Since 2008, domestic crude oil production has soared. In fact, the U.S. pumped out more oil last year than it has in at least two decades.
Production has grown so rapidly that midstream companies, which are working tirelessly to build out the pipeline infrastructure necessary to support the domestic oil boom, just can't seem to keep up. We're simply pumping out way too much oil.
That's why railroads and other alternative transport methods have become increasingly important in recent years, giving pipelines a run for their money. And if recent developments are any indication, rail-based crude shipments should continue to grow over the next several years.
That's good news for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, which bought out the nation's largest railroad company more than three years ago. Let's see how that bet might turn out.
Buffett's BNSF optimistic about crude shipments
Buffett's decision to take over Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC, or BNSF, in 2009 was predicated largely upon his belief that a recovering U.S. economy would boost growth in the highly cyclical rail industry. While the bet has turned out to be a great one so far, its future success will likely be driven by further growth in crude oil shipments.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Invest In 2015: Diageo plc(DEO)
Diageo plc engages in producing, distilling, brewing, bottling, packaging, distributing, developing, and marketing spirits, beer, and wine products worldwide. It offers a range of brands, including Johnnie Walker scotch whiskies, Smirnoff vodka and Smirnoff ready to drink products, Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Captain Morgan rum and rum based products, Jose Cuervo tequila, JeB scotch whisky, Buchanan?s scotch whisky, Windsor Premier scotch whisky, Ketel One vodka, Ciroc vodka, Tanqueray gin, Bushmills Irish whiskey, and Guinness stout. The company also provides other spirits brands that comprise Gordon?s gin and vodka, Old Parr scotch whisky, Bell?s scotch whisky, The Classic Malts scotch whiskies, Seagram?s 7 Crown whiskey and Seagram?s VO whisky, Cacique rum, White Horse scotch whisky, Don Julio tequila, and Bundaberg rum. In addition, it offers beer under various brands, such as Malta Guinness non-alcoholic malt, Harp lager, Tu sker lager, Smithwick?s ale, Senator lager, and Red Stripe lager; and wine under a range of brands, including Blossom Hill, Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Navarro Correas, Acacia Vineyard, Rosenblum Cellars, Piat d?Or, Chalone Vineyard, and Santa Rita. Further, Diageo plc owns the distribution rights for the Jose Cuervo tequila brands in North America and internationally. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Royston Wild]
Bubbly activity in these developing geographies can create large opportunities for many London-listed firms. Today, I am looking at�Diageo� (LSE: DGE ) (NYSE: DEO ) �and assessing whether its operations in these regions are likely to underpin solid earnings growth.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Still, beer, wine, and spirits have all seen a rise in competitive pressure lately. In the spirits space, Diageo (NYSE: DEO ) has moved aggressively toward growth-spurring initiatives like flavored spirits, enticing a new demographic to consume more of its products. Meanwhile, players in the wine industry are facing rising input costs from higher grape prices, forcing them either to accept narrower profit margins, or try to pass higher prices on to consumers.
- [By Sam Robson]
LONDON -- Reports emerging suggest that�Diageo's (LSE: DGE ) (NYSE: DEO ) long-awaited purchase of a large interest in United Spirits has failed,�according to a person "familiar with the deal."
- [By Charles Sizemore]
Under Tennessee law, ��ennessee whiskey��must, like bourbon, be aged in a new, charred oak barrel.�Diageo (DEO), the world�� largest spirits company and the owner of the George Dickel Tennessee whiskey brand, is agitating for a law change that would allow whiskey aged in used barrels to qualify.�Brown-Forman (BF-B), owner of the iconic Jack Daniels brand, views this as close to sacrilege and is lobbying for the definition to remain unchanged.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Invest In 2015: Guided Therapeutics Inc (GTHP)
Guided Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on October 27, 1992, is a medical technology company focused on developing medical devices. The Company�� primary focus is the development of its LuViva non-invasive cervical cancer detection device and extension of its cancer detection technology into other cancers, especially esophageal. Its technology, including products in research and development, primarily relate to biophotonics technology for the non-invasive detection of cancers. LuViva is a non-invasive cervical cancer detection product, based on the Company's biophotonic technology. The device is designed to identify cervical cancers and precancers painlessly, non-invasively and at the point-of-care by scanning the cervix with light, then analyzing the light reflected or emanating from the cervix.
The Company's product, in addition to detecting the structural changes attributed to cervical cancer, is also designed to detect the biochemical changes that precede the development of visual lesions. The product is expected to incorporate a single-use, disposable calibration and alignment component.
The Company competes with Qiagen, MediSpectra, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., and GlaxoSmithKline PLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Last Friday, GTHP had shed (-2.16%) down -0.015 at $.679 with 39,538 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance August 23, 2013 ��Close).
Guided Therapeutics, Inc. previously reported its operating results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2013.
Revenue and other income for the second quarter of 2013 was approximately $338,000, including $116,000 in sales of LuViva庐 devices and disposables associated with its European launch, with the remainder of revenue representing contract and grant income. This compares to revenue of approximately $944,000 in the second quarter of 2012, which was comprised almost solely of contract and grant income. Revenue for the first six months of 2013 was $637,000, including $248,000 in sales of LuViva device and disposables. Revenue in the first six months of 2012 was $1.6 million, which was comprised almost solely of contract and grant income. The year over year decline in contract and grant income for both periods was primarily due to bringing the worldwide rights to the Company�� esophageal cancer detection technology back in house.
Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Invest In Right Now: Sealed Air Corporation(SEE)
Sealed Air Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides food safety and security, facility hygiene, and product protection solutions worldwide. Its Food Packaging segment provides shrink bags and vacuum packaging products; packaging materials for cook-in applications; laminated and coextruded rollstock packaging materials used in thermoforming and form, fill, and seal applications; and associated packaging equipment and systems, including bag loaders, dispensers, and vacuum chamber systems. The company?s Food Solutions segment offers case-ready packaging offerings; ready meals packaging technologies; vertical pouch packaging solutions for packaging flowable food products; foam and plastic trays; absorbent products for food packaging; and related packaging equipment, including vacuum chamber systems. Its Protective Packaging segment provides air cellular packaging materials; polyolefin performance shrink films for product display; shrink packaging equipment systems; pol yurethane foam packaging systems that provide protective packaging; lightweight and tear-resistant mailers and bags; inflatable packaging systems; paper cushioning systems that include recycled paper and automated dispensing equipment; paper packaging products; and suspension and retention packaging products. The company?s Diversey Segment offers a range of products and services, such as kitchen cleaning products; food and beverage and manufacturing and processing products; floor care products and systems; restroom care and other housekeeping products; and laundry products, as well as consulting services. Sealed Air Corporation also provides specialty materials products to fabricators and manufacturers; and medical applications products and solutions to medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. The company markets its products primarily under the Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, and Diversey brands. Sealed Air Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in El mwood Park, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Sealed Air�(SEE) has fallen 0.7% to $28.35 after the food-safety company was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at�Barclays.
Towers Watson�(TW) has dropped 0.5% to $102.49 after it was cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan. It was also upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
On the upside, Sealed Air (SEE) has gained 8.4% to $30.90 after it said it earned 39 cents share, beating forecasts for 34 cents, and offered strong guidance. Gilead Sciences (GILD) has risen 4.3% to $72.50 after it reported a profit of 52 cents, beating forecasts for 48 cents.
- [By Lee Jackson]
Basic Materials: Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE) is top pick at other firms that we cover on Wall Street as well. Credit Suisse believes that following the recent (October) management change at the company, Sealed Air will significantly improve its profitability and cash flows while also deleveraging its sizable debt load, with both of these things driving significant shareholder value. The price target for the stock is posted at $36. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $33. Investors are paid a 1.9% dividend. Credit Suisse is the high target on Wall Street and would represent a 31% gain for investors. The stock closed Tuesday at $27.48.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Invest In 2015: American Superconductor Corporation(AMSC)
American Superconductor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wind and power grid products and services primarily in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company?s Wind segment designs, develops, and licenses engineered wind turbine designs to wind turbine manufactures; provides engineering and customer support services; supplies power electronics and software-based control systems to wind turbine manufactures to regulate voltage, control power flows, and maximize wind turbine efficiency; offers consulting services to the wind industry; and provides products that enhance power quality for industrial operations. This segment serves the transmission and distribution, wind power, and manufacturing industries. Its Grid segment manufactures high-temperature superconductor wire and coils; designs and develops superconductor products, such as power cables, fault current limiters, electric motors, generators, and synchronous condensers; manages large-s cale superconductor projects; and provides transmission planning services that identify power grid congestion, poor power quality, and other risks. This segment?s products enable electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit, and distribute power. Its products include D-VAR systems that provide the reactive power needed to stabilize voltage on the grid, and are used to connect wind farms and solar power plants to the power grid; SolarTie Grid Interconnection Systems, which provide the inversion and reactive compensation necessary to connect megawatt-scale solar photovoltaic power plants to the power grid; superconductor wires for various applications, including motors, generators, fault current limiters, and power cables; and power cable systems that are manufactured by third parties, as well as turnkey project management services to electric utilities. American Superconductor Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Devens, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
To make matters even more contentious, China has been stealing trade secrets and other intellectual property for years, and that may finally be coming to a head now that it's the second largest economy in the world. Last week, American Superconductor's (NASDAQ: AMSC ) trade dispute with China was taken to another level when the Department of Justice indicted former AMSC partner Sinovel for stealing trade secrets. All indications are that this should have been an open-and-shut case in China, but the Chinese court system has thrown out the case, or dragged its feet for two years.�
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Invest In 2015: Pacific Drilling SA (PACD)
Pacific Drilling S.A., incorporated on March 22, 2011, is an international offshore drilling Company. The Company is a provider of ultra-deepwater drilling services to the oil and natural gas industry through the use of high-specification drilling rigs. The Company�� primary business is to contract its ultra-deepwater drilling rigs, related equipment and work crews, primarily on a dayrate basis, to drill wells for its customers. The Company is primarily focused on the ultra-deepwater market. The Company generally consider ultra-deepwater to begin at water depths of more than 7,500 feet and to extend to the maximum water depths, in which rigs are capable of drilling, which is approximately 12,000 feet.
The Company operates four drillships and has four drillships under construction, two of which are under customer contract. In connection with the Restructuring, the Company�� Predecessor was contributed to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company by a subsidiary of Quantum Pacific International Limited.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Pacific Drilling (PACD) is an international offshore drilling contractor committed to becoming the preferred provider of ultra-deepwater drilling services to the oil and natural gas industry through the use of high-specification rigs. This stock closed up 1% to $9.94 in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Range: $9.87-$10.00
52-Week Range: $8.63-$10.99
Thursday's Volume: 450,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 308,772From a technical perspective, PACD bounced modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $9.67 with above-average volume. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last five months, with shares moving between $8.89 on the downside and $10.23 on the upside. Shares of PACD are now starting to trend within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That trade will hit if PACD manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $10.14 to $10.23 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PACD as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $9.81 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 308,772 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PACD will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10.71 to its 52-week high at $10.99. Any high-volume move above $10.99 will then put its all-time high at $11.47 within range for shares of PACD.
- [By Aaron Levitt]
Management recently announced a hefty 50% hike in its quarterly dividend to 37.5 cents per share of NE stock. And with a 4.8% dividend yield, NE stock is now one of the best-paying dividend stocks in the energy sector.
Dividend Stocks To Buy #5 — Pacific Drilling (PACD)Estimated Dividend Yield: 6.5%
- [By David Smith]
Chevron has been working hand-in-glove in implementing DGD with offshore rig operator Pacific Drilling (NYSE: PACD ) . Pacific's drillship Pacific Santa Ana was specifically built to Chevron's DGD-enhancing specifications and is working for the big company in the Gulf of Mexico.
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