Hot Stocks 2014, Top Stocks Market 2014, Best Stock Investment: 5/31/15

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Top 5 Valued Stocks To Buy For 2015

On a day when it seemed like just about every stock on the planet was "in the red," and lost money, TASER International (NASDAQ: TASR ) was the exception.

News that TASER has gotten its stock included into the S&P 600 SmallCap Index sent TASER shares flying in early trading Monday. Although TASER stock wasn't completely immune to a broad market sell-off, and ended the day with only a 5.2% gain, the stock was up nearly twice that amount at one point.

But is TASER really worth the nearly $17 a share that Wall Street now charges for it?

Well, no. But it's awfully close.

Valuation matters
On the surface, TASER shares seem steeply valued at 52 times earnings. Even if analysts are right about the company's ability to grow earnings at 30% annually, every year, for the next five years, that looks like a pretty rich valuation. But looks can be deceiving.

TASER, you see, may report GAAP financials showing that it earned only $16.7 million over the past year. But the company's cash flow statement shows that TASER generated real cash profits nearly 50% higher -- $24.7 million.

10 Best Beverage Stocks For 2016: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Dan Caplinger]
Where growth will come from
One area that Newell Rubbermaid still has to tap fully is emerging markets. The company has done a good job of expanding overseas, with 17% annual growth in Latin America. But with barely a quarter of its sales coming from outside the U.S. and Canada, the company has a lot further to go. Storage rival Tupperware (NYSE: TUP ) gets fully 60% of its total revenue from emerging markets, and it too has seen impressive gains in South America as well as the Asia-Pacific region.
[By James Brumley]
CSCO stock might be one of the market’s dark-horse stories of 2014; the dividend yield is the icing on the cake.
Dividend Stocks to Buy: Tupperware Brands (TUP)
Dividend Yield: 3.2%
[By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Herbalife have gained 0.9% to $79.51 this morning in pre-open trading. Its shares have gained 139% this year, a nice gain, but lagging Nu Skin Enterprises 271% rise. Avon Products�(AVP), another multi-level marketer, has gained 21% so far this year, while Tupperware Brands�(TUP) has risen 49%.
[By Oliver Pursche]
European large-cap pharmaceuticals like Novartis (NVS) �and Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMY) �count amongst some of our favorite stocks right now, as do U.S. multinationals that are growing revenue and margins in Asia ��Tupperware (TUP) �is a shining example. Stay away from utilities and energy stocks, as they are likely to be the laggards over the next year.

Top 5 Valued Stocks To Buy For 2015: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Duprey]
The dollar store operator at the center of a takeover bidding battle between two rival chains on Thursday reported fiscal 2015 first quarter earnings that were nearly cut in half as new pricing policies took effect. As Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO ) continues struggling to turn around its operations, the subpar performance raises a legitimate question: Just what do Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ) and Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) continue see in the chain that makes them think it's so valuable?
[By Brendan Byrnes]
Brendan: Not a problem at all. What about the surprising amount of dollar-store companies that are public? You have Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO ) , Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ) , Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) . You mention, in particular, Family Dollar, which is the lowest market cap out of all of those, as doing the best, an exceptional company. Why?
[By Jon C. Ogg]
Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) was maintained as a Buy but was removed from the prized Conviction Buy list at Goldman Sachs.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $79 price target at Argus.

Top 5 Valued Stocks To Buy For 2015: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By David Smith]
A few of the compelling companies
From my perspective, the message to be taken away from Stuart's presentation is simply that, even in the face of potential U.S. economic distress, a well-structured portfolio will contain at least a modicum of energy of names. For starters I'd look to Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) , the world's leading oilfield services company and energy's technology major domo. Given its operations in about 85 countries, a worldwide energy cataclysm would seemingly be required for the big company to face a significant slowdown.

Top 5 Valued Stocks To Buy For 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Matt Thalman]
Share of Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) rose 2.51% this afternoon, making it the best-performing Dow component of the day. My colleague Dan Dzombak explained why lowering interest rates in Australia gave the stock such a boost this morning. The long and skinny of it is that Caterpillar receives about 10% of its revenue from the country and the lower rates should help spur construction in the country and thus boost sales for the heavy machinery manufacturer.
[By Rupert Hargreaves]
There is no question that Caterpillar's (NYSE: CAT ) performance so far this year has been impressive. The company's shares have surged, rising nearly 16%.
[By Matt Thalman]
Now that we've gotten through five months of 2013, it's a good time to review which stocks have performed well for the year, which haven't, and whether you should own any of them. With the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) having increased by 15.35% year to date, there have clearly been more big winners than big losers this year. With Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) being the biggest Dow loser and down only 4.25% in 2013, and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) being the biggest winner, up 71.37% in 2013, the difference is dramatic. But, let's look at why these stocks have performed the way they have, and whether you should own either of them. My conclusion may shock you!
[By Alex Planes]
Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) is to construction and extraction industries as Boeing is to aviation. This 22-year Dow veteran hails from the American heartland town of Peoria, Ill. It's the self-proclaimed world leader in construction and mining equipment, and it's also the world's leading manufacturer of diesel engines and locomotives, as well as natural-gas turbines and engines. While competition is a bit fiercer here than it is in large-body commercial aviation or cutting-edge military hardware, Caterpillar's market dominance should also provide a stable basis for long-term dividend payouts.

Hot Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now

Hot Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Whole Foods Market Inc.(WFM)

Whole Foods Market, Inc. engages in the ownership and operation of natural and organic food supermarkets. The company offers produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, and vitamins. It also provides specialty products, such as beer, wine, and cheese; body care and educational products, such as books; and floral, pet, and household products. As of February 9, 2011, the company operated 302 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Patricio Kehoe] ls operate roughly 150 stores each and handle an average of 10,000 stock- keeping units against 20,000 at Whole Foods.

Sourcing

In order to maximize volume discount, Whole Foods purchases at regional or national scales. While many of its perishable products are obtained from local producers, almost a third of the companys purchases are sourced from United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI). Their distribution agreement, valid through 2020, stipulates that UNFI will be the companys main provider of frozen foods and groceries. However, the company seeks to diversify its supplier base by sourcing form local farmers who are eager to suit its high-quality food production standards.

Growth Drivers

The companys successful mix of effective inventory management and strict cost-control measures adds to a revamp of its pricing strategy and a greater focus on value offerings. Hence, Whole Foods has delivered healthy gross margins in the range of 34.8% to 35.5% over the last three years.

Furthermore, the company continues to open new stores and to integrate regional acquisitions. It opened 32 new locations in 2013 and expects to reach the count of 500 by 2017. As store volume augments, the firm benefits from both lower per unit costs! and sales increases. Its comps, in turn, also help bolster margins, since they continue to follow an upward trend. Moving forward, Whole Foods expects an escalation of 11% to 12% in total sales for 2014.

Sturdy Growth Profile

Whole Foods strong brand image, high-quality products and marketing expertise have earned the firm one of the strongest growth profiles in the industry. Its stock trades at 35.80 its trailing earnings, a premium compared to its peers average of 19.10. Its earnings per share growth, however, showcases an impressive 27.20% against the industry median of 5.10%, which will lead to more attractive multiples. Further, the stock delivered a healthy return on equity of 14.20% compa
[By Alyce Lomax]
Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM ) is a safe place for GMO skeptics to shop, since so many of its products are in fact organic, and many of its suppliers have voluntarily certified and clearly labeled their products as GMO-free. In fact, Whole Foods recently announced that it will require all of its suppliers to label products containing GMOs by 2018.
[By Steve Symington]
Here's who it won't affect
That said, investors absolutelyshould notassume Wal-Mart's initiative poses any realistic threat to specialty organic grocery businesses like Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM ) and The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM ) , which both typically serveverydifferent client bases than those to which Wal-Mart caters.
[By Isaac Pino, CPA]
Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM ) can't do it; probably John Mackey told you that. Chipotle (NYSE: CMG ) can't do it. Those sustainable companies that are in our space, there's just not enough supply, so we've got to hope that, over time, that this is going to change.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-cheap-companies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Top 5 Quality Companies To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Quality Companies To Buy Right Now: YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

YRC Worldwide Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various transportation services worldwide. The company?s YRC National Transportation unit offers a range of services for the transportation of industrial, commercial, and retail goods, such as apparel, appliances, automotive parts, chemicals, food, furniture, glass, machinery, metal, metal products, non-bulk petroleum products, rubber, textiles, wood, and other manufactured products. It serves manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and government customers. As of December 31, 2009, it had 11704 owned tractors, 1239 leased tractors, 50083 owned trailers, and 3244 leased trailers. Its YRC Regional Transportation unit?s service portfolio includes regional delivery, which comprises next-day local area delivery and second-day services, consolidation/distribution services, protect-from-freezing and hazardous materials handling, and various specialized offerings; expedited delivery, that comprises day-definite, hour-definite, and time definite capabilities; inter-regional delivery; cross-border delivery; and operation of my.yrcregional.com and NewPenn.com, which are e-commerce Websites offering online resources to manage transportation activity. The company?s YRC Logistics units? service portfolio consists of distribution services that include flow through and pool distribution, dedicated warehousing, and value-added services; global services, which comprise international freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and value-added services; and transportation services, such as truckload brokerage, domestic freight forwarding, and transportation management. Its YRC Truckload unit provides customized truckload services on regional and national level through the use of company and team-based drivers. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

Advisors' Op! inion:

[By Michael Calia]
Trucking company YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW) said Friday it had cut its large debt load by about $300 million while offering $250 million in stock, the proceeds of which will be used to retire convertible notes. About $50 million in the principal amount of other convertible notes were swapped or converted to common stock, the company said.
[By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Delta Air Lines Inc.(DAL), NuPathe Inc.(PATH) and YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-quality-companies-to-buy-right-now-2.html

10 Best Income Stocks To Own Right Now

10 Best Income Stocks To Own Right Now: Central Garden & Pet Company (CENTA)

Central Garden & Pet Company produces and sells various products for the pet, and lawn and garden supplies markets in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Pet, and Lawn and Garden. The Pet segment supplies products for dogs and cats comprising edible bones, edible and non-edible chews, dog and cat food and treats, toys, pet carriers, grooming supplies, and other accessories; and food, cages and habitats, toys, chews, and related accessories for birds, small animals, and specialty pets. It also offers animal and household health, and insect control products; aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food and supplements, and information and knowledge resources for fish, reptiles, and other aquarium-based pets; and products for horses and livestock. This segment sells its products to independent pet distributors, retail chains, grocery stores, mass merchants, and bookstores under various brand names, which include Ada ms, Aqueon, Avoderm, BioSpot, Farnam, Four Paws, Kaytee, Nylabone, Pinnacle, TFH, Zilla, Altosid, Comfort Zone, Coralife, Interpet, Kent Marine, Oceanic Systems, Pet Select, Pre-Strike, Super Pet, and Zodiac. The Lawn and Garden segment provides grass seeds; 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 comprising potteries, trellises and other wood products, and holiday lighting products. This segment sells its products to retail chains, independent garden distributors, grocery stores, nurseries, and garden supply retailers under the AMDRO, GKI/Bethlehem Lighting, Ironite, Pennington, Sevin, Grants, Lilly Miller, Matthews Four Seasons, New England Pottery, Norcal Pottery, Over-N-Out, Smart Seed, and The Rebels brand names. The Company was founded in 1955 and is based in Walnut ! Creek, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Will Ashworth]
At the end of the day, Liquidity Services is a business whose need is an ongoing one. With no debt and lots of cash, I like LQDT’s chances.
Small Caps to Buy #3: Central Garden & Pet (CENTA)
In addition to its stock dropping 36% in 2013, Central Garden & Pet (CENTA) has underperformed the S&P 500 by almost 18 percentage points during the past five years while everyone and their dog — small caps, large caps, whatever — has seen impressive gains over that same period.
[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.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-income-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Top 5 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch For 2015

Margins matter. The moreEnergy (NYSE: NVE ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strongEnergy's competitive position could be.

Here's the current margin snapshot forEnergy over the trailing 12 months: Gross margin is 54.9%, while operating margin is 26.4% and net margin is 10.8%.

Unfortunately, a look at the most recent numbers doesn't tell us much about whereEnergy has been, or where it's going. A company with rising gross and operating margins often fuels its growth by increasing demand for its products. If it sells more units while keeping costs in check, its profitability increases. Conversely, a company with gross margins that inch downward over time is often losing out to competition, and possibly engaging in a race to the bottom on prices. If it can't make up for this problem by cutting costs -- and most companies can't -- then both the business and its shares face a decidedly bleak outlook.

Top 5 Prefered Companies To Buy Right Now: LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc (RIT)

LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� primary investment objective is to provide high current income. Its secondary investment objective is capital appreciation. Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC (LMPFA) is the Fund�� investment manager and AEW Management and Advisors, L.P. (AEW) is the Fund�� subadviser. LMPFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc.

The Fund invests in securities related to the real estate industry. Its portfolio includes common stocks, preferred stocks and short-term investments. The Fund invests in sectors, such as office, healthcare, diversified, apartments, industrial, shopping centers, home financing, lodging/resorts, regional malls and specialty.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Joe Eqcome]
Actionable Items:
Highest Positive Spread: Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund (JLS)Focus Stock: LMP Real Estate Income Fund (RIT)Last Week's Focus Stock: ASA Gold and Precious Metals (ASA)
ECB cuts its rates: The European Central Bank (ECB) will cut its benchmark rate a quarter-of-a-point to 0.5%.
[By GURUFOCUS]
Special Purpose Funds- Eaton Vance Tax-Adv. Global Dividend Oppor. Fund (ETO) | Yield: 7.3%
- The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) | Yield: 6.2%
- Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) | Yield: 9.5%
- LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) | Yield: 7.0%

Top 5 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch For 2015: Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company(PHI)

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company provides telecommunication services in the Philippines. Its Wireless segment offers cellular mobile services; Internet broadband distribution and services; call center services; mobile applications development and services; software development and sale of maintenance and support services; mobile commerce solutions; mobile commerce platforms; mobile applications development and services; solutions and systems integration services; satellite communications services; and satellite information and messaging services. This segment also involves in the promotion of the sale and/or patronage of debit and/or charge cards; offshore financing and risk management activities for smart; international trade of satellites and global system for mobile communication, or GSM enabled global telecommunications; and delivery of GSM communication capability for the maritime sector, as well as operates as a content provider. The company?s Fixed Line s egment provides fixed line telecommunication services, such as local exchange, international long distance, national long distance, data and other network services, as well as infrastructure and related services. Its Information and Communications Technology segment offers integrated information and communications technology services focusing on infrastructure and solutions for Internet applications, Internet protocol based solutions, and multimedia content delivery. This segment also provides knowledge processing solutions, customer relationship management, Internet and online gaming services, and information technology consulting and professional services; and operates Internet data center under the Vitro brand name. As of December 31, 2010, the company had served approximately 49 million subscribers. It also resells software licenses, server solutions, networking products, storage products, and data security products. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Makati City, the Philippines.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
The mixed signals were apparent even among the S&P 500′s best performing stocks, including� Exelon (EXC), a utility that’s nearing completion of a merger with Pepco Holdings (PHI), and Priceline (PCLN), a high-flying internet stock that rose, well, because it could. Exelon gained 7.9% to $36.83 this week, while Priceline rose 6.8% to $1,278.63.
[By Jonathan Yates]
The economy is also expected to recover quickly from the storm's devastation, making Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (NYSE: PHI) more attractive to long-term investors than other communications firms such as BCE (NYSE: BCE), AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).
[By David Dittman]
Question: What are your thoughts on Exelon Corp�� (NYSE: EXC) buyout of Pepco Holdings Inc (NYSE: PHI)?
Answer: It’s going to expand Exelon’s regulated operations, which is a good thing. And Pepco Holdings has been executing on a turnaround plan, with regulatory relations much improved.

Top 5 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch For 2015: Cash Store Financial Services Inc (CSFS)

The Cash Store Financial Services Inc., incorporated on January 17, 2002, under its Cash Store Financial, Instaloans and The Title Store banners, provides consumers with alternative financial products and services, serving everyday people for whom traditional banking may be inconvenient or unavailable. The Company acts as both a broker and lender of short term advances and offers a range of other products and services to help customers meet their day to day financial service needs. The Company employs a combination of payday loans and lines of credit as its primary consumer lending product offerings and earns fees and interest income on these consumer lending products. The Company also offers a range of financial products and services including bank accounts, prepaid MasterCard and private label credit and debit cards, cheque cashing, money transfers, payment insurance and prepaid phone cards. The Company has agency arrangements with a variety of companies to provide these products.

The Company typically arranges for advances to customers that range from $100 to $1,500. As of September 30, 2013, the Company�� total branch count was 537, addition of two new branches in the United Kingdom as well as 10 new Title Store branches and a new Cash Store Financial branch offset by the closure of 12 branches in Canada. The Company owns The Cash Store Australia Holdings Inc. The Company also has an investment in RTF Financial Holdings Inc., which is in the business of short-term lending, by utilizing automated mobile technology.

The Company competes with Dollar Financial Corp.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Despite�a slow global economy and continued high unemployment in many countries, small cap payday or pawn stocks Cash Store Financial Services Inc (NYSE: CSFS), DFC Global Corp (NASDAQ: DLLR) and Cash America International, Inc (NYSE: CSH) have not exactly been performing well since the start of the year. In fact, these three stocks are the worst performers in the payday or pawn loan sector, down 38.5%, down 14.4% and up 4.6%, respectively, since the start of the year.

Top 5 Integrated Utility Companies To Watch For 2015: New Western Energy Corp (NWTR)

New Western Energy Corporation, incorporated on September 25, 2008, is an oil and gas and mineral exploration and production company with current projects located in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. The Company�� principal business is in the acquisition, exploration and development of, and production from oil, gas and mineral properties. The Company�� project includes Oklahoma Project, Texas Project, Kansas Project and Pennsylvania project. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� total estimated unproved reserves were approximately 1,495,757 barrels of oil reserves. On January 2, 2012, the Company acquired of 100% interest in Royal Texan.

Oklahoma Project

This project comprises of two leases Glass and Phillips. The Glass Lease is located in Roger County, Oklahoma. The Glass leasehold property contains approximately 120 acres. The Phillips Lease is located in Rogers County, Oklahoma. The Phillips leasehold property contains approximately 150 acres. The Company�� oil leases located in Oklahoma were originally obtained from one lessor RC Oil Co.

Texas Project

This project comprises of three leases Swenson, Reves and McLellan. On January 27, 2011, the Company�� subsidiary New Western Texas acquired a 50% working interest in 160 acres of oil and gas leases in Jones County, Texas, known as the Swenson Lease. On August 8, 2011, the Company�� subsidiary New Western Texas was assigned from a third party a Paid Up Oil and Gas Lease agreement with Michael L. McLellan and Paula McLellan (Lessors), which provided us a 50% working interest in approximately 160 acres of land for the purpose of exploring for developing, producing and marketing oil and gas, along with all hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon substances produced.

Kansas Project

On December 20, 2011, entered into an assignment of oil and gas lease with an independent third party for an oil and gas property in Kansas referred to as Chautauqua Lease, whereby the assignor gra! nted the rights to the Company to carry on geographical and other exploratory work, including core drilling, and the drilling, and operating for producing, and marketing all of the oil, gas, including all associated hydrocarbons. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has not started any oil and gas exploration on Chautauqua Lease.

Pennsylvania project

The property is approximately 23 acres and is located on a glacial aged kame terrace. The terrace sands, gravels and finer sediments were deposited in response to blockage by glacial ice. Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale natural gas producers operate approximately 50,000 wells and deliver more than 158 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Peter Graham]
New Western Energy Corp (OTCMKTS: NWTR) May Have Enough Cash for Now
Small cap New Western Energy Corp is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, production, and exploration of oil, gas and minerals primarily in North America. On Friday, New Western Energy Corp fell 16% to $0.189 for a market cap of $13.02 million plus NWTR is down 37% over the past year and down 10% since February 2012 according to Google Finance.

Monday, June 1, 2015

How to Play Argentinaâ€™s Supreme Court Setback

You could write a morality play about Argentina's debt woes. A vengeful market has never forgiven the country's original sin of debt default in 2002. Argentina spent years running away from its debts, even running to the likes of the late Hugo Chavez for funding. The country restructured about 93% of its bonds in 2005 and 2010, but a group of "holdouts" has pursued the remainder with the zeal that Inspector Javert pursued poor Jean Valjean, going so far as to force the impounding of an Argentine navy ship in Ghana two years ago.

Not that I feel sorry for Argentina, of course. The country got itself into this mess by borrowing too much money and then arrogantly refusing to pay it back. Argentina has also pursued a range of disastrous anti-market policies over the past decade, has made a habit of expropriating foreign assets (as was the case when it effectively stole Repsol's YPF (YPF) stake), and has even contributed to the soaring world price of beef by restricting exports in a boneheaded attempt to contain inflation.

But the U.S. Supreme Court decision on June 16 to let stand a lower court ruling that would require Argentina to make its holdout creditors whole or effectively be restricted from the global financial system is potentially bringing this morality play to an end. Without some sort of deal, Argentina faces another default at the end of this month, as it lacks the cash to make the holdouts whole and pay its other bondholders.

NML Capital, the hedge fund leading the holdouts, said Thursday it is ready to negotiate, and Argentina's government indicated Wednesday that it was prepared to send representatives to New York.

Argentina seems to be in a deal-making mood these days. Argentina settled its dispute with Repsol in April and settled with the "Paris Club" of sovereign lenders in May. The hedge fund vultures are the last impediment to Argentina being a "normal" country again, or as normal as a country with Argentina's history can ever hope to be.

I expect capital to start flowing back into Argentina this year, as a settlement will remove much of the uncertainty that has made investment all but impossible.

So, how do we play Argentina's return to polite society?

One option is via the Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF (ARGT), a basic of liquid Argentine stocks. ARGT is heavily weighted in international oil and gas pipeline maker Tenaris (TS) and in state oil company YPF(YPF), at 20% and 13% of the portfolio, respectively.

I'm ok with that. I expect most of the investment flowing into the country to go straight to the energy sector.

Action to take: Buy ARGT and expect to hold for 12-18 months for 30%-75% gains. Use a 15% trailing stop as risk management.

About the author:Charles SizemoreCharles Lewis Sizemore is the Editor of the Sizemore Investment Letter premium newsletter and Chief Investment Officer of Sizemore Capital Management. Mr. Sizemore has been a repeat guest on Fox Business News, has been quoted in Barron's Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, and has been published in many respected financial websites, including MarketWatch, TheStreet.com, InvestorPlace, MSN Money, Seeking Alpha, Stocks, Futures, and Options Magazine and The Daily Reckoning.

Visit Charles Sizemore's Website

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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Get ready for interest rates to rise

A ho-hum interest rate environment can lull borrowers into thinking that cheap money will be with us, well, nearly forever and one might think talking about rates isn't relevant.

But savers, borrowers and market watchers are wise to prepare for changes in the wind, even if huge rate increases aren't on near-term forecasts.

High school grads heading to college should bank on higher rates ahead for college loans.

"I expect interest rates on federal education loans to continue to rise each year for the next several years, especially as the Federal Reserve board stops manipulating interest rates," said Mark Kantrowitz of Edvisors.com.

As of July 1, federal student loan rates will edge up. Rates overall will be up 0.8% compared to current rates.

Federal Stafford Loans for undergraduate students will be 4.66% — up from 3.86%. Federal Stafford Loans for graduate students will be 6.21% — up from 5.41%.

Federal Grad PLUS and Federal Parent PLUS Loans will be at 7.21% — up from 6.41%.

The higher rates add about $46 to $49 a year to borrowing costs for every $10,000 in student loans borrowed on a 10-year term. Total costs would increase by $460 to $492 over a 10-year repayment term of the loans, Kantrowitz said.

Last year, federal student loan rates were unusually low, with nowhere to go but up, Kantrowitz said.

But by next year, he predicts rates could be higher than 6.8% on the Stafford loan and higher than 7.9% on PLUS loans.

Kantrowitz said he predicted rates would start heading up when Congress switched the way student loan rates are handled. Now interest rates are fixed, but each year's loans are at a new fixed rate. Congress changed the interest-rate formula in August, retroactive to July 1, 2013.

Feel like your credit card debt is under control because you can make the minimum payments? Or ready to borrow more because you found a limited-time offer at 0%?

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, said shoppers wo! uld be wise to pay down their credit card debt now to avoid higher interest rates in the future.

When overall rates climb higher, rates will jump on variable-rate credit cards and the minimum payment goes up too.

"2014 may be your last hurrah for paying down that debt in an environment with the tailwind of lower interest rates rather than the headwind of rising rates," McBride said.

Top Sliver Companies To Own In Right Now

McBride said he would not be surprised to see credit card rates climb in the next year or so.

"You better have a game plan for paying it back," McBride said.

Rates for savers haven't shown much sign of life for quite some time, but that can could change too.

"The lift-off on short-term rates by the Fed is still close to a year away (give or take a few months)," according to a May report by Diane Swonk, chief economist for Mesirow Financial in Chicago.

"Lift-off" is the new lingo for the first increase in the Fed's short-term interest rates from the current level of zero.

Rates could be held low as well by tensions in Ukraine that already led to lower bond yields in the United States and Europe, she noted.

Even so, savers can spot slight improvements here and there.

In May, the new rate on Series EE savings bonds was set at a fixed rate of 0.5% for 20 years. But if someone held that bond for 20 years, the bond would double in value and the effective rate would be just over 3.5% compounded semi-annually.

Though that rate is low, savers are getting a far better rate than the 0.1% they got on Series EE bonds from November through the end of April. That was the lowest fixed rate ever set for Series EE bonds.

But the upside again for truly long-term savers who bought those 0.1% bonds in recent months is if you'd wait until 2033 or longer to cash that bond, you would see the bond double in value and get a much higher effec! tive rate! . The key is the bond must be held up to the original maturity of 20 years to get that higher rate of return.

New Series I savings bonds, if bought from May through October, will earn a composite rate of 1.94% for six months.

Series I bonds fluctuate based on inflation. The earnings rate for Series I bonds is a combination of a fixed rate that applies for the life of the bond, and the semi-annual inflation rate. The fixed rate on I Bonds issued from May 1 through Oct. 31 is 0.1%.

But that fixed rate is lower than what savers got in the past. The fixed rate was 0.2% on I Bonds issued from November through April 30. So over the long run, those would be slightly better bonds for savers to hold on to. The initial composite rate for I bonds issued then was 1.38% — including the fixed rate at 0.2%.

Rates for savings bonds are set each May 1 and Nov. 1. Savings bonds held less than five years are subject to a three-month interest penalty. Both series I and EE bonds may be redeemed after 12 months and have an interest-bearing life of 30 years.

Contact Susan Tompor at stompor@freepress.com

Best Gas Stocks To Buy For 2016

Best Gas Stocks To Buy For 2016: Laclede Group Inc (LG)

The Laclede Group, Inc. (Laclede Group), incorporated on October 18, 2000, is a utility holding company. The Company operates in two segments: Regulated Gas Utility and Gas Marketing. The Gas Utility segment includes the regulated operations of Laclede Gas Company (Laclede Gas or the Utility), Laclede Group's subsidiary and core business unit. Laclede Gas is a public utility engaged in the retail distribution and sale of natural gas. Laclede Gas is the natural gas distribution utility in Missouri, serving more than 1.13 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The Gas Marketing segment includes Laclede Energy Resources, Inc. (LER), a wholly owned subsidiary is engaged in the marketing of natural gas and related activities on a non-regulated basis. Effective September1, 2013, Laclede Group Inc through its newly formed subsidiary acquired Missouri Gas Energy, a provider of natural gas distribution services.

Gas Utility

The Utility focuses its gas supply portfolio around a number of natural gas suppliers with equity ownership or control of assets strategically situated to complement its regionally diverse firm transportation arrangements. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Utility purchased natural gas from 35 different suppliers to meet current gas sales and storage injection requirements. Natural gas purchased by the Laclede Gas for delivery to its service area through the Enable Mississippi River Transmission LLC (MRT) system totaled 55.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Laclede Gase also holds firm transportation on several other interstate pipeline systems that provide access to gas supplies upstream of MRT. In addition to deliveries from MRT, 8.6 Bcf of gas was purchased on MO Gas, 13.4 Bcf on the Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Southern Star Central), 0.03 Bcf on the Panhandle E! astern Pipe Line Company system, and 0.1 BCF on the Postrock system. Some of the Utility 's commercial and industrial customers purchased their own! gas with the Utility transporting 17.0 Bcf to them through the Utility's distribution system.

The Utility has a contractual right to store 23.1 Bcf of gas in MRT's storage facility located in Unionville, Louisiana, 16.3 Bcf of gas storage in Southern Star Central system storage facilities located in Kansas and Oklahoma, and 1.4 Bcf of firm storage on Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company's system storage. In addition, the Utility supplements flowing pipeline gas with natural gas withdrawn from its own underground storage field located in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties in Missouri.

Gas Marketing

LER is engaged in the marketing of natural gas and providing energy services to both on-system utility transportation customers and customers outside of the Utility's traditional service area. During fiscal year 2013, LER utilized 12 interstate pipelines and 93 suppliers to market natural gas to its customers primarily in the Midwest. LER served more than 205 retail customers and 100 wholesale customers. Through its retail operations, LER offers natural gas marketing services to large industrial customers, while its wholesale business consists of buying and selling natural gas to other marketers, producers, utilities, power generators, pipelines, and municipalities. LER also serves power plants that use natural gas to generate electricity.

OTHER

Laclede Pipeline Company, a wholly owned subsidiary, operates a propane pipeline under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction. This pipeline connects the propane storage and vaporization facilities of the Utility to third-party propane supply terminal facilities located in Illinois, which allows the Utility to receive propane that is vaporized to supplement its natural gas supply and meet peak demands on its distribution syste! m. Lacled! e Pipeline Company also provides transportation services to third parties. Other also includes Laclede Group's subsidiaries that are engaged in,! among ot! her activities, oil production, real estate development, compression of natural gas, and financial investments in other enterprises. These operations are conducted through seven subsidiaries.

The Other category also includes the Utility's non-regulated propane services business which involves providing propane-related services and storage to third parties and its affiliate, Laclede Pipeline Company. Beginning July 1, 2013, propane-related services are included within Gas Utility operations pursuant to the Utility's new rate case.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Laura Brodbeck]
Earnings Releases Expected: Nuance Communications, New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR), Laclede Group, Inc. (NYSE: LG)

Economic Releases Expected: U.S. pending home sales, Italian trade balance, Swiss employment level
[By Ahmed A. Namatalla]
Egypt's biggest publicly traded company agreed to pay about 7 billion Egyptian pounds ($1 billion) over five years to settle the tax dispute on the sale of its cement unit to Lafarge SA (LG) in 2007, Amsterdam-based parent OCI NV said yesterday. The payments will start in May and end in 2017. OCI NV shares had the biggest increase since the company's Dutch public offering in January.
[By Sarah Jones]
Lafarge SA (LG) rose 4.4 percent to 51.04 euros. The world's biggest cement maker reiterated its full-year forecast as cold weather, stinted Algerian and Egyptian production and fewer working days constricted first-quarter sales.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-gas-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html