Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. halted trading for three hours yesterday to protect the integrity of markets as a technology malfunction left some investors without stock quotes, Chief Executive Officer Robert Greifeld said in his first public remarks since the incident.
The exchange operator was in constant communication with rivals during the outage and decided to halt trading of listed stocks to prevent “information asymmetry” among traders, Greifeld said in interviews at Nasdaq's offices with Bloomberg Television's Betty Liu and Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC. Greifeld said he supports developing a backup data feed to prevent the issue from happening again.
“The general theme we're focused on going forward is that we have to improve our defensive driving ability,” Greifeld told Bloomberg TV. “This system has been around for 20 years, it works and it works remarkably well. Then things happen in the external environment that causes a problem.”
Best Freight Companies To Buy For 2015: Manitex International Inc.(MNTX)
Manitex International, Inc. provides engineered lifting solutions. The company operates through two segments, Lifting Equipment and Equipment Distribution. The Lifting Equipment segment designs, manufactures, and distributes boom trucks and crane products that are primarily used for industrial projects and energy exploration, as well as for infrastructure development, including, roads, bridges, and commercial construction; and specialized rough terrain cranes and material handling products for the construction, municipality, and railroad industries. This segment also provides rough terrain forklifts for use in commercial and military applications; special mission oriented vehicles; and other specialized carriers, heavy material handling transporters, and steel mill equipment, as well as offers specialized custom trailers and hauling systems used for transporting heavy equipment. The Equipment Distribution segment distributes rough terrain and truck cranes, material handler s, boom trucks, and sky cranes for infrastructure development and commercial construction; supplies repair parts for various medium to heavy duty construction equipment; markets used lifting and construction equipment; and offers repair services. This segment sells its products to end users, including the rental market. Manitex International sells its products primarily in the United States, Canada, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Italy, Korea, Mexico, China, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Chile. The company was formerly known as Veri-Tek International, Corp. and changed its name to Manitex International, Inc. in May 2008. Manitex International was founded in 1993 and is based in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James Brumley]
Value fans also will love XRX’s forward-looking P/E of roughly 10.
Manitex International (MNTX)12/2 Price: $13.28
There might be nothing special about an obscure crane manufacturer at first glance, but a closer inspection of Manitex International (MNTX) reveals this company is driving some serious sales and earnings growth now that it has found its niche. Profits should be up 33% next year.
- [By Zacks Investment Research]
1. Manitex International, Inc. (MNTX)
Manitex manufactures lifting solutions including cranes, reach stackers and container handling equipment, rough terrain forklifts, and indoor electric forklifts. Headquartered in Illinois, it supplies crane parts to customers throughout the world.
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sears Holdings Corporation(SHLD)
Sears Holdings Corporation operates as a specialty retailer in the United States and Canada. The company?s Kmart segment operates stores that sell merchandise under Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer labels; and Sears brand products, such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard. This segment?s stores provide consumer electronics, seasonal merchandise, outdoor living, toys, lawn and garden equipment, food and consumables, and apparel, as well as operate in-store pharmacies. Its Sears Domestic segment operates stores that sell merchandise under the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard, Lands? End, Covington, Apostrophe, and Canyon River Blues brand names. This segment?s stores provide appliances, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods, outdoor living, lawn and garden equipment, home fashion products, automotive products, apparel, footwear, jewelry, accessories, health and beauty products, pantry goods, household products, and toys. The Sears Domestic segment also provides clothing, acces sories, footwear, and soft luggage; appliances and services to commercial customers in single-family residential construction/remodel, property management, multi-family new construction, and government/military sectors; premium appliance and plumbing fixtures to architects, designers, and new construction or remodeling customers; parts and repair services for appliances, lawn and garden equipment, consumer electronics, floor care products, and heating and cooling systems; and home improvement services. The company?s Sears Canada segment engages in the retail of apparel and other softlines. Sears Holdings Corporation operates approximately 2,172 full-line stores and 1,338 specialty retail stores in the United States; 500 full-line and specialty retail stores in Canada, as well as operates 17 floor covering stores, 1,734 catalog pick-up locations, and 108 travel offices; and kmart.com and sears.ca Websites. The company was founded in 1899 and is based in Hoffman Estates, Illi nois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jeremy Bowman]
What: Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ) shares were getting sheared today, falling as much 18% after a dismal quarterly earnings report.
So what: The struggling retaile posted an adjusted first-quarter loss of $1.29 a share, a full $0.60 worse than analysts had expected. Revenue also fell 9% to $8.45 billion, though that slightly beat Wall Street expectations of $8.37 billion. Same-stores sales were down 3.6%.
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears' first-quarter loss widened as the beleaguered retailer's sales declined amid its ongoing struggle to attract shoppers. Sears Holdings, which operates Kmart and its namesake stores, has been cutting costs, reducing inventory and selling assets to return to profit. At the same time, it's shifting away from its focus on running a store network into a member-focused business. The latest results show the heavy challenges that remain. Chairman and CEO Edward Lampert said in a statement Thursday that Sears (SHLD) is seeing progress in its shift to a member-focused business, with first-quarter member sales comprising 74 percent of eligible sales -- the highest level ever. The executive said the biggest drag on sales has occurred in the consumer electronics businesses at its Kmart and Sears stores. The Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based company lost $402 million, or $3.79 a share, for the period ended May 3. That compares with a loss of $279 million, or $2.63 a share, a year ago. Excluding certain items, it lost $2.24 a share. Revenue fell 7 percent to $7.88 billion partly because there were fewer Kmart and Sears stores open. The results also accounted for weaker Sears Canada revenue and the spinoff of Lands' End in April. Sears said last week that it is considering selling its Canadian operations. Sales at domestic Sears stores open at least a year edged up 0.2 percent in the quarter. Excluding the impact of consumer electronics, the figure rose 0.8 percent. At Kmart stores open at least a year, sales declined 2.2 percent. Stripping out the impact of the consumer electronics business and its grocery and household goods category, the metric slipped 0.4 percent at Kmart. Sales at stores open at least a year is a key indicator of a retailer's health. It excludes results from stores recently opened or closed. One bright spot was online sales, which increased 26 percent. Lampert combined Sear
- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
Beyond its China operations, Fast Retailing will have to take the huge risk of M&A activity to get it deeper into America. It will be difficult to find a company that is “affordable.” That is, unless Fast Retailing is willing to face the long odds of buying a deeply troubled retailer like Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) or J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP). Each is available for a small ratio of market value to revenue. But, each is considered beyond repaid.
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)
Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Patricio Kehoe] the measures taken to balance out revenue in case of headwinds.
Valuation and Contracts
One factor that plays in this firm�� favor is NASCAR�� long-term contracts with major TV networks and radio stations. The most recent deal is set to launch in 2015, and will bind the motorsport brand for 10 years to NBC and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (FOX), for a total of $8.2 billion (45% annual increase over the current contract). Although a more stable economic scenario may reignite concessionary spending among customers, and cause the motorsport segment to gain popularity again, the non-existent switching costs and alternative leisure choices could be detrimental to this company. Also, ISCA�� current $87.9 million cash flow will likely be stagnated by the new Daytona Ring Project, which is expected to cost $400 million over the next five years.
Furthermore, concerns remain regarding the company�� growth metrics, especially given their downward trend. For the fourth quarter in 2013, revenue showed negative growth of 0.5%, a downfall which ISCA has not been able to stall since 2007. Operating margins have also fallen by 9% in the past two years (currently at 12.8%), in addition to the below average (2.02%) dividend yield of 0.70%. Added to a premium P/E value of 33.00x trailing earnings, compared to the industry average of 22.40x, I feel bearish about this motorsports giant�� near-term profitability and see some uncertainty in the long-term future.
Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.
About the author:Patricio KehoeA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics - [By Paul Ausick]
Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) completed on Monday the spin-off of its real-estate holdings into a new REIT, Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (G&LP) (NASDAQ: GLPI). The spin-off was first announced a year ago. Shares in GLPI are trading at around $46.51 after opening at $45.76 this morning.
- [By Grace L. Williams]
Next, we turn to another gaming company: Penn National Gaming (PENN). Three insiders bought during the quarter: CEO Timothy J. Wilmott bought 50,000 shares for $537,000; CFO Saul Reibstein bought 5,000 shares for $52,700 and John Jacquemin, a director, bought 20,000 shares for $214,800
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Penn National Gaming (PENN) is a diversified, multi-jurisdictional owner and manager of gaming and pari-mutuel properties. This stock closed up 1.4% at $56.13 in Monday's trading session.
Monday's Volume: 1.11 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 824,334
Volume % Change: 73%From a technical perspective, PENN jumped modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $54.71 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PENN within range of triggering a breakout trade. That trade will hit if PENN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $57.44 to some past resistance at $58 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PENN as long as it's trending above Monday's low $55.65 or above more support at $54.71 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 824,334 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then PENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $59.93. Any high-volume move above $59.93 will then give PENN a chance to hit $65.
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)
Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: PIMCO Intermediate Municipal Bond Strategy Fund (MUNI)
PIMCO Intermediate Municipal Bond Strategy Fund, formerly, PIMCO Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (the Fund), seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of debt securities whose interest is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuer at the time of issuance, exempt from federal income tax (Municipal Bonds). Municipal Bonds are issued by or on behalf of states and local governments and their agencies, authorities and other instrumentalities. The Fund may only invest in the United States dollar-denominated investment grade debt securities, rated Baa or higher by Moody��, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch. It may invest 25% or more of its total assets in Municipal Bonds that finance similar projects, such as those relating to education, health care, housing, transportation and utilities. The Fund�� investment advisor is Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO). Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]
The ones we like best and recommend buying are the iShares 20+ year Treasury Bond (TLT), the iShares 10-20 year Treasury Bond (TLH), Proshares Ultra 20+ year Treasury (UBT) and Pimco Intermediate Muni Bond strategy ETF (MUNI).
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: CSS Industries Inc (CSS)
CSS Industries, Inc. (CSS), incorporated on November 5, 1923, is a company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of seasonal and all occasion social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These seasonal and all occasion products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper, decorations, classroom exchange Valentines, decorative ribbons and bows, floral accessories, Halloween masks, costumes, make-up and novelties, Easter egg dyes and novelties, craft and educational products, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items that commemorate life�� celebrations. In September 5, 2012, it sold the Halloween portion of its Paper Magic business to Gemmy Industries (HK) Limited.
CSS��product provides its retail customers the opportunity to use a single vendor for much of their seasonal product requirements. A substantial portion of CSS��products are manufactured, packaged and/or warehoused in 10 facilities located in the United States, with the remainder purchased primarily from manufacturers in Asia and Mexico. The Company�� products are sold to its customers by national and regional account sales managers, sales representatives, product specialists and by a network of independent manufacturers��representatives. The Company�� principal operating subsidiaries include Paper Magic Group, Inc. (Paper Magic), Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) and C.R. Gibson, LLC (C.R. Gibson). CSS designs, manufactures, procures, distributes and sells a range of seasonal consumer products primarily through the mass market distribution channel. Christmas products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper and decorations. CSS��Valentine product offerings include classroom exchange Valentine cards and other related Valen! tine products, while its Easter product offerings include Dudley�� brand of Easter egg dyes and related Easter seasonal products. CSS also designs and markets decorative ribbons and bows, all occasion boxed greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, decorative and waxed tissue, decorative films and foils, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, floral accessories and other gift and craft items to its mass market, craft, specialty and floral retail and wholesale distribution customers, and teachers' aids and other learning oriented products to the education market through mass market retailers, school supply distributors and teachers' stores. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Dudley��, Don Post Studios, Eureka, Learning Playground, Stickerfitti and iota. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Seastone, Dudley��, Eureka, Learning Playground and Stickerfitti.
CSS operates 10 manufacturing and/or distribution facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. Its boxed greeting cards are produced by Asian manufacturers to the Company�� specifications. Halloween make-up and Easter egg dye products are manufactured in Asia to specific formulae by contract manufacturers who meet regulatory requirements for the formularization and packaging of such products. Ribbons and bows are primarily manufactured and warehoused in seven facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas. Memory books, stationery, journals and notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items are imported from Asian manufacturers and warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Florence, Alabama. Floral accessories, including pot covers, foil, waxed tissue, shred, aisle runners, corsage bags and other paper! and film! products, are manufactured in a facility located in Milford, New Hampshire and Juarez, Mexico. Manufacturing includes gravure and flexo printing, waxing and converting. Products are warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Other products including, but not limited to, decorative tissue paper, all occasion gift wrap, gift tags, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, classroom exchange Valentine products, Halloween masks, costumes and novelties, Easter products, decorations and school products are designed to the specifications of CSS and are imported primarily from Asian manufacturers.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Gifts maker�CSS Industries� (NYSE: CSS ) �announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.
10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: NCI Inc.(NCIT)
NCI, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and professional services and solutions to the United States Federal Government defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. It offers enterprise systems management services, including infrastructure operations and management; outsourcing and managed; infrastructure consolidation and modernization; public/private cloud computing; planning and disaster recovery; virtual desktop infrastructure; application and network management; network design, implementation, and migration; network monitoring and performance evaluation; multi-site environments; and data center modernization and consolidation. The company also provides network engineering services comprising architecture development and design; protocol and topology optimization; disaster response planning and recovery; installation, test, and evaluation; network configuration and compliance audit; network security evaluation; protocol and topology optimization; reliability an d contingency assessment; requirements analysis; redundant routing/switching solutions; and enterprise vulnerability management. In addition, it offers cybersecurity and information assurance services consisting of intrusion detection/prevention system development; public key infrastructure implementation; certification and accreditation; computer forensics and ediscovery; policy and procedures development; threat assessment and mitigation; products evaluation and integration; security test and evaluation; cybersecurity fusion centers; and risk management and continuous monitoring. Further, the company provides software development and systems engineering services; program management and lifecycle support services; professional engineering, logistics, and support services; health IT and informatics services; and modeling, simulation, and training services. NCI, Inc. is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
NCI, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCIT) will issue its third quarter 2012 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Management will then discuss the results, as well as operating trends and future performance expectations, on a conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
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