When you think "U.S. defense contractors," Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) probably isn't the first name that comes to mind. Nevertheless, Microsoft placed among the winners of one of the more lucrative contracts handed out at the Pentagon last night.
The contract in question, worth as much as $412.2 million to the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant, calls for Microsoft to provide Microsoft Enterprise Technical Support Services necessary to obtain highly trained "Microsoft Blue Badge cardholder support." Receiving these services requires that the DoD obtain access rights to Microsoft's proprietary (closed-source) code, which is licensed under exclusive legal right of Microsoft.�
Thus, Microsoft will be providing the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization with consulting services that include the provision of software developers and product teams to work on a variety of proprietary Microsoft resources and source code. Also covered by the contract are "Microsoft Premier Support" services such as tools and knowledge bases, problem resolution assistance from product developers, and access to the Microsoft source code when necessary.
Hot Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Rosetta Genomics Ltd (ROSG)
Rosetta Genomics Ltd., incorporated on March 9, 2000, is seeking to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests based on discovered group of genes known as microRNAs. The Company has established a clinical laboratory improvement amendment (CLIA)-certified laboratory in Philadelphia, which enables it to develop, validate and commercialize its own diagnostic tests applying its microRNA technology. In July 2011, the Company launched its fifth product - miRview lung. As of December 31, 2011, the Company launched five tests based on its five microRNA technologies: miRview mets; miRview mets2; miRview squamous; miRview meso, and miRview lung.
Rimonim Consortium
In January 2011, the Company joined the Rimonim Consortium, which is supported by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor of the State of Israel, or the OCS. The purpose of the consortium is to develop RNA interference, or RNAi, -based therapeutics.
Rosetta Green
Rosetta Green Ltd. is an Israeli subsidiary of the Company, which was established to leverage its capabilities into the areas of cleantech and plant biotech by using its microRNA technologies to develop plants and algae more suitable for various applications, such as feedstocks for biofuels and agriculture. Research at the Rosetta Green project has been shown to develop algal strains with oil content, to discover potential novel microRNAs from commercially-important algae and to identify drought-regulated microRNAs in plants.
The Company competes with Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc., Biotheranostics, Inc., Combimatrix Corporation, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Asuragen Inc., Exiqon A/S, Life Technologies Corporation, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., Santaris Pharma A/S, and Regulus Therapeutics.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anthony Mirhaydari]
For now, I continue to recommend investors maintain a cautious stance, focusing on the buying interest coming into safe-haven assets like U.S. Treasury bond and precious metals while booking profits in biotech stocks that have been red hot this month. The leveraged Direxion 3x Treasury Bond Bull (TMF) is up nearly 7% in my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio since it was added on Jan. 10. I just sold Tower Hill Mines (THM) and Rosetta Genomics (ROSG) for gains of 46% and 18% respectively.
Hot Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Nordson Corporation(NDSN)
Nordson Corporation manufactures equipment used for precision dispensing, testing and inspection, and surface preparation and curing. Its Adhesive Dispensing Systems segment manufactures equipment for applying adhesives, lotions, and liquids to disposable products; automated adhesive dispensing systems for the food and beverage, and packaged goods industries; hot melt and cold glue adhesive dispensing systems for the paper and paperboard converting industries; adhesive and sealant dispensing systems for bonding or sealing plastic, metal, and wood products; and laminating and coating systems to manufacture continuous-roll goods in the nonwovens, textile, paper, and flexible-packaging industries. The company?s Advanced Technology Systems segment comprises automated gas plasma treatment systems used to clean and condition surfaces for the semiconductor, medical, and printed circuit board industries; controlled manual and automated systems for applying materials in customer pr ocesses requiring precision and material conservation; ultraviolet equipment used in curing and drying operations for specialty coatings, semiconductor materials, and paints; and bond testing and automated optical and x-ray inspection systems used in the semiconductor and printed circuit board industries. Its Industrial Coating Systems segment provides automated and manual dispensing systems used for applying coatings, paint, finishes, sealants, and other materials. Nordson Corporation markets its products in the United States and internationally through a direct sales force, as well as through qualified distributors and sales representatives. It serves various markets, including the appliance, automotive, bookbinding, container, converting, electronics, food and beverage, furniture, life sciences and medical, metal finishing, non woven, packaging, and semiconductor industries. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Nordson Corp.'s(NDSN) fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell 12% on weaker demand, though the maker of dispensing equipment noted improvement in recent order trends.
- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of industrial product manufacturer Nordson (NASDAQ: NDSN ) dropped as much as 10% today after the company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings.
Hot Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. (AIT)
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. distributes industrial products for maintenance, repair, and operational needs, as well as original equipment manufacturing applications primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The company offers bearings, power transmission components, fluid power components and systems, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, tools, safety products, and other industrial supplies; and fluid power products, such as hydraulic, pneumatic, lubrication, and filtration components and systems. It also operates regional fabricated rubber shops, which modify and repair conveyor belts and make hose assemblies; and rubber service field crews to install and repair belts and rubber linings at customer locations. In addition, the company assembles fluid power systems and components; performs equipment repair; offers technical advice to customers; and provides maintenance training, and inventory and stor eroom management solutions. It serves various industries, such as agriculture and food processing, automotive, chemical processing, forest products, industrial machinery and equipment, mining, primary metals, transportation, and utilities, as well as to government entities. The company offers industrial products through a network of service centers; and fluid power products directly to customers. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number
GWW is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 10.0% premium to its calculated fair value of $219.95. GWW did not earn any Stars in this section.
Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
GWW earned three Stars in this section for 1.), 2.) and 3.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. GWW earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured.
Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% means that dividends grew on average in excess of 15% for each consecutive 4 year period over the last 10 years (2003-2006, 2004-2007, 2005-2008, etc.) I consider this a key metric since dividends will double every 5 years if they grow by 15%. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1965 and has increased its dividend payments for 42 consecutive years.
Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked - [By Marc Bastow]
Industrial components distributor Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) raised its quarterly dividend 8.7% to 25 cents per share, payable on Feb. 28 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
AIT Dividend Yield: 1.98%
Hot Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: NRG Yield Inc (NYLD)
NRG Yield, Inc., incorporated on December 20, 2012, serves as the primary vehicle, through which NRG Energy, Inc. will own, operate and acquire contracted renewable and conventional generation and thermal infrastructure assets. The Company owns a diversified portfolio of contracted renewable and conventional generation and thermal infrastructure assets in the United States. The Company�� contracted generation portfolio includes three natural gas or dual-fired facilities, eight utility-scale solar and wind generation facilities and two portfolios of distributed solar facilities that collectively represent 1,324 net megawatt. The Company also own thermal infrastructure assets with an aggregate steam and chilled water capacity of 1,098 net megawatt and electric generation capacity of 123 net megawatt. In December 2013, it acquired the assets of privately held Energy Systems Company.
The Company�� thermal infrastructure assets provide steam, hot water and/or chilled water, and in some instances electricity, to commercial businesses, universities, hospitals and governmental units in ten locations, principally through long-term contracts or pursuant to rates regulated by state utility commissions. The Company�� conventional operations consist of 910 net megawatt of natural gas and dual-fired generation assets, Marsh Landing and GenConn, located in the West and Northeast regions of the United States, respectively. The Company�� seven utility-scale solar generation assets generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic panels, with each facility equal to or exceeding 20 megawatt and collectively totaling 303 net megawatt of capacity. These facilities are located in Arizona, California and New Mexico, all states with attractive solar resources. The Company�� distributed solar generation facilities, which it generally define as facilities of less than 20 megawatt in operating capacity, each generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic panels.
The Company�� wind! operations are consists of the 101 megawatt South Trent wind farm located near Sweetwater, Texas. It consists of 44 Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbines capable, at rated capacity, of powering approximately 80,000 homes. The Company�� thermal operations are consists of district energy systems and combined heat and power plants (Energy Centers) that utilize an energy-efficient, environmentally sound method of heating and cooling buildings. These Energy Centers produce steam, hot water and/or chilled water and in some instances, electricity at a central plant.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Richard Stavros]
For example, NRG Energy recently created a yield company spinoff, known as NRG Yield Inc (NYSE: NYLD). NRG Yield holds the parent company�� contracted assets and trades at a much higher multiple than NRG Energy.
- [By Joshua Bondy]
The Ivanpah project
Recently the Ivanpah 392 megawatt (MW) CSP plant was competed in the Californian desert.�NRG Yield (NYSE: NYLD ) and its parent company�NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG ) �worked to bring the plant to fruition. The facility will help California reach its goal of 33% renewable energy production by 2020. Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric have already signed long-term agreements to buy power from the facility.�
Hot Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Weight Watchers International Inc(WTW)
Weight Watchers International, Inc. provides weight management services worldwide. It offers various services and products that are built upon its weight management plans comprising nutritional, exercise, and behavioral tools and approaches. The company, through its WeightWatchers.com offerings, provides two Internet subscription products, Weight Watchers Online and Weight Watchers eTools. Weight Watchers Online provides online content, functionality, resources, and interactive Web based weight management plans. Weight Watchers eTools is an Internet weight management tool for the Weight Watchers meetings members that helps to manage the day-to-day aspects of weight management plan online, discover various food options, stay informed, and keep track of their weight management efforts. Weight Watchers International also sells various products that complement its weight management plans, such as bars, snacks, cookbooks, food and restaurant guides with PointsPlus values, Weigh t Watchers magazines, and PointsPlus calculators primarily to its members and franchisees. In addition, it offers iPhone application, which provides subscribers with access to a suite of weight-loss tools, as well as helpful content; and iPad application, which provides subscribers with access to a set of recipe tools. The company was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jim Woods]
Here are five (and then some) dividend stocks that turned into big disappointments in 2013.
Weight Watchers (WTW)
Trimming off the pounds is what Weight Watchers (WTW) products are designed to do. But in October, WTW cut the fat on its income stream, suspending its payment and citing the struggle to recruit new members as the reason for the dividend diet.
- [By John Udovich]
Last Friday, small cap dieting stock Weight Watchers International, Inc (NYSE: WTW) lost weight for investors when shares tumbled�27.73% to $22.10, meaning its probabaly a good idea to take a closer look�at the stock along with�other small cap weight loss or dieting stocks like NutriSystem Inc (NASDAQ: NTRI), Medifast Inc (NYSE: MED) and Reliv International, Inc (NASDAQ: RELV). Why did Weight Watchers International loose weight last Friday? The company reported its fourth straight quarterly sales decline as fewer people attended meetings and bought its products and also projected earnings that trailed analysts' estimates with the blame being placed on new mobile applications and bracelets that track calories���thus�hurting traditional diet companies.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Though not an index component, Weight Watchers International Inc. (NYSE: WTW) was the day��, ahem, biggest loser. Among other bad news, the company missed earnings per share (EPS) estimates last night, and forecast full-year 2014 earnings at $1.30 to $1.60 per share, way below a consensus estimate of $2.78. The stock traded down 28.09% at $21.95 a few minutes before the closing bell in a 52-week range of $21.95 to $48.63. The low was set today. Share volume was nearly 10-times the daily average of around 950,000 shares traded.
- [By Michael Olsen, CFA]
Better or worse, that's why I'm purchasing shares of Weight Watchers (NYSE: WTW ) equal to 3% of my Real Money Portfolio's capital. Our collective waistlines are expanding, at an ever-increasing rate. And in an industry dominated by snake-oil remedies, quick fixes and faddish diets, and short-termist solutions, Weight Watchers' clinically proven, decades-old approach to weight loss management and behavior modification stands apart.
Hot Information Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Integrated Electrical Services Inc.(IESC)
Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. provides electrical infrastructure services in the United States. The company?s Communications segment offers various services, including the design, installation, and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, manufacturing, educational, and information technology industries; design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless, and intrusion alarm systems, as well as design/build, servicing, and maintenance of data network systems. Its Residential segment offers electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes, and CATV cabling installations for residential and commercial applications. This segment also installs residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations, and stand-by generators. The company?s Commercial and Industrial segment provides electrical contracting services, which include the design of ele ctrical systems in a building or complex; procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources; end-use equipment and fixtures; and contract maintenance services. It also provides service, maintenance, and renovation and upgrade work services; and services for various projects, including high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure, and health care facilities, as well as residential developments. In addition, this segment offers utility services consisting of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks; installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines; substation construction; and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GuruFocus]
Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (IESC): President and CEO James M. Lindstrom Bought 1,901 Shares
President and CEO of Integrated Electrical Services Inc. (IESC) James M. Lindstrom bought 1,901 shares on 09/25/2013 at an average price of $4.08. Integrated Electrical Services Inc. has a market cap of $73.0559 million; its shares were traded at around $4.08 with and P/S ratio of 0.13.
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