Thursday, July 10, 2014

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014

NEW YORK -- Retail stocks have been hot this year. The sector is up around 40%. With the holiday shopping season getting ready to rev up, a period in which retailers ring up roughly 40% of their annual sales, you'd think a continuation of the retail rally seems all but assured. Not quite.

Retail stocks tend to fare worse than the broader U.S. stock market in the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas, according to data compiled by Bespoke Investment Group.

Just because retailers' cash registers are screaming ka-ching during the holiday-selling season, the shares of retailers tend to "run out of steam" and "peak" at or shortly after Thanksgiving, according to Bespoke.

STOCK INDEXES: Maintain milestone trifecta

AFTER THANKSGIVING: Stock appetite rises

Since 2000, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 stock index has posted average gains of 1.7% from Thanksgiving through Christmas, with positive returns 77% of the time, Bespoke says. In contrast, the index's "retail group" has averaged gains of just 0.8%, with positive returns only 54% of the time. Retail stocks are hot from late summer through Thanksgiving, history shows.

Best Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2015: Osaka Gas Co Ltd (OSA)

OSAKA GAS CO., LTD. is primarily engaged in gas business. It operates in four business segments. The Gas segment is involved in the production, supply and sale of gas, the sale of gas equipment and housing equipment, the construction of gas piping works, the maintenance and inspection of gas equipment. The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Electric and Other Energy segment is engaged in the sale of LPG and the supply of electricity. The Oversea Energy segment is engaged in the leasing of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, the oil and gas-related development and investment, the research and investment of energy supply business. The Environment and Non-energy segment is involved in the development, leasing, management and subdivision of real estates, the leasing and maintenance of automobiles, the manufacture and sale of fine materials and carbon materials, the staff dispatching business, the credit and insurance agency business and the operation of sports facilities. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Damian Illia]

    The company is also aware that its ability to sell non-invase treatment products relies largely on the willingness of third parties to pay for treatment. Therefore, it not only focuses on developing devices to treat sleep apnea and other respiratory problem. It also does on increasing awareness among patients and healthcare professionals of the potentially serious health consequences of untreated SDB as well as educating caregivers about therapy options. It is estimated that SDB affects 20 percent of the adult population and that 90 percent who have obstructed sleep apnea (OSA) still are and most likely will remain undiagnosed and untreated. The company has therefore created a number of foundations and funds primary care physician programs to educate doctors on SDB. On the other hand, diagnosed COPD patients in America are around 12 million people, but is is estimated that another 12 milion may have the disease and hasn't been diagnosed yet. Also, ResMed looks forward to capture those patients who formerly balked at costly, uncomfortable testing in a sleep lad through at-home sleep apnea testing. What this all really means actually, is that ResMed's potential markets have not really been penetrated and that the growth prospects for the coming years is huge.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: Umpqua Holdings Corp (UMPQ)

Umpqua Holdings Corporation (Umpqua) is a financial holding company. Umpqua has two principal operating subsidiaries, Umpqua Bank (the Bank) and Umpqua Investments, Inc. (Umpqua Investments). The Bank is primarily engaged in the business of commercial and retail banking and the delivery of retail brokerage services. The Bank provides a range of banking, wealth management, mortgage banking and other financial services to corporate, institutional and individual customers. Umpqua Investments is a broker-dealer and investment advisor with offices in Portland, Lake Oswego, Medford, Oregon, and in many Umpqua Bank stores. Umpqua Investments offers a range of investment products and services, including stocks, fixed income securities (municipal, corporate, and government bonds, Certificate of Deposits (CDs), and money market instruments), mutual funds, annuities, options, retirement planning, money management services and life insurance. In December 2011, the Bank launched a commercial real estate division. In November 2012, the Company acquired Circle Bancorp, parent company of Circle Bank. In July 2013, Umpqua Holdings Corp completed its acquisition of Financial Pacific Holding Corp.

The Company offers a Switch Kit, which allows a customer to open a primary checking account with Umpqua Bank in less than 10 minutes. Other avenues, through which customers can access its products, include its Website equipped with an e-switchkit, which includes Internet banking through umpqua.online, mobile banking, and its 24-hour telephone voice response system. Umpqua Private Bank serves high net worth individuals with liquid investable assets by providing customized financial solutions and offerings. Umpqua private bank works collaboratively with the Bank�� affiliate retail brokerage Umpqua Investments and with the independent capital management firm Ferguson Wellman Capital Management. Umpqua Investments provides a range of brokerage services, including equity and fixed income products, mutual funds, annui! ties, options, retirement planning and money management services. Additionally, Umpqua Investments offers life insurance policies. At December 31, 2011, Umpqua Investments had 41Series seven-licensed financial advisors serving clients at three stand-alone retail brokerage offices and Investment Opportunity Centers located in many Bank stores.

Lending Activities

Umpqua offers loans for business and commercial customers, including accounts receivable and inventory financing, equipment loans, international trade, real estate construction loans and permanent financing and SBA program financing, as well as capital markets and treasury management. Additionally, it offers designed loan products for small businesses through its Small Business Lending Center. It also has a business banking division to increase lending to small and mid-sized businesses. The Company is also engaged in initiatives that continue to diversify the loan portfolio, including a focus on commercial and industrial loans in addition to financing owner-occupied properties.

Real estate loans are available for construction, purchase and refinancing of residential owner-occupied and rental properties. Borrowers can choose from a variety of fixed and adjustable rate options and terms. It sells residential real estate loans that originate into the secondary market. It also supports the Home Affordable Refinance Program and Home Affordable Modification Program. The Bank also provide loans to individual borrowers for a variety of purposes, including secured and unsecured personal loans, home equity and personal lines of credit and motor vehicle loans. The Bank makes both secured and unsecured loans to individuals and businesses. During 2011, its commercial real estate, commercial, residential, and consumer and other represented approximately 64%, 25%, 10%, and 1%, respectively, of the total non-covered loan and lease portfolio.

Source of Funds

The Company offers an array of deposit p! roducts, ! including non-interest-bearing checking accounts, interest-bearing checking and savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. These accounts earn interest at rates established by management based on market factors. It also offers a seniors program to customers over fifty years old, which includes an array of banking services and other amenities, such as purchase discounts, vacation trips and seminars.

Investment Activities

As of December 31, 2011, Umpqua's portfolio of investments securities included securities issued by United States Treasury and agencies, and residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. It also includes obligations of states and political subdivisions, other debt securities, and investments in mutual funds and other equity securities.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Umpqua (UMPQ) is engaged in the business of commercial and retail banking and the delivery of retail brokerage services. This stock closed up 5% at $17.11 in Monday's trading session.

    Monday's Volume: 2.16 million

    Three-Month Average Volume: 686,781

    Volume % Change: 235%

    From a technical perspective, UMPQ ripped sharply higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $16.51 with strong upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of UMPQ within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if UMPQ manages to take out Monday's intraday high of $17.46 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $17.48 with high volume.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UMPQ as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $16.51 or above more near-term support at $16 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 686,781 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then UMPQ will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $20 to $23.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: NVR Inc.(NVR)

NVR, Inc. operates as a homebuilder in the United States. It engages in the construction and sale of single-family detached homes, townhomes, and condominium buildings under the trade names of Ryan Homes, NVHomes, Fox Ridge Homes, and Rymarc Homes primarily to first-time homeowners and first-time move-up buyers. The company markets its products in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, western and eastern Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Columbia. It also offers mortgage banking services to its homebuilding customers, including mortgage financing and brokerage of title insurance, as well as performs title searches in connection with mortgage loan closings. NVR, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Big Earnings Movers: McDonald�� Corp. (NYSE: MCD) is down 0.6% at $94.59 after a so-so report and a downbeat forecast. Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) is down 3.4% at $50.67 on added caution for the current quarter. V.F. Corp. (NYSE: VFC) is up 3.4% at $211.24. SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) is up 3.6% at $76.38. NVR Corp. (NYSE: NVR) is down 4.1% at $893.40.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: Tesla Motors Inc.(TSLA)

Tesla Motors, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. It offers Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car. The company markets and sells its vehicles directly to consumers through the phone and Internet, as well as through its network of Tesla stores. It operates 18 Tesla stores located in Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Miami, New York, Newport Beach, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Copenhagen, London, Milan, Monaco, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and Zurich. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Briefly in the news
    And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

    Just in case you weren't armed with enough anecdotal evidence that the housing industry is back, revenue at leading real estate website Zillow (NASDAQ: Z  ) climbed 71% in its latest quarter. Zillow became the first company to take questions on Twitter during its earnings call, though most of those were from Wall Street analysts. Shares of Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN  ) tumbled 15% on Thursday after the company posted an unexpected drop in sales of its flagship prostate cancer treatment. A couple of analysts moved to downgrade Dendreon on the report. Heckmann (NYSE: NES  ) was downgraded by Global Hunter Securities after posting a wider quarterly loss than Wall Street was expecting. Revenue also came in a bit light. On the beat side, Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA  ) posted a quarterly profit that was four times larger than analysts were projecting. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also conceded that the company is exploring technology for self-driving cars.

  • [By Hibah Yousuf]

    It's not the first time Musk has said that Tesla (TSLA) shares are flying too high, but investors haven't really bothered to pay attention. He used almost the same language about the stock's valuation during an interview with CNBC in August. But the stock has climbed 10% since then.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: Velti plc(VELT)

Velti plc provides mobile marketing and advertising solutions for mobile operators, ad agencies, brands, and media groups. The company?s Mobile Marketing Platform (MMP) helps businesses to plan, execute, monitor, and measure mobile marketing or advertising campaigns on various digital delivery channels, including Internet sites, SMS and MMS, mobile TV, mobile communities, mobile applications, location-based services, and mobile social networking. Its MMP also helps in the creation of mobile Websites, portals, blogs, content, iPhone applications, branded games, and mobile widgets; and in the mobile marketing through mobile clubs, mobile content, contests, couponing, alerts and tips, photo/text to screen, green screen, and image remix applications. In addition, MMP offers Mobile CRM solutions that help in the creation and management of mobile communities, mobile broadcasts, member management, segment management, member rewards, multichannel registration, and advanced profil ing. It has operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 name that's quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Velti (VELT), which provides mobile marketing and advertising technology solutions that enable brands, advertising agencies, and mobile operators to implement interactive and measurable campaigns by communicating with and engaging consumers via their mobile devices. This stock has been destroyed by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off sharply by 91%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Velti, you'll notice that this stock recently gapped down big from over $1 a share to 33 cents per share with monster downside volume. Following that gap down, shares of VELT have started to consolidate and move sideways between 33 cents per share on the downside and 44 cents per share on the upside. Shares of VELT are spiking sharply higher on Thursday above some near-term support at 35 cents per share. That move is pushing this stock within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in VELT if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at 44 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.02 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then VELT could easily explode higher and potentially re-test its gap down day high from August at 66 cents per share.

    Traders can look to buy VELT off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at 35 cents to 33 cents per share. One can also buy VELT off strength once it clears 44 cents per share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: Celanese Corporation (CE)

Celanese Corporation, a technology and specialty materials company, engages in manufacture and sale of value-added chemicals, thermoplastic polymers, and other chemical-based products. It operates through four business segments: Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties, and Acetyl Intermediates. The Advanced Engineered Materials segment offers specialty polymers for application in automotive, medical, and electronics products, as well as other consumer and industrial applications. The Consumer Specialties segment provides cellulose acetate flake, film, and tow that are primarily used in filter products applications; Sunett, a sweetener; and food protection ingredients, such as sorbates and sorbic acid for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The Industrial Specialties segment produces emulsions and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) performance polymers. Its emulsions products are used in applications, such as paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles, and paper; and EVA performance polymers are used in flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, medical products, automotive, carpeting and photovoltaic cells. The Acetyl Intermediates segment offers acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters for use as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, and medicines. It also provides organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical products. The company offers its products directly, as well as through distributors and electronic marketplaces in North America, Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and South America. Celanese Corporation was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Celanese (NYSE: CE) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion.

    Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Chemical products manufacturer Celanese (CE) raised its quarterly dividend 39% to 25 cents per share payable payable on May 16 to shareholders of record May 5.
    CE Dividend Yield: 1.69%

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Celanese (NYSE: CE  ) will have to pony up a significantly higher amount of money for its shareholder payouts. The company has declared a common stock dividend of $0.18 per share, to be paid on August 15 to shareholders of record as of August 5. That amount is exactly double the company's previous distribution of $0.09.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of chemical maker Celanese (NYSE: CE  ) jumped as much as 16% today after the company released earnings.

    So what: Revenue fell slightly in the first quarter, to $1.61 billion, but adjusted earnings per share jumped 44%, to $1.14. Revenue was in line with expectations, and earnings crushed the $0.79 that analysts expected.�

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2014: Endeavor IP Inc (ENIP)

Endeavor IP, Inc., formerly Finishing Touches Home Goods Inc., incorporated on December 8, 2009, is an integrated consulting firm that assists individuals, organizations, companies and government agencies in finding solutions to home and workplace-related barriers for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as ergonomics consultancy. The Company�� focused on providing services and products that helps to create barrier-free homes and workplace environments. The Company provides consulting services, including site audits and accessibility/ergonomic planning and development; installation and sales of accessibility, ergonomic and safety products, ergonomic consultancy for homes and businesses. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012, the Company focuses on providing services in two main areas: Accessibility and Ergonomics in the workplace and at home.

The Company offer functional assessment services for commercial and residential properties and offer recommendations based on its assessment to improve accessibility and safety of these sites. The Company offers its clients practical ergonomic solutions by offering consulting services, such as Ergonomic Assessments, Physical Demands Assessments, Disability Management / Return to Work, and Occupational Health and Safety. The Company�� consulting services include Workplace Risk Assessments, Office Layout, New Equipment Selection, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessments, Accessibility and Disability Access Audits, Retail Ergonomics and Ergonomics Standards.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    To anybody who happened to have a position in Vringo, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRNG) prior to Wednesday of last week, congratulations - your trade is now up somewhere around 25%, as VRNG essentially won the second part of its big-Kahuna court case it had been fighting. Score one for the art of defending a patent. Well, if you liked the outcome of the Vringo trial - and if you have a newfound appreciation for the intellectual property business model - then you're going to love a smaller but perhaps more potent company called Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP).

  • [By John Udovich]

    Although some view patent investors or speculators as nothing more than "patent trolls," small cap patent stocks RPX Corporation (NASDAQ: RPXC), Marathon Patent Group Inc (OTCBB: MARA) and Endeavor IP Inc (OTCBB: ENIP) are a couple of interesting options that allow retail investors to invest in patents as they either invest in patents themselves or they provide patent related services. However, there could be risks associated with investing in patent stocks because a bi-partisan bill called the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) is�working its way through Congress to try and reign in the activities of so-called�patent trolls or companies�who go out and buy or license patents from others and then target alleged infringers with lawsuits.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    When traders think of an IP (intellectual property) company, they tend to conjure up names like InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC), VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC), or of course, the well-known Vringo, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRNG). And, investors see these patent-enforcement names as such for good reason.... between VRNG, IDCC, and VHC, the three organizations own well over 20,000 technology patents, and their efforts to enforce them have been well-documented, and well publicized. Thing is, as the patent-protection industry matures, companies like Vringo, InterDigital, or VirnetX Holding may well find that it's the quality of the patent portfolio rather than the quantity of patents that makes an IP owner a potent investment. Enter Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP).

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    The winds of change are blowing within the patent-enforcement world. If you don't believe it, just ask Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM), and Soverain Software LLC. All three companies recently found themselves on the losing end of a court decision - the appeals court, to be specific - that likely could have come out very differently were we in the patent-enforcement environment from just a couple of years ago. Things are a bit tougher for patent owners now. That change, however, may be a very good thing for patent-protection company Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP) and ENIP shareholders.

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