Sunday, May 24, 2015

Top 5 Services Stocks To Invest In 2015

Muriel Siebert, founder of Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB), passed away over the weekend. Many new investors may not know her nor may they know just how important and influential she was on Wall Street and in the financial services industries. Ms. Siebert died at the age of 80 years old, and we wanted to list some of her accomplishments that have led to at least more equality among women in what had been a men-only club before she came on the stage.

First and foremost, “Mickie” became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange by purchasing a seat back in 1967. She was also the first woman to head up an NYSE member firm. Most investors will think of Schwab as the first or most well known of the large discount brokerage firms, but Siebert made the move to a discount broker in the mid-1970s after NYSE members finally were�allowed to start negotiating their commission rates.

Siebert was one of the loudest voices when it came to equality for women on Wall Street and in other fields. Siebert may not have grown into the beasts that other online and discount brokerage firms grew into, but sometimes a founder and leader is happy enough with what they have. Her firm’s shares rose with the rise of the discount brokerage firms and the tech bubble in the late 1990s, but that wave came and went and Siebert’s firm had not been discussed much since.

Top 5 Railroad Companies To Watch For 2016: IB Securities Joint Stock Co (VIX)

IB Securities Joint Stock Company, formerly XuanThanh Securities Joint Stock Company is a Vietnam-based company engaged in the provision of investment services. It provides securities brokerage services through multiple forms, such as VOpen, VSHM, VTrade, VPhone, VMobile and VSMS. The Company is also involved in securities trading, as well as the provision of investment advice, custody services and underwriting services. In addition, it provides financial services for corporate events, such as corporate restructurings, equitizations, stock listings, share auctions, mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings and bond offerings. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Saumya Vaishampayan]

    Fear hit a more than three-month high this week as budget negotiations remained at a standstill. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) , also known as the ��ear index,��on Thursday surged to its highest level since June 25 as stocks dropped.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Concerns over economic growth and the pace of central-bank bond buying have led to widening swings in U.S. shares. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), or VIX, rallied 13 percent to 17.15 for the week. The index, a benchmark gauge for American stock options, is down 4.8 percent this year.

  • [By Lindsey Rupp]

    The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), which measures the cost of using options as insurance against declines in the S&P 500, fell 2.7 percent to 12.84 today. The gauge, known as the VIX, is down 29 percent this year and in March reached its lowest level since February 2007.

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Harsh winter weather and how it affect the first quarter is likely going to remain with us for several more weeks, and might add a level of volatility to markets, Greenhaus said. By volatility, Greenhaus means where the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) �is in the range of 15. In other words, where the VIX has averaged over the past three years, excluding the big surges from 2010 and 2011.

Top 5 Services Stocks To Invest In 2015: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Katje]

    Starz is the leading premium movie company with over 56 million subscribers. The company's Starz brand increased its subscribers 8% in 2012 to 21.2 million. Encore, Starz's other corporate brand, increased subscribers 5% to 34.8 million. In comparison, HBO owned by Time Warner (TWX) has 39.5 million subscribers, and Showtime, owned by CBS (CBS), has 21.3 million subscribers.

  • [By Alex Planes]

    CNN achieved prominence in 1986 when it was the only network to offer live television coverage of the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after takeoff. The Persian Gulf War of 1991 was CNN's coming-out party, as it was the only outlet offering live communications from inside Iraq during the initial bombing strikes. Five years later, CNN (along with the other Turner broadcasting networks) merged with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) , which dramatically expanded its reach, both domestically and internationally. Today, CNN reaches more than 100 million households and nearly a million hotel rooms in the United States, and is also available in an international format in virtually all of the world's sovereign countries.

  • [By Helix Investment Research]

    We note that Keating Capital's co-investors in many of its portfolio companies are not simply other venture capital or existing investors, but strategic investors as well. Examples include Agilyx, where Waste Management (WM) is a co-investor, BrightSource, where Chevron (CVX) and BP (BP) are co-investors, Kabam, where Google (GOOG) and Intel (INTC) are co-investors, or Tremor Video (TRMR), where Time Warner (TWX) is a co-investor. As of the end of Q2 2013, 9 (excluding Jumptap) of Keating Capital's portfolio companies had unrealized gains, with an average gain of 25.6% (again excluding Jumptap, which had unrealized gains of 8% as of the end of Q2 2013). The remaining 6 companies had an average loss of 44.46%. However, on an overall basis, Keating Capital's portfolio currently has an average unrealized gain of 2.15%. While this is not a large gain, we note that the bulk of Keating Capital's profits are realized upon exiting an investment in conjunction with the portfolio company's IPO or sale. Furthermore, portions of Keating Capital's portfolio are defended by structurally protected appreciation clauses that the company has struck with its portfolio companies, clauses that are not reflected on its balance sheet. These clauses, which are negotiated between Keating Capital and its portfolio companies, allow the company to receive shares in the portfolio company's IPO at a discount, or grant it warrants to purchase additional shares in an IPO for a nominal price. Since inception, Keating Capital has negotiated structurally protected appreciation clauses in 11 of the 20 companies it has invested in. As of the end of Q2 2013, 6 of Keating Capital's 15 portfolio companies were protected by structurally protected appreciation clauses, representing $22 million in total capital (almost 43% of the company's invested capital), thereby entitling Keating Capital to a weighted-average aggregate value of 1.9x its investment at the time of an IPO.

  • [By Brian Stelter]

    21st Century Fox (FOXA), the home to Murdoch's movie studio and cable and TV programming networks, is the one that made a bid for Time Warner (TWX).

Top 5 Services Stocks To Invest In 2015: ARC Document Solutions Inc (ARC)

ARC Document Solutions, Inc., formerly American Reprographics Company, provides specialized document solutions to businesses of all types, with a focus on the non-residential segment of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The Company offers reprographic services, as well as managed print services, digital color printing, and document management technology products and services. It also has operations in Canada, China, India and the United Kingdom. It is a document solutions company serving the AEC industry that provides document management services through a combination of local service facilities in more than 40 states, 12 digital color service centers, online channels, including Web-based applications, and software. The Company conducts its operations through a wholly owned subsidiary, American Reprographics Company, L.L.C. and its subsidiaries.

The Company offers three general categories of service: Reprographics Services, Facilities Management, and Equipment and Supplies. Reprographics Services sales include operational activities, such as document management services, document logistics, large- and small-format print-on-demand services in color and black and white, and digital document management services. Facilities Management sales are primarily composed of onsite services, where it provides document production equipment, technology solutions and sometimes staff to its customers in their offices. These services include both traditional reprographics services focused on large-format printing, as well as managed print services (MPS). Under an MPS contract, it supplies, maintains and manages a customer�� entire print networks, including office printing equipment, on an outsourced basis. Equipment and Supplies sales involve the resale of printing and imaging equipment and supplies from a variety of suppliers.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 220 reprographics service centers, of which 199 were in the United States, seven were in ! Canada, 11 were in China, two were in India and one in London, England. It also occupied a technology center in Silicon Valley, California, a software programming facility in Kolkata, India, as well as other facilities, including its offices located in Walnut Creek, California. The Company�� products and services are available from any of ARC�� 220 service centers worldwide. The Company supplies reprographics services to project architects, engineers, general contractors and others. In addition to the AEC industry, ARS also provides document management and printing services to the retail, aerospace, technology, entertainment, and healthcare industries, among others.

The Company competes with Oce, Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh and Sharp.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on ARC Document Solutions (NYSE: ARC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 5 Services Stocks To Invest In 2015: Central Garden & Pet Company(CENT)

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and sells products for the pet, and lawn and garden supplies industries primarily in the United States. The company?s pet supplies products comprise products for dogs and cats, including edible bones, premium healthy edible and non-edible chews, dog and cat food and treats, leashes, collars, toys, pet carriers, grooming supplies, and other accessories; products for birds, small animals, and specialty pets, such as food, cages and habitats, toys, chews, and related accessories; animal and household health, and insect control products; products for fish, reptiles, and other aquarium-based pets comprising aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food and supplements, and information and knowledge resources; and products for horses and livestock. It sells its pet supplies products under the Adams, Altosid, Aqueon, Avoderm, BioSpot, Breeder?s Choice, Coralife, Farnam, Four Paws, Interpet, Kaytee, Ken t Marine, Nylabone, Oceanic Systems, Pet Select, Pre-Strike, Pinnacle, Super Pet, TFH, Zilla, and Zodiac brand names. The company?s lawn and garden supplies products include grass seed; wild bird feed, bird feeders, bird houses, and other birding accessories; weed, grass, ant and other herbicide, insecticide, and pesticide products; and decorative outdoor lifestyle and lighting products, such as pottery, trellises and other wood products, and holiday lighting products. It offers its lawn and garden supplies products under the AMDRO, GKI/Bethlehem Lighting, Grant?s, Ironite, Lilly Miller, Matthews Four Seasons, New England Pottery, Norcal Pottery, Pennington, Over?n Out, Sevin, Smart Seed, and The Rebels brand names. It sells its products principally to independent pet and garden distributors, national and regional retail chains, grocery stores, mass merchants, home improvement centers, nurseries, and garden supply retailers. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Walnut Creek, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Green paw
    The month of May has been one to forget for shareholders of Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT  ) (NASDAQ: CENTA  ) . The maker of pet products as well as seeds and herbicides for lawn care tumbled after it missed Wall Street's earnings estimates for a second straight quarter. The biggest downside pressure came from its lawn care segment, which saw expenses rise as fertilizer margins fell. However, now could be the time to consider jumping on board this interesting pet/lawn care hybrid company, as it has the potential to unlock shareholder value in a number of ways.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Shares of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) got a boost, shooting up 7.78 percent to $9.70 after Harbinger Group offered to buy Central Garden & Pet Co for $10 per share.

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