On a relatively quiet day for the stock market, the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) having swung gently between gains and losses during the first hour of the trading day. As of 10:55 a.m. EDT the index is up 32 points. But beneath that apparently calm activity is a big battle between circumstances in the U.S. and conditions around the world.
Overnight, the Japanese stock market plunged another 6%, sending the Nikkei (NIKKEIINDICES: ^NI225 ) into an official bear market with a 20% drop in the past three weeks and reflecting uncertainty about the ability of the Bank of Japan to implement policies to stimulate the long-dormant Japanese economy. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to see favorable signs of growth, with falling claims for unemployment and strength in retail sales boding well for conditions domestically.
What's interesting is how that tug-of-war is playing out among individual companies. Among the gainers in the Dow this morning is Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) , which is up 1.1%. As I predicted earlier this week, Caterpillar followed through on its long streak of annual dividend increases with a 15% hike yesterday. Yet the move likely also reflects optimism about the U.S. economy, as Caterpillar retains a key domestic presence despite the importance of international markets like China. The stock has been stuck in the doldrums for a while now, so signs of life are a positive not just for Caterpillar investors but for the broader industrial sector.
Top 10 Managed Healthcare Companies To Watch In Right Now: The Blackstone Group L.P.(BX)
The Blackstone Group, L.P., together with its subsidiaries, provides alternative asset management and financial advisory services worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Private Equity, Real Estate, Hedge Fund Solutions, Credit Businesses, and Financial Advisory. The Private Equity segment involves in private equity investing through five general private equity funds and one specialized fund focusing on communications-related investments. This segment engages in various transactions comprising leveraged buyout acquisitions of seasoned companies, transactions involving growth equity or start-up businesses in established industries, minority investments, corporate partnerships, distressed debt, structured securities, and industry consolidations. The Real Estate segment manages general opportunistic real estate funds and internationally focused opportunistic real estate funds. This segment also has debt investment funds targeting non-controlling real estate debt-rel ated investment opportunities in the public and private markets, primarily in the United States and Europe. The Hedge Fund Solutions segment manages funds of hedge funds, and Indian-focused and Asian-focused closed-end mutual funds. The Credit Businesses segment manages credit-oriented funds, CLOs, credit-focused separately managed accounts, and publicly registered debt-focused investment companies. The Financial Advisory segment offers financial and strategic advisory, including corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions advice; restructuring and reorganization advisory; and fund placement services for alternative investment funds. Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. operates as the general partner of the company. The Blackstone Group, L.P. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael Lewis]
Under the recent agreement, Icahn Enterprises agrees to keep its stake under 10% of the outstanding shares (the investor already has a $1 billion position), and will not partner with other shareholders to represent more than 15% of the company. This keeps Icahn firmly in minority stakeholder territory and prevents a hostile takeover -- sort of. While his stake cannot grow much beyond its position today, Icahn can still wage a proxy battle if he determines Dell's board is acting against the best interest of shareholders. Keeping this right was the ultimate reason the investor refused Dell's bribe, which the other suitors,�Blackstone (NYSE: BX ) � and Silver Lake Partners, agreed to. As of last Friday, Blackstone had backed out of the deal after being disappointed with the company's�revenue outlook.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Alamy Quick, what's the most recognized brand name in the hotel industry? Chances are good that your knee-jerk answer was "Hilton." That well-known moniker is especially prominent last week, as Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT), the company that now owns the hallowed brand, has brought it back to the stock market in the form of an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Wednesday, the company priced the IPO at $20 per share, and due to strong demand, raised the number of shares to be sold to 117.6 million from the originally anticipated 112.8 million. That means gross proceeds just north of $2.35 billion, the highest in history for a hotel operator. Hilton's coming to market now because its majority owner, financial services powerhouse The Blackstone Group (BX), wants to cash out on its investment. The company took the hotel operator private with several partners in 2007. Since then, Blackstone has watched other big names in the hospitality sector launch well-received IPOs. In late 2009, for instance, Hyatt Hotels (H) debuted on the NYSE, raising gross proceeds of $950 million -- enough to make it one of the highest-grossing issues of that year. That was also good enough to make its shareholders wealthier; from a listing price of $25 per share, the stock closed at $28 on its first day of trading, and just over four years later, it has nearly doubled to more than $46. More recently, Blackstone had skin in the game in the IPO of long-term hotel operator Extended Stay America (STAY) as a co-owner along with peer financials Centerbridge Partners and Paulson. The shares of ESA rose nearly 20 percent on the company's market debut last month and have since crept higher. Those kinds of numbers were surely irresistible to Blackstone, which has wisely decided not to sell any of its own Hilton shares in the IPO. Rather, the wily financier says it will dole them out gradually in the months and years ahead. It needs the time -- the company owns more than 75
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TrustCo Bank Corp NY(TRST)
TrustCo Bank Corp NY operates as the holding company for Trustco Bank that provides general banking services to individuals, partnerships, and corporations. The company primarily involves in accepting deposits, and making loans and investments. It also serves as the executor of estates and trustee of personal trusts; provides asset and wealth management, estate planning and related advice, and custodial services; and acts as the trustee for various types of employee benefit plans, and corporate pension and profit sharing trusts. In addition, the company operates a real estate investment trust that acquires, holds, and manages real estate mortgage assets, including residential mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities. As of December, 2010, it operated 141 automatic teller machines and 134 banking offices in Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster, Warren, Washington, and Westchester counties in New York ; Charlotte, Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, and Volusia counties in Florida; Bennington County in Vermont; Berkshire County in Massachusetts; and Bergen County in New Jersey. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Glenville, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Monday
The market kicks off with TrustCo (NASDAQ: TRST ) reporting quarterly results on Monday. Many of the "too big to fail" institutions reported in recent days, but now it's time to check out some of the regional players. TrustCo has 138 offices through the Northeast and Florida, watching over $4.3 billion in assets.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Julius Baer Gruppe AG (BAER)
Julius Baer Gruppe AG (the Group) is a Switzerland-based private banking group, with an exclusive focus on servicing and advising private clients and independent asset managers. The Group has a global presence with approximately 50 locations in more than 25 countries and jurisdictions. Julius Baer Gruppe AG was established through spin off from Julius Baer Holding AG�� businesses into two independent entities, namely the Company, together with its subsidiaries, comprising Bank Julius Baer & Co Ltd as its principal operating entity, and GAM Holding, together with its subsidiaries, comprising GAM and the Julius Baer-branded asset management business, which includes the private label funds business that formerly was part of Julius Baer Holding Ltd�� Bank Julius Baer segment. The Group diversifies its operations into geographical segments, including Switzerland, rest of Europe, Americas, and Asia and Other Countries. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Corinne Gretler]
Julius Baer Group Ltd. (BAER) rallied 5.7 percent to 42.04 francs. Switzerland�� third-biggest wealth manager said increased client trading boosted margins as it integrated Merrill Lynch businesses acquired from Bank of America Corp. last year. The gross margin, which reflects how much the bank makes in revenue on managed client assets, rose to 102 basis points in the first half, from 98 basis points in the year-earlier period.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cambridge Heart Inc (CAMH)
Cambridge Heart, Inc., incorporated on January 16, 1990, is engaged in the research, development and commercialization of products for the non-invasive diagnosis of cardiac disease. The Company's products incorporate its technology for the measurement of Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA). The MTWA Test is conducted by elevating the patient's heart rate through exercise as performed on a treadmill similar to a stress test, pharmacologic agents, or pacing with electrical pulses.
The Company's products, including its first generation HearTwave System and second generation HearTwave II System, CH 2000 Cardiac Stress Test System, MTWA original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Module (MTWA Module) and Micro-V Alternans Sensors have received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale in the United States. The Company's products have also received the Conformite Europeenne (CE) mark for sale in Europe. The Company's first generation HearTwave System, CH 2000 Cardiac Stress Test System and the HearTwave II System have been approved for sale by the Japanese Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare.
The Company's 510(k) clearance allows the Company's MTWA Test to be used to test patients with known, suspected, or at risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac arrest, and allows the claim that its MTWA Test is predictive of those events. The MTWA Module is designed to work with existing cardiac stress test platforms distributed by other manufacturers as an add-on module to enable MTWA testing to be performed using the Company's Micro-V Alternans Sensors.
The Company's HearTwave II System, which has replaced the Company's original HearTwave System, is used to perform both MTWA testing and standard cardiac stress testing. In addition to MTWA measurement, the Company's HearTwave II System is a cardiac diagnostic system designed to support a range of customized protocols for the conduct of cardiac exercise stress testing. The Comp! any's Micro-V Alternans Sensors are single patient use, multi-segment electrodes. The Company's CH2000 is a cardiac diagnostic system designed to support a range of customized protocols for the conduct and measurement of cardiac exercise stress testing.
The Company competes with GE Medical Systems.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Last Friday, small cap stocks Cambridge Heart, Inc (OTCMKTS: CAMH), Abby Inc (OTCMKTS: ABBY) and Grillit Inc (OTCMKTS: GRLT) surged 176.92%, 71.2% and 24.07%, respectively. Of course, that was last week and today is a new trading week. So what should investors and traders alike be prepared for this week with these three small caps? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:
Cambridge Heart, Inc (OTCMKTS: CAMH) Recently Changed Its BoardSmall cap Cambridge Heart, Inc is a healthcare company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of products for the non-invasive diagnosis of cardiac disease. On Friday, Cambridge Heart, Inc surged 176.92% to $0.018 for a market cap of $1.80 million plus CAMH is up 20% since the start of the year and down 86.1% over the past five years according to Google Finance.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Central Iron Ore Ltd (CIO)
Central Iron Ore, Ltd. is a Canada-based exploration and development company. The Company is engaged in the search for and development of iron ore and gold. Its projects include Yilgarn Iron Ore Project, South Darlot Gold Project and Eureka Gold Project. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Wolfe]
These four insiders made their buys during the public offering for $6 per share, and since their buys the price per share is down about -0.83%.� Highlighted below are the insiders��individual buys:
Timothy Keating (CEO):� Bought 8,000 shares for $48,000.� Now holds 98,000 shares of KIPO stock. Taylor Simonton (D):� Bought 3,000 shares for $18,000. Now holds 13,000 shares of KIPO stock. Kyle Rogers (CIO):� Bought 3,072 shares for $18,432.� Now holds 8,096 shares of company stock. Frederic Schweiger (CFO/COO):� Bought 8,000 shares for $48,000.� Now holds on to 26,700 shares of KIPO stock.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Pembina Pipeline Corp (PBA)
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (Pembina) is a Calgary-based company, engaged in providing transportation and midstream services. It owns and operates: pipelines that transport conventional and synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids produced in western Canada; oil sands, heavy oil and diluent pipelines; gas gathering and processing facilities; and, an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. It has facilities located in western Canada and in natural gas liquids markets in eastern Canada and the United States. Pembina also offers a spectrum of midstream and marketing services. Pembina�� Midstream business is organized into two segments: crude oil and NGL. The crude oil segment represents the Company�� midstream operations. The NGL segment includes two operating systems: Redwater West and Empress East. Pembina's Conventional Pipelines business consists of a pipeline network, located 7,850 kilometers, that extends across much of Alberta and British Columbia. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Midstream operator�Pembina Pipeline� (NYSE: PBA ) �announced yesterday its monthly dividend for May of $0.135 per share,�which is designated an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's dividends are considered "qualified dividends" and are subject to Canadian withholding tax.
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