The M&A chatter over Time Warner Cable, Inc. (NYSE: TWC) has gained momentum recently as press reports have suggested Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) was lining up financing from banks to fund a bid for Time Warner Cable.
Separately, some reports suggested Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was TWC's preferred suitor while others indicated Comcast and Charter were discussing a joint bid for TWC, in which they would carve up the company, and take the markets complementary to their existing footprints. The potential takeover scenario pushed shares of TWC 37 percent higher this year.
[Related -Comcast Corporation (CMCSA): Is Housing Finally Helping Video, Data Subscriber Additions?]
The Charter acquisition of TWC is most likely and, to a certain extent, the reports regarding Comcast's interest could be an effort to get a higher price.
Best Communications Equipment Companies For 2015: Alliance Data Systems Corporation (ADS)
Alliance Data Systems Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides data-driven and transaction-based marketing, and customer loyalty solutions primarily in the United States and Canada. The company operates in three segments: LoyaltyOne, Epsilon, and Private Label Services and Credit. The LoyaltyOne segment includes AIR MILES Reward Program that enables consumers to earn AIR MILES reward miles as they shop within a range of retailers and other sponsors participating in the AIR MILES Reward Program; and offers loyalty services, including loyalty consulting, customer analytics, and creative services. The Epsilon segment provides integrated direct marketing solutions, which combine database marketing technology and analytics with a range of direct marketing services comprising email marketing campaigns. This segment's products and services consist of marketing database services, analytical services, strategic consulting and creative services, proprietary data service s, and digital communications. The Private Label Services and Credit segment encompasses credit card processing, billing and payment processing, customer care and collections services for private label retailers, as well as private label retail credit card receivables financing, including securitization of the credit card receivables that it underwrites from its private label retail credit card programs. The company serves financial services, specialty retail, grocery and drugstore chains, petroleum retail, technology, hospitality and travel, media, and pharmaceuticals end markets. Alliance Data Systems Corporation was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Toward the end of trading Friday, the Dow traded down 0.60 percent to 16,947.43 while the NASDAQ declined 0.75 percent to 4,557.59. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.83 percent to 1,980.97.
Leading and Lagging Sectors Cyclical consumer goods & services shares fell by just 0.50 percent in trading on Friday. Top gainers in the sector included ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance NASDAQ: (ULTA), up 17.5 percent, and 1-800-Flowers.com (NASDAQ: FLWS), up 4.5 percent. In trading on Friday, utilities shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.89 percent. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais - CEMIG (NYSE: CIG), down 4.7 percent, and CPFL Energia SA (NYSE: CPL), off 4.3 percent. Top Headline Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) reported better-than-expected fiscal first quarter earnings. The Orlando, Florida-based company reported a quarterly loss of $19.3 million, or $0.14 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $42.2 million, or $0.32 per share. Excluding non-recurring items, the company earned $0.32 per share. Its sales surged to $1.6 billion versus $1.53 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.30 per share on revenue of $1.6 billion. Equities Trading UP Conversant (NASDAQ: CNVR) shares shot up 30.25 percent to $34.79 after Alliance Data Systems (NYSE: ADS) announced its plans to buy Conversant for $35 per share. Shares of ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (NASDAQ: ULTA) got a boost, shooting up 17.69 percent to $114.72 after the company reported upbeat second-quarter results and raised its outlook. The company also unveiled a five-year plan for impressive growth. Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings (NASDAQ: SPWH) shares were also up, gaining 15.89 percent to $7.00 after the company reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results. Equities Trading DOWN Shares of Ruckus Wireless (NASDAQ: RKUS) were down 5.19 percent to $14.35. Buckingham
Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Intersil Corporation(ISIL)
Intersil Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for applications in the industrial, computing, consumer, and communications electronics markets. The company?s industrial products include operational amplifiers, bridge drivers, isolated and non-isolated power management products, switches and multiplexers, video decoders, and other standard analog and power management products used in medical imaging, energy management, automotive, military, instrumentation, security surveillance, and factory automation markets. Its computing products comprise desktop, server, notebook, and network attached storage power management products, including core power devices and other power management products for peripheral devices, as well as lithium ion battery chargers. The company?s consumer products consist of handheld, display, gaming, light sensor, and class-D audio amplifier products for use in smartphones, LCD televisions, tablet computers, electronic game systems, set top boxes, MP3 players, GPS systems, AV receivers, and home audio systems. Its communication products include line drivers, isolated and non-isolated power management, radiation-hardened products, digital power management products, broadband and hot plug power management products, and high-speed data converters for applications in DSL, home gateway, satellite, networking, cellular base station, and networking/switching equipment markets. The company markets its products through distributors and value added resellers to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers in China, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and Mexico. Intersil Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Intersil (Nasdaq: ISIL ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Intersil doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue decreased 18.7%, and inventory decreased 19.5%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue shrank 15.6%, and inventory shrank 19.5%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue dropped 4.2%, and inventory dropped 3.1%.
Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vale SA (VALE5)
Vale SA (Vale) is a Brazil-based metals and mining company. The Company services are divided into four segments: Bulk Material, including the extraction of iron ore, manganese and ferroalloys, as well as pellet production; Basic metals, comprising the production of non-ferrous minerals, including nickel, copper and aluminum; Fertilizers, including the production of potash, phosphate and nitrogen; and Logistic services, including cargo transportation for third parties divided into rail transport, port and shipping services. Additionally, Vale is active in investments in joint ventures and associate in other businesses. The Company operates through subsidiaries and jointly-controlled entities, incorporated in Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Mozambique, Singapore and the USA, among others. In December, 2013, the Company sold Sociedad Contractual Minera Tres Valles to Inversiones Porto San Giorgio SA. In December 2013, it sold entire stake in Log-in Logistica Intermodal SA. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ney Hayashi]
Iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5) may be active after agreeing to pay 22.3 billion reais ($9.6 billion) to settle a tax dispute with Brazil over profits at its foreign units. Meatpacker Minerva SA may move after Russia lifted a ban on beef exports from one of its plants.
Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ferro Corporation (FOE)
Ferro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty materials and chemicals in the United States and internationally. It operates in six segments: Performance Coatings, Electronic Materials, Color and Glass Performance Materials, Polymer Additives, Specialty Plastics, and Pharmaceuticals. The company provides electronic, color, and glass materials, including conductive metal powders, polishing materials, glazes, enamels, pigments, decoration colors, and other performance materials. It also offers polymer and ceramic engineered materials, such as polymer additives, engineered plastic compounds, pigment dispersions, glazes, frits, porcelain enamel, pigments, inks, and high-potency pharmaceutical active ingredients. The company provides its products for a range of applications in various markets, such as appliances, automobiles, building and renovation, electronics, household furnishings, industrial products, packaging, and pharmaceuticals. The com pany sells its products to manufacturers of ceramic tile, major appliances, construction materials, automobile parts, glass, bottles, vinyl flooring and wall coverings, and pharmaceuticals directly, as well as through agents and distributors. Ferro Corporation was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones]
Up 385% over 12 months, Ferro Corp. (FOE) is an enameling company that provides manufacturers with specialty materials and chemicals to enhance product functionality, durability or beauty. The company reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013 with net sales at $408.1 million, almost flat with net sales of $408.9 million in the same quarter of 2012. Ferro Corp.�� gross profit was $84.2 million for the reporting quarter, up from $60.7 million in the same quarter one year ago. Ferro�� net income in the third quarter of 2013 was $12.7 million, bouncing from a net loss of ($316.1) million in the third quarter a year ago. Adjusted net income was $12.5 million, up from a net loss of ($1.9) in the third quarter of 2012. Adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.14 for the reporting quarter, up from a net loss of ($0.02) per share in the same quarter of 2012. Ferro expects adjusted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2013 to be around $0.04 to $0.07 per diluted share, resulting in adjusted earnings of $0.42 to $0.45 per diluted share, for the full year.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Ferro (NYSE: FOE ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 25. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Ferro's revenues will wane -8.3% and EPS will grow 120.0%. - [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]
A. Schulman Inc.(SHLM) agreed to buy a majority of Ferro Corp.'s(FOE) specialty plastics business for $91 million in cash, an effort to expand its geographic footprint.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Ferro (NYSE: FOE ) now has a new man in its CEO office. The company's board has installed Peter Thomas as its chief executive and president, effective immediately. Since last November, he had served in an interim capacity in both positions.
Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Littelfuse Inc.(LFUS)
Littelfuse, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells circuit protection devices for use in the automotive, electronic, and electrical markets in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company offers electronic circuit protection products, such as fuses and protectors, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, varistors, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, discrete transient voltage suppression diodes, TVS diode arrays and protection thyristors, gas discharge tubes, and power switching components, as well as fuseholders, blocks, and related accessories under PICO II, and NANO2 SMF, TECCOR, SIDACtor, and Battrax brand names. It offers its electronic circuit protection products for use in wireless telephones, consumer electronics, computers, modems, telecommunications equipment, telephones, data transmission lines, and alarm systems. The company also provides automotive fuses that are used in automobiles, trucks, buses, and off-road equipment to protec t electrical circuits and the wires that supply electrical power to operate lights, heating, air conditioning, radios, windows, and other controls, as well as offers fuses for the protection of electric and hybrid vehicles. It markets its automotive fuse products under ATO, MINI, MAXI, MIDI, MEGA, MasterFuse, JCASE, and CablePro brand names. In addition, Littelfuse manufactures various low-voltage and medium-voltage circuit protection products, such as power fuses that are used in the protection from over-load and short-circuit currents in motor branch circuits, heating and cooling systems, control systems, lighting circuits, and electrical distribution networks to electrical distributors and their customers in the construction, original equipment manufacturers, and industrial maintenance and repair and operating supplies markets. Littelfuse sells its products through direct sales force and manufacturers? representatives. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS ) has signed an agreement to acquire Key Safety Systems' Hamlin subsidiary for $145 million in cash, Littelfuse announced Monday.
Hot Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund Inc (KYE)
Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified closed-end investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to obtain a high total return with an emphasis on current income. The Fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in securities of companies engaged in the energy industry, principally including publicly-traded energy-related master limited partnerships and limited liability companies taxed as partnerships (MLPs), MLP affiliates, energy-related United States and Canadian royalty trusts and income trusts and other companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from operating assets used in, or providing energy-related services for, the exploration, development, production, gathering, transportation, processing, storing, refining, distribution, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal.
Effective December 31, 2006, Kayne Anderson assigned the Investment Management Agreement to its subsidiary, KA Fund Advisors, LLC (the Adviser). The Fund focuses on investing at least 80% of the aggregate of its net assets and borrowings (total assets) in securities of Energy Companies. The Fund invests in equity securities, such as common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants, depository receipts, and equity interests in MLPs, MLP affiliates, royalty trusts and other Energy Companies.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
We got several questions about Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund (NYSE: KYE) during the chat. The main advantage of closed-end MLP funds is the diversification they provide, along with the convenience of a 1099 miscellaneous income tax form instead of having to deal with K-1 forms from each individual MLP. This makes a closed-end MLP fund a more attractive option for an IRA.
No comments:
Post a Comment