Canadian Stocks For 2015: February 2014

Thursday, February 20, 2014

DirecTV Urges Feds to Scrutinize Comcast-Time Warner Deal

Hot High Tech Companies To Invest In 2015

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Satellite TV provider DirecTV (DTV) has weighed in on the most hotly-contested M&A move in years: Comcast's (CMCSA) bid to buy up Time Warner Cable (TWC).

On a post-earnings conference call, DirecTV CEO Mike White pressed federal regulators to ensure the deal is "appropriately scrutinized" in ways more "unique" than other transactions might face.

"If the deal is approved as proposed, it clearly represents an unprecedented media concentration in one company," White said on the call.

Announced last week, Comcast's intended merger with Time Warner Cable would see America's largest cable company purchase the second-largest for $45 billion, creating a broadcasting powerhouse and the industry's most concentrated player. Of particular concern is that the combined companies would hold an effective broadband monopoly with dominance in two-thirds of the U.S. "It certainly creates some significant changes in the competitive landscape that we need to think hard about," added White. "Rest assured, we will continue to look at options for how we could strengthen our company for the long term regardless of what competitors do." DirecTV shares closed Thursday higher after posting quarterly earnings and sales above consensus. In the three months ended in December, the broadcaster recorded net income of $1.53 a share and revenue 6.7% higher year over year to $8.59 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected per-share earnings of $1.28 on $8.47 billion in sales. Additionally, the board approved a new $3.5 billion stock repurchase program. Shares finished the regular session higher, gaining 2.9% to close at $75.08. -- Written by Keris Alison Lahiff.

Stock quotes in this article: DTV, CMCSA, TWC

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Finding Value in More Economically Sensitive Sectors - Royce Funds Commentary

Portfolio Manager Lauren Romeo talks about where she's been finding the most attractive valuations, positioning our portfolios to benefit from a more historically typical recovery, and the portfolio characteristics of Royce 100 Fund, which she manages with Chuck Royce.

See the video here.

"Royce 100 Fund is unique given that it has a particular focus on franchise or high-quality businesses, as well as the fact that it's relatively concentrated with a maximum number of 100 names in the portfolio.

Additionally, while Royce 100 Fund is at its core a small-cap fund, it does have a little bit of a broader fishing pond relative to other Royce quality-focused funds. Royce 100 Fund can invest in companies with market capitalizations up to $5 billion, which means not only can we take advantage of opportunities that may arise in the low end of the mid-cap market but also invest in micro-cap companies, which is a less efficient but very attractive part of the market that Royce has been investing in for decades."

"Over the past several years, we've been finding some of the most attractive valuations among quality companies in the more economically sensitive sectors. Our largest sector weightings are Industrials at about 29%, Information Technology at 25%, followed by Energy and Materials.

In the Industrials sector we own several machinery, equipment, and business services companies that dominate the particular niche that they operate in and are also well positioned to benefit from improved U.S. manufacturing activity, a rebound in commercial construction, as well as the eventual capital spending that's been postponed by companies over the past couple of years as a result of the tepid economic recovery that we've had thus far."

"A lot of our Industrial companies have done a great job controlling their cost structures, and as a result they're poised to have significant earnings leverage when the revenue growth does reaccelerate for them. Also, several of our Industrial companies have international exposure, so they should benefit over time from an eventual recovery in Europe as well as continued above-average economic growth in the emerging economies.

Technology is another space where we found a lot of interesting opportunities. We've actually found a lot of values in more traditional technology companies, such as semiconductor capital equipment."

"Energy services is another area where we're finding a lot of attractive valuations among companies that earn high returns from providing the key exploration, drilling, production, and processing technologies that are fueling the ongoing North American shale gas and oil revolution.

Historically, low-quality companies, defined as companies with very high levels of debt on their balance sheet and/or low returns on invested capital, have led small-cap performance in the early stages of an economic recovery. This cycle has been different in that low-quality outperformance has been much more prolonged."

"Given that economically sensitive sectors are the areas where we've been finding the most attractive valuations among quality companies over the past several years, we're optimistic about how our portfolios are positioned going forward."

Important Disclosure Information

The thoughts and opinions in the video are solely those of the person speaking and may differ from those of other Royce investment professionals, or the firm as a whole. There can be no assurance with regard to future market movements.

This material is not authorized for distribution unless preceded or accompanied by a currentprospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money. The Fund invests primarily in micro-cap, small-cap, and mid-cap stocks, which may involve considerably more risk than investing in larger-cap stocks. (Please see "Primary Risks for Fund Investors" in the prospectus.) The Fund also invests primarily in a limited number of stocks, which may involve considerably more risk than a less concentrated portfolio because a decline in the value of any one of these stocks would cause the Fund's overall value to decline to a greater degree. (Please see "Primary Risks for Fund Investors" in the prospectus.) The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign securities, which may involve political, economic, currency, and other risks not encountered in U.S. investments. (Please see "Investing in Foreign Securities" in the prospectus.)

Also check out: Chuck Royce Undervalued Stocks Chuck Royce Top Growth Companies Chuck Royce High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Chuck Royce keeps buying

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Monday, February 17, 2014

Guess who's picking up the cash that's flowed out of Pimco

pimco, bonds, fixed income, mutual funds, goldman sachs, blackrock

The nightmare that was 2013 for Pacific Investment Management Co. left the door open for other bond fund managers to win over fixed-income investors — and BlackRock Inc. and The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. barged right in.

Last year, investors pulled more than $20 billion net from Pimco, the world's largest bond fund manager, including an eye-popping $41 billion from its flagship Pimco Total Return Fund (PTTAX), as performance suffered from bad bets on how tapering would play out. By the end of October, the $287 billion Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX) had toppled the Total Return Fund as the largest mutual fund.

The $237 billion Pimco Total Return Fund lost 2.3% in 2013, which was worse than the benchmark Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index's 2% drop, and worse than 74% of its peers in the intermediate-term bond fund category, according to Morningstar Inc.

The rest of Pimco's bond funds didn't fare much better. Pimco mutual funds with more than $10 billion in assets on average trailed about two-thirds of peers in 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

BlackRock and Goldman benefited from the outperformance of their nontraditional bond funds, which are not tied to any index and free to invest anywhere across the fixed-income spectrum.

“Advisers are going from your standard bond choice into something that is less constrained by convention,” said Jeff Tjornehoj, a senior research analyst at Lipper Inc.

The $11 billion BlackRock Strategic Income Fund (BASIX) had a 3% return in 2013 and the $14.7 billion Goldman Sachs Strategic Income Fund (GSZAX) a 6% return.

Those two funds took in a combined $16 billion through the first 11 months of the year.

Pimco also offers a nontraditional bond fund, but it performed even worse than the Total Return Fund. The $26.8 billion Pimco Unconstrained Bond Fund (PUBAX) lost 2.6% last year.

Thanks primarily to their unconstrained funds, BlackRock and Goldman were the only two mutual fund companies to attract more than $10 billion of net inflows into their bond funds through the first 11 months of the year, according to Morningstar. BlackRock took in $11.5 billion and Goldman took in $10.4 billion.

Overall, investors pulled out a record $86 billion from bond funds in 2013, according to research firm TrimTabs.

The trend isn't expected to reverse itself anytime soon.

“Flipping the calendar doesn't change people's habits,” Mr. Tjornehoj said.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Valentine's Day dilemma: OK to e-mail a card?

Valentine's Day has always been about risky choices such as chocolates or flowers and whether to pop the question or not, but now the holiday has come down to whether it's VC (Valentine Correct) to send an e-card instead of a greeting card.

Traditional Valentine's Day cards won't be going away anytime soon. "Even my 18-year-old daughter said if she only got a text rather than a card from her boyfriend, she'd be unhappy," says Kathy Krassner, director of communications for the Greeting Card Association in Washington, D.C.

That's one reason Krassner anticipates sales of Valentine's Day cards will "remain relatively stable over last year's number of 145 million purchased."

Nevertheless, compared with sales of other gifts associated with Valentine's Day, greeting cards will exhibit the least amount of growth in 2014, according to IBISWorld. The research firm expects just 0.9% growth in the category on an annual basis compared with 2.1% for clothing and lingerie, 2.5% for candy, 3.9% for flowers, 4.1% for dining out, 4.2% for jewelry and 5.1% for a romantic getaway.

Additionally, just weeks before Valentine's Day, the cost of a first-class stamp was raised to 49 cents. The increase could not have come at a worse time for the greeting card industry because, according to the Greeting Card Association, roughly 60% of greeting cards are sent using the United States Postal Service. And with Valentine's Day being the second largest holiday (after Christmas) for purchasing cards, IBISWorld industry analyst Brandon Ruiz says that consumers will be "less likely to purchase greetings cards and more likely to purchase e-cards, which are more affordable."

Thousands of electronic valentines, many incorporating animation and music, can be personalized and e-mailed from a variety of websites. E-card prices range from free to $12 to $15 as part of an annual subscription.

Krassner says she's not sure how the postal hike will impact Valentine's Day sales, since many of those cards are hand! ed over in person. One thing she is certain about is that a real card has more of an impact.

"If someone makes the effort to go out and purchase it, and maybe put a stamp on it, that shows a physical expression of how much you care," she says.

While the rate rise may be seen as anti-Valentine, the Postal Service has taken some steps to woo card-inclined clientele. On Jan. 21, it released the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp, this year's limited-edition Love stamp.

The Post Office describes the stamp as "a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side." Within a week dozens of people said they liked the design on the USPS Stamp's Facebook page. Best of all, the stamp is immune to future rate hikes. Who says love isn't forever?

Beyond the damage caused by postal rate hikes, Ruiz says that "greeting card retailers have struggled to capture a younger customer base." Instead of visiting brick-and-mortar stores, "Consumers aged 24 and younger are increasingly deferring to digital services. Younger demographics are also opting to use social media websites, such as Facebook, as a substitute for purchasing greeting cards." Still, IBISWorld expects e-cards will account for a mere $25 million or 0.4% of the greeting card retailing industry in 2014.

As we're just one day away from Feb. 14, you'll need to decide quickly whether it's appropriate (or VC) to e-mail a virtual card or get an actual card.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Investment Expenses: Three Ways to Cut Them

Related SPY 8 Bullish Factors To Consider Five Ways To Deal With The Changing Market Environment

Long-term investing and growing a portfolio over time isn’t an easy task. It requires a lot of planning and a significant amount of research. While doing this, many investors tend to forget one very important aspect: the costs associated with investing in their portfolio—the commissions and fees. If investors control the commissions and fees paid to their brokers and elsewhere, they can save a significant amount of money and have a bigger portfolio in the end.

For those investors who have resolved to invest money in their portfolio in 2014, the following are three ways to add more wealth to your portfolio over the long term.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now

Investing and growing your money is a complex challenge and this requires attention from all investors. There are no easy routes to achieving success and this will require constant efforts. Often some simple steps are all that is required to achieve your goals and many people miss because they seem to be obvious. A new outlook and mindset is the key to ensure that you too move in the right direction.

Introduction

Every investment should be directed towards your specific financial goals. As an investor who has been investing for some time period you should check that you have started off well and will build on this position. One of the ways in which you can achieve this is by taking a long term approach to the entire investment process. The longer the time period for which you continue investing and then hold the investments especially when it belongs to asset classes like equities the greater the chance of success in the overall efforts.

Long term investing can be defined as putting money into an investment and then holding it for a period that can stretch for several years and in some cases even a decade or longer. There are two aspects of long term investing where the first one involves making the investment over a period of time. The other aspect involves maintaining the investment without making continuous buy and sell decisions. The time period in the term long term could vary significantly between a few years to a lot more and hence this is something that needs focus to determine the right period for you as an individual investor.

Reaching goals

Your financial goals have to be at the centre of all your saving and investment efforts. This will involve giving additional attention to the process of setting goals and then laying out a plan that will help in the achievement of the goals. The ability to reach the goals will depend upon the choices that you exercise while setting up your investments. There will be multiple goals for you as an individual investor an! d each of them will require a separate effort to try and achieve them. There can be lots of reasons ranging from poor choice of instruments to overall weak market conditions that can hamper your efforts but this should serve as a reason for you to try even harder.

Tackling this tough challenge is possible by taking a long term approach. This will cover an effort to plan for the investments in a manner whereby you are willing to stay with them for a significant period of time. Once you do this the short term changes or effects will not remain relevant and these will have little impact on the overall situation. This is a way in which the risk in the investment goes down. Take an example where you have to reach a goal of accumulating a sum of Rs 1 lakh. After an initial investment of say Rs 25,000 there might be good progress towards the goals. A limited time period like 5 years for achieving the target would put pressure on you and when things get tough in the third year this could lead to some decisions that might not turn out to be effective. On the other hand if the time period is longer then this setback is evened out by additional growth in the next few years. This will ensure that even with a small contribution in each year achieving the goal might not be a tough task.

Indian scenario

Equity markets in India are extremely volatile and there could be significant changes in the prices that can lead to gains or loss of capital in a short time period. There is a high possibility that in the midst of sharp changes in value you as an investor are not able to make the right investment decisions. This can be tackled by investing amounts over a period of time as well as remaining invested for a long time period. A way to reduce the risk is by using mutual funds to invest so that there is the benefit of diversification available. Consider the situation for large cap mutual funds that are present in the Indian market. These are mutual funds that invest their corpus! into lar! ge cap stocks and these are considered to be slightly less risky than mid cap mutual funds due to the nature of its investments.

Short term movements in the equity markets can have a large impact on the results for the investors. In September 2012 there was a rally in the equity markets and this is reflected in the position for the last one year as 91 per cent of the funds ended up with returns of more than 10 per cent over this time period. This masks the tough position that was present as over the three and five year time period just a handful of funds managed this position. However by October 2013 around 30 per cent of the funds had a return of more than 10 per cent. The further you go the better it becomes as over a 10 year period all the funds managed an annual return of more than 10 per cent which is a significant amount.

Reducing cost

Costs incurred while managing your money eat away at the total returns earned by your investments. A simple way to tackle the situation is by listing out each of the cost elements and then making efforts to reduce the amount spent. The final returns matter for you as an investor so a situation where you earn a gross return of 14 per cent and a net return of 12 per cent after reducing the 2 per cent expenses is better than a situation where the gross return is 15 per cent but expenses total 5 per cent taking the net return to 10 per cent.

As a mutual fund investor sticking to long term investing will help you to reduce the overall costs. The initial expenses at the time of buying the mutual fund would include some small expense like brokerage or fees to a distributor if these services are used. When the holdings are sold there would be again some brokerage fees if this is sold through a stock exchange plus securities transaction tax if the investment is in an equity oriented fund. In the interim period there would be the annual running expenses of the fund. If the investment is held for a period of mo! re than a! year then the entire gains earned would be tax free in your hands in case of an equity oriented fund or taxed at 10 per cent without indexation or 20 per cent with indexation in case of a debt fund.

On the other hand when it comes to a short term investment every time there is a transaction there would be a small part of the total figure eaten up by the transaction charges which would include the brokerage fees if transacted on a stock exchange or distributors fees if their services are used. There will be the running expense on the fund for the period that it is held. Any short term gains that are earned will be taxed at 15 per cent for equity oriented funds or at the marginal rate after being added to the income for a debt oriented fund.

All this could end up ensuring that there is a larger impact for you at the end of the day and that it might not be worth so much effort.

Compounding effect

The real benefit of investing for the long term lies in two separate areas. One of this involves a continuous investment over a period of time so that this would make even tough goals seem very easy to achieve. The breakup of the investment into small parts makes it seem affordable. A small investment of just Rs 5,000 a month growing at 8 per cent per annum started by you at age 25 can lead to increasing earnings over every additional 5 year time period. Investing a sum of Rs 5,000 per month for 10 years will result in the accumulated figure of Rs 9 lakh. Investing an additional sum of Rs 3 lakh over the next five years will lead to the capital jumping by over Rs 8 lakh to Rs 17 lakh. This figure increases and every additional investment keeps generating a larger amount of wealth for you so from age 45-50 the additional Rs 3 lakh investment lead to an accumulated gain of nearly Rs 27 lakh.

The other aspect is to actually maintain the investment for a significant period of time so that due to the compounding or accumulation of the earnings the figu! re contin! ues to grow over a period of time. If there is a sum of Rs 50,000 that is invested and this grows at 9 per cent per annum then the earnings in the first year would be Rs 4,500 but in the 15th year it would be equal to 30 per cent of the initial investment and by the 30th year it would be equivalent to the initial investment each year. The key is thus to remain invested over a period of time so that the money compounds and the real benefit is visible to you as an investor.

Use of long term investing

Achieve multiple goals
Your existing financial situation is one of the main reasons why you should adopt the strategy of long term investing. As an existing investor you will have several goals to be achieved so it is not a question of just one or two investments but a comprehensive look at your portfolio. This will include planning for your children plus your goals for retirement as well as spends in the regular course of events. Multiple goals fighting for a share of a lower investible amount can be tackled by a systematic approach. This is achieved by investing regularly and staying invested for a long period of time and as the period increases your confidence in the process will also go up making you a better investor.

Accumulation of wealth

The goal of many people is to ensure that they have accumulated wealth for various purposes like children�� education or retirement planning and this is possible only when the long term investing approach is taken. Taking this view will enable you to slowly and steadily build your financial position using several assets and the accumulation of wealth will benefit future generations. Investing is not a smooth one way ride but comes along with pitfalls and dangers so long term investing will help you to ride out the tough times.

Suitable conditions

A growing economy like India raises the scope for appreciation in the value of various asset classes. It is difficult to predict which area will do well in the short ! term but ! over a period of time there will be rise in the value of various assets as the economy grows. As an existing investor you should make use of these favourable macro economic conditions and plan out your investments for the next several years to benefit.

How should I tackle this situation?

A few simple steps should help you to navigate the path around your finances in a simple and easy manner. As an existing investor you would face a huge amount of choices and this includes decisions about selling your existing investments to route the money to some other area. A way to tackle this high pressure situation would be to use mutual funds for investing as professional fund managers who devote their entire time to managing money can help your money grow over a period of time.

Ensure that you are investing from an early period in your life as it gives you a longer time period to grow your money over your life. Also invest consistently without any disruption in the process and this will be a way to build wealth over your life. Apart from this there will be tough times when your investments might seem to be stopped growing and in many cases this might have declined a bit. If you are convinced of your investment choices then brave this period and stay invested because you will be able to ride out the storm and emerge stronger and better than before. Ultimately you need to give yourself the chance in life to let your money compound to ensure a better chance of success.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Taseko Mines Limited(TGB)

Taseko Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties in British Columbia, Canada. The company principally holds interests in the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine located north of the City of Williams Lake; the Prosperity gold-copper project situated in the Clinton Mining Division, southwest of the City of Williams Lake; the Harmony gold project located on the Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as Haida Gwaii; and the Aley niobium project situated in the Omineca Mining Division. Taseko Mines Limited was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Smith]
Vancouver, British Columbia-based Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT: TGB ) needs to find itself a new chief financial officer. The one it had has flown the coop.
[By Joshua Bondy]
Taseko Mines� (NYSEMKT: TGB ) is a relatively small miner that owns Canada's second largest open pit copper mine. The company is not profitable, but it is working on a number of interesting projects. Investing in undeveloped mines is risky, but Taseko mitigates these risks by focusing on projects in Canada where resource nationalization is a very small threat.�
[By Alex Planes]
This, at least, seems to indicate a superior position for SoCo over its more diversified rival. SoCo has also been investing heavily in new infrastructure to exploit its assets. In nominal terms, the company's capital expenditures are less than half Freeport's, but run six times as high as smaller competitor Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT: TGB ) :

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd (PBM.V)

Pacific Bay Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of uranium, precious, and base metal mineral properties in Argentina and Canada. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Rentrak Corporation(RENT)

Rentrak Corporation, an information management company, provides content measurement and analytical services to companies in the entertainment industry. The company delivers content performance data for various entertainment platforms and media technologies, including television, theatrical, home entertainment, mobile, and broadband video. It operates in two divisions, Home Entertainment, and Advanced Media and Information. The Home Entertainment division delivers home entertainment content products, such as DVDs and blue-ray discs; and offers related rental and sales information for the content to home video specialty stores and other retailers in the United States and Canada. It leases products from various suppliers, including motion picture studios; and retailers sublease and rent these products to consumers. This division also includes direct revenue sharing (DRS) services, which encompasses the collection, tracking, auditing, and reporting of transaction and revenue data generated by DRS retailers to its respective DRS clients. The AMI division offers Essentials Suite of business information services. This division?s Essentials Suite software and services provide data collection, management, analysis, and reporting functions. It also collects and process data from across 26 countries. This division has operations in California, New York, Florida, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Russia. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon with additional offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sean Williams]
On the wrong track
Small-cap Rentrak (NASDAQ: RENT ) has done quite well for itself and shareholders over the past 12 months. As a marketing and entertainment information provider to the TV, movie, and advertising industry, Rentrak has witnessed its share price rise as the outlook for the overall economy continues to improve. But beyond the surface, Rentrak looks like a brutally overpriced research and information company with few growth catalysts.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Points International Ltd (PCOM.W)

Points International Ltd. provides a range of e-commerce and technology services to loyalty program operators using. These services consist of a range of e-commerce services (referred as its Loyalty Currency Services) that enable the sale of loyalty currencies (such as frequent flyer miles, hotel points and credit card points), both retail and wholesale. The Company also offers a reward management Website referred to as Points.com. The majority of the Company�� loyalty program partners operate in the United States. It also has a European customer base. It has three wholly owned direct subsidiaries: Points.com Inc., Points International (UK) Limited, and Points International (U.S.) Ltd. The Company�� services are generally delivered through Web-enabled e-commerce solutions. Points.com offers members of multiple loyalty programs the ability to track and manage their loyalty currencies.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Opsens Inc (OPS.V)

Opsens Inc. develops, manufactures, supplies, and installs a range of fiber optic solutions for the measurement of pressure, temperature, and other parameters primarily in Canada and the United States. It offers temperature fiber optic, pressure fiber optic, strain fiber optic, and displacement fiber optic sensors; and signal conditioners, and original equipment manufacturer cards. The company also provides temperature, pressure, strain, and displacement solutions for life sciences, medical, transformer, defense, aerospace, semiconductor, civil engineering, microwave chemistry, food, industry, and laboratory sectors. In addition, it offers various solutions for the oil and gas industry, including downhole fiber optic pressure and temperature sensing solutions, reservoir surveillance design solutions, reservoir engineering services, and monitoring diagnostic services. Further, the company provides optical sensors for harsh environments, surface controller units, and signal conditioners, as well as designs fiber optic cables for downwhole environments. Opsens Inc. is headquartered in Quebec, Canada.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Costain Grp(COST.L)

Costain Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of consultancy, engineering, construction and operations, and maintenance services in Spain. The company operates in four segments: Environment, Infrastructure, Energy and Process, and Land Development. The Environment segment offers engineering solutions in water, waste, education, and retail sectors. The Infrastructure segment provides engineering solutions for various infrastructure providers, such as highways, rail, and airports markets. The Energy and Process segment offers consultancy, engineering, project delivery, and asset support services for power, nuclear process, and hydrocarbons and chemicals. The Land Development segment is involved in the land and marina development activities. The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Maidenhead, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Savant Explorations Ltd (SVT.V)

Savant Explorations Ltd., a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada, Chile, and the United States. It primarily explores for zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold ores. The company holds interests in the Yuby Gabriela property located in the prolific Paleocene Porphyry Copper district in Northern Chile; and the Blue Moon polymetallic massive sulphide property covering approximately 179 hectares in Mariposa County, California. It also has an interest in the Yava property that consists of a mineral lease totaling approximately 1,281 hectares with an additional 4,449 hectares of mineral claims in Nunavut. Savant Explorations Ltd. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Herbalife Ltd (HLF)

Herbalife Ltd., incorporated on April 4, 2002, is a global network marketing company that sells weight management, nutritional supplements, energy, sports and fitness products and personal care products through a network of approximately 2.7 million independent distributors, except in China, where the Company sells its products through retail stores. The Company is a network marketing company that sells a range of weight management products, nutritional supplements and personal care products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company sold products in 79 countries throughout the world. Herbalife�� products are grouped in four principal categories: weight management, targeted nutrition, energy, sports and fitness and Outer Nutrition, along with literature and promotional items. The Company�� generates revenue from its six regions: North America, Mexico, South and Central America; EMEA, which consists of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding China), and China. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired a manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Company�� products are manufactured by third party providers and by the Company in its Suzhou, China facility and in its manufacturing facility located in Lake Forest, California, and then are sold to independent distributors who sell Herbalife products to retail consumers or other distributors. As of December 31, 2011, Herbalife marketed and sold 138 products encompassing over 4,400 stock keeping units (SKUs) through its distributors.

Weight Management

Weight Management is the Company�� largest product category representing 62.5% of its net sales during the year ended December 31, 2011. Formula 1, its product, is a healthy meal with soy protein, essential vitamins, minerals, herbs and nutrients that is available in seven flavors and can help support weight management. Personalized Protein Powder is a soy and whey protein product designed as a boost to Formula 1 to personalize a pe! rson�� daily protein intake to help achieve their desired weight and shape. Weight-loss enhancers, including Herbal Tea Concentrate, Total Control and Prolessa Duo address specific challenges associated with dieting, such as lack of energy, hunger and food craving, fluid retention, decreased metabolism and digestive challenges, by building energy, boosting metabolism, curbing appetite and helping to promote weight loss. Healthy snacks are formulated to provide between-meal nutrition and appetite satisfaction.

Targeted Nutrition

Herbalife markets numerous dietary and nutritional supplements designed to meet its customers��specific nutritional needs. Each of these supplements contains botanicals, vitamins, minerals and other natural ingredients and focuses on specific life stages of its customers, including women, men, children and those with health concerns, including heart health, healthy aging, digestive health, or immune solutions. Niteworks is a product that supports energy, circulatory and vascular health and enhances blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Garden 7 is designed to provide the phytonutrient benefits of seven servings of fruits and vegetables and has anti-oxidant and health-boosting properties. Best Defense is an effervescent drink that helps boost immunity. In 2011, the Company expanded distribution of its Active Fiber line by introducing its Apple flavored Active Fiber Complex in the South and Central America region.

Energy, Sports and Fitness

Herbalife entered into the energy drink with the introduction of Liftoff, an energy drink containing a blend of B-vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo and caffeine to increase energy and improve mental clarity for better performance throughout the day. It launched H3Otm Fitness Drink to provide hydration, sustained muscle energy plus antioxidant protection for people living a healthy, active lifestyle. It also introduced H30 Pro in EMEA to provide an isotonic drink to indivi! duals par! ticipating in high activity sports.

Outer Nutrition

The Company�� Outer Nutrition products complement its weight management and targeted nutrition products and aim to improve the appearance of the body, skin and hair. These products include skin cleansers, toners, moisturizers and facial masks, shampoos and conditioners, body-wash items and a selection of fragrances for men and women. Its Herbal Aloe line is its introductory line providing distributors with cleansers, lotions and soaps that help sooth the skin. NouriFusion Multivitamin skin care products are formulated with antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E. It launched a line of anti-aging products as an extension of its Skin Activator product, an advanced face cream that contains a collagen-building Glucosamine Complex to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also launched a number of regional products including a Soft Green Body Care line in Brazil, the Whitening Serum under the NouriFusion brand in the Asia Pacific region, and the Lively Fragrances perfume line.

Literature, Promotional and Other Products

Herbalife also sells literature and promotional materials, including sales aids, informational audiotapes, videotapes, compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs) designed to support its distributors��marketing efforts, as well as start-up kits called International Business Packs for new distributors. It introduced BizWorks, a customizable retail Website for its distributors to enhance the on-line experience.

The Company competes with NuSkin Enterprises, Nature�� Sunshine, Alticor/Amway, Melaleuca, Avon Products, Oriflame, Tupperware and Mary Kay, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, General Nutrition Centers and Wal-Mart.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
Nu Skin (NUS) has dropped 44% since China’s People Daily alleged that the company’s selling practices amounted to a pyramid scheme. Yet even as Nu Skin drops again today, the conversation is turning back to where it belongs–to Herbalife (HLF) and what Nu Skin’s troubles mean for William Ackman’s bet against seller of nutrition products.
[By Ben Levisohn]
Herbalife (HLF) has fallen this morning, even as Pershing Square’s William Ackman said he had decreased the amount of Herbalife shares he had sold short and replaced them with long-term put options that will also profit if the stock falls.
Bloomberg News
The main benefit, according to the Wall Street Journal: a smaller short position makes the company less susceptible to a squeeze. Ackman still believes that Herbalife is destined to plummet. In his letter to investors–via the Journal–he wrote:

“We believe it is only a matter of time before the Company is shut down and prosecuted by regulators,” he wrote, later saying he had not seen “a less attractive risk-reward ratio than a long investment in Herbalife common stock at current levels”

D.A. Davidson’s Timothy Ramey notes that the new position seems “at odds” with Pershing Square’s goals. He writes:

If it truly still believes the go-to-zero thesis, and Mr. Ackman writes in his letter that he does, then it makes no sense to put a time element into this trade. He now needs to be both right on the go-to-zero thesis and right on the timing. On one thing we do agree ��Pershing Square has significantly reduced the risk of unlimited losses, but has increased the certainty of a total loss of the original $1 billion short position as the puts expire worthless. The counterparty to his trades indeed has a winning hand.

The market, however, clearly hasn’t taken it that way, as Herbalife’s shares have dropped 4% to $70.21. Direct seller Avon Products (AVP) has fallen 1.2% to $20.67, while nutritional-product retailer GNC Holdings (GNC) has declined 1.6% to $53.81.
[By Maureen Farrell]
Once again, Herbalife's(HLF) stock is bouncing around at the mercy of competing winds.

In yet another sign that Herbalife’s fate is only somewhat controlled by its management team, the nutritional supplement maker’s stock went on wild ride Monday. Herbalife opened up more than 4%, but then quickly gave back those gains. By mid afternoon, the stock dipped more than 1% before ultimately closing up more than 7%.
[By Roberto Pedone]
Herbalife (HLF) is a global nutrition company that sells weight management, healthy meals and snacks, sports and fitness, energy and targeted nutritional products as well as personal care products. This stock closed up 9% to $65.50 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 15.65 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.94 million

Volume % Change: 462%

From a technical perspective, HLF ripped higher here tagging new 52-week highs with monster upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $42.09 to its intraday high of $66.50. During that move, shares of HLF have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HLF as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $57.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above Wednesday's high of $66.50 with volume that hits near or above 2.94 million shares. If we get that move soon, then HLF will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $75 to $80.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Eco Building Products Inc (ECOB)

ECO Building Products, Inc. (ECOB), incorporated on March 21, 2007, is a manufacturer of wood products treated with an eco-friendly chemistry that protects against fire, mold/mycotoxins, fungus, rot-decay, wood ingesting insects and termites with ECOB WoodSurfaceFilm and fire retardant coating). ECOB�� newest product, Eco Red Shield also serves as a fire inhibitor protecting lumber from fire, slowing ignition time and reducing the amount of smoke produced. The Eco Building Products line includes dimensional lumber, wall and floor panels, I-joists, GluLam Beams, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams, truss lumber and trim. These products can be coated at its production facilities and at the mill or distributor with its formula and coating machines. Its products include Eco Red Shield, Eco Clear Shield, Eco Blue Shield, Eco Shelter, Eco Cabinets, Smart Components Seismic Walls, Eco LVL Beam, Eco I Joist, Eco Corbels, Eco Trim, Eco LVL Studs, and Calvert Curved Beams.

As of June 30, 2012, the Company owned 100% of E Build & Truss, Inc. (E Build), Red Shield Lumber, Inc. (Red Shield) and Seattle Coffee Exchange (Seattle). Red Shield was formed for the purpose of opening a plant in Canada utilizing the Company�� red coating process for sale and distribution. As of December 31, 2011, the wholly owned subsidiary had little operating activity. E Build was formed for the purpose of operating the Company�� Framing Labor and Truss manufacturing activities. ECOB has developed a line of eco-friendly protective wood coatings that extend the life of framing lumber and other wood used in the construction of single-family homes, multi-story buildings, as well as The Eco Shelter. In December 2011, the Company formed Seattle in the State of California. Seattle is a coffee shop which is located in the 1st floor of the Company�� corporate headquarters in Vista, California. This wholly owned subsidiary has not started its operations, as of June 30, 2012.

The Company�� eco-friendly formula ! controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites), while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. The Company�� eco-friendly formula was designed for staining - it controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. ECOB�� eco-friendly formula controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites). Eco Red Shield Smart ComponentsO wall systems are pre-engineered seismic wall systems. The Company�� pre-engineered and pre-packaged kit comes pre-cut and ready to assemble with hammer and nails - the simple design makes it ideal for rapid response relief housing, events, offices, meeting halls, storage sheds, medical clinics and more. It is available in a range of sizes and floor plans.

Eco has delivered cabinet solutions for kitchen, bath, garage and office space. Smart Components is made with Eco Red Shield Protected Lumber for builders in seismic hot spots, such as California, Mexico and Japan. The I beam joist is eco-friendly solution to large structural beams. Laminated Eco Trim is protected on all six sides and available in any protective coatings providing a nearly impenetrable barrier against moisture, mold and insects. It also offers an ultra-smooth surface for painting and a clean, finished look that builders and homeowners desire.

The Company competes with Arch Chemical and Osmose, Inc.

Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Domino Printing(DNO.L)

Domino Printing Sciences plc engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of industrial printing equipment, controllers, and consumables for the high-speed printing of variable information. Its primary products include printers, controllers, consumables, fluids, and spare parts, as well as provides after sales support services. The company also offers black ink for a range of plastic-based substrates; coding and marking solutions to identify, authenticate, and personalize products; and codes and marks for protection of brand value. In addition, Domino Printing Sciences plc provides various technology solutions, including ink jet, thermal ink jet, scribing laser, binary, thermal transfer overprinting, drop on demand, print and apply labelling machinery, and laser printers. Further, it offers digital printing technologies, which are used in Web-based applications. Domino Printing Sciences plc serves beverage, binding, cable and wire, construction, cosmetics and personal care, electronics, finishing, food, games management, mailing, pharmaceutical, plastic cards, newspaper, postal systems, and tobacco, as well as for tickets, tags, and labels industries. The company distributes its products through third party distributors primarily in North America, South America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East/Africa. Domino Printing Sciences plc was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

Monday, February 10, 2014

The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Monday

February 10, 2014: Markets opened slightly lower on Monday, and trading was mixed most of the day with Nasdaq posting a small gain and the other two major indexes posting a small loss. New Fed Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to present the Fed's required monetary policy report to the Congress tomorrow and traders may be waiting to hear what she has to say. The DJIA closed up 0.05%, the S&P 500 closed up 0.16%, and the Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.54%.

Today's big loser among the Dow 30 stocks was UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH). Shares closed down 2.27% at $69.74 in a 52-week range of $52.51 to $77.33. The federal government is set to announce next week preliminary reimbursement rates for 2015 Medicare Advantage participants, of which UnitedHealth is the largest. The rates are expected to be lowered. UnitedHealth's volume today was about 25% higher than the daily average of around 4.5 million shares.

Another Dow stock that weighed on the index today was McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD) which posted a loss of 1.2% to close at $94.85. The fast food giant posted lower U.S. same-store sales in January. The company posted a same-store sales gain on better sales in Europe and the rest of the world. Trading volume was roughly 10% above the daily average of around 5.5 million shares traded.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) fell 3.38% for the day to close at $34.89, in a 52-week week range of $26.19 to $41.85. Reports of discounts up to $7,000 on some pickup trucks during the coming President's Day weekend sales have worried analysts and investors. Share volume was more than about a 50% higher than the daily average of around 25.7 million shares traded.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) got some support from Institutional Investor Services today in its dispute with activist investor Carl Icahn regarding an additional $50 billion share buyback. Icahn later said he was withdrawing his proposal. Apple shares closed up 1.78% at $528.92 in a 52-week range of $385.10 to $575.14. Apple's volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 12.4 million shares.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 16 closed higher today while 14 closed lower.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Harman International: Expect More Volatility as Apple, Google Target Autos

The Consumer Electronics Show begins next week–and it could have a big impact on the shares of Harman International (HAR), as Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) look to make inroads in the auto space.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

The Wall Street Journal reports on Google and Apple’s plans:

Technology giants Google Inc. and Apple Inc. are about to expand their battle for digital supremacy to a new front: the automobile.

Next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Google and German auto maker Audi AG plan to announce that they are working together to develop in-car entertainment and information systems that are based on Google’s Android software, people familiar with the matter said.

Baird’s David Leiker and team explain the impact on Harman International:

Online Wall Street Journal story titled, "Google, Apple Forge Auto Ties" ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show likely increases the volatility of Harman's stock as these details are fleshed out over the next week. We remain firm that Apple/Google are likely to use partners (Harman, for example) to expand their presence in the automotive infotainment space; the story states Google's desire to use other technology partners to establish Android as part of the technology infrastructure of the vehicle.

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Shares of Harman have dropped 0.7% to $82.79 today at 9:36 a.m., while Apple has fallen 0.8% to $555.79 and Google is little change at $1118.59.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Seniors overspend on mortgage, credit cards

How do you spend your money? Well, if you're like the average older American you might be spending far too much on mortgage debt and credit cards. Plus, you might want to take a closer look at how much you're spending on hobbies, cars, pets and other discretionary expenses, according to a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research organization based in Dallas.

Consider: The percentage of 65- to 74-year-olds who report having a mortgage or home equity loan payment increased from 21% in 1989 to nearly 37% in 2010, according to Pamela Villarreal, author of How Are Seniors Spending Their Money. And for those age 75 and older, the percentage of mortgage or home equity loan holders increased from just 6% to 21% during the same time.

Not surprisingly, more seniors are spending a greater share of their money on mortgage or home equity loan interest. In 2012, for instance, interest payments were 4.3% of overall expenditures for 65- to 74-year-olds, up from 2.7% of expenditures in 1990. And for those 75 and older, the increase was greater, from less than 0.7% of expenditures in 1990 to 2% in 2012.

Seniors are also taking on more credit card debt since 1989, according to the NCPA. Consider: The average credit card balance for 65- to 74-year-olds in 2010 was $6,000, compared with just $2,100 in 1989, and for those age 75 and older, the average balance was not even measurable in 1989, but had ballooned to $4,600 by 2010.

Overall, seniors tend to spend the greatest percentage of their expenses on housing, which includes maintenance, property taxes, insurance and mortgage interest. Housing represents 32.8% of expenditures for 54- to 74-year-olds, and 36.7% for those age 75 and older.

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Seniors are also spending more of their hard-earned money on health care, though it's not one of the ! fastest growing expenditures, the NCPA reports. Indeed, health care is the fourth-largest category of spending for 65- to 74-year-olds (11.4% of expenditures) and the second largest category for those age 75 and older (14.7% of expenditures).

Housing might represent the largest expense for seniors, but the fastest growing expenses for those ages 65-75 are: No. 1. miscellaneous entertainment such as exercise equipment, photography equipment, campers, boats and electronic video games (that's grown 9.8% annually since 1990), and No. 2. pets and hobbies, which has averaged 5.8%.

In addition, seniors are splurging on new cars and trucks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey, in both age groups, those ages 65 to 74 and those 75 and older, new and used cars and trucks are also among the top five fastest-growing expenditures. That category has been growing at a rate of 6.5% since 1990, and it now represents 2.6% of expenditures.

And whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks doesn't know a thing about older Americans. Education is a fast-growing expenditure category, especially for those ages 65 to 74: It's grown at a rate of 14.5% since 1990, though at 0.5% it represents just a small fraction of total expenses.

So, what do experts make of these spending trends? What advice do they have for you if your spending is anything like that of the average retiree?

Well, as with most things related to money, experts suggests getting a sense of your expenses. Figure out how much you spend on housing, credit card debt, health care, transportation, and the like, and what percentage of your total spending that represents. Averages can be misleading, but it's worth getting a sense if you're overspending relative to other Americans. Remember, too, that your spending and spending behavior are among the few things you can really control.

Also, create – if you don't have one already – a plan to pay your expenses if things don't go according to yo! ur financ! ial plan.. Having a mortgage in your 60s isn't necessarily bad, but it would be if you don't have the income to support the debt.

Speaking of financial plans, Holly Perez, a spokeswoman for Mint.com and Quicken, recommends that you put in place a debt reduction plan, especially if you have high-interest credit card debt or other loans that are charging more interest than you can possibly make back in investment income.

If you're not yet retired, consider that your spending is likely to look quite different from that of a retiree. "What pre-retirees spend money on is different than retirees," says David Blanchett, the head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management. "This has important implications for budgeting and determining how much you have to save for retirement."

Remember, for instance, you'll spend less on insurance and savings for retirement and more on medical expenses in retirement, Blanchett says. So, factor in to your retirement spending plan the fact that health care will represent an increasingly greater share of your expenses over time. Blanchett says the average 65-year-old retiree spends about 10% of their total expenditures on health care. By age 85, however, that percentage jumps to 20%. "Health care costs are the obvious 'elephant in the room' for many retirees, but it's important to remember they are just one component of retirement spending," says Blanchett.

Both pre-retirees and retirees also need to factor inflation in to their spending plans. But don't use the standard Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Instead, use the Consumer Price Index for the elderly (CPI-E), which tracks households where at least one person is 62 years of age or older. The CPI-E tends to tends to inflate at a higher rate than CPI-U. For instance, from December 1982 through December 2011, the CPI-E rose at an annual average rate of 3.1%, compared with 2.9% for the CPI-U. Other experts argue that you should use an ever higher rate of inflation wh! en project! ing your spending needs.

But even though your expenses will inflate at a higher rate than in your working years, your overall total spending is likely to decline, according to Blanchett. "Expenditures tend to decrease in real terms over time," he notes in a recent blog. "The real change in spending actually resembles a "smile" where expenditures increase at a rate that is higher than inflation very early (the go-go years) and very late (the no-go years) in retirement, but decrease in real terms during middle retirement (the slow-go years)." Read Estimating the True Cost of Retirement.

Of course, the bottom line when it comes to spending in retirement is this: "Everyone approaching or in retirement should have a meaningful retirement goal plan," says Bob Curtis, president of PIEtech, makers of MoneyGuidePro financial-planning software. "It doesn't need to be a complicated, comprehensive plan, but requires more than a calculator. There's just no way to provide competent advice without having a holistic picture of an investor's goal and resources."

Robert Powell is editor of Retirement Weekly, a service of MarketWatch.com. E-mail him at rpowell@allthingsretirement.com.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Survey: Virgin America, Air Canada have healthy…

The calorie count is coming down in those in-flight snack boxes and meals, but when it comes to nutrition, U.S. airlines still have a ways to go.

So says an annual survey ranking airlines according to how healthy their food offerings are in coach on domestic flights.

Among the dozen carriers surveyed, the average calorie count per food item dropped from 388 calories last year to 360 calories in 2013, says Charles Platkin, the survey's author and editor of DietDetective.com and professor at Hunter College and City University of New York School of Public Health.

"It's an improvement,'' Platkin said, noting that the calorie drop appears to be largely due to smaller portions. "But it's not enough to move the needle in terms of nutrition and overall health.''

Virgin America and Air Canada were tops among the carriers surveyed when it came to healthy eats. Platkin praised Virgin's "travel light'' menu, and the nutritional information passengers can easily access. The roasted pear and arugula salad with almonds, for instance, contained only 310 calories.

"We're thrilled to have been ranked as having the most healthy food offering among U.S. airlines — once again," said Virgin America spokeswoman Patricia Condon. "Our guests tell us regularly that they want lighter options, and as the only airline headquartered in California, we take a lot of pride in offering a menu that features not only the best quality ingredients, but that also offers healthy options to busy travelers on the go."

Allegiant Air meanwhile, was at the bottom. While it offered a "hummus snack pack'' of only 210 calories, its "deli snack pack,'' which included salami slices and SnackWell's creme sandwich cookies, totaled 523 calories, and would require nearly two hours of walking to burn off, Platkin says.

The large network carriers fell in the middle of the five-star rankings, with United earning 3¼ stars, American and US Airways earning three stars, and Delta drawing 2¾ stars.

"The airline! s that are doing well are getting better,'' Platkin says, "but there hasn't been much improvement with the lower tier airlines in terms of health."

The survey, based on querying the airlines and examining their menus, looks at various criteria, including calorie counts, healthy meal offerings and nutritional improvements compared with the previous year.

Not only would more nutritious options be better for passengers, Platkin says, but airlines might also find that offering more wholesome food boosts their bottom line. Currently, Platkin found, airline meals for sale range from roughly $6 to $10, while the snack boxes cost roughly $4 to $9.

"The better-for-you health category is exploding,'' he says, and airlines "haven't recognized this could be a huge profit center for them.''

Thursday, February 6, 2014

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY): Super Bowl Indicator - Denver Broncos V. Seattle Seahawks equals Bulls Win!

Wall Street must be convinced that the Denver Broncos are going win Super Bowl XLVII. January performance has been a reliable, not perfect, but reliable indicator for the entire year's performance. The saying on the street is "As January goes, so goes the year."

According to research from Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Jue Xiong and Stephen Suttmeier, when January ends in the red, the S&P is down for the year 58% of the time with an average loss of 2.3%.

So how does January's performance tie into the Super Bowl? There's a quirky market predictor called the Super Bowl Indicator. It goes like this, when the AFC team (Broncos) wins, the stock market goes down. And, when the NFC team (Seahawks) wins, equities head higher.

According to Investopedia, "historically speaking the Super Bowl indicator boasts an 80% accuracy rate." Whoa – 58% and 80% accuracy, bulls better pull out all the superstitious stops for the Seattle team. Go get 'em Russell Wilson, it's payback, falling way back in the draft, turn nothing into something, straw into gold, soon to be champ! (Hat tip MM).

Now, both teams have been in the Super Bowl before. Denver managed to win a couple under the guidance of John Elway while Seattle lost it lone appearance to the Pittsburgh Steelers (thanks in part to some questionable officiating.) Let's take a trip through the NFL, Super Bowl archives to see how stocks performed when this year's contestants made the big game.

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Denver:

1978 – lost to Dallas Cowboys 27-10 – S&P 500 gained 1.71% 1987 – uh oh – lost to the NY "Football" Giants 39-20 – S&P 500 gained 2% 1988 – lost to the Washington Redskins (for now) 42-10 – S&P 500 gained 12.40% 1990 – lost to the San Francisco 49ers 55-10 (ouch) – S&P 500 lost -6.56% 1998 – beat the Green Bay Packers – S&P 500 gained 26.67% 1999 – beat the Atlanta Falcons (so what) – S&P 500 gained 19.53%

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Seattle:

2006 – lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (last cold weather host city – Detroit, look out NYC) 21-10 – S&P 500 gained 13.62%.

Based on team history, it sure looks as if Denver just being in the Super Bowl is good news for bulls. Meanwhile, who wouldn't take a 13% year if Seattle loses based on January's start.

Go Broncos – no nifty rhyme for Peyton Manning needed.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

UBS Turns Profits Around, Beats Estimates

UBS said early Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit rose to 917 million Swiss francs ($1.02 billion), beating analysts’ estimates with a strong turnaround from a loss of 1.9 billion francs a year ago, when it was fined for trying to rig global interest rates. It benefitted from a tax gain of 470 million Swiss francs.

As a result, UBS said it may boost its 2013 dividend to 25 centimes a share from 15 centimes, about 30% of the bank’s full-year net income of 3.17 billion francs. UBS also expanded its 2013 bonus pool, which included deferred pay, by 28% to 3.2 billion Swiss francs.

News for UBS’ wealth management operations in the Americas (WMA) was also upbeat. The group’s sales were $1.85 billion, up 5% from the earlier quarter and 9% from a year ago.

“In 2013, WMA delivered on our goals of $1 billion in adjusted pretax profit and $1 million in annualized revenue per financial advisor while invested assets rose to $970 billion—all record levels of performance,” said UBS Group CEO Sergio P. Ermotti, in a statement. “Coupled with our 14th consecutive quarter of positive net new money, WMA's results are further proof that our strategy is working.”

UBS says that its advisors had an average assets of $136 million and average production of roughly $1.04 million, up 5% from $994,000 in 3Q’13 and up 8% from $967,000 in 4Q’12. The full-year 2013 average production level was $1.001 milion.

The group’s advisor headcount stood at 7,137, the same as in 3Q’13 and up 1% from 7,059 in 4Q12.

In comparison, Morgan Stanley (MS) says it has 16,456 advisors with average client assets of $116 million, and average annualized revenues per advisor of $905,000.

Bank of America's (BAC) traditional Merrill advisor force stands at 13,771, and these reps had yearly production of $1.005 million in 2013. They produced average fees and commissions of $1.039 million in Q4’13 vs. $1 million in Q3’13.

The UBS unit attracted $4.9 billion in net new money in the quarter (excluding interest and dividends), up from $2.1 billion in Q3 but down from $8.8 billion in Q4’12. Including interest and dividends, NNM was $14.3 billion vs. $7.5 billion last quarter and $16.7 billion a year ago.

“We're pleased with the progress this business has made in recent years," said UBS Group CFO Tom Naratil in a statement, "and with invested assets of $1 trillion, pretax profits of a billion and FA productivity around $1 million, we're also excited about its future.”

---

Check out ThinkAdvisor's Q4 Earnings Calendar for the Finance Sector.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Yum! Brands, Inc. Confirms Guidance; Posts Growth in China Comps (YUM)

Yum Brands (YUM) reaffirmed its FY2013 guidance and FY2014 outlook and gave some positive news regarding its China Division ahead of its annual investor meeting.

The company announced that its China same-store sales were up 1% for November versus the estimated 1.2% decrease; the increase in sales was partially due to a special promotion at KFC restaurants.

Along with this reported boost in China sales, Yum reaffirmed its guidance for 2013, which will see EPS decline in the high single digits or low double digits. Looking forward to 2014, the company expects to see earnings growth of 20%. The company went on to give confirm more details about its outlook for 2014, including an expected 40% increase in profits for its China division, the opening of 1,850 new units throughout the world, and $1.2 billion in global capital expenditures.

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YUM stock was up a fraction at Monday’s market close, and was heading lower in after-hours trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 15.66%.