Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014

 

By John Whitefoot

The idea of nearly one million U.S. federal employees (read: consumers) being furloughed and not getting paid has sent oil prices tumbling to a three-month low, hovering near $100.00 a barrel.

The reach of the U.S. government shutdown goes well beyond those furloughed; it also affects those who rely on government services. Permitting and leasing for oil and gas drilling is at a halt, with 81% of all employees in the Department of Interior (which encompasses the Bureau of Land Management) on furlough. (Source: Ackerman, A., “Which Government Workers Are Affected by Shutdown?,” Wall Street Journal web site, October 2, 2013.)

Top 5 Airline Stocks To Buy For 2015: American Tower Corp (AMT)

American Tower Corporation is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through its directly and indirectly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. It is a wireless and broadcast communications infrastructure company that owns, operates and develops communications sites. Its primary business includes leasing antenna space on multi-tenant communications sites to wireless service providers, radio and television broadcast companies, wireless data providers, government agencies and municipalities and tenants in a number of other industries. This business is its rental and management operations, which accounted for approximately 98% of its total revenues during the year ended December 31, 2011. It also offer tower-related services domestically, including site acquisition, zoning and permitting services and structural analysis services, which primarily support its site leasing business and the addition of new tenants and equipment on its sites. In January 2012, the Company merged with and into American Tower REIT, Inc.

During 2011, the Company acquired additional 125 communications sites from Telefonica Colombia. On February 1, 2011, the Company acquired 140 communications sites from VTR Banda Ancha (Chile) S.A. and its affiliates. On December 30, 2011, the Company purchased 100% interest of a subsidiary of Telefonica Moviles Chile S.A. that owned 558 communications sites. On December 14, 2011, the Company acquired control of an additional 76 existing communications sites from Cell C. On March 1, 2011, the Company acquired 100% interest of a company that owned 627 communications sites in Brazil. During 2011, the Company acquired a total of 179 communications sites and equipment in the United States. In December 2011, it announced the launch of operations in Uganda.

In the United States during 2011, the Company included the acquisition and construction of approximately 430 towers, the acquisition of approximately 2,150 property interests, the installation of approximate! ly 40 in-building and outdoor DAS networks and the installation of approximately 680 shared generators on its sites. During 2011, it expanded its international footprint, as it acquired and constructed approximately 3,230 communications sites in two new countries, Ghana and South Africa. During 2011, it also included the acquisition and construction of approximately 6,770 communications sites in its markets in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India and Mexico. In addition, during 2011, it also acquired property interests, which it leases to communications service providers and third-party tower operators under approximately 1,810 communications sites.

As of December 31, 2011, there were approximately 21,320 towers domestically and approximately 23,900 towers internationally. The Company�� portfolio also includes approximately 260 DAS networks, which it operates in malls, casinos and other in-building applications, and select outdoor environments. In addition to the communications sites in its portfolio, the Company manages rooftop and tower sites for property owners. It also holds property interests, which is leases to communications service providers and third-party tower operators under approximately 1,810 communications sites. It conducts its international operations through its subsidiary, American Tower International, Inc., which in turn conducts operations through its various international operating subsidiaries and joint ventures. Its international operations consist of its operations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. It holds and operates certain of its assets through one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs).

Rental and Management Operations

During 2011, the Company�� rental and management operations accounted for approximately 98% of its total revenues. Its tenants lease space on its communications site infrastructure, where they install and maintain their individual communications network equipment. The Company�� r! evenue is! primarily generated from tenant leases, and the annual rental payments. Its tenant leases are non-cancellable and have annual rent escalations. Its domestic rental and management segment consists of its nationwide network of communications sites that enables the Company to address the needs of national, regional, local and emerging communications service providers in the United States. Its domestic rental and management segment also includes property interests, which it leases to communications service providers and third-party tower operators. During 2011, its domestic rental and management segment accounted for approximately 72% of its total revenues.

The Company�� international rental and management segment consists of communications sites in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. During 2011, its international rental and management segment accounted for approximately 26% of its total revenues. The Company�� rental and management operations include the operation of wireless and broadcast communications towers and DAS networks, rooftop management and the leasing of property interests. It owns and operates communications towers in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. During 2011, approximately 98% of revenue in its rental and management segments was attributable to its communications towers.

The Company leases space on its communications towers to tenants providing a diverse range of communications services, including personal communications services, cellular, broadcasting, enhanced specialized mobile radio, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), paging and fixed microwave. Its domestic and international tenants include AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA, Iusacell (Mexico), Nextel International, Telefonica, MTN Group Limited and Vodafone. In addition to its communications sites, it also owns and operates DAS networks, provide communications s! ite manag! ement services to third parties and manage and/or lease property interests under carrier or other third-party communications sites.

The Company owns and operates approximately 260 DAS networks in malls, casinos and other in-building applications in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. It obtains rights from property owners to install and operate in-building DAS networks, and it grants rights to wireless service providers to attach their equipment to its installations. It also offers outdoor DAS networks as a complementary shared infrastructure solution for its tenants, and operates such networks in the United States. It provides management services to property owners in the United States. It obtains rights to manage a rooftop by entering into contracts with property owners pursuant to which it receives a percentage of occupancy or license fees paid by the wireless carriers and other tenants. It owns a portfolio of property interests in the United States under approximately 1,810 carrier or other third-party communications sites, which provides recurring cash flow under leasing arrangements.

Network Development Services

Through the Company�� network development services segment, it offers tower-related services domestically, including site acquisition, zoning and permitting services and structural analysis services, which primarily support its site leasing business and the addition of new tenants and equipment on its sites. During 2011, this segment accounted for approximately 2% of its total revenues. It engages in site acquisition services on its own behalf in connection with its tower development projects, as well as on behalf of its tenants. The Company offers structural analysis services to wireless carriers in connection with the installation of their communications equipment on its towers.

The Company competes with Crown Castle International Corp., SBA Communications Corporation, Indus Towers, Viom Networks and GTL.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Smith]

  The two names which come to mind as potential buyers are American Tower (AMT) and Crown Castle International (CCI) as the assets would be natural for them to purchase. It would be a large transaction though which would be about 1/6th the current market cap of American Tower and 1/4th the size of Crown Castle's market cap. Another possible buyer could be a hedge fund, and although there are few names out there specializing in this industry, at the end of the day it is a real estate game and all about the leverage and cash flows. Readers should watch this story because if AT&T does in fact sell its towers, it might be set to make a move on the chess board.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Is American Tower (NYSE: AMT  ) a buy today, one week before the cell tower operator reports third-quarter results? Spoiler alert: I opened a real-money position in this stock a month ago, and American Tower has done absolutely nothing to undermine my analysis since then.

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a pair of upgrades for home furnishings store Pier 1 (NYSE: PIR  ) and engine technologist BorgWarner (NYSE: BWA  ) . Let's address those two real quick, before we get to the day's really big news (about American Tower (NYSE: AMT  ) ).

• [By Eric Volkman]

  American Tower (NYSE: AMT  ) is about to put a few more coins into the pockets of its investors. The company has declared its latest quarterly dividend, which is $0.27 per share. This will be paid on July 16 to shareholders of record as of June 17. That amount is $0.01 higher than the firm's previous distribution; this was paid in late April. Prior to that, American Tower handed out $0.24 per share.

Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: FedFirst Financial Corporation(FFCO)

FedFirst Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for the First Federal Savings Bank, which provides various banking and financial services to individuals and businesses primarily in southwestern Pennsylvania. The company accepts deposit products, which include noninterest-bearing demand deposits, such as checking accounts; interest-bearing demand accounts, including NOW and money market accounts; statement savings accounts; and certificates of deposit comprising individual retirement accounts. Its loan products include residential mortgage loans, commercial and multi-family real estate loans, construction loans, commercial business loans, and consumer loans, including home equity lines of credit, home equity installment loans, loans on savings accounts, and personal lines of credit and installment loans. The company also operates as an insurance agent offering property and casualty, commercial liability, surety, and other insurance products. As of July 15, 20 11, it operated nine full-service branch locations in Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, Pittsburgh. The company was founded in 1922 and is based in Monessen, Pennsylvania. FedFirst Financial Corporation is a subsidiary of FedFirst Financial Mutual Holding Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of FedFirst Financial Corp. (FFCO) �rose 9.7% to $22 on light volume. Shares had been halted at $20.06 after the bell pending news.

Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Autobytel Inc.(ABTL)

Autobytel Inc. operates as an automotive marketing services company in the United States. It assists automotive retail dealers and manufacturers to market and sell new and used vehicles to consumers through its online purchase request referrals, dealer marketing products and services, and online advertising programs and data products. The company provides vehicle purchase request programs, including new vehicle purchase request program, which allows consumers to submit requests for pricing and availability of specific makes and models; used vehicle purchase request program that allows consumers to search for used vehicles according to specific search parameters, such as the price, make, model, mileage, year, and location of the vehicle; and finance purchase request program designed to provide consumers the opportunity to obtain vehicle financing and other services from dealers or finance institutions. Its network of company-owned consumer-facing automotive Websites compris e Autobytel.com, which provide consumers the information and tools to aid them with their automotive purchase decisions and the ability to submit inquiries requesting dealers to contact the consumers for purchasing or leasing vehicles. In addition, the company provides products and services that assist dealers in connecting with in-market consumers and closing vehicle sales. The company, formerly known as Autobytel.com Inc., was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Wednesday, cyclical consumer goods & services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.41 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in energy sector included Autobytel (NASDAQ: ABTL), with shares up 20.6 percent, and VisionChina Media (NASDAQ: VISN), with shares up 15.5 percent.

Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Elan Corporation PLC (ELN)

Elan Corporation, plc (Elan), incorporated in December 1969, is a neuroscience-based biotechnology company. The Company is focused on discovering and developing advanced therapies in neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Elan�� business focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer�� disease and Parkinson�� disease; autoimmune diseases, including MS and Crohn�� disease and neo-epitope based targets for treatments across a range of therapeutic indications. Tysabri is a treatment for MS and Crohn�� disease that the Company markets and distributes with Biogen Idec. On September 16, 2011, Elan sold its EDT business to Alkermes, Inc. In November 2011, Elan launched a collaboration with the University of Cambridge, England, the Cambridge-Elan Centre for Research Innovation and Drug Discovery (Cambridge-Elan Centre). On December 21, 2012, the Company completed the demerger of Prothena Corporation plc. In April 2013, it closed the TYSABRI (natalizumab) Collaboration Transaction with Biogen Idec.

Tysabri

Tysabri, which is an alpha-4 integrin inhibitor, is a therapy for MS, a neurological disorder involving central nervous system dysfunction among adults. Tysabri is approved in more than 65 countries. Tysabri is approved in the United States as a monotherapy for relapsing forms of MS, for patients who have had an inadequate response to, or are unable to tolerate, an alternative MS therapy. In the European Union, it is approved for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in adult patients who have failed to respond to beta interferon or have rapidly evolving, severe RRMS. As of December 31, 2011, there were approximately 64,400 patients on Tysabri therapy worldwide.

In June 2011, the European Commission (EC) approved the inclusion of the anti-JCV antibody status as an additional factor in stratifying patients at risk for developing PML in the Summary of Product Characteristics��(SmPC) for Tysabri in the European Union. The Company has developed a two-step ! enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), STRATIFY JCV, with Biogen Idec. The assay detects anti-JCV antibodies in the blood of patients, and is commercially available in Europe. In January 2012, the FDA cleared the assay for commercial use in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, over 80,000 tests had been administered using the assay. Tysabri is marketed and distributed by Elan and Biogen Idec. The Company�� research group, Neotope, is focused on creating monoclonal antibodies based on neo-epitope targets for the treatment of a range of therapeutic indications.

Beta Amyloid Immunotherapies (AIP)

Beta amyloid immunotherapy includes the treatment of Alzheimer�� disease by inducing or enhancing the body�� immune response in order to clear toxic species of beta amyloid from the brain. The AIP includes bapineuzumab (intravenous and subcutaneous delivery) and ACC-001, as well as other compounds. Bapineuzumab is an experimental humanized monoclonal antibody delivered intravenously that is being studied as a treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer�� disease. It is designed to provide antibodies to beta amyloid directly to the patient (passive immunotherapy).

ELND005, an A� Aggregation Inhibitor

The small molecule ELND005 (Scyllo-inositol) is a beta amyloid anti-aggregation agent. Preclinical data suggest that ELND005 may act through the mechanism of preventing and reversing the fibrilisation of beta amyloid (the aggregation of beta amyloid into clumps of insoluble oligomers). ELND005 may have additional applications in psychiatric indications, such as bipolar disorder. In November 2011, the Company entered into a manufacturing agreement for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for ELND005 with Lonza Group AG.

Neotope Biosciences Limited

Neotope Biosciences Limited (Neotope) is the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary that focuses on the discovery and development of antibodies to neo-epitope related targ! ets for t! he treatment of a range of indications. It includes amyloidosis, diabetes, cancer and macular degeneration. Neotope�� portfolio of targets includes alpha-synuclein for the potential treatment of synucleinopathies, such as Lewy body dementia and Parkinson�� disease, tau for Alzheimer�� disease and other tauopathies. It also has a program for type 2-diabetes.

Onclave Therapeutics Limited

Elan�� wholly owned subsidiary Onclave Therapeutics Limited (Onclave) was formed to develop assets originating from Elan that have application in oncology related diseases. Onclave�� program, NEOD001, which originated from Neotope, is being investigated for the treatment of AL amyloidosis, which is a fatal disease involving abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs and tissue. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Onclave filed for orphan drug designation of NEOD001. Onclave�� pipeline includes additional compounds with relevance in diverse cancer indications.

The Company competes with Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, Pfizer, Teva Neurosciences, Inc., Sanofi-Aventis and Novartis AG.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Elan (NYSE: ELN  )
  Having a lot of cash in the biotech sector doesn't mean that a company's clinical trials will translate into success. Elan's claim to fame was the development of multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri, which it licensed out to Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB  ) . Sales of the drug hit $1.6 billion last year.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Royalty Pharma announced Monday that it's willing increase the $11-per-share offer it made for Elan (NYSE: ELN  ) back in February, depending on the result of Elan's buyback.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Bellway Plc (BWY) added 1.4 percent after the homebuilder said reservations in the past four months rose 31 percent as buyers had greater access to mortgages. Elan (ELN) Corp. jumped to a 10-month high in Dublin after Royalty Pharma increased its offer for the Irish drugmaker to as much as $6.7 billion. BT Group increased 3.7 percent as Barclays Plc recommended investors buy shares of the U.K.�� largest fixed-line company.