HE Auto Car: November 2013

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Markets Close Lower As Black Friday Sales Trickle In

Reuters President Barack Obama pardons “Popcorn,” the national Thanksgiving turkey.

The market on Black Friday posted some red ink.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged just below its new record high reached Wednesday. The Dow fell 10.92 points, or 0.07% to 16086.41 on Friday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which also hit a new record high Wednesday, fell 1.42 points, or 0.08%, to 1805.81.

The NASDAQ Composite Index rose 15.14 points, or 0.37%, to 4059.89.

Thanksgiving day online sales hit $1 billion for the first time, according to an Adobe analysis of 180 million visits to more than 1,000 U.S. retail websites. But more broadly, it’s starting to feel like Thanksgiving sales are more tricky to measure with each passing year, given promotions extending across the week and into Cyber Monday.

Retail analysts offered their typical anecdotal confirmation of trends, with visits to retailers. Writes Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research at Thomson Reuters:

“Anecdotally, this Black Friday has seen a decrease in mall traffic … When looking at the earnings growth rates for the holiday season for the 129 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters, Internet retailers are on top” with fourth quarter earnings growth of nearly 31% projected, followed by 23% for department stores. Thomson projects retail apparel earnings will decline nearly 2%, and discount retailers’ earnings will flatline.

More stores opened on Thanksgiving, and

Friday, November 29, 2013

Fate Therapeutics Inc (FATE): A Nice Stem Cell Play

Fate Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE) shares should benefit from the company's expertise in both in-vivo and ex-vivo stem cell modulation that should be leveragable across multiple orphan indications, including stem cell transplant in cancer, lysosomal storage diseases, and muscular dystrophies.

Based in San Diego, California, Fate Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company focused on stem cell therapy for cancer and orphan diseases. Their platform focuses on modulation of existing stem cells to optimize therapeutic effects for stem cell transplant in cancer and actual treatment of orphan disease.

There is potential for clinical proof-of-concept in 3 separate indications within 18-24 months (ProHema Cancer, ProHema Hurler's, Wnt7a muscular dystrophy).

"We believe that upside potential from current valuation levels exists from progress into clinical development with its Wnt7a protein analog in muscular dystrophy alone and that strong pre-clinical data should bode well for clinical proof-of-concept," BMO Capital Markets analyst Jim Birchenough said in a client note.

While further ahead in development, the ex-vivo modulated stem cell product ProHema in stem cell transplant (SCT) for hematologic malignancy is a more binary opportunity, which should be considered as option value beyond Wnt7a protein analogs.

ProHema is a pharmacologically modulated HSC (hematopoietic stem cell) therapeutic derived from umbilical cord blood. ProHema has the potential to address the limitations of allogenic HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplant) and enhance its curative potential across a broad range of hematologic malignancies and rare genetic disorders.

Modulation of HSCs with PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) has the potential to enhance the biological properties of HSCs from any source, including cord blood, peripheral blood and bone marrow.

"Modulation of HSCs with PGE2 could improve patient outcomes by increasing engraftment success rates, accelerating the time to reconstitu! tion, and improving the durability of engraftment," Birchenough said.

Because ProHema enhances the rate of engraftment, it may be possible to improve the feasibility of conducting HSCT under the less toxic RIC regimen, as opposed to MAC. This may help broaden the patient populations for allogeneic HSCT.

ProHema may significantly overcome the limitations associated with cord blood HSCT and expand its use. Cord blood has many benefits, such as increased likelihood of identifying a human leukocyte antigen-compatible HSC source and reduced incidence of GvHD and relapse.

"Given that there are currently more than 600,000 publicly-banked cord blood units available world-wide, it is possible to rapidly identify a well HLA-matched cord blood unit for most patients. By enhancing the biological properties of cord blood HSCs, ProHema could help reduce the number of cells needed in HSCT," Birchenough noted.

Over the past two decades, the number of HSCT procedures has increased steadily, and the growth is expected to continue. According to a global survey conducted by the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, a total of 56,739 HSCT procedures were performed worldwide in 2010, including 26,241 such procedures in the allogeneic setting.

In the US, more than 5,800 allogenic HSCT procedures were performed in 2012 according to the National Marrow Donor Program, and 20 percent of the procedures used cord blood as the cell source. It is estimated that approximately 95 percent of HSCT procedures are performed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

While the primary focus has been on phase 2 development of ex-vivo modulated stem cell product ProHema for stem cell transplant (SCT) in hematologic malignancy, that greater value may exist for earlier stage programs for ProHema in Hurler's Syndrome as well as Wnt7a protein analogs in Muscular Dystrophy.

"We believe that review of pre-clinical data for Fate's Wnt7a protein analog in models of muscular dystrophy dem! onstrates! unique benefits in increasing muscle mass, increasing force of muscle contraction independent of muscle mass and changing the muscle biology to a more disease resistant phenotype," Birchenough said.

Meanwhile, published data for umbilical cord blood stem cells in lysosomal storage diseases like Hurler's syndrome may provide validation for pre-clinical stage efforts for ProHema in this area.

Thus, while near-term attention may be on phase 2 development of ProHema in hematologic malignancy, this program as pure option value and would look to phase 1 initiation for the Wnt7a protein analog in Muscular Dystrophy and ProHema in Hurler's syndrome as greater value drivers.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving clear and cold for feasting and sh…

After days of stormy weather threatened to deflate holiday parades, Thanksgiving beamed clear and cold for colorful balloons, quiet feasting and a bracing start to the holiday shopping season.

At Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, 16 giant balloons flew, despite 26 mph winds along the route. Stormy weather earlier in the week threatened to ground the characters for the first time since 1971. Handlers held the balloons, including Snoopy and Buzz Lightyear, fairly close to the ground in tree-lined areas.

The leash was shorter in Philadelphia. At the 6ABC Dunkin Donuts Thanksgiving Parade, winds gusting to 28 mph limited the use of parade balloons to the Eakins Oval near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The biggest stars weren't always puffed up. In Detroit, the parade grand marshal was Jim Leyland, the former Tigers baseball manager. He told WDIV-TV he "certainly would have liked" a World Series parade last seen in 1984, but he retired after the team lost the American League championship to the Boston Red Sox.

Weather behaved for 43 million Americans that travel group AAA projected to travel during the holiday weekend.

Heavy rain and wind had blown across the Southwest early in the week and up the East Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday, snarling traffic and delaying flights. But Thursday dawned clear and cold, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and 40s and 50s in the Southeast, that were 10 to 20 degrees below normal, according to the National Weather Service.

President Obama and his family dined on turkey, honey-baked ham, cornbread stuffing, oyster stuffing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole and rolls. The family had a choice of pies for dessert, including huckleberry, pecan, chocolate cream, sweet potato, peach, apple, pumpkin, banana cream and coconut cream, according to the White House press pool report.

U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan received a traditional Thanksgiving ! Day meal, with mac and cheese, as well, at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul. President Obama called 10 service members from each branch of the military to thank them for their service and to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving, stated the press pool report.

U.S. soldiers pray before eating a Thanksgiving meal at a dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan on Nov. 22, 2012.(Photo: Musadeq Sadeq, AP)

Many retailers champing at the bit for impatient shoppers decided against waiting for "Black Friday" and opened Thursday expecting tens of millions of customers. Kmart opened at 6 a.m., while Walmart and Best Buy waited until 6 p.m. and were followed by Macy's Target, Kohl's, JC Penney and Seats at 8 a.m.

Contributing: The Associated Press.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

40 Years of Toil to Secure the Oil

Forty years ago Americans received a wake-up call about energy security. The events of October 1973 had a tremendous effect on the American psyche and would shape US energy policy for decades.

Global crises and resulting policy shifts certainly pose extra risks for energy investors. By understanding the past we can better anticipate the future and have a better sense of what works and what doesn’t.

When President Richard Nixon took office in 1969, concerns about energy were not high on the list of American priorities. That situation would change dramatically during Nixon’s presidency. US oil production had increased at a fairly steady pace for over 100 years, and in November 1970 would reach 10 million barrels per day (bpd). Today that mark still stands as the all-time high for US oil production.

Beginning in 1971, the Nixon administration began a series of price-control measures designed to combat rising inflation. By the summer of 1972, there were long lines at gasoline stations in some regions as shortages of gasoline were dealt with by rationing. (Many people associate the gas lines with the embargo that followed, not realizing that they were already happening as a result of the price controls.)

In October 1973, in retaliation for the West’s support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War, the Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers’ cartel stopped supplying the US and Western Europe. US oil production had already begun to decline, and the US was unable to make up the supply shortage caused by the embargo. This resulted in a supply/demand imbalance. Oil prices quadrupled in a very short period of time, contributing to a deep global recession.

The embargo set US energy policy on a path that still guides us 40 years later. Every president since Nixon has placed energy security high on the list of presidential priorities, but each! administration has attempted to deal with the problem in different ways.

In response to the oil embargo, Nixon instituted additional price controls and began rationing oil to states. On Nov. 7, 1973, he announced Project Independence, which promoted conservation and alternative energy initiatives with the goal of ending the reliance on oil imports by 1980.

That same month, Nixon increased funding for mass transit, and authorized the Trans-Alaska Pipeline by signing legislation that disposed of legal challenges from the project’s opponents. Soon after, the 55-miles-per-hour speed limit was mandated nationwide to conserve fuel.

Gerald Ford was nominated to serve as vice president under Nixon on Oct. 12, 1973, less than a week before the Arab oil embargo began, so he too was molded by the crisis that followed.

When Ford became president in August 1974 following Nixon’s resignation, he maintained energy independence as a high priority. “Our growing dependence upon foreign sources [of petroleum] has been adding to our vulnerability for years and years, and we did nothing to prepare ourselves for such an event as the embargo of 1973,” Ford said in his first State of the Union address.

President Ford proposed a number of initiatives designed to reduce growing dependence on foreign oil. He promoted expanded use of coal and nuclear power to shift electricity production away from oil, the development of synthetic fuels and oil shale resources, and tax credits to help homeowners with the cost of insulation. He set forth goals to reduce oil imports by 1 million bpd by the end of 1975 and by 2 million bpd by the end of 1977.

But Ford faced a hostile Congress that sometimes openly questioned the political legitimacy of his presidency, since he had not been elected. He therefore had a difficult time getting some of his proposals passed.

Ford did have some lasting energy policy successes. In December 1975, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (S! PR) was e! stablished when the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) was passed by Congress. The law was designed “to reduce the impact of severe energy supply interruptions” such as the OPEC embargo. The fuel efficiency of autos improved quickly following adoption of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in 1978. A 2002 study by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that motor vehicle fuel usage was 14 percent lower in 2002 than it would have been in the absence of fuel efficiency standards.

Despite these efforts, by the time Jimmy Carter took over as president in 1977, oil imports had increased by 370 percent from Nixon’s first year in office. Oil consumption was at an all-time high, and domestic production was down 14 percent from the 1970 peak.

Only three months into office, Carter delivered a major speech in which he predicted that energy security would get progressively worse through the end of the century. But Carter underestimated the potential for production increases. At the time of his speech, the world consumed 60 million bpd. Carter noted that production declines of existing fields meant that just to maintain production at 1977 levels would require “the production of a new Texas every year, an Alaskan North Slope every nine months, or a new Saudi Arabia every three years.” Despite Carter’s skepticism, global oil production continued to expand and is now 50 percent higher than during his presidency.

One of President Carter’s lasting energy legacies was the creation of the Department of Energy in 1977. Other Carter proposals were advanced with the Energy Security Act (ESA) of 1980. Included within the ESA were programs to increase the production of gasohol (gasoline/ethanol blends) via loan guarantees for biomass and alcohol fuels projects, marking the introduction of ethanol into the fuel supply.

The ESA also included the US Synthetic Fuels Corporation Act, which established the Synthetic Fuels Corporation (SFC! ) —! a government-funded corporation with the purpose of developing a synthetic liquid fuels industry. But technical challenges and cost overruns ultimately doomed the SFC to failure, leading many critics to argue that the government should leave the energy business to the markets.

President Ronald Reagan pursued a dramatically different approach from President Carter. As if to emphasize that point, he removed from the White House the solar panels installed by Carter. He also accelerated the phase-out of the price controls on domestic oil production, let the tax credit on solar power expire, abolished the US Synthetic Fuels Corporation, and repealed the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act that had been signed into law by Carter.

Reagan was a strong supporter of domestic drilling, pushing to open more federal land to exploration and development. He unsuccessfully advocated drilling in parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Reagan was also an advocate of nuclear energy, signing several industry-friendly laws. Nuclear production overtook hydropower to become the second largest provider of electricity in the US behind coal while Reagan was in office.

The Gulf War was the defining energy event of President George Bush’s administration, but there were other noteworthy developments. Due to environmental concerns, in 1990 Bush signed an executive moratorium banning offshore oil developments outside of the western Gulf of Mexico and certain parts of Alaska. The ban covered the North Atlantic, Pacific Coast, New England, Mid-Atlantic, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and lasted until it was overturned during George W. Bush’s second term as president.

The elder Bush also signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), addressing energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances, and promoting energy conservation as well as the use of alternative energy vehicles.

President Bill Clinton’s two terms in office corresponded with oil prices that ! were both! lower and less volatile than those in the 1980s, and thus the goal of energy independence got pushed off the front burner.

Still, there were some significant energy initiatives during the Clinton years. The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was founded by the Clinton administration in 1993 as a venture between the US government and major automobile makers including Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. The purpose of the program was to develop vehicles with a fuel efficiency of up to 80 miles per gallon.

The three major domestic automakers all built hybrid concept cars capable of achieving at least 72 mpg. However, the program was cancelled following Clinton’s presidency by the George W. Bush administration. This highlights one of the biggest challenges in energy policy. Energy projects often take many years before they bear fruit, but many of them don’t survive political shifts. This is one of the biggest reasons US energy policy often seems dysfunctional.

The Clinton presidency marked the end of 12 years of Republican rule, and Clinton’s priorities on energy and the environment sharply differed in some areas from those of Reagan and Bush. For example, Reagan was a proponent of developing the oil reserves in ANWR, but Clinton vetoed a bill from the Republican-majority House that would have allowed drilling in ANWR.

The George W. Bush presidency was extremely eventful in terms of energy developments. Among the events occurring during his two terms in office were the September 11 terrorist attacks followed by a war with Afghanistan, another war in the Persian Gulf, major hurricanes that interrupted supplies and caused record gasoline price spikes, an almost uninterrupted increase in the price of oil, and passage of some major pieces of energy legislation that led to a massive expansion of biofuel production.

Bush initially talked up a hydrogen economy, and later promoted ethanol made from switchgrass as a motor fuel. Noteworthy during ! Bush&rsqu! o;s two terms were the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005 and its expanded version, the RFS2 in 2007. These pieces of legislation dramatically increased the size of the corn ethanol industry in the US by mandating increasing volumes of ethanol in the fuel supply. But domestic oil production would decline during all eight years of the Bush presidency.

An oil production turnaround was in the works, however. As the fracking revolution began to bear fruit, domestic production declines began to slow. By the first year of President Barack Obama’s administration, domestic production had begun to increase, and has now increased during every year of his term. That has not happened since Lyndon B. Johnson was president. If the trend continues, energy security may once more fade as a national priority.

But it is important not to forget the lessons of history. OPEC has lost some power, but the organization still supplies more than half of the world’s crude oil imports. So even though OPEC’s contribution to US oil supplies is declining, the cartel hasn’t lost its short-term ability to influence global prices.

That’s why we must continue to enact programs that bring America’s oil supply and demand into balance, despite the occasional boondoggle and miscalculation.

(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.)

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Market Primer: Monday, October 21: Delayed Payrolls Data Ignites Taper Talk

Several US reporting agencies were unable to release data last week due to the US government shutdown.

Now, as the reopened government catches up a spate of data is expected to hit the markets this week. The most anticipated figures are nonfarm payrolls, which are due out on Tuesday.

Most see US employers adding 180,000 workers in September with no change in the 7.3 percent unemployment rate. If the report confirms speculation, it could provide a strong case for the US Federal Reserve to begin its taper. In general, the bank is expected to maintain its easy monetary policy well into 2014 in the wake of the government shutdown.

However, if the flood of delayed US data paints a favorable picture, investors could start to hedge their bets on a sooner than expected taper.

Monday, November 25, 2013

How to Invest in Bitcoins Without Owning Bitcoins

Unless you never read anything on the Internet, which probably isn't you since you are reading this, you are aware of bitcoins. And you may have heard the news that bitcoins have increased in value from $208 per bitcoin a month ago to $824 today, a 296% increase. Bitcoins have received a lot of bad press over the last few months, with the most visible relating to the Silk Road website. Silk Road was an online marketplace for virtually anything, legal or illegal, until it was shut down by the FBI. However, bitcoins are also accepted by many legitimate businesses.

What is a Bitcoin?

If you have heard of them but not exactly sure of what a bitcoin is, I will try to explain it in simple terms. Bitcoins are a peer-to-peer digital currency without any government backing or control. Fewer bitcoins are being created and there is only a limited number of bitcoins that can ever be created. Bitcoins are stored in electronic repositories called wallets, either online, on computers, tablets, or smartphones. Occasionally, they are stored on paper with the appropriate codes.

Bitcoin Investment Trust

So let's say that you want to invest (or should I say speculate) in bitcoins. Let's look at a few possible ways. First, there is the Bitcoin Investment Trust, which was founded this year in New York, and promoted by SecondMarket, Inc. and Alternative Currency Asset Management, LLC, according to filings with the SEC. This is a Form D Rule 506(c) filing with sales of pooled investment trust units which began September 25 of this year. Minimum investment was set at $25,000 with total amount sold of $2,542,818. According to the Form D, the total offering amount and total remaining to be sold is indefinite. You should be aware that this offering is only available to accredited investors.

Try Bitcoin, Inc.

Then there is Try Bitcoin, Inc. based in Stanford, California. This is a Form D Rule 506(b) offering. According to the company's website, "TryBTC is a tutorial website crafted to show the world how to use Bitcoin in under 5 minutes." The company was formed as a Delaware corporation in January 29, 2013 and the initial offering was September 19. It is interesting to note that the filing shows that the minimum investment was zero, and the total amount offered and sold was only $25,000. Since the total amount remaining to be sold is zero, then there appears to be no opportunity for investors. By the way, the Winklevoss twins are listed as donors.

Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust

In case you don't remember the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss were the ones that claimed rights to Facebook (FB). They have filed a Form S-1 with the SEC for an IPO called the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust.

According to the SEC filing:

"The Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust (Trust) will issue Winklevoss Bitcoin Shares (Shares) which represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. Math-Based Asset Services LLC is the sponsor of the Trust (Sponsor) and [TRUSTEE] is the trustee and custodian of the Trust (Trustee) using proprietary and patent-pending technology to administer the Trust. The Trust intends to issue additional Shares on a continuous basis. The Shares may be purchased from the Trust only in one or more blocks of [50,000] Shares (a block of [50,000] Shares is called a Basket). The Trust will issue Shares in Baskets to certain authorized participants (Authorized Participants) on an ongoing basis as described in “Plan of Distribution.” Baskets will be offered continuously at the net asset value (NAV) for [50,000] Shares on the day that an order to create a Basket is accepted by the Trustee. The Trust will not issue fractions of a Basket."

Now if you are looking for regular publicly traded companies involved in bitcoins, there are a couple you might want to look at that accept bitcoins for their business. However, at least for now, the fact that they accept bitcoins in addition to regular currency would affect only a small portion of their revenues. According to Forbes both Baidu (BIDU) and IAC/InterActiveCorp's (IACI) OkCupid accept bitcoins.

Baidu

Baidu is the large Chinese languarge Internet search engine that trades at 33 times trailing earnings and four times future earnings. The company recently reported a 1.3% increase in quarterly earnings year over year on a 42.3% rise in revenues.

IAC/InterActiveCorp

IAC, in addition to owning the OkCupid dating site, also owns Ask.com, About.com, Dictionary.com, Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and CitiGrid. The stock trades at 20 times earnings and 13 times forward earnings. The earnings spiked an incredible 138.1%, on a 5.9% boost in revenues. The company even pays a 1.7% dividend yield.

Because of the increasing popularity of bitcoins and the extensive press that bitcoins are receiving, there are sure to be additional bitcoin investment offerings in the future. By the way, if you like this article, please share.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Forex Markets Trading Ideas

Originally posted here...

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Sunday, November 24, 2013

On the Job: Use the right words to get results

How many times have you said something at work and then wished later that you had never said it?

While politicians and celebrities may seem so skilled at communications and finding the right words with ease, many of us struggle to put our thoughts into words in a way that makes us seem professional and capable. At work, finding the right words can be critical because what we say can impact our success and how others perceive us.

That's why Ronald M. Shapiro believes you cannot just "wing it" when it comes to workplace communications.

"If you have something at stake in the communications, the question becomes why wing it if you can spend a little time perfecting your pitch to improve the odds of a successful result," he says. "All too often, we know what we want to say, but the circumstances or pressures that arise at work, like fear of a request being rejected or a tense relationship, cause us to communicate in a halting, apologetic or emotional version of what we really wanted to say."

Co-founder of Shapiro Negotiations Institute, Shapiro has negotiated more than $1 billion in contracts, and says others can benefit from "scripting" conversations.

"Scripting is the process of creating an effective message, preparing for counterarguments and delivering the results with confidence and grace across a broad range of situations," he says.

In his new book, "Perfecting Your Pitch: How to Succeed in Business and in Life by Finding Words that Work," Shapiro outlines that system and how to handle some of the toughest workplace situations such as:

-- Responding to a critical job performance evaluation: Shapiro advocates always responding with a written response because it "captures your arguments and preserves them for anyone who may read the interview down the line." It also can help in case you ever bring legal action against an employer. He suggests that such a letter include not only specifics that rebut a supervisor's comments, but also those issues that you both agree! upon. Always politely request your letter be included in your personnel file. "It's important to stick up for yourself," Shapiro says, "but do it in a professional manner that doesn't alienate your bosses and get you branded as a whiner."

-- Following up on a job: Waiting to hear about a job offer can be difficult, but you don't want to make a pest of yourself by bugging a hiring manager. Shapiro advises the best way to handle a follow-up is to send an email or note that begins with "an expression of gratitude for the interview as well as an offer to respond to lingering questions." It's always a good idea to ask a friend to play devil's advocate and give feedback on your interactions so you don't come off as pushy or desperate, he says.

-- Asking for a raise: Shapiro says the biggest mistakes employees make when asking the boss for more money is letting their emotions and frustration control them and failing to "make an ask that leaves some room for negotiation." He suggests for example, that you take time to write out a script that outlines why you deserve a raise, your accomplishments, extra work that has been performed and comparable salaries. Again, someone to serve as a devil's advocate to lob tough questions your way can help you prepare to any questions. "Don't let objections or rejection put you on the defensive" and speak "confidently and not antagonistically," he says.

Shapiro says that by drafting a script, you not only hone your arguments, but you give yourself a chance to deal with your emotions. By writing down your feelings, you can better present your case without coming off as defensive, argumentative and unprofessional and increase the odds you will walk away with what you want, he says.

Anita Bruzzese is author of 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy ... and How to Avoid Them, www.45things.com. Twitter: @AnitaBruzzese.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Puerto Rico’s debt woes hit muni bond funds

While the U.S. struggles with its debt limit, Puerto Rico faces its own debt issues -- and that worries some investors.

Like states, Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, can't file for bankruptcy. But it has some $70 billion in tax-free municipal bonds outstanding, far more than Detroit's $18 billion, currently the largest municipal bankruptcy on record.

"The situation has a lot of fiscal challenges, and the government is trying to meet them, but they're in a pretty big hole and it's going to take a lot of hard work to get out of it," says Hugh McGuirk, head of municipal fixed income at T. Rowe Price, the Baltimore mutual fund company.

Because of their risk, and because there's such a large volume outstanding, some of Puerto Rico's muni bonds offer high yields. For example, a Puerto Rico Commonwealth bond maturing in 2018 yields 9.4%, according to FINRA, the securities markets self-regulatory agency.

Yields like those are tempting for bond fund managers, especially since five-year, high-quality muni bonds yield 1.24%, according to Bloomberg., About 70% of all muni bonds have Puerto Rican bonds in their portfolios, says Morningstar, the Chicago investment trackers.

McGuirk isn't sure that the government will step in if there's a problem with Puerto Rico's bond payments. "I'm skeptical that there's that kind of significant support in Washington to prop up the bonds," he says. Those who bought the bonds thinking the U.S. will bail out Puerto Rico will need to re-evaluate that, he says.

According to Morningstar, some muni funds have significant exposure to Puerto Rico:

• Franklin Double Tax-Free Income A (ticker: FPRTX) has 65% of its holdings in Puerto Rican obligations. The fund is down 14.5% this year, including reinvested interest.

• Oppenheimer Rochester VA Municipal A (ORVAX), has 33.3% of its holdings in Puerto Rico bonds. It's down 12.9% this year.

• Oppenheimer Pennsylvania Municipal A, 24.7% in Puerto Rico bonds, down 8.6% this year.

Unlik! e Greece, Puerto Rico has fairly little short-term debt, which means that there's not as much risk of it hitting a near-term financing block, where investors refuse to roll over their short-term holdings, McGuirk says. "They don't have a drop-dead financing date like Greece did," he says.

Friday, November 22, 2013

4 Tech Stocks Under $10 to Watch

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Big Stocks to Trade (or Not)

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is a semiconductor company with manufacturing, research and development, and sales and administrative facilities throughout the world. It provides processing solutions for the computing and graphics markets. This stock closed flat at $3.90 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $3.86-$3.94

52-Week Range: $1.81-$4.65

Thursday's Volume: 25.48 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 29.35 million

From a technical perspective, AMD moved slightly off its intraday low of $3.86 and right above its 50-day moving average of $3.71 with decent upside volume. This stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last month, with shares moving between $3.69 on the downside and $4 on the upside. Shares of AMD are now starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That breakout will hit if AMD manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.98 to $4 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in AMD as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.71 or above more support at $3.69 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 29.35 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AMD will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from July that started at $4.65. Any high-volume move above $4.65 will then give AMD a chance to tag $5 to $5.50.

Kemet

Kemet (KEM) is a manufacturer of capacitors. Its product offerings include tantalum, multilayer ceramic, solid and electrolytic aluminum, film and paper capacitors. This stock closed up 9.2% to $5.09 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $4.58-$5.20

52-Week Range: $3.69-$6.97

Thursday's Volume: 508,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 155,395

From a technical perspective, KEM soared higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $4.98 with heavy upside volume. This stock flirted with its 200-day moving average on Thursday at $5.11, after it hit an intraday high of $5.20, but closed right below at $5.09. Volume on this move registered 508,000 shares, which was well above its three-month average action of 155,395 shares.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KEM as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $4.58 and then once it sustains a move or close above Thursday's high of $5.20 with volume that hits near or above 155,395 shares. If we get that move soon, then KEM will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $6.75.

United Microelectronics

United Microelectronics (UMC) manufactures advanced process integrated circuits wafers abnd related electronic products. This stock closed up 4.4% to $2.13 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $2.12-$2.15

52-Week Range: $1.75-$2.44

Thursday's Volume: 1.96 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.54 million

From a technical perspective, UMC jumped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $2.03 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.88 to its intraday high of $2.15. During that uptrend, shares of UMC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of UMC within range of triggering a breakout trade. That trade will hit if UMC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at Thursday's high of $2.15 to $2.22 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UMC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $2.03 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.54 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then UMC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.39 to $2.59, or possible $2.64.

Superconductor Technologies

Superconductor Technologies (SCON) develops high temperature superconductor materials and related technologies. This stock closed up 8% to $1.74 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.60-$1.79

52-Week Range: $1.42-$6.72

Thursday's Volume: 774,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 229,234

From a technical perspective, SCON ripped sharply higher here with above-average volume. This stock recently formed a triple bottom in August at $1.42, $1.44 to $1.48. Following that bottom, shares of SCON have been modestly uptrending, with the stock trending above $1.50. This sharp spike higher on Thursday is now pushing shares of SCON within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if SCON manages to take out its 50-day moving average of $1.78 to more resistance at $1.95 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SCON as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $1.60 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 229,234 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SCON will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.25 to $2.85.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Energy Transfer Equity, Energy Transfer Partners, BG Group Offer Update for Lake Charles LNG Export Project

Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) and Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) (collectively, "Energy Transfer") and BG Group announced today that they have entered into a project development agreement (PDA) to jointly develop the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project at the existing Trunkline LNG import terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The announcement follows the Department of Energy conditionally granting authorization to Energy Transfer and BG Group to export from the existing Trunkline LNG import terminal up to 15 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG to non-free trade agreement nations.

The proposed project will include the construction of three liquefaction trains and will use the existing LNG storage and marine berthing facilities owned by Trunkline LNG Company, LLC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer). Energy Transfer has secured all property rights required for the site of the liquefaction facility.

The project is being developed to liquefy domestic supplies of natural gas for export to meet growing global demand for LNG. Exporting LNG to world markets is expected to provide economic and employment related benefits for the U.S., including approximately 250 operational positions and several thousand jobs during the project's construction phase.

The PDA sets forth the commercial arrangements between the parties and a final investment decision to proceed with the project is expected to be made in 2015.

Energy Transfer will own and finance the proposed new liquefaction facility, and BG Group will have a long-term tolling agreement with Energy Transfer for the offtake, although BG Group may choose to assign some of its capacity or offtake to third parties. Trunkline Gas Company, LLC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer), will provide pipeline transportation services to supply natural gas to the project.

BG Group views Lake Charles as an attractive, low cost LNG supply option and is one of the most advanced LNG development projects in its portfolio. BG Group will oversee the engineering and design and will manage construction of the facility, as well as operate the combined facility. The project's front end engineering and design (FEED) study being done by Technip is well advanced. The project is in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) "pre-filing" environmental review process, with the parties currently expecting to file a formal application with the FERC by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

Pending final investment decisions from both Energy Transfer and BG Group, construction is expected to start in 2015, with first LNG exports anticipated in 2019.

Posted-In: News Commodities Markets

Around the Web, We're Loving... Petition urges Wal-Mart, McDonald's to pay more Obama's Syria Waffle Huge Blow to US Credibility in Mideast Microsoft Buys Nokia Phone Unit for $7.2B - And CEO? What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular The Pending U.S. Government Shutdown: What Does It Mean For You? Leaked iPad 5 Video Draws 450,000 Viewers (AAPL) Bargain Shopping the S&P 500 World's Favorite Game Maker to IPO JC Penney Continues To Search For A Bottom As Shares Hit 31-Year Low UPDATE: Credit Suisse Lowers PT on Arena Pharmaceuticals Following Management Meeting Related Articles (ETE + ETP) Energy Transfer Equity, Energy Transfer Partners, BG Group Offer Update for Lake Charles LNG Export Project Top 4 Large-Cap Stocks In The Oil & Gas Pipelines Industry With The Highest EPS Estimates For The Next Quarter Top 4 Large-Cap Stocks In The Oil & Gas Pipelines Industry With The Lowest PEG Ratio Update to Lake Charles Liquefaction Project UPDATE: J.P. Morgan Upgrades Energy Transfer Partners Following SXL GP Transaction Notable Companies Reporting After the Close, August 7th View the discussion thread. adsonar_placementId=1587471;adson

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Abercrombie & Fitch Co (ANF): Lack Of Visibility May Keep Investors On Sidelines

The lack of visibility on merchandise strategy may further pressure shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), which dropped 34 percent in the last six months. The retailer is late to the party on many aspects.

Based in New Albany, Ohio, Abercrombie & Fitch operates as a specialty retailer of casual apparel for men, women, and children under the brand names of Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, abercrombie kids, and Gilly Hicks.

For investors, a disciplined inventory strategy is top of mind for 2014 while the company's buzz word was "speed" with a huge focus on improving sourcing and testing nearly 100 percent of the product assortment.

[Related -Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF): Multiple Levers For Greater Profitability]

"While we think improving speed is critical in the face of ANF's soft sales and margins for the last 5 years, it just levels the playing field (as its competitors have already been focused on this), and it really comes down to product," UBS analyst Roxanne Meyer said in a client note.

The company's key initiatives include new marketing (testing for Hollister this holiday; rollout for A&F/Hollister summer 2014); new store fronts; relaunching the loyalty programs with rewards; relaunching websites; and omni-channel inventories (chain rollout in fall 2014).

The timing for some of these initiatives is unknown, and others seem pretty far out from now. Moreover, the market remains skeptical whether ANF's infrastructure is prepared to support all of these initiatives.

[Related -Store Intel: Gap Store (GPS), American Eagle (AEO), Abercrombie (ANF)]

"We note there has been no change in the team, and CEO Mike Jefferies announced he plans to stay on board, which had been a question in many investors' minds," Meyer noted.

There was a lack of details on how the product assortment is going to change aside from women's tops being the biggest opportunity for improvement. Management's timeframe to improve the fashion relevance ! is back to school 2014, still a long time to wait and see.

In addition, the company's focus to improve the relevance of core product may not move the needle as much as hoped given that it is a down trending category across teen. The initiative to reduce the number of floorsets and SKUs seems like a step backwards as it could lead to increased markdown risk with more investment in depth (rather than breadth).

"It seems counterintuitive given that ANF now acknowledges it needs to compete more efficiently vs. fast fashion retailers. Perhaps the focus on store payroll is driving this decision," Meyer said.

The company recently guided to 300-500 bps of operating margin opportunity coming from improving the US business longer term, which is about 40 percent of the total 750-1,250 bps opportunity for margin improvement.

The outlook seems tough to achieve due to limited comfort in ANF's ability to raise average unit retails (AURs) without a meaningful improvement to product.

ANF expects to close 40-50 underperfoming US stores/year while opening 40 smaller ones over the next several. International growth now includes franchises in "tougher markets."

"Management also mentioned testing a store within a store concept for ANF kids, which we don't believe will be received well by A&F's customers," Meyer noted.

Internationally, management admits that Europe is near maturity, and the main focus is on Asia, which could represent $1 billion in sales longer-term. Initially, the focus is on China (FY14: 4-6 stores; target: 100+ stores) and Japan (FY14: 3-5 stores).

"Management also discussed expanding to outlets, which we think could dilute an already fragile and heavily promoted brand. We view outlets (particularly the focus on made-for-outlet product) as a distraction as ANF works to fix the merchandise in its core businesses," Meyer added.

The company has multiple levers (albeit on a long-term basis) to boost its profitability and margins that should help to offs! et extern! al challenges. Management is taking a close, hard look at essentially every aspect of the business. As the findings from this thorough review are implemented, ANF could emerge as a more nimble, agile retailer both in terms of its ability to react on the product side and to leverage its cost structure.

However, as of now, investors may remain on the sidelines given low visibility through the first half of 2014 and the lack of details on improving product and the timeline for speed initiatives.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Treasurys extend rise after confidence data

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices climbed Tuesday, sending yields lower after housing and consumer-confidence data showed waning optimism about economic growth.

The 10-year Treasury note (10_YEAR) yield, which moves inversely to price, fell 3 basis points on the day to 2.677%. The 30-year bond (30_YEAR) yield fell 3 basis points to 3.698%, and the 5-year note (5_YEAR) yield fell 2 basis point to 1.432%.

Conference Board data on Tuesday showed that a consumer confidence index fell to 79.7 in September from a revised 81.8 in August. That beat economists' projections of a drop to 79.5, but registered at the lowest in four months on renewed worries about wages and job availability.

Home prices rose by a seasonally adjusted 1% in July, according to Federal Housing Finance Agency data Tuesday, an 8.8% jump from the same period a year ago. The S&P/Case Shiller 20-city composite index showed a 1.8% rise in July, the smallest jump since March.

Click to Play

On Wall Street, consumers are key

Polya Lesova takes a look at today's market action, including three stocks to watch.

The consumer and housing results come as the bond market is once again on alert for data that could shed light on when and how the Federal Reserve acts to scale back the pace of its $85 billion in monthly bond buys, which had been used to help stimulate economic growth. The central bank's decision not to taper at its policy meeting last week surprised many market participants, who saw bonds sell off sharply during the summer in anticipation of Fed action.

Given the Fed's dovish tone, some are now projecting yields to move lower.

"On a risk-adjusted basis, we believe that Treasurys offer good value as yields recede following the recent rise," said HSBC Global Research strategists, led by Fredrik Nerbrand, global head of asset allocation, in a note. "Our fixed-income strategists expect the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield to fall to 2.1% over the next 12 months. Such a move should have a sizeable impact on the entire financial landscape."

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Meanwhile, New York Fed President William Dudley said on CNBC Tuesday that markets should not have been surprised by the Fed's decision to hold off on tapering.

The 2-year note yield (2_YEAR) traded on Tuesday at 0.334%, down half a basis point on the day, ahead of an auction of $33 billion of the notes. The auction represents a reduction of $1 billion from last month's sale of 2-year notes, and $2 billion from prior sales as the U.S. government's reduced deficit decreases the amount of borrowing.

Given the recent decline in yields, some analysts expect mediocre auction demand.

"Relative value does not look super compelling, as curves (short end vs. belly) have remained steep," said Stanley Sun, strategist at Nomura Securities, in a note. "The 2-year yields are also getting close to June [Federal Open Market Committee] levels and should require some concession pre-auction. Net, we expect only an average auction as the pros roughly balance the cons."

The Treasury Department will also sell $35 billion of 5-year notes on Wednesday and $29 billion of 7-year notes on Thursday.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

'Secret IPO' or Not: You Won't Pay Attention to Twitter's Risks

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It struck me kinda funny to see the media play up the notion of Twitter's "secret IPO."

Because Twitter has less than $1 billion in revenue, the JOBS Act provides the company more time and privacy pre-IPO than Facebook (FB) and other recent market entrants. In particular, Twitter can interface with the SEC prior to releasing a public S-1 filing no later than 21 days before the initial stock offering.

In a Real Money column, Eric Jackson recounts what happened to Facebook post-IPO: At its lows, Facebook was derided for not having a mobile strategy. It also lived in fear that it might lose its best employees, who saw their stock stuck in the mud along with their options and restricted stock units.

Right on, but it's important to recall that one of the major issues with Facebook's IPO was that the media and investors simply didn't pay enough attention to the risks section of the company's S-1 filing. How many investors, particularly at the retail level, even read the document in the first place prior to making the decision to purchase shares? How many even knew it existed and was important? As I explain in the above-linked articles -- written in 2012 -- it wasn't as if Facebook hid anything with respect to its, at the time, immature mobile business. As All Things D's Mike Isaac noted in our Friday morning CNBC appearance, tips from friends and family and the attendant hype contributed more to FB buy decisions than close scrutiny of the books and business model. Don't expect anything different when $TWIT or $TWTR or $BIRD or $CHRP or $CHIRP comes to be. On the plus side -- setting revenue aside -- Twitter had a handle on mobile sooner than Facebook, largely because its platform is well-suited for it and its management team bested Zuckerberg on vision. So, while the risks might not be the same, there will be something we'll miss. And whine about after the fact. As I explained at the end of that CNBC hit, it might be a lack of foresight with respect to how the mobile advertising landscape changes. Google (GOOG), Facebook, Twitter and Pandora (P) will not dominate these dollars forever. Expect Apple (AAPL) to come on strong, particularly with the launch of iTunes Radio. And don't ignore big media outlets such as Time Warner (TWX), who are aggressively positioning their properties to share in this rapidly-growing market. Follow @rocco_thestreet --Written by Rocco Pendola in Santa Monica, Calif.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014

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 Unisys (NYSE: UIS ) have popped by as much as 13% today after the company reported earnings.

So what: Revenue of $859 million crushed the consensus estimate of $838 million. The bottom line also beat, but by less. Unisys posted non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.91, slightly ahead of the $0.90-per-share forecast.

Now what: CEO Ed Coleman said the company was happy with the sequential improvement. The services business was under pressure amid a tough IT spending environment, but the company's technology business helped make up for it. The strength of ClearPath helped buoy the technology segment's performance.

Interested in more info on Unisys? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

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Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Harris Interactive Inc. (HPOL)

Harris Interactive Inc. operates as a consultative market research company primarily in North America, Europe, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The company provides market research and polling services, which include ad-hoc and customized qualitative and quantitative research, service bureau research, and long-term tracking studies; and consultative solutions in areas, such as market assessment, product development, brand and communications, stakeholder relationships, reputation management, and youth and education. It also conducts market research projects for clients in automotive, transportation, travel, tourism, energy, professional services, consumer goods, restaurants, retail, financial services, healthcare, public affairs and policy, technology, media, and telecommunications industries. In addition, the company conducts custom research, including customer satisfaction surveys, market share studies, new product introduction studies, brand recognition s tudies, reputation studies, and ad concept testing; provides tracking study research comprising design, execution, and maintenance of custom and online tracking studies; and offers service bureau research, such as mixed-mode data collection, panel development, and syndicated and tracking research consultation services. Further, it provides multi-client research; and omnibus research consisting of online, telephone, and face-to-face solutions. Harris Interactive Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Rochester, New York.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated provides healthcare services in the United States. Its Health Benefits segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; and non-employer based insurance options for purchase by individuals. It also provides health and well-being services for individuals aged 50 and older; and for services dealing with chronic disease and other specialized issues for older individuals, as well as health plans for the beneficiaries of acute and long-term care Medicaid plans. This segment offers its services through a network of 730,000 physicians and other health care professionals, and 5,300 hospitals. Its OptumHealth segment provides health, financial, and ancillary services and products that assist consumers through personalized health management solutions; benefit administration, and clinical and network management; health-based financi al services; behavioral solutions; and specialty benefits, such as dental, vision, life, critical illness, short-term disability, and stop-loss product offerings. The company?s Ingenix segment offers database and data management services, software products, publications, consulting and actuarial services, business process outsourcing services, and pharmaceutical data consulting and research services. Its Prescription Solutions segment provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services comprising retail network pharmacy contracting and management, claims processing, mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy, benefit design consultation, rebate contracting and management, drug utilization review, formulary management programs, disease therapy management, and adherence programs to employer groups, union trusts, managed care organizations, Medicare-contracted plans, Medicaid plans, and third party administrators. The company was founded in 1974 and is based in Minne tonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Dan Caplinger]
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH ) , up 18%
Two months ago, health-insurance giant UnitedHealth looked like it might suffer huge reimbursement cuts from the federal government in its Medicare Advantage program. Yet since then, the government agency overseeing Medicare surprised investors by increasing reimbursements. Future cuts may loom on the horizon, but investors have gotten more comfortable with what Obamacare will mean for UnitedHealth and have thus been willing to bid up shares.
[By John Divine]
America's largest health-care provider, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH ) , was the gem of the index today, as shares surged 6.5% after reporting blowout second-quarter results. The insurer grew membership at a much quicker rate than analysts anticipated, though margins contracted slightly, and revenue didn't wow anyone. UnitedHealth sounded upbeat about the future, though, which excited shareholders.
[By Keith Speights]
Anthem, which is owned by WellPoint (NYSE: WLP ) , for example, required prior authorizations only 2.14% of the time. Cigna (NYSE: CI ) and Aetna (NYSE: AET ) have higher frequencies -- 4.74% and 5.42%, respectively. Humana (NYSE: HUM ) is even higher, but still in the single digits with a 8.42% prior authorization rate. Of the publicly traded insurers, only UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH ) requires prior authorizations more than 10% of the time, with a rate of 12.43%.
[By Jeff Reeves]
UnitedHealth�(UNH), Aetna�(AET) and WellPoint�(WLP) — the three largest managed-care insurers, as measured by market capitalization — are all up more than 30% year-to-date to outperform the S&P 500. And hospital operators like Health Management Associates (HMA) and Universal Health Services (UHS) are up big this year, too.

Top 10 China Companies To Watch For 2014: First Financial Service Corporation(FFKY)

First Financial Service Corporation operates as the holding company for First Federal Savings Bank of Elizabethtown that provides various personal and corporate banking services. It offers a range of deposit instruments, including multiple checking accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, health savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises residential mortgage products; specialized financing programs; mortgages for multifamily real estate; commercial real estate loans; commercial loans to businesses, including revolving lines of credit and term loans; real estate development loans; construction lending; agricultural lending; and consumer loans, including home equity lines of credit, auto loans, recreational vehicle, and other secured and unsecured loans. It also provides merchant bankcard, electronic funds transfer, debit and credit cards, and telephone and Internet banking se rvices. In addition, the company offers various mutual funds, equity investments, and fixed and variable annuities, as well as personal investment financial counseling services. It operates 22 full-service banking centers and a commercial private banking center in Hardin, Nelson, Hart, Bullitt, Meade, and Jefferson counties in Kentucky, as well as Harrison and Floyd counties in southern Indiana. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: STERIS Corporation(STE)

STERIS Corporation and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, and sell infection prevention, contamination control, microbial reduction, and surgical support products and services for healthcare, pharmaceutical, scientific, research, industrial, and governmental customers worldwide. It provides steam, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and ethylene oxide sterilizers; liquid chemical sterilant processing systems; washer/disinfector systems; general and specialty surgical tables; surgical and examination lights; equipment management systems; operating room storage cabinets; warming cabinets; scrub sinks; and other products and accessories. The company also offers connectivity solutions, such as operating room integration, workflow, patient tracking, and instrument management that allow transfer of information and images; cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; cleansing products, including hard surface disinfectants, and skin care and hand hygiene solutions; high-pu rity water equipment; vaporized hydrogen peroxide generators. In addition, it sells contract materials processing services using gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide technologies, as well as offers microbial reduction services based on customer specifications. Further, the company provides maintenance programs and repair services, sterilization and surgical management consulting services, information management and decision support services, and other support services, such as construction and facility planning, engineering support, device testing, customer education, hand hygiene process excellence, asset management/planning, and the sale of replacement parts. STERIS Corporation sells its products to end users, dealers, and distributors through direct field sales and service representatives. The company was formerly known as Innovative Medical Technologies and changed its name to STERIS Corporation in 1987. STERIS Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Ment or, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Steris (NYSE: STE ) �-- a manufacturer of infection prevention, contamination control, and surgical support products for the health-care industry -- jumped as much as 10% after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Hongkong Land Holdings Limited (H78.SI)

Hongkong Land Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the investment, management, and development of real estate properties in greater China and southeast Asia. The company owns and manages approximately 5 million square feet of office and retail space in Central business district, Hong Kong. It also owns commercial investment property in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Macau. In addition, the company holds residential development property for sale in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Macau; and under development properties in Singapore and Mainland China. Further, it is involved in the hotel investment and property consultancy activities. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Jardine Strategic Holdings Limited.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: AFI DEVELOPMENT PLC ORD USD0.001 B(AFRB.L)

AFI Development Plc, and investment holding company, operates as a real estate development company in Moscow, the Russian regions, Ukraine, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It develops and redevelops, leases, and sells commercial and residential real estate assets, including offices, shopping centers, hotels, mixed-use properties, and residential projects. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Limassol, Cyprus. AFI Development Plc is a subsidiary of Africa Israel Investments Limited

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Targa Resources Inc.(TRGP)

Targa Resources Corp., through its general and limited partner interests in Targa Resources Partners LP, provides midstream natural gas and natural gas liquid (NGL) services in the United States. It engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and selling natural gas, as well as storing, fractionating, treating, transporting, and selling NGLs and NGL products. The company owns interests in or operates approximately 11,372 miles of natural gas pipelines and approximately 800 miles of NGL pipelines, with natural gas gathering systems covering approximately 13,500 square miles and 22 natural gas processing plants with access to natural gas supplies in the Permian Basin, the Fort Worth Basin, the onshore region of the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. It owns and operates 39 storage wells with a net storage capacity of approximately 65 million barrels; and 16 storage, marine, and transport terminals with above ground storage capacity of approximately 1.4 million barrels. Targa Resources Corp. sells its services to refineries, petrochemical manufacturers, propane distributors, multi-state retailers, independent retailers, and other industrial end-users. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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 Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
[By WWW.STANSBERRYRESEARCH.COM]
There are few things in life I know with certainty... But I know this: Barring the end of the world, the price of oil is going to fall and the price of natural gas is going to rise. In my mind, you ought to buy all the natural gas you can afford because these energy resources will not be cheap forever.
There were other signs that natural gas was at a very significant low. First and foremost, Wall Street had gone from being massively long natural gas in 2005 and 2006 to being almost uniformly short. Trading volume on natural gas futures had soared – up 31% in a year, with almost all the financial firms being short. But the most important factor in my analysis was that from a physical, arbitrage perspective, natural gas couldn't get any cheaper. Natural gas is just one form of energy. In theory, as an energy source, it's totally interchangeable with other fossil fuels. Think of it this way: A barrel of oil has 5.825 million British thermal units (Btu) of energy. One thousand cubic feet of gas contains just a little more than 1 million Btu of energy. Thus, on an energy-equivalent basis, you might expect natural gas to trade for one-sixth the price of oil. That doesn't actually happen very often, though... In the real world, oil has vastly more utility. It's far more widely used in transportation, and it's much easier to transport. (It doesn't have to be frozen first, like natural gas does.) So in the real world, historically, oil has carried a 10x premium in price to natural gas on an energy equivalent basis. But last April... the price of oil was trading at over a 50x multiple to the price of natural gas. This enormous premium simply couldn't last – it was impossible. That's why I was telling you to be a pig in natural gas. First, I had studied the investment carefully for a long period of time. Second, I knew that Wall Str
[By Eric Volkman]
The closely related energy firms Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP ) and Targa Resources Partners (NYSE: NGLS ) are teaming up to return more money to shareholders. Both companies have raised the stockholder payouts for their respective Q1s. For the quarter, Resources will dispense a dividend of $0.4950 per share of its common stock on May 16 to shareholders of record as of April 29. Partners will pay $0.6975 per common unit, to be distributed May 15 to unitholders as of April 29.
[By Eric Volkman]
The dividends are continuing to flow at the closely related companies Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP ) and Targa Resources Partners (NYSE: NGLS ) . Q2 distributions for both have been declared; the former will hand out $0.5325 per share on Aug. 15 to shareholders of record as of July 29, while Targa Resources Partners is to dispense $0.7150 per unit on Aug. 14 to holders of record as of July 29.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Zalicus Inc.(ZLCS)

Zalicus Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of drug candidates focusing on the treatment of pain and inflammation. The company?s clinical and preclinical product candidates for pain and inflammatory diseases include Synavive, a glucocorticoid product candidate, which is in Phase 2b clinical development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; Z160, an N-type calcium channel blocker for chronic pain; Z944, a T-type calcium channel blocker to treat acute or chronic inflammatory pain; and N-type and T-type calcium and sodium channel blockers for the treatment of chronic pain. It has a research collaboration and license agreement with the Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research; collaboration agreement with Mallinckrodt Inc., Fovea Pharmaceuticals SA, and Amgen Inc; and a cooperative research and development agreement with the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases. The company was formerly known as C ombinatoRx, Incorporated and changed its name to Zalicus Inc. in September 2010. Zalicus Inc. was founded in 2000 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Yesterday, shares of small cap pain stock�Zalicus Inc (NASDAQ: ZLCS) caused�recent investors some extreme plain�when shares plunged 72.28% (but�are still up 100% since the start of the year) after drug candidate Z160 failed two mid-stage clinical trials��meaning�its probably time to take an objective look at what to do with this stock (as it intends to�focus on its pain treatment Z944) plus take a look at the performance of biotech industry benchmarks like the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ETF (NASDAQ: IBB) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA: XBI).

Friday, November 15, 2013

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The broader market closed slightly lower after touching a new high earlier in the session.

On CNBC's "Fast Money" TV show, Steve Grasso said investors should wait a few days to see how the market reacts to the Federal Reserve's no-taper decision. He added that he's long gold miners, utilities and emerging markets.

Guy Adami said it's been a couple of big days for gold and investors can own it along with equities in the short term. However, he warned that the S&P 500 is getting a bit extended.

Tim Seymour is not a believer in gold, but is a seller of bonds and buying pullbacks in the emerging markets. Mike Khouw said equities seemed to be fully valued at 17 times earnings. Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), a large shareholder of J.C. Penney (JCP), announced it is selling its entire 13.4 million share stake. Finerman said she is not a buyer of the stock, although there are some big buyers in the name. Adami added J.C. Penney could easily bounce to $15.50 or so before possibly heading lower. Rebecca Patterson, CIO of Bessemer Trust, was a guest on the show and said the Fed blew a great opportunity to announce tapering, since the market was ready and braced for the move. She added the housing and auto data held up well, despite the higher interest rate environment. She thinks that, in general, equities will now go higher. AK Steel Holding Corp. (AKS) got hit in the after-hours for cutting its guidance. Adami said he prefers Nucor (NUE) and U.S. Steel Corp. (X), in that order. Rite Aid (RAD) was the first stock on the show's "Pops & Drops" segment. Finerman said if the company could turn it around, there's a lot more upside left. J.C. Penney fell 2% and Grasso said the stock could go higher on a technical basis, but he does not like the fundamentals. Lennar (LEN) fell 3%. Khouw said he would avoid the name, along with all homebuilders. ConAgra Foods (CAG) dropped 4% and Seymour said buyers should wait before stepping in on the long side.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 Jacob Roche]
With the economy starting to improve, you might think Dollar Tree's (NASDAQ: DLTR ) fortunes will reverse. The deep discounter provided unemployed and lower-income consumers a safe place in the storm, but with the economic weather clearing up, it would be reasonable to expect consumers to venture out again to higher-end retailers. However, that assumption would be wrong.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 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.
[By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, household products company Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
[By John Udovich]
Everyone is familiar with�the Tupperware brand from�consumer products stock Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) and you are probably familiar with the brands�of mid cap stock Jarden Corp (NYSE: JAH) along with small cap stocks Libbey Inc (NYSEMKT: LBY) and Lifetime Brands Inc (NASDAQ: LCUT); but what about the stocks themselves? Chances are, their brands or products are right under your nose at home and you probably don�� know anything about the mid cap or small cap stock behind them.
[By Arie Goren]
After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).

Hot Growth Companies For 2014: 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 Aaron Levitt]
For investors, oil stocks are certainly shining this earnings season. OXY and BP, as well previous reports by Schlumberger (SLB) and Halliburton (HAL), are proving that fact.
[By Arjun Sreekumar]
For instance, though oilfield services firms Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) and Halliburton (NYSE: HAL ) have shown a keen interest in developing China's shale resources, the absence of clearly defined and enforceable patent and property protection laws has given them reason to pause. �
[By Matt DiLallo]
Along with announcing earnings, both Halliburton (NYSE: HAL ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) announced multi-billion-dollar stock buybacks. With so much money on the line, investors have to ask if this is the right move for these two oil-field service giants. Are these stocks cheap enough to warrant the buybacks or should these companies consider other options for those funds?
[By Arjun Sreekumar]
Not surprisingly, the industry's annual capital spending has more than tripled over the past decade, coming in at $550 billion in 2011, according to oil-field services firm Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) . Yet despite shelling out all that money, the industry as a whole has been unable to secure enough new reserves to offset production.

Top 5 Value Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 Dan Carroll]
Finally, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) shares have fallen 1.9% today, putting it near the bottom of the index as well. This company's earnings also disappointed investors, and the international slowdown in Europe, China, and other leading economies has crippled Caterpillar's outlook. While there are signs of hope for the firm in the U.S. housing rebound, until China's economy picks up steam from its current lackluster growth -- or until some other economic mover and shaker fills the void -- Caterpillar will continue to feel the pressure.
[By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) is down 2.9% at $26.36 after weak guidance. Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) is down 16.9% at $61.78 on even darker guidance. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is down 6% at $83.82 on poor earnings and a softer outlook. Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) is up 5.4% at $129.04 after posting a new 52-week high of $129.99 on good earnings and raised guidance.
[By Dan Caplinger]
Finally, the U.S. dollar finished weaker against the euro and the British pound but strengthened against the Japanese yen. During this earnings season, we've seen many companies struggle due to the impact of the strong dollar on the value of their foreign revenue and earnings. For instance, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) cited what it called a "substantial currency headwind" in its second quarter that weighed on its disappointing results. The company doesn't expect a recurrence of the $134 million in currency-translation and hedging losses it suffered during the quarter, but investors should keep an eye on currency movements and weigh their potential impact on earnings.