1. iShares JP Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF� click to enlargeAfter climbing high for months, EMB started to slip in the winter before taking a huge dive in the summer. While other emerging market funds also tanked in the early summer months, funds like the iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF� do not have the added hardship of a strong dollar to bring their returns down even more .
Top Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: New Century Bancorp Inc.(NC)
New Century Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for New Century Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in southeastern North Carolina. Its deposit product line comprises checking, savings, NOW, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, and non-interest-bearing demand and time deposits. The company?s loan portfolio includes one-to-four family and multi-family residential loans; construction loans; home equity lines of credit; commercial real estate loans; commercial and industrial loans; and loans to individuals. It operates main office in Dunn; and branch offices in Clinton, Goldsboro, Lillington, Greenville, Fayetteville, Lumberton, Pembroke, and Raeford. The company is headquartered in Dunn, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Industrial conglomerate�NACCO Industries� (NYSE: NC ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share, the same rate it paid in February, which reflected the spinoff of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling�last September.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: PGT Inc.(PGTI)
PGT, Inc. engages in the manufacture and supply of residential impact-resistant windows and doors. The company offers impact-resistant products, including heavy-duty aluminum or vinyl frames with laminated glass to provide protection from hurricane-force winds and wind-borne debris. It also provides a range of non-impact-resistant aluminum and vinyl frame windows and doors; Architectural Systems line of products, which offer protection from hurricane-force winds and wind-borne debris for mid-and high-rise buildings; and non-glass vertical and horizontal sliding panels for porch enclosures, such as vinyl-glazed and aluminum-framed products used for enclosing screened-in porches that provide protection from inclement weather. The company markets its products under the WinGuard, PremierVue, PGT Architectural Systems, Eze-Breeze, and SpectraGuard brand names. PGT, Inc. offers its products to residential new construction, and home repair and remodeling end markets through windo w distributors, building supply distributors, window replacement dealers, and enclosure contractors. It operates in the southeastern United States, the Gulf Coast, Coastal mid-Atlantic, the Caribbean, Central America, and Canada. The company was formerly known as JLL Window Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to PGT, Inc. in January 2004. PGT, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is based in North Venice, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
A larger-than-previously announced block of PGT's (NASDAQ: PGTI ) shares is up for grabs. Major stockholder JLL Partners Fund has increased the size of its sale; it is now offering an even 10 million shares in an underwritten secondary public offering priced at $7.75 per share. Also, the issue's underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 1.65 million shares from the seller.
- [By Seth Jayson]
There's no foolproof way to know the future for PGT (Nasdaq: PGTI ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: Metlife Inc (MET)
MetLife, Inc. (MetLife), incorporated on August 10, 1999, is a provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 50 countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife operates in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It is organized into six segments: Insurance Products, Retirement Products, Corporate Benefit Funding and Auto & Home (collectively, U.S. Business), and Japan and Other International Regions (collectively, International). In addition, the Company reports certain of its results of operations in Corporate & Other, which includes MetLife Bank, National Association (MetLife Bank) and other business activities. U.S. Business provides insurance and financial services products, including life, dental, disability, auto and homeowner insurance, guaranteed interest and stable value products, and annuities through independent retail distribution channels, as well as at the workplace. Outside the U.S., it operates in Japan and over 50 countries within Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. MetLife is the life insurer in Mexico and also holds positions in Japan, Poland, Chile and Korea. This business provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement and savings products to both individuals and groups. In August 2012, it acquired Reynolds Plantation. In January 2013, the Company completed the sale of MetLife Bank, N.A.'s deposit business. Effective July 25, 2013, MetLife Inc acquired Broadstone Laurel Highlands, from Alliance Residential Fund I. In September 2013, MetLife Inc and Thayer Lodging Group acquired the 365-room Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in a joint venture.
Insurance Products
The Insurance Products segment offers a range of protection products and services aimed at serving the financial needs of its customers throughout their lives. These pro! ducts are sold to individuals and corporations, as well as other institutions and their respective employees. It is organized in three businesses: Group Life, Individual Life and Non-Medical Health.
The Group Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, and term life products. It offer group insurance products as employer-paid benefits or as voluntary benefits where all or a portion of the premiums are paid by the employee. These group products and services also include employee paid supplemental life and are offered as standard products or may be tailored to meet specific customer needs.
The Individual Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, term life and whole life products. Additionally, through its broker-dealer affiliates, it offers a full range of mutual funds and other securities products. The products within both Group Life and Individual Life include Variable Life, Universal Life, Term Life and Whole Life. Variable life products provide insurance coverage through a contract that gives the policyholder the policyholder flexibility in investment choices and, depending on the product, in premium payments and coverage amounts, with certain guarantees. With variable life products, premiums and account balances can be directed by the policyholder into a variety of separate account investment options or directed to the Company�� general account. In the separate account investment options, the policyholder bears the entire risk of the investment results.
Universal life products provide insurance coverage on the same basis as variable life, except that premiums, and the resulting accumulated balances, are allocated only to the Company�� general account. Universal life products may allow the insured to increase or decrease the amount of death benefit coverage over the term of the contract and the owner to adjust the frequency and amount of premium payments.
Term life products provid! e a guara! nteed benefit upon the death of the insured for a specified time period in return for the periodic payment of premiums. Specified coverage periods range from one year to 30 years, but in no event are they longer than the period over, which premiums are paid. Death benefits may be level over the period or decreasing. Decreasing coverage is used principally to provide for loan repayment in the event of death. Premiums may be guaranteed at a level amount for the coverage period or may be non-level and non-guaranteed. Term insurance products are sometimes referred to as pure protection products, in that there are typically no savings or investment elements. Term contracts expire without value at the end of the coverage period when the insured party is still living.
Whole life products provide a guaranteed benefit upon the death of the insured in return for the periodic payment of a fixed premium over a predetermined period. Premium payments may be required for the entire life of the contract period, to a specified age or period, and may be level or change in accordance with a predetermined schedule. Whole life insurance includes policies that provide a participation feature in the form of dividends. Policyholders may receive dividends in cash or apply them to increase death benefits, increase cash values available upon surrender or reduce the premiums required to maintain the contract in-force.
The Non-Medical Health products and services include dental insurance, group short- and long-term disability, individual disability income, long-term care (LTC), critical illness and accidental death & dismemberment coverage. Other products and services include employer-sponsored auto and homeowners insurance provided through the Auto & Home segment and prepaid legal plans. The Company also sells administrative services-only (ASO) arrangements to some employers. The products in this area are Dental, Disability and Long-term Care (LTC). Dental products provide insurance and ASO plans that ass! ist emplo! yees, retirees and their families in maintaining oral health while reducing out-of-pocket expenses and providing superior customer service. Dental plans include the Preferred Dentist Program and the Dental Health Maintenance Organization. Disability products provide a benefit in the event of the disability of the insured. This benefit is in the form of monthly income paid until the insured reaches age 65. In addition to income replacement, the product may be used to provide for the payment of business overhead expenses for disabled business owners or mortgage payment protection. This is offered on both a group and individual basis. LTC products provide protection against the potentially high costs of LTC services. They generally pay benefits to insureds that need assistance with activities of daily living or have a cognitive impairment.
Retirement Products
The Retirement products segment includes a variety of variable and fixed annuities that are primarily sold to individuals and employees of corporations and other institutions. The products in this area are Variable Annuities and Fixed Annuities. Variable annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Variable annuities allow the contract holder to make deposits into various investment options in a separate account, as determined by the contract holder. The risks associated with such investment options are borne entirely by the contract holder, except where guaranteed minimum benefits are involved.
Fixed annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Fixed annuities do not allow the same investment flexibility provided by variable annuities, but provide guarantees related to the preservation of principal and interest credited.
Corporate Benefit Funding
The Corporate Benefit Funding segment includes a range of annuity and investment products, including, guaranteed interest products and other stable value products, income annuitie! s, and se! parate account contracts for the investment management of defined benefit and defined contribution plan assets. This segment also includes certain products to fund postretirement benefits and company, bank or trust owned life insurance used to finance non-qualified benefit programs for executives. The products in this area are Stable Value Products, Pensions Closeouts, Torts and Settlements, Capital Markets Investment Products and other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services. The Company offers general account guaranteed interest contracts, separate account guaranteed interest contracts, and similar products used to support the stable value option of defined contribution plans. It also offers private floating rate funding agreements that are used for money market funds, securities lending cash collateral portfolios and short-term investment funds.
The Company offers general account and separate account annuity products, generally in connection with the termination of defined benefit pension plans, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also offers partial risk transfer solutions that allow for partial transfers of pension liabilities and annuity products that include single premium buyouts. It offers strategies for complex litigation settlements, primarily structured settlement annuities. Under the Capital Markets Investment Products, the products offered include funding agreements, Federal Home Loan Bank advances and funding agreement-backed commercial paper. Under the Other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services, it offers specialized insurance products designed specifically to provide solutions for non-qualified benefit and retiree benefit funding purposes.
Auto & Home
The Auto & Home segment includes personal lines property and casualty insurance offered directly to employees at their employer�� worksite, as well as to individuals through a variety of retail distribution channels, including independent agents, property and casu! alty spec! ialists, direct response marketing and the individual distribution sales group. Auto & Home primarily sells auto insurance, which represented 67% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. Homeowners and other insurance represented 33% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. The products in this area are Auto Coverages and Homeowners and Other Coverages. Auto insurance policies provide coverage for private passenger automobiles, utility automobiles and vans, motorcycles, motor homes, antique or classic automobiles and trailers. Auto & Home offers traditional coverage, such as liability, uninsured motorist, no fault or personal injury protection, as well as collision and comprehensive. Homeowners��insurance policies provide protection for homeowners, renters, condominium owners and residential landlords against losses arising out of damage to dwellings and contents from a variety of perils, as well as coverage for liability arising from ownership or occupancy. Other insurance includes personal excess liability (protection against losses in excess of amounts covered by other liability insurance policies), and coverage for recreational vehicles and boat owners. Most of Auto & Home�� homeowners��policies are traditional insurance policies for dwellings, providing protection for loss on a replacement cost basis. These policies also provide additional coverage for reasonable, normal living expenses incurred by policyholders that have been displaced from their homes.
International
International provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement & savings products to both individuals and groups. The Company focuses on markets primarily within Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It operates in international markets through subsidiaries and affiliates. The Company operates in 22 countries in Latin America, with operations in Mexico, Chile and Argentina. It operates in fou! r countri! es in Asia Pacific with operations in Korea, Hong Kong and Australia. It operates in 35 countries in Europe and the Middle East with operations in Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as through a consolidated joint venture in India.
Corporate & Other
Corporate & Other contains the excess capital not allocated to the segments, which is invested to optimize investment spread and to fund company initiatives and various start-up and run-off entities. Mortgage products offered by MetLife Bank include forward and reverse residential mortgage loans. Residential mortgage loans are originated through MetLife Bank�� national sales force, mortgage brokers and mortgage correspondents. The residential mortgage banking activities include the origination and servicing of mortgage loans. Mortgage loans are held-for-investment or sold primarily into Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) or Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) securities. Deposit products include traditional savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and individual retirement accounts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Remember on Friday when Janney picked MetLife (MET) over Prudential (PRU)? Well, today, UBS, one of the big MetLife bulls, cut shares of the life-insurance giant to Neutral from Buy.
APUBS analyst Suneet Kamath and team explain why they downgraded MetLife:
Our prior positive thesis on the stock was largely predicated on: 1) a business mix shift favoring lower beta Protection segments over more capital markets sensitive Investment segments, and 2) the eventual resumption of capital management. With respect to the former, MET’s near-term guidance suggests to us a fairly gradual shift over the next few years. With respect to the latter, we feel ongoing uncertainty around incremental regulation will continue to delay MET’s ability to resume aggressive capital management.
Shares of MetLife have dropped 0.2% to $53.70 today at 3:17 p.m., while Prudential has gained 0.5% to $90.69.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: Exelon Corp (EXC)
Exelon Corporation (Exelon) is an energy provider and holding company for several energy businesses. Exelon is engaged in the energy generation business through its Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Generation) subsidiary; wholesale and retail energy sales through its Constellation business unit, and the energy delivery business through its Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) and PECO Energy Company (PECO) subsidiaries. It operates in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon Generation has approximately 35,000 megawatts of owned capacity. Constellation provides energy products and services to approximately 100,000 business and public sector customers and approximately 1 million residential customers. Exelon's utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 6.6 million customers in central Maryland, northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania. On March 12, 2012, Constellation Energy Group, Inc. merged into Exelon. In December 2012, the Company sold its three Maryland coal-fired power plants to Raven Power Holdings LLC (Raven Power).
In August 2012, the Company sold its interest in five California power plants to IHI Corp. It includes two coal-powered and three biomass-based plants-with a total generation capacity of 70 megawatts. IHI acquired Exelon's 50% interest in four power plants and 45% interest in one plant. On September 30, 2011, Generation acquired Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One. On August 24, 2011, Generation acquired Wolf Hollow, LLC.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC
Generation is an electric generation company. Generation�� business consists of its owned and contracted electric generating facilities, its wholesale energy marketing operations and its retail supply operations. Generation has three reportable segments, which consists of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and South and West regions. As of December 31, 2011, Generation owned generation resources with an aggregate net capacity of 25,544! megawatt, including 17,115 megawatt of nuclear capacity. Generation controlled another 5,025 megawatt of capacity through long-term contracts. Generation�� retail business provides retail electric and gas services as an unregulated retail energy supplier in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio.
Mid-Atlantic represents Generation�� operations primarily in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland (approximately 35% of capacity); Midwest includes the operations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota (approximately 45% of capacity); and the South and West includes operations primarily in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho and Oregon (approximately 20% of capacity). As of December 31, 2011, Generation had ownership interests in 11 nuclear generating stations in service, consists of 19 units with an aggregate of 17,115 megawatt of capacity. Generation wholly owns all of its nuclear generating stations, except for Quad Cities Generating Station (75% ownership), Peach Bottom Generating Station (50% ownership) and Salem Generating Station (Salem) (42.59% ownership).
Commonwealth Edison Company
Commonwealth Edison Company is engaged principally in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of distribution and transmission services to a diverse base of residential, commercial and industrial customers in northern Illinois. ComEd�� retail service has an area of approximately 11,400 square miles and an estimated population of nine million. The service territory includes the City of Chicago, an area of about 225 square miles with an estimated population of three million. As of December 31, 2011, ComEd had approximately 3.8 million customers.
PECO Energy Company
PECO is engaged principally in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of transmission and distribution services to retail customers in southeastern Pennsylvania, including the City of Philadelphia, as wel! l as the ! purchase and regulated retail sale of natural gas and the provision of distribution services to retail customers in the Pennsylvania counties surrounding the City of Philadelphia. PECO�� combined electric and natural gas retail service territory has an area of approximately 2,100 square miles and an estimated population of four million. PECO provides electric distribution service in an area of approximately 1,900 square miles, with a population of approximately 3.9 million, including approximately 1.5 million in the City of Philadelphia. PECO provides natural gas distribution service in an area of approximately 1,900 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania adjacent to the City of Philadelphia, with a population of approximately 2.4 million. PECO delivers electricity to approximately 1.6 million customers and natural gas to approximately 4,94,000 customers.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
This week's loser
This week's rotten apple was electric utility provider Exelon (NYSE: EXC ) , which fell 8.5% following a downgrade from Deutsche Bank. The reason for the downgrade is Deutsche's belief that capacity pricing will fall in the future and hurt Exelon's revenue in 2017 and beyond. As for me, I believe Exelon's diversification into solar and the prospect that the U.S. government will step in and encourage nuclear power via subsidies will drive growth and keep its costs reasonable. � - [By Justin Loiseau]
We've already seen some evidence of how higher natural gas prices hit utilities hard this past quarter. Exelon (NYSE: EXC ) took a $235 million one-time hit�from bad hedges, while PPL's (NYSE: PPL ) unregulated earnings dropped more than 50% from natural gas' unnatural rise.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation(BKBK)
Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation operates as the holding company for Britton & Koontz Bank, National Association that provides commercial and consumer banking services in Adams and Warren Counties, Mississippi, and East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, as well as in the adjoining counties and parishes in Mississippi and Louisiana. The company offers various deposit products, including personal and commercial checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, non-interest bearing deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; real estate construction, residential, and other loans; installment loans; consumer loans; and overdrafts. In addition, the company provides automated clearinghouse services; safe deposit box facilities; brokerage services; automated teller machines; cash management services, including remote deposit, money transfer, direct de posit payroll, and sweep accounts; VISA credit cards; and letters of credit. As of May 17, 2011, it operated three full service offices in Natchez, two in Vicksburg, Mississippi; three in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and a loan production office in Central, Louisiana. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Natchez, Mississippi.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
HBCP recently announced a deal to buy Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation (BKBK) in a deal that will add eight branches and more than $300 million of assets to the bank. It also gains access to the Mississippi marketplace and increases Home Bancorp’s deposit base in Baton Rouge.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA (MAU)
Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA is a France-based company engaged in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons (oil and gas), and in oil drilling activities. Its main activities comprise geological surveys, seismic acquisition and processing, geophysical interpretation and drilling. The Company pursues its activities mainly in Africa and Latin America, but it also has its businesses in Gabon, Senegal, Congo, Mozambique, Syria, Tanzania, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, France and Italy. Maurel & Prom SA operates through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including M&P Venezuela SAS, Prestoil Kouilou, Maurel & Prom Peru Holdings, Maurel & Prom Tanzanie Ltd and Panther Eureka SRL, among others. In December, 2013, the Company the acquisition of all of the shares of Caroil SAS (excluding the South American business of Caroil) from Tuscany International Drilling Inc. and has sold all of its 109,000,000 common shares of Tuscany to an entity incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Riddhi Kharkia]
Since I have touched the topic of metrics, it is worthwhile to note that Twitter�� monthly active users (MAU) number stands at 57 million as compared to approximately 1.23 billion MAUs for Facebook. Monthly active user growth ticked up just 6% for Twitter on a sequential basis, while monthly active users fell 8% year over year. Even in terms of quarterly results, Facebook was miles ahead of Twitter, which was also a factor behind the sell-off in Twitter stock.
Hot Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: Thoratec Corporation(THOR)
Thoratec Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary medical devices used for circulatory support. The company?s primary product lines include ventricular assist devices, such as HeartMate II, an implantable left ventricular assist device consisting of a rotary blood pump to provide intermediate and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS); and HeartMate XVE, an implantable and pulsatile left ventricular assist device for intermediate and longer-term MCS. Its ventricular assist devices also comprise Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device, an external pulsatile ventricular assist device, which provides left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for bridge-to-transplantation (BTT), including home discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery; and Implantable Ventricular Assist Device, an implantable and pulsatile ventricular assist device designed to provide left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for BTT comprising hom e discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery. The company also provides CentriMag, an extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platform that offers support up to 30 days for cardiac and respiratory failure. In addition, it offers PediMag and PediVAS extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platforms designed to provide acute surgical support to pediatric patients. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States, as well as through a network of distributors internationally. Thoratec Corporation was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Thursday, healthcare shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.62 percent. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR), down 30 percent, and PhotoMedex (NASDAQ: PHMD), off 15.11 percent.
- [By Anna Prior]
Medical device company Thoratec Corp.(THOR) has purchased Apica Cardiovascular Ltd., in a deal that includes $35 million in cash upfront and potential milestone payments of up to $40 million.
- [By Ali Berri]
In trading on Thursday, healthcare shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.62 percent. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR), down 28.4 percent, and PhotoMedex (NASDAQ: PHMD), off 14.6 percent.
- [By Todd Campbell]
Competing for heart pump market share
Abiomed's products provide circulatory support for up to six hours and are designed for use in cardiac cath labs or during heart surgery, but competitors Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR ) and Heartware (NASDAQ: HTWR ) target the intermediate- and long-term-use market instead.
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