claim your copy today.

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More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock in our brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." I invite you to take a copy, free for a limited time. Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Why Defense Robots Aren't Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

Motley Fool analyst Blake Bos discusses the implication of reports that conclude the cost of robots may be less than the cost of humans in battle.

Blake compares the cost of maintaining a soldier in Afghanistan to that of a battle robot and points to the F-35 fighter program as an example of how expensive manned programs have become.

In the video below, Blake observes how smaller companies like iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT ) and AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV ) , as well as huge defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT ) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) , are positioned to benefit from this trend.

The best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.

Friday, May 31, 2013

When Will Americans Buy Electric Cars?

There's no doubt that Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) has found the formula for electric-car success. Tesla's Model S has won almost every award worth winning – and found plenty of happy customers, too.

The Model S, like Tesla's first car, the Roadster, proved that battery-electric vehicles could be gorgeous and fun to drive, while being just as functional in the real world as regular gas-powered cars. But the Model S is far from the only electric car on the U.S. market right now. And most of the others are finding sales to be much harder to come by.

Tesla's Model S sedan. Photo credit: Tesla Motors.

Cutting electric-car prices to try to spark sales
The latest evidence that non-Tesla EVs are proving a hard sell came from Honda (NYSE: HMC ) , which said on Thursday that it would slash the cost of a lease on the electric version of its popular Fit subcompact.

As mass-market electrics go, the Fit EV is a decent one. Its EPA-rated range is 82 miles, ahead of the Nissan (NASDAQOTH: NSANY ) Leaf's 75-mile rating. It's said to be pretty fun to drive, in a Honda sort of way, and comes fairly well-equipped.

You'd think the fact that it's a Honda would help sales. After all, the brand is quite popular in the coastal U.S., where green cars seem to do best. But through April, Honda had sold just 68 Fit EVs so far this year.

That doesn't compare too well with the 636 Focus Electric EVs sold by Ford (NYSE: F ) over that time span, much less the 5,476 Leafs sold by Nissan over the same period (and the likely 6,000-plus sold by Tesla).

But Honda is really following the direction of the market here. Both Ford and Nissan cut the prices of their slow-selling EVs earlier this year. And General Motors (NYSE: GM ) , which is entering the EV market with its little Chevy Spark EV shortly, has matched Nissan's inexpensive lease terms.

Still a tough sell here in America
It's not hard to see why battery-electric cars have been a hard sell in the U.S. Batteries are still heavy, bulky, and expensive, and that means that even small electric cars are heavy, cramped, and relatively expensive – and don't have anything like the range of their gas-powered equivalents. And places to recharge are still few and far between.

Tesla's Model S is the exception to most of those drawbacks, of course. But the Model S was designed from the start around a big battery pack that would give well more than 200 miles of range -- and designed as a luxury car, so that its price would be competitive with gas-powered rivals.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised a "mass market" Tesla within a few years, but it sounds like his idea of "mass market" is more like a BMW (NASDAQOTH: BAMXF ) 3-Series in terms of size and price than it is like a Focus or a Fit.

Meanwhile, the mass-market automakers are trying to get traction with simpler offerings aimed at green-minded commuters. (Or at least to placate regulators in states like California, which requires automakers to offer a zero-emissions vehicle.) So far, though, that market traction hasn't been happening -- except for the Leaf, which is selling in numbers close to Tesla's.

Do we still think that battery-electric cars are the future?
Just a few years ago, many observers expected battery-electric cars to have strong sales by now. But those sales haven't materialized, in part because consumers have adjusted to higher gas prices and in part because a lot of those observers anticipated breakthroughs in battery technology that haven't happened -- yet.

So do battery-electric cars have a future here? Tesla seems to have found a solid niche market for the moment, but whether it will be able to ultimately achieve the 500,000 yearly sales volumes it hopes for remains to be seen. And the Leaf has a following, albeit a small one by Nissan's usual standards.

But outside of areas like Silicon Valley and MetroWest Boston, where green-minded gadget geeks tend to congregate, battery-electric cars haven't made much of an impression on American car buyers. And I don't think that's likely to change unless the technology makes a big leap forward.

Tesla's plan to disrupt the global auto business has yielded spectacular results. But giant competitors are already moving to disrupt Tesla. Will the company be able to fend them off? The Motley Fool answers this question and more in our most in-depth Tesla research available. Get instant access by clicking here now.

Buffett's New Energy

The following video is from Friday's Motley Fool Money roundtable discussion, with host Chris Hill, and analysts Ron Gross, James Early, and Charly Travers.

Shares of NV Energy (NYSE: NVE ) rose sharply this week after Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A ) (NYSE: BRK-B ) subsidiary MidAmerican Energy announced that it was acquiring NV Energy. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett says NV Energy is a great fit. Is the deal a great fit for investors? In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts discuss the move.

Thanks to the savvy of investing legend Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's book value per share has grown a mind-blowing 586,817% over the past 48 years. But with Buffett aging, and Berkshire rapidly evolving, is this insurance conglomerate still a buy today? In The Motley Fool's premium report on the company, Berkshire expert Joe Magyer provides investors with key reasons to buy as well as important risks to watch out for. Click here now for instant access to Joe's take on Berkshire!

The relevant video segment can be found between 2:45 and 5:21.

For the full video of today's Motley Fool Money, click here.

The Dell "Heist" Is Proceeding as Planned

U.S. stocks are flat this morning, with the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) and the narrower, price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) losing less than two points each as of 10 a.m. EDT.

The perfect crime
In a few years' time, technology executives and investors will marvel at the deal Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners put together to take PC manufacturer Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ) private. I can't be certain of this, of course, but I think they will end up making out like bandits. The $13.65 per share they are preparing to pay is an insolent offer, yet the acquirers, particularly Michael Dell, are absolutely brazen, which is why I refer to the deal as a "heist." Where is the board, whose duty is to protect shareholders' interests, in all this?

Unfortunately, the company filed proxy materials this morning with the SEC, according to which the board is recommending that shareholders accept the offer when it is put to a vote in July. Admittedly, the counteroffer from hedge fund manager Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management has not been made fully clear; multiple board inquiries regarding the financing of their offer have gone unanswered. However, that does not mean the board is obligated to accept the first fully financed offer it receives.

Why do I write that that $13.65 per share is an insolent offer? Take a look at the 10-year Dell share price graph:

DELL Chart

DELL data by YCharts.

Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners picked a point at which the shares were essentially at a decade-plus low before swooping in with an offer that represents just a 37% premium to the price prior to the rumor of the deal surfacing (the shares bottomed last November at $8.86; prior to that the bottom was $8.04 on March 9, 2009, but this was the date on which the S&P 500 hit its own low). If you believe that Dell is in terminal decline, that offer is more than acceptable. If, like long-term shareholder Southeastern Asset Management (and me), you believe Dell has a solid franchise beyond just its PC business, the offer is an insult and the board is derelict in protecting the interests of shareholders not named Michael Dell.

It's incredible how much our digital and technological lives are shaped by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

When Market Share Matters -- Or Not

You can't discuss smartphones and tablets without coming back to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and Samsung. The two giants are crushing the mobile market with impunity, owning about half of the world's device sales between them (not to mention all of the mobile profits).

But why should investors bother to look at market share figures? Isn't the mobile industry big enough for the two of these dueling cowboys -- and more besides?

In this video, Fool contributor Anders Bylund explains why market share matters, but maybe not for the reasons you thought. This is not a game of thrones as much as it is a battle for survival if you're not part of the ruling class. That's bad news for BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY ) as well as the odd couple of Nokia (NYSE: NOK ) and Microsoft. The only time the king really matters is when there are no dukes getting within grabbing distance of his crown. Look to Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) for a modern example of this. In both cases, life is exceedingly hard for the little guys.

The titans of tech
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Ask a Fool: Earnings Season Can Be a Great Time to Buy

For Netflix, Binge-Viewing Isn't the Answer

Diebold to Upgrade 1,100 ATMs for Credit Union

Ohio-based Diebold (NYSE: DBD ) scored a win on Wednesday, when the company announced that North Carolina-based State Employees' Credit Union has hired it to upgrade more than 1,100 of SECU's automated teller machines to Diebold's Opteva configuration.

SECU is the nation's second-largest credit union, serving 1.8 million members through 248 branch offices and 1,120 ATMs. Diebold will be replacing or upgrading every one of these ATMs under its contract. 65% of the ATMs will also be equipped with Diebold deposit automation technology, featuring envelope-free deposits that post automatically to consumers' accounts without additional processing.

SECU senior vice president for card services Leanne Phelps was quoted as saying, "Diebold's deposit automation technology will help to drastically reduce the frequency of our vendor cash management trips," yielding "significant cost and time savings" for SECU members.

Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

link

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014

Social-gaming specialist�Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA ) reported disappointing first-quarter 2013 results Wednesday after the market close, and boy, did things get ugly.

Image source: Zynga.

The numbers
Zynga shares fell by as much as 9% during intraday trading Thursday, after the company said bookings -- its measure for in-game virtual goods purchases -- fell by a staggering 30% year over year to $229.8 million. While that number actually beat Zynga's own expectations, it was also down significantly from last quarter's surprisingly high $261.3 million.

Total sales also fell 18% from the year-ago period to $263.6 million as core online game revenue dropped 22%, while advertising revenue managed to rise 21% from the first quarter of 2012 to $34 million.

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014: Great Southern Bancorp Inc.(GSBC)

Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Great Southern Bank that offers various banking products and services in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Its deposit products include regular savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, fixed-interest rate certificates with varying maturities, certificates of deposit, brokered certificates, and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises residential and commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and commercial business loans, as well as secured consumer loans, including automobile loans, boat loans, home equity loans, loans secured by savings deposits, home improvement loans, guaranteed student loans, and unsecured consumer loans. It also offers general property, casualty, and life insurance agency services; personal, commercial, and group travel services; and investment and related services. As of April 26, 2011, it operated 75 banking c enters and approximately 200 automated teller machines. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri.

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014: Helios Advantage Income Fund Inc. (HAV)

Helios Advantage Income Fund, Inc. is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It invests a majority of its assets in below investment grade debt securities, which are bonds rated Ba1 or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate High Yield Index and the Barclays Capital Ba U.S. High Yield Index. It was formerly known as RMK Advantage Income Fund, Inc. Helios Advantage Income Fund, Inc. was formed on November 8, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Amphenol Corporation(APH)

Amphenol Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of electrical, electronic, and fiber optic connectors; interconnect systems; and coaxial and specialty cables worldwide. Its Interconnect Products and Assemblies segment produces connectors and connector assemblies primarily for the communications, aerospace, industrial, and automotive markets. This segment provides connector and cable assembly products used in communication applications; smart card acceptor and other interconnect devices used in mobile telephones; set top boxes to facilitate reading data from smart cards; fiber optic connectors used in fiber optic signal transmission; backplane and input/output connectors and assemblies used for servers and data storage devices and linking personal computers and peripheral equipment; sculptured flexible circuits used for integrating printed circuit boards; and hinge products used in mobile phone and other mobile communication devices. It also designs a nd produces radio frequency connector products and antennas used in telecommunications, computer and office equipment, instrumentation equipment, local area networks, and automotive electronics. The company?s Cable Products segment produces coaxial cable and connector products used in cable television systems, including full service cable television/telecommunication systems; radio frequency and fiber optic interconnect components for full service cable television/ telecommunication networks; and data cables and specialty cables used to connect internal components in systems with space and component configuration limitations. Amphenol Corporation markets its products directly, as well as through manufacturers? representatives and distributors to original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers, cable system operators, and telecommunication companies. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Pat Racaniello]
Amphenol Corp (APH) is our technology pick, a manufacturer of specialty cable and various connectors, including fiber optic ones, for use in electronic devices and the cable television industry. Near the lower band of the 52 week band ($40.44 - $59.11), the last traded price of $43.27 represents an excellent buy opportunity considering the stock is so far below the moving averages (50,100, 200).

The main competition for companies such as Amphenol comes from Taiwanese component makers, that compete at a lower price. Amphenol has a solid market reputation and compared with Molex (MOLX), the free cash flow margin is far ahead at 10% compared to 5% for the latter. Price to earnings is on the industry mark at 14 times, but the concern lies in the dividend payout which is basically nothing (1.91) compared to the industry (26.91).

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014: Cdn Western Bank Com Npv (CWB.TO)

Canadian Western Bank provides various banking and financial products and services for business and individual customers primarily in western Canada. It operates in the financial services areas of banking, trust, insurance, and wealth management, as well as focuses on commercial banking, real estate financing, equipment financing, and energy lending. The company also offers various personal financial products and services, including personal loans and mortgages, deposit accounts, investment products, and other banking services; registered savings products; commercial equipment leasing for small- and mid-sized transactions; and trustee and custody services to independent financial advisors, corporations, brokerage firms, and individuals, as well as underwrites and administers residential mortgages sourced through a network of mortgage brokers. It also provides stock transfer and corporate trust services; personal auto and home insurance to customers in British Columbia and Alberta; and wealth management services for individuals, corporations, and institutional clients, as well as third-party mutual funds. The company serves its customers through a network of 41 banking branches. Canadian Western Bank was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014: Petromin Resources Ltd.(PTR.V)

Petromin Resources Ltd. engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties Canada. Its principal properties are located in Alberta, Canada along the western Canada sedimentary basin. The company also focuses on developing 655 square kilometers of coalbed methane land in western China along the southern junggar basin. Petromin Resources Ltd. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Rising Companies To Own For 2014: NMDC Ltd (NMDC.NS)

NMDC Limited (NMDC) is an India-based iron ore producer and exporter. The Company operates in two business segments: iron ore and other minerals and services. The Company is engaged in the exploration of a range of minerals including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, lime stone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, and beach sands. As of March 31, 2012, it produced about 30 million tons of iron ore from three fully mechanized mines, which include Bailadila Deposit-14/11C, Bailadila Deposit-5, 10/11A (Chhattisgarh State) and Donimalai Iron Ore Mines (Karnataka State). As of March 31, 2012, NMDC supplied 269.16 lakh tons of iron ore to domestic industries and had exported 3.85 lakh tons of iron ore. Its sponge Iron production was at 37,260 tons and its diamond production was 18043.44 carats during the year fiscal ended March 31,2012. On December 12, 2011, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary NMDC Power Ltd was incorporated.

Why Stewart Enterprises Shares Looked Alive

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of funeral-home operator Stewart Enterprises (NASDAQ: STEI ) soared 34% today, after larger rival Service Corp. International (NYSE: SCI ) agreed to acquire it in a deal worth about $1.4 billion.

So what: The all-cash deal values Stewart at $13.25 per share and represents a 36% premium to its closing price on Tuesday. Service Corp. is making the move to expand its reach in the highly fragmented North American death-care space, and judging by its own stock's 8% pop today, Mr. Market is quite pleased with the price it's paying to do it.

Now what: The combined company is expected to have pro forma revenue of roughly $3 billion and generate about $60 million in annual cost savings.

"Stewart Enterprises has compiled an impressive portfolio of high quality funeral homes and cemeteries across North America," said Service Corp. CEO Tom Ryan. "We are extremely excited by the prospect of working alongside the Stewart associates and continuing to build on their success."

So while Stewart shares are probably all popped out at this point, Service Corp.'s newly bolstered scale might be a strong driver of outsized gains going forward.

Interested in more info on Stewart? Add it to your watchlist. How about Service Corp.? Add it, too.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Primerica Buying Back Stock and Warrants From Warburg Pincus

2 Stocks to Watch Right Now

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014

PDC Energy (Nasdaq: PDCE ) reported earnings on May 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), PDC Energy whiffed on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue dropped significantly. Non-GAAP earnings per share dropped significantly. GAAP earnings per share contracted to a loss.

Margins contracted across the board.

Revenue details
PDC Energy notched revenue of $71.8 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected a top line of $94.5 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 19% lower than the prior-year quarter's $88.8 million.

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

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014: China Direct Industries Inc.(CDII)

CD International Enterprises, Inc. sources, produces, and distributes industrial products in the People?s Republic of China and the Americas. The company operates in three segments: Magnesium, Basic Materials, and Consulting. The Magnesium segment produces, sells, and distributes pure magnesium ingots, magnesium powder and granules, and magnesium scraps. The Basic Materials segment sells and distributes various products, including industrial grade synthetic chemicals, steel products, non-ferrous metals, recycled materials, and industrial commodities. The Consulting segment provides a range of consulting services to the U.S. public companies that operate primarily in China. This segment offers its services in the areas of financing structures and arrangements, mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions, identifying potential areas of growth, translation services, managing and coordinating necessary government approvals and licenses, marketing services, investor relations services, and coordination of the preparation of required SEC filings. The company was formerly known as China Direct Industries, Inc. and changed its name to CD International Enterprises, Inc. in February 2012. CD International Enterprises, Inc. is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014: Lakewood Mining Co. Ltd. (LKW.V)

Lakewood Mining Co. Ltd. engages in the acquisition, evaluation, exploration, and development of natural resource properties in the Kamloops Mining Division of British Columbia, Canada. The company primarily explores for palladium, nickel, and gold prospects. It holds a 50% interest in the Wood Claims consisting of approximately 8,492.557 hectares; and a 100% interest in the Beaton claims covering approximately 786.691 hectares. The company was incorporated in 1969 and is based in Langley, Canada.

Top 10 China Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Novatel Wireless Inc.(NVTL)

Novatel Wireless, Inc. provides wireless broadband access solutions for the mobile communications market worldwide. It operates in two segments, Mobile Computing Products and machine-to-machine (M2M) Products and Solutions. The Mobile Computing Products segment offers MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspots, which provide connectivity option for Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as the iPad, Kindle, tablets, PCs, MP3 players, and gaming devices; USB and PC-Card modems for wireless access; and embedded modules for use in laptop PCs, netbooks, tablets, and other electronic products to provide wireless broadband access. This segment also offers MobiLink mobile communications software suite, an object-oriented application that enables access to connectivity features, such as SMS, multimedia messaging, and virtual private networking, as well as provides video telephony and wireless local area networks management capabilities; and MiFi DLNA Server, which operates on MiFi hotspots and enables user to access and play movies, music, and photos. It serves wireless operators, laptop PC and other original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and various companies in other vertical markets. The M2M Products and Solutions segment provides asset-management solutions utilizing wireless technology and M2M communications devices. It offers Spider MT, SA, and AT integrated solutions and accessories for monitoring and managing mobile and fixed assets, vehicle tracking and telemetric, and workforce tracking and management; Enabler III and HS embedded solutions for various products or equipment to communicate with other computers; and N4A software and design services, including software and design services primarily for asset management solutions. This segment serves transportation companies, industrial companies, manufacturers of medical devices and geographical-location aware devices, and providers of security systems. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered i n San Diego, California.

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014: Iris Biotechnologies(IRSB.OB)

Iris BioTechnologies Inc., a development stage life science company, focuses on developing solutions for the detection and monitoring of monogenic and complex genomic diseases. The company provides a Nano-BioChip gene expression kit using a convergence of scientific disciplines in nanotechnology, semiconductor manufacturing, microfluidics, chemistry, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, and information technology; and BioWindows artificial intelligence system, a database comprising data fields for patient demographics information, personal and family medical history, and gene expression information. Its products assist in establishing the foundation for personalized medicine for the treatment of breast cancer. The company also intends to use its product platform to diagnose and treat patients with neurological disorders, heart disease, diabetes, and other gene-related metabolic problems. In addition, it is working on gene markers for CancerChip and specific markers assoc iated with prostrate, lung, liver, kidney, and ovarian cancers, as well as genes associated with schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, autoimmune system disorders, and metabolic and drug metabolism disorders. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014: Diebold Inc (DBD)

Diebold, Incorporated, incorporated in August 1876, is engaged in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services to the financial, commercial, government and retail markets. Sales of systems and equipment are made directly to customers by the Company�� sales personnel, manufacturers��representatives and distributors globally. The sales and support organizations work closely with customers and their consultants to analyze and fulfill the customers��needs. The Company has two lines of business: Self-Service Solutions and Security Solutions. The Company�� segments are consisted of two sales channels: Diebold North America (DNA) and Diebold International (DI). In September 2012, it acquired GAS Tecnologia (GAS).

The DNA segment sells and services financial and retail systems in the United States and Canada. The DI segment sells and services financial and retail systems over the remainder of the globe through wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and independent distributors in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan and Korea.

Self-Service Solutions

The Company offers an integrated line of self-service technologies and services, including comprehensive automated teller machine (ATM) outsourcing, ATM security, deposit and payment terminals and software. The Company is a global supplier of ATMs and related services. The Company offers a range of self-service solutions. Self-service products include a range of ATMs and teller automation, including deposit automation technology, such as check-cashing machines, bulk cash recyclers and bulk check deposit. The Company offers software solutions consisting of multiple applications, which process events and transactions. These solutions are delivered on the appropriate platform. From analysis and consulting to monitoring and repair, the Company provides value and support to its customers every step of the way. ! Services include installation and ongoing maintenance of its products, OpteView remote services, branch transformation and distribution channel consulting. Outsourced and managed services include remote monitoring, troubleshooting for self-service customers, transaction processing, currency management, maintenance services and full support through person to person or online communication.

Security Solutions

The Company provides its customers with the technological advances to protect their assets. The Company provides physical and electronic security systems, as well as facility transaction products, which integrate security, software and assisted-service transactions, providing total security systems solutions to financial, retail, commercial and government markets. The Company provides security solutions and facility products, including in-store bank branches, pneumatic tube systems for drive-up lanes, vaults, safes, depositories, bullet-resistive items and undercounter equipment. The Company provides a range of electronic security products, including digital surveillance, access control systems, biometric technologies, alarms and remote monitoring and diagnostics. The Company provides security monitoring solutions, including fire, managed access control, energy management, remote video management and storage, as well as logical security.

Integrated Solutions

The Company provides end-to-end outsourcing solutions with a single point of contact for customer�� self-service channel. Its solution includes hardware, software, services or a combination of all three components. The Company provides value to its customers by offering a range of integrated services and support. The Company�� service organization provides analysis and planning of new systems, systems integration, architectural engineering, consulting and project management, which encompass all facets of a financial self-service implementation. The Company also provides design, products, ser! vice, ins! tallation, project management and monitoring of electronic security products to financial, government, retail and commercial customers.

Election Systems

The Company is a provider of voting equipment and related products and services in Brazil. The Company provides elections equipment, networking, tabulation and diagnostic software development, training, support and maintenance.

The Company competes with NCR Corporation, Wincor-Nixdorf, Grg Equipment Co., Nautilus Hyosung, Itautec and Perto.

Hot Consumer Service Stocks For 2014: FalconStor Software Inc.(FALC)

FalconStor Software, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells network storage software solutions in the United States and internationally. It also offers related maintenance, implementation, and engineering services. The company?s proprietary technology includes the IPStor software platform that provides disk-based data protection and storage virtualization solutions for small/medium businesses, organizations, and enterprises. Its open data protection solutions include Virtual Tape Library with data deduplication for backup optimization by reducing the data needed to be stored on disk; Continuous Data Protector combines local and remote protection into a disk-based solution that allows organizations to recover data back to the most recent transaction; Network Storage Server for storage virtualization and provisioning; File-interface Deduplication System for capacity optimized storage; and HyperFS, a SAN-based file system to optimize storage performance for data intensive ap plications. The company offers data protection services at various levels from operating systems and application software, to files, databases, and messaging data across the organization. In addition, its storage virtualization and data protection solutions are designed for IT administrators and end users to recover data in the event of hardware failure, data corruption, deletion, or catastrophic site-level disaster; and to facilitate data restoration while minimizing downtime. Further, the company offers Application-Aware Snapshot Agents that automate and minimize quiescence time during data replication, backup, and other snapshot-based operations; and Application Specific Recovery Options, which offer recovery solutions for database and messaging systems. It sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, solution providers, system integrators, direct market resellers, and distributors. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartere d in Melville, New York.

Three Market Trends to Watch This Month

If history is any sort of guide... May is going to be an interesting month.

Stocks are behaving the same as they did in early 2012, with a relentless four-month push higher. The similarity continued yesterday as stocks fell hard. But anyone anxious to buy into yesterday's dip might want to re-think that idea... Last year, the S&P 500 fell 134 points during the month of May. And I suspect we'll see a similar pattern this time around.

But stocks aren't the only investments that are following the same patterns as last year...

The action in interest rates is similar, too. Take a look at this chart of the 30-year Treasury rate...

You can see how interest rates bottomed in the later part of 2011 and 2012 (the red circles). Rates then moved steadily higher until peaking in mid-March of 2012 and 2013 (the blue circles). Last month, rates chopped back and forth in a slightly declining channel, just as they did in April 2012. What comes next could be bad news for bond-market bears.

Volatility is also showing a similar pattern to last year. Take a look at the Volatility Index (the "VIX")...

The VIX declined for a few months before hitting a bottom in March 2012. It then pushed higher, fell back, and formed a higher low at the end of April. The chart shows the exact same pattern this year. In May 2012, the VIX spiked 60% higher. A similar move this time around will push the Volatility Index above 22.

Finally, let's take a look at gasoline. You'd think gas would be correlated with the rest of the financial markets. But you'd be wrong...

Gas Prices Could Hit Bottom a Month Earlier Than Last Year

Gasoline bottomed at about the same time in 2012 as it did in 2011. It then rocketed higher. The peak this year came about a month earlier than it did last year. So maybe gasoline prices will hit bottom about a month earlier this year as well. We'll have to wait and see.

– Jeff Clark

Don't Get Caught Holding These Fundamental Laggards When Things Go South

In recent weeks, I've talked at length about the narrowing of the market advance -- namely, that the bull market isn't over, but it is getting much more selective.

Large investors that have the firepower to move stocks up or down are selling lower-quality stocks and concentrating on those with the strongest fundamentals. This is starting to show up in consumer-related stocks.

It seems consumers are focusing on only the best stores with the products and services that best fit their needs. They have not stopped shopping, as retail sales have been reasonably steady and consumer confidence showed gains last month -- they have simply become more selective about where they shop and how they spend their money.

Also, it is important to resist the urge to pick a bottom in retail stocks that fall out of favor, because once you begin to lose your customer base it can take a long time to regain consumers' confidence.

Look at J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP). Investors have been trying to pick a bottom in JCP for some time, and many well-known investors have touted the stock as a turnaround... but business just keeps getting worse.

J.C. Penney's last earnings report was horrible, and the new CEO quickly became the old CEO. Investors who relied on Portfolio Grader, my proprietary stock grading tool, to weed out nonperformers have avoided the 50% loss in the stock, as J.C. Penney has been a "sell" all year. In fact, the stock currently is a "strong sell."

Bebe Stores (Nasdaq: BEBE) is another stock that has attracted some bottom-fishing investors in the past year. It was not that long ago that you saw the glittery Bebe shirts everywhere, but consumer interest in the company has faded quickly.

Portfolio Grader noticed the fundamentals starting to slip from a "buy" in May of last year to a "sell" by September. Business has continued to decline, and its latest earnings report was horrible, with same-store sales down more than 8% year-over-year and total revenues down by almost 4%. BEBE now receives an "F" rating, denoting a "strong sell" recommendation.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) is the latest stock to be subject to shifting spending patterns. The stock was rated a "buy" at the end of 2012, but fundamentals have continued to decline. After maintaining a "hold" rating for several months, Portfolio Grader downgraded AEO to a "D" earlier this month -- it is time to sell the stock.

Continue to closely monitor the fundamentals of consumer-related stocks, especially during this more selective stage of the rally, so you stay on the right side of both consumer and market tre! nds.

P.S. -- To be honest, I really don't care if the Dow or S&P is up or down. I've seen booms, plunges and meltdowns (and everything in between) over the past 13 years as editor of Blue Chip Growth. Yet we've doubled our money 28 times in that period, routinely thrashing the S&P 500 by 3-to-1. Because of my eight-step criteria, I only care about a handful of safe stocks that are making a killing... in any market. If you want to make money even if everyone else is losing theirs, then please pay close attention to the eight steps I'm about to share with you -- click here now.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

2 Stocks to Buy Before They Rebound

With every uptick of the S&P 500, it's getting more difficult to find undervalued stocks to buy. Nevertheless, a few great businesses have been left behind amid the market's surge, particularly Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU ) . Though both companies are definitely facing turbulence, a contrarian look reveals two excellent market leaders up for grabs at bargain prices.

Apple
"It seems like the company has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately," wrote Fool contributor Travis Hoium. With more than 200 days since the company's last major product launch, he suggested that Apple needs to wow investors with a new product in order to change Wall Street's narrative.

Obviously, this is easier said than done, but don't count Apple out in 2013 yet. The company's product launches happen on a much faster timetable than its peers. For instance, Microsoft's Xbox One, announced last week, won't be available to consumers until "later this year." Even Samsung runs on a slower launch schedule than Apple. After a March 14 announcement, its Galaxy S4 won't reach U.S. carriers until April 26. Comparatively, the iPhone 5 was announced on Sept. 12, with pre-orders beginning Sept. 14, and shipments and availability in nine countries including the U.S. and Canada on Sept. 21. In other words, Apple could turn the tables on its skeptics very quickly.

Meanwhile, Apple maintains a clear position as an industry leader and trades at a valuation so cheap, it's hard to justify it. In fact, Apple trades on par with Dell, a company with revenue down more than 8% in the trailing 12 months.

Ratio

Apple

Dell

Cheaper?

Price-to-earnings	10.6	12.5	Apple
Price-to-free cash flow	9.5	8.4	Dell

Baidu
The "Google of China" continues to trade at a remarkably conservative valuation after a massive 2012 and 2013 sell-off. Despite a 40% increase in first-quarter revenue from the year-ago quarter, Baidu trades at a P/E of just 19.9.

So what's the catch? Why is there such a huge disconnect between revenue growth and valuation? Baidu's net income was up only 8.5% as research spending and marketing expenses grew 83% and 77%, respectively, weighing on the company's operating margin. Management is making heavy investments in software engineering hires and customer education, in addition to promotional events to drive mobile app installation.

But what will happen to year-over-year net income figures when today's new levels of spending and investments become last year's numbers? Net income growth rates could once again match the company's monstrous revenue growth rates. How? Today's higher levels of spending will be the new norm; spending, as a percentage of revenue won't have as much room to increase. This will make comps look healthier. Of course, this might take another 12 months (an eternity for Wall Street). But for truly Foolish investors, 12 months is a breeze.

A bit of patience
Apple and Baidu will likely post poor performance in upcoming quarters as they face off against some insanely tough comps. In fact, analysts expect current-quarter EPS to decline 21.6% and 0.8% for Apple and Baidu, respectively. But zoom way out, and the story looks far better. For both companies, analysts expect EPS growth rates in excess of 20% per annum during the next five years.

If they're not two stocks to buy outright, Apple and Baidu at least deserve a spot on your watchlist.

Apple has a history of cranking out revolutionary products... and then creatively destroying them with something better. Read about the future of Apple in the free report, "Apple Will Destroy Its Greatest Product." Can Apple really disrupt its own iPhones and iPads? Find out by clicking here.

Pactera Technology International Goes Negative

Pactera Technology International (Nasdaq: PACT ) reported earnings on May 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Pactera Technology International missed estimates on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew significantly. Non-GAAP earnings per share contracted significantly. GAAP earnings per share shrank to a loss.

Margins dropped across the board.

Revenue details
Pactera Technology International reported revenue of $152.3 million. The six analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated net sales of $159.3 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were much higher than the prior-year quarter's $65.5 million.

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

EPS details
EPS came in at $0.12. The five earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.12 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.12 for Q1 were 40% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.20 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.02 for Q1 compared to $0.14 per share for the prior-year quarter.

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

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 25.9%, 900 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -0.9%, much worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -1.1%, much worse than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $163.3 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.15.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $673.9 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.69.

Investor sentiment

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Pactera Technology International is outperform, with an average price target of $9.43.

Is Pactera Technology International playing the right part in the new technology revolution? Computers, mobile devices, and related services are creating huge amounts of valuable data, but only for companies that can crunch the numbers and make sense of it. Meet the leader in this field in "The Only Stock You Need To Profit From the NEW Technology Revolution." Click here for instant access to this free report.

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The Story Behind the Dow's 200-Point Morning Surge

Following the three-day holiday weekend, investors came back to work to find the stock market soaring, with the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) climbing more than 200 points by 10:45 a.m. EDT. Short-term-focused news sources attributed the gains to rising consumer confidence and a modestly better-than-expected report on home prices, with year-over-year price gains in the Case-Shiller index rising almost 11%.

Yet behind those gains, the real story appears to be the continued resolve of central banks around the world to continue moving forward with their respective strategies to stimulate economic growth. Comments from central-bank board members at the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan inspired the same market reaction that Federal Reserve members' comments create in the U.S., and while it's important to remember that individual members' comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the central bank, they do fit with the general trend toward erring on the side of too much easing, rather than not enough.

Among individual stocks, Merck (NYSE: MRK ) is the big winner in the Dow, rising 2.2% after analysts at Jefferies upgraded the stock. Many investors share the analyst firm's opinion that when you consider the various components of Merck's business, their value makes the stock's current price look attractive. So far, Merck hasn't been as aggressive as many of its peers, which have spun off major divisions in order to unlock value. Most recently, rival Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) took steps to divest itself of a larger portion of its stake in animal-health business Zoetis after having made a modest initial public offering of Zoetis shares earlier this year. Given enough pressure to do so, Merck might well join in on the spinoff fun.

UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH ) has climbed 2.1% as the long-awaited state health exchanges under Obamacare finally start to take shape. As Fool contributor Sean Williams noted last week, the newly unveiled California exchange included neither UnitedHealth nor many other major insurance companies, raising concerns about whether the program will really deliver the rise in profitable policyholders that some investors were looking for. Some insurance peers have already started to cut their internal growth projections, but for now at least, investors don't appear to be too concerned.

Finally, outside the Dow, Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX ) has soared another 9%, adding to a 13% jump Friday after the company followed through on its rumored buyout of privately held Bausch & Lomb. The $8.7 billion deal will give Valeant a big competitive edge in the eye-care market, which looks increasingly promising as an aging population faces potential vision problems.

Investors are asking: Is Merck still a solid dividend play, or should investors be looking elsewhere? In a new premium research report on Merck, the Fool tackles all of the company's moving parts, its major market opportunities, and reasons both to buy and to sell. To find out more, click here to claim your copy today.

Will Daktronics Score on Earnings?

On Wednesday, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT ) will release its latest quarterly results. But can the company that's famous for helping professional sports keep score fare well enough to make investors the ultimate winners?

Daktronics is the company behind some of the best-known video and commercial displays in the world, including the Times Square Coca-Cola sign. Increasingly, its high-definition video and lighting displays have played a prominent role at a number of sporting venues. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Daktronics over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Daktronics

Analyst EPS Estimate	$0.07
Year-Ago EPS	($0.01)
Revenue Estimate	$123 million
Change From Year-Ago Revenue	9.8%
Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters	2

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Will Daktronics light up its report this quarter?
Analysts have largely kept their views on Daktronics stable in recent months, keeping long-range earnings projections stable and boosting April-quarter estimates by a single penny per share. The stock, though, Analysts have reined in their expectations of Daktronics' earnings lately, cutting a nickel per share from their April-quarter projections and cutting more than twice that from their full-year consensus for the current year. The stock has done reasonably well, rising about 4% since late February.

Daktronics is looking to rebound from a disappointing report last quarter, in which the company missed revenue estimates by more than 10%. Part of that drop was due to delayed work from the previous quarter, but the company said that those revenues might not get recognized in the just-ended quarter either. Moreover, concerns about lower gross margins on the contracts the company is getting weighed heavily on the shares after the release in February.

Another challenge on the horizon stems from the decision of longtime CEO Jim Morgan to retire by year's end. With Morgan having led the company since 2001, it'll be tough for current Daktronics executive vice president Reece Kurtenbach to fill his shoes going forward, despite Morgan's assurances that Kurtenbach has what it takes to do the job well.

Still, Daktronics continues to see its high-visibility projects take shape. Just last week, the company delivered on two 26.5-foot LED video displays for Wembley Stadium in London. The huge amounts of money that Disney (NYSE: DIS ) , CBS (NYSE: CBS ) , and other sports-content delivery companies are spending for content have left sports-franchise owners with increasing amounts of revenue, supporting capital investments from owners and stadium operators to go toward state-of-the-art display equipment.

In Daktronics' report, be sure to look at how the company compares to results that industrial-lighting and display competitor LSI Industries (NASDAQ: LYTS ) announced late last month. Even with a 5% gain in revenue for its March quarter, LSI posted a loss, showing the difficulty in producing high-margin business in the industry. For its part, if Daktronics can keep pushing past its operational challenges, it should be in better position to stay profitable both this quarter and well into the future.

Disney's willingness to spend on sports has helped boost Daktronics indirectly, but investors in Disney have made a lot more money lately. The Motley Fool's premium research report lays out the case for investing in Disney today. This report includes the key items investors must watch as well as the opportunities and threats the company faces going forward. So don't miss out -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.

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

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Coming Soon: Daktronics Earnings

Daktronics (Nasdaq: DAKT ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on May 29. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Daktronics's revenues will expand 10.4% and EPS will turn positive

The average estimate for revenue is $123.6 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.07.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Daktronics reported revenue of $111.1 million. GAAP reported sales were 9.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $122.9 million.

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

EPS details
Last quarter, EPS came in at $0.06. GAAP EPS of $0.06 for Q3 were 50% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.04 per share.

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

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 24.4%, 170 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 1.0%, 50 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 2.4%, 100 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $517.4 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.56.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 429 members out of 464 rating the stock outperform, and 35 members rating it underperform. Among 94 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 88 give Daktronics a green thumbs-up, and six give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Daktronics is outperform, with an average price target of $12.83.

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Is This Netflix's iPhone 5 Moment?

Yesterday's debut of Arrested Development will surely be a big winner for Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) . The leading video service has a couple of advantages here that it lacked in its three earlier forays into first-run exclusive content.

For starters, Arrested Development already has a built-in audience. That's a slam-dunk for Netflix. Even with the star power of Kevin Spacey and David Fincher for February's House of Cards, there was always a question of whether folks would tune in. People didn't know those characters. Lots of people know the Bluth family.

Another major advantage Netflix has -- and this is something that only Netflix has -- is that it knows the cult fave's growing popularity better than anyone else. It's been streaming the first three seasons for a long time. It knows viewership trends. It knows whether the folks who watch stick around more than those who don't. It knows what other shows they watch, making other connections to arrive at folks who will probably be fans in the future.

Everything is falling into place before we even get to the first wave of reviews of the actual quality of the fourth season. All is good at Netflix after its shares more than quadrupled since bottoming out last summer.

But what if Arrested Development is its iPhone 5 moment?

Most investors know that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) stock peaked at $705.07 late last year. It has shed a brutal 37% of its value since then, even as consumer tech stocks have been generally rallying. What most investors don't know is that Apple's stock hit that high on the morning of Sept. 21, 2012 -- the day the iPhone 5 hit retailers.

Is Netflix another "sell on the news" investment? Will the big gains that have been building ahead of a highly anticipated event -- the iPhone 5 for Apple last September, and Arrested Development for Netflix now -- get wiped out after the catalyst has run its course?

Probably not.

The downside of upside
It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see Netflix take a breather here. The stock has had a huge run since last summer, and we're now two months away from the next likely upside catalyst, when the company turns in what should be another strong quarterly report in late July.

However, there's little reason to expect an Apple-esque collapse here. Margins and analyst estimates have been heading lower at Apple in recent months, and the exact opposite is happening with Netflix.

Two months ago, analysts thought Apple would earn as much this fiscal year as it did in fiscal 2012. Now those same pros don't even see Apple earning as much in fiscal 2014 as the consumer-tech giant earned last year. Netflix estimates are going in the other direction.

Apple's iPhone 5 peak came when an onslaught of competition was on the way. New Android, Windows, and even BlackBerry devices have blurred the marketplace. Netflix, on the other hand, has no real competitor. There's no other service approaching a billion hours of streamed content, and Netflix's lead will continue to grow as it keeps parlaying the revenue being generated by more than 33 million global subscribers into more licensing deals.

That doesn't mean Netflix investors can rest easy. The stock could take a hit from these heights based on valuation concerns. Apple was never expensive by valuation metrics. It was the graying fundamentals that tripped it up. Netflix isn't exactly cheap these days, even if you back out the operating losses overseas.

However, until we can see the ceiling for Netflix's model -- and we don't appear to be there just yet -- it would be premature to expect a post-Arrested Development collapse. A correction? Sure. A full-blown Bluth calamity? No way.

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Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014

Thanks largely to the antics of former CEO Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK ) has been one of the most maligned names in the energy sector. McClendon leveraged the company's future with debt, intertwined his personal finances with the company's, and engineered a land-buying program that received significant amounts of bad press topped off with negative portrayal of the industry in Matt Damon's movie, "Promised Land." The result has been a nearly 40% slide in Chesapeake Energy stock over the past two years.

CHK data by YCharts

Natural gas on the rise
Despite the bad press, the overall position of the natural gas industry has never looked more promising. Companies ranging from Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE ) to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A ) are beginning to initiate programs that rely heavily on natural gas. In the case of Clean Energy, the company is undertaking a major push to create a corridor of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, filling stations across the country to allow trucks to carry freight on LNG power rather than diesel. This type of transition is likely to eventually trickle down to passenger vehicles, which currently are not fully viable as an LNG alternative. While Chesapeake Energy stock once benefited from the company's partial ownership of Clean Energy, that stake is likely to be sold to help meet debt obligations.

Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014: Sea Green Capital Corp. (SGS.V)

Sea Green Capital Corp., a development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of resource properties in Canada. It primarily explores for gold and base metal deposits in Quebec and Ontario. The company holds 20% interest in 9 claim blocks covering 1,328 hectares in Godfrey and Jessop townships, west of Timmins; 50% interest in 4 mining claims comprising 11 units in Ogden Township, located to the south west of Timmins; 70% interest in the Casa Berardi Project located in Quebec; and owns interest in 33 claims in the Township of Beschefer in Quebec. It also holds an agreement to acquire a 70% interest in 2 blocks of mining claims located in the White Gold District of the Yukon. Sea Green Capital Corp. is based in Toronto, Canada.

Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014: Northgate(NTG.L)

Northgate plc, an investment holding company, engages in the rental of light commercial vehicles in the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Republic of Ireland. It offers vehicle hiring and fleet management services. The company also sells former rental vehicles to retail and trade customers; and provides workshop and insurance services. In addition, it provides online vehicle hiring and vehicle monitoring services to its customers. The company operates a fleet of approximately 60,900 vehicles from 65 sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland; and a fleet of approximately 48,900 vehicles from 32 sites in Spain. It serves a range of industries comprising construction, distribution, local authorities, manufacturing and engineering, public utilities, retailers, and wholesalers and business services. Northgate plc was founded in 1981 and is based in Darlington, the United Kingdom.

Top Cheap Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pan-united Corporation Ltd (P52.SI)

Pan-United Corporation Ltd operates as an integrated logistics and infrastructure company primarily in Singapore and China. It supplies basic building materials, such as cement, granite aggregates and related products, ready-mixed concrete, and refined petroleum products to the construction and marine industries. The company also provides shipping services, including bulk/coastal shipping/affreightment services, ship management and ship agency services, and trading services; and operates a fleet of tugboats and barges primarily on charter of affreightment basis. In addition, it operates a port and regional hub for steel, pulp and paper, and logs, as well as containerized general bulk, general cargoes in break bulk, and project cargoes; and provides warehousing and bonded warehousing, processing, steverdoring, transshipment, and third party logistic services. Pan-United Corporation Ltd was founded in 1958 and is based in Singapore.

Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014: Meridian Interstate Bancorp Inc.(EBSB)

Meridian Interstate Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for East Boston Savings Bank that provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in Massachusetts. The company offers various deposit products, including non-interest-bearing demand deposits comprising checking accounts; interest-bearing demand accounts, such as NOW and money market accounts; savings accounts; and certificates of deposit, as well as commercial checking accounts. It also provides various loan products, which include commercial real estate loans, one to four family residential loans, multi-family real estate loans, construction loans, home equity lines of credit, commercial business loans, and consumer loans, as well as involves in the purchase and sale of loan participation interests. In addition, the company offers non-deposit products consisting of mutual funds, annuities, stocks, and bonds through a third party broker-dealer; and long-term care insurance through a third-part y insurance company. It operates 21 full-service locations and 2 loan centers in the greater Boston metropolitan area. The company was founded in 1848 and is based in East Boston, Massachusetts. Meridian Interstate Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Meridian Financial Services, Incorporated.

Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014: Wolseley Plc(WOS.L)

Wolseley plc engages in the distribution of plumbing and heating products, and building materials to the professional contractors primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Nordic region, and central Europe. The company supplies plumbing, heating, and air conditioning products comprising baths, showers and accessories, sanitaryware, brassware, bathroom furniture, boilers and burners, radiators and valves, hot water cylinders and flues, control equipment, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, heat pumps and solar equipment, plastic pipes and fittings, and copper tubing and fittings. It also distributes building materials, such as insulation, plaster and plasterboard, roofing materials, bricks, blocks and aggregates, tiles and flooring, timber products, doors and frames, glass, beams, trusses and frames, hardware and tools, and cement. In addition, the company supplies civils/waterworks products, such as drainage pipes, and associated supplies and covers; underground pressure pipes; small bore pressure pipes and fittings; carbon and stainless steel pipes, and valves and fittings; and other pipes, valves, and fittings. Further, it distributes electrical cables and cabling accessories, controls and switchgears, wiring accessories, lighting, data networking supplies, and cable management products, as well as engages in the installation, maintenance, and management of customer inventory. As of July 31, 2011, the company operated 3,837 branches in 23 countries. Wolseley plc was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

Top Freight Companies To Buy For 2014: Cedar Woods Properties Ltd (CWP.AX)

Cedar Woods Properties Limited engages in property investment and development activities in Australia. It develops and sells lots and units at its residential estates in Western Australia and Victoria. The company�s property portfolio also includes apartment projects, integrated housing developments, business parks, mixed use developments, and various large scale master planned communities. Cedar Woods Properties Limited was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in West Perth, Australia.