As 2014 opens, the North American energy revolution continues to help our economy and provide compelling investment opportunities across the energy value chain.
North American crude oil production topped 8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2013 and production is on pace to reach 9.3 bbl/d by 2015, the highest level in 43 years. At the same time, the U.S. is now producing enough natural gas to meet its needs independent of imports. This results in improving business fundamentals for companies spanning the energy value chain — from the exploration and productions companies producing these valuable resources to the pipeline and related infrastructure companies that transport oil and gas to the end users.
Increased production drives investment opportunity
Hot Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)
GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: ESIO ) has a new division under its corporate wing. The company has inked a definitive agreement to purchase the semiconductor systems unit of GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG ) . The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Boot(h)
Henry Boot PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a property and construction company in the United Kingdom. Its property portfolio includes retail warehousing properties, leisure and retail parks, town centre retail and mixed use properties, industrial and office properties, and business parks. The company engages in the acquisition, promotion, development, and trading of land; and holds interest in 8,200 acres of land through ownership, option, and agency agreements. It also involves in construction, civil engineering, and road maintenance activities; and offers construction services to the health, education, housing, custodial, and public sectors. In addition, the company offers a range of products and services for sale and hire, such as fleet of contractors' mechanical plant and equipment ranging from telehandlers to rollers; boom and scissor lift access platforms suitable for slab or rough terrain work; accommodation units for applications, including offices , canteens, showers, toilets, and security stores; power tools and equipment consisting of electric tools, engine powered items, concreting and compaction tools, lightweight access equipment, heating and lighting appliances, and home maintenance items; and fleet of machines for construction and industrial applications. Henry Boot PLC was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Sheffield, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
After working for the Pritzker family for more than seventeen years, Mark clearly understood the culture of that family's organization. It was not surprising, as a result, that in 2006 Mark was appointed Hyatt Hotel Corp.'s CEO. This was although the talented executive had no prior direct hotel operating experience. "Not growing up in the hotel business was a huge advantage," Mark explained. It enabled him to travel for almost nine months meeting the managers of the geographically diverse, 483 unit, Hyatt Hotel (H) chain and ask them what were "ostensibly dumb questions." He obviously learned that early lesson from Jay well that "there is no such thing as a dumb question."
- [By Eric Volkman]
Alamy Quick, what's the most recognized brand name in the hotel industry? Chances are good that your knee-jerk answer was "Hilton." That well-known moniker is especially prominent last week, as Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT), the company that now owns the hallowed brand, has brought it back to the stock market in the form of an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Wednesday, the company priced the IPO at $20 per share, and due to strong demand, raised the number of shares to be sold to 117.6 million from the originally anticipated 112.8 million. That means gross proceeds just north of $2.35 billion, the highest in history for a hotel operator. Hilton's coming to market now because its majority owner, financial services powerhouse The Blackstone Group (BX), wants to cash out on its investment. The company took the hotel operator private with several partners in 2007. Since then, Blackstone has watched other big names in the hospitality sector launch well-received IPOs. In late 2009, for instance, Hyatt Hotels (H) debuted on the NYSE, raising gross proceeds of $950 million -- enough to make it one of the highest-grossing issues of that year. That was also good enough to make its shareholders wealthier; from a listing price of $25 per share, the stock closed at $28 on its first day of trading, and just over four years later, it has nearly doubled to more than $46. More recently, Blackstone had skin in the game in the IPO of long-term hotel operator Extended Stay America (STAY) as a co-owner along with peer financials Centerbridge Partners and Paulson. The shares of ESA rose nearly 20 percent on the company's market debut last month and have since crept higher. Those kinds of numbers were surely irresistible to Blackstone, which has wisely decided not to sell any of its own Hilton shares in the IPO. Rather, the wily financier says it will dole them out gradually in the months and years ahead. It needs the time -- the company owns more than 75
- [By Teresa Rivas]
Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corp. (H) were ahead by more than 5% in recent trading, following the company�� strong second-quarter results.
The company said it earned $112 million, or 70 cents a share, up from $39 million, or 24 cents, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, adjusted earnings rose to 43 cents a share from 24 cents.
Revenue climbed 7.7% to $1.09 billion.
Analysts were looking for per-share earnings of 30 cents on revenue of $1.07 billion.
Revenue per available room, a widely watched performance metric, grew 7.1% at comparable hotels. Occupancy increased to 79.8% from 79.2% and average daily rates moved up by 6.3%.
Owned and leased hotel operating margin expanded to 27.8% from 26.3%.
The company forecast $250 million in capital expenditures for the fiscal year.
FBR Capital Market�� Nikhil Bhalla notes that after three misses in the past year, the Street�� estimates have become more conservative. While he isn�� surprised that markets are reacting positive to the report, he thinks it is still too early to tell if the results are sustainable, as he sees potential softness for group bookings and volatility for China and India properties.
Hyatt is up 16% in the past year.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Aegon NV(AEG)
AEGON N.V. provides life insurance, pensions, and asset management products and services worldwide. The company?s life insurance products include traditional, term, universal, whole, and other life insurance products sold as part of defined benefit pension plans, endowment policies, post-retirement annuity products, and group risk products; supplemental health insurance products comprise accidental death, other injury, critical illness, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, and student health; specialty lines consists of travel, membership, and creditor products; and long term care insurance products for policyholders who require care due to a chronic illness or cognitive impairment. It also offers a range of savings and retirement products and services, including mutual funds, and fixed and variable annuities, savings accounts and investment contracts, segregated funds, guaranteed investment accounts, and single premium immediate annuities, as well as investment advice to individuals. In addition, the company offers employer solutions and pensions, such as retirement plans, pension plans, and pension-related products and services; investment products, including onshore and offshore bonds, and trusts; reinsurance products and solutions to life insurance and financial services companies; general insurance products comprising house, car, and fire insurance; and asset management products and services, including general account assets, unit-linked funds, and third party activities. AEGON N.V. markets its products through independent and career agents, financial planners, registered representatives, independent marketing organizations, banks, broker-dealers, benefit consulting firms, wirehouses, affinity groups, institutional partners, independent managing general agencies, and specialized financial advisors, as well as through online, direct, and worksite marketing. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherl ands.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
Assuming it delivers on its outlook for 2014, its current free cash flow yield is a very enticing 20%. This isn�� a growth stock, but its brands still possess hidden value. As cheap stocks go, it�� very attractive.
Cheap Stocks to Buy: Aegon (AEG)It�� not often that you can buy a $19 billion market cap for under 10 bucks. Aegon�� a Dutch insurance company that�� had a rough ride over the past few years, and its stock�� suffered as a result. In the late ’90s AEG stock traded around $60 — it hasn�� been anywhere close since. However, it�� got some good assets that should bear fruit in the years to come. Aegon has 12,000 employees in the Americas doing business primarily under the Transamerica brand, which has been a part of AEG since 1999.
Top Consumer Service Companies To Watch For 2014: Gray Fox Petroleum Corp (GFOX)
Gray Fox Petroleum Corp., incorporated on September 22, 2011, is a domestic oil and gas exploration and development company. The Company focuses on the acquisition and exploration of oil and natural gas properties in the Western United States.
The Company has 100% working interest and an 82% net revenue interest in the 32,723 acre West Ranch Prospect. The Company�� West Ranch Prospect is located in the Butte Valley Oil Play Region of north central Nevada in Elko and White Pine Countries, which has produced over 50 million barrels of oil in Nevada from structures and reservoir horizons similar to those under the West Ranch Prospect. The prospect consists of 22 Federal leases in the Butte Valley Oil Play Region.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
On Friday, small cap mining stocks Maverick Minerals Corp (OTCMKTS: MVRM) and Liberty Coal Energy Corp (OTCMKTS: LBTG) plus oil stock Gray Fox Petroleum Corp (OTCBB: GFOX) sank 30.9%, 16.67% and 11.2%, respectively. However, only one of these stocks appears to have been the subject of some kind of paid promotion in the form of an investment in some shares. So will these three small cap mining or oil stocks keep coming up empty for investors this week? Here is a closer look:
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