Few people would accuse Warren Buffett of being hostile to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A ) (NYSE: BRK-B ) . He's open, forthright, and doesn't pad his own pockets at the expense of investors. With a $100,000 salary and 21.4% stake in the largely financial conglomerate, Buffett does well when his shareholders do.
Yet, there's one area where he comes up short. As Buffett acknowledged in his most recent letter to shareholders, "A number of Berkshire shareholders -- including some of my good friends -- would like Berkshire to pay a cash dividend."
For those of you that follow Berkshire -- and, if you do, I urge you to check out our page dedicated to the company's upcoming annual meeting by clicking here -- it'll come as no surprise that Buffett isn't a stranger to dividends. By his own admission, he "relishes" the ones Berkshire receives from most of the stocks it owns. In 2012, its earnings included a staggering $1.1 billion in dividends from its "Big Four" investments alone: Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, IBM, and American Express.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ambit Biosciences Corp (AMBI)
Ambit Biosciences Corporation, incorporated on May 17, 2000, is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs to treat unmet medical needs in oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by inhibiting kinases that are important drivers for those diseases. The Company�� lead drug candidate, quizartinib, is in Phase IIb clinical development in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The Company�� second drug candidate in clinical development, AC410, is a potent, selective, orally-administered, small molecule inhibitor of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) that has potential utility for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Company�� third program consists of two selective small molecule compounds, AC708 and AC855, which inhibit the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), a receptor tyrosine kinase.
Quizartinib
The Company�� lead drug candidate, quizartinib, is a once-daily, orally-administered, potent and selective inhibitor of FLT3, a validated target in the treatment of AML, and is in Phase IIb clinical development. The FLT3-ITD mutation acts like a power switch that causes leukemic cells, or blasts, to spread more aggressively and grow back more rapidly following chemotherapy, conferring an especially poor survival outcome. Quizartinib is designed to turn off this switch. The Company is developing a companion diagnostic test with Genoptix Medical Laboratory, a Novartis company, to identify FLT3-ITD positive patients.
AC410
The Company�� advanced drug candidate, AC410, is a potent, selective, orally-administered, small molecule inhibitor of JAK2, which has potential utility for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Signaling through JAK controls the activation, proliferation and survival of various types of immune cells, and overactivation of such cells can exacerbate a range of normal inflammatory processes, resulting i! n inflammation. The Company�� initial JAK2 drug candidate, AC430, is a racemic mixture (50/50) of two enantiomers (mirror images), AC410 and AC409, and was studied in a Phase I clinical trial.
CSF1R Program
The Company is developing two potent and exquisitely selective small molecule compounds, AC708 and AC855 that both inhibit CSF1R and have potential utility in oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Signaling through CSF1R controls the activation, proliferation and survival of macrophages, which are key mediators of immune system function and over-activation of macrophages, may result in exacerbation of certain diseases.
The Company competes with Abbvie Inc., Akinion Pharmaceuticals AB, Amgen Inc., ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AROG Pharmaceuticals, LLC, ArQule, Inc., Astellas, AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, Celgene Corporation, Daiichi-Sankyo Company Limited, Galapagos NV, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Incyte Corporation, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pfizer, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., F. Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.
Advisors' Opinion: Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MSCI Inc (MSCI)
MSCI Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides a suite of performance, risk management, and corporate governance products and services worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Performance and Risk, and Governance. The Performance and Risk segment offers investment decision support tools, including equity indices, real estate indices and benchmarks, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and credit analytics, as well as environmental, social, and governance products. Its products are used in various investment processes, including portfolio construction and rebalancing, performance benchmarking and attribution, risk management and analysis, regulatory and client reporting, index-linked investment product creation, asset allocation, social responsibility assessment, environmental stewardship, investment manager selection, and investment research. The Governance segment provides corporate governance products and services, and specialized financial research and analysis services to institutional investors and corporations. It facilitates the voting of proxies by institutional investors and provides in-depth research and analysis to help inform voting decisions and identify issuer-specific risk; and offers global equity security coverage, and integrated products and services, including proxy voting, policy creation, research, vote recommendations, vote execution, post-vote disclosure, and reporting and analytical tools. This segment also provides class action monitoring and claims filing services to aid institutional investors in the recovery of funds from securities class action settlements. The company offers its products and services under the MSCI, MSCI ESG, Barra, RiskMetrics, ISS, FEA, IPD, and CFRA brands. Its clients include asset owners, institutional and retail asset managers, and financial intermediaries. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Benjamin Shepherd]
The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NYSE: EEM) seems to have halted its slide.� The index bottomed out year-to-date on February 3, when it was down 11.2 percent. Since then, it has gained 1.5 percent, but bargains in the emerging markets still abound.
As I discussed in �� Plan, Not a Panic��two weeks ago, emerging markets are in much better economic shape today than they were even just a few years ago, much less during the currency crisis that peaked in 1998. Foreign exchange reserves are generally much more robust, budget deficits are narrower if they exist at all and, so far at least, the full-blown currency war that many were predicting last year isn�� likely to breakout.
With rationality finally setting in, this is a terrific time to do a little bargain hunting in the emerging markets.
The most obvious play here is the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index itself. Covering China (18.8 percent of assets), South Korea (16 percent), Taiwan (12 percent) and Brazil (10.2 percent) with smaller positions spanning Asia and Europe, the fund is most exposed to any shift in sentiment.
The fund is currently trading at just 10.2 times forward one-year earnings, well below its average of about 18 times over the past two decades. On a price-to-sales basis it is even more attractive valued at just 1.03 times; the last time the index was this cheap on a sales basis was early 2009.
So while there are always dangers in trying to call a bottom to any market move, valuations alone are attractive enough to start pulling bargain hunters back in.
A broadly diversified play on an emerging market turnaround, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a great buy up to 45, which leaves plenty of room to run back to the average.
For those who can tolerate a bit more risk, you can also drill down and make more country-specific bets.
At this point my favorite would be iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (NYSE: EWY).
Sout
Top Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Enterprise), incorporated on April 9, 1998, owns and operates natural gas liquids (NGLs) related businesses of Enterprise Products Company (EPCO). The Company is a North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and certain petrochemicals. Its midstream energy asset network links producers of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil from supply basins in the United States, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico with domestic consumers and international markets. Its midstream energy operations include natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and storage; NGL transportation, fractionation, storage, and import and export terminals; crude oil gathering and transportation, storage and terminals; offshore production platforms; petrochemical and refined products transportation and services; and a marine transportation business that operates on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Its assets include approximately 50,000 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 200 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, petrochemicals, refined products and crude oil; and 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. In addition, its asset portfolio includes 24 natural gas processing plants, 21 NGL and propylene fractionators, six offshore hub platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico, a butane isomerization complex, NGL import and export terminals, and octane isobutylene production facilities. The Company operates in five business segments: NGL Pipelines & Services; Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services; Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services; Offshore Pipelines & Services, and Petrochemical & Refined Products Services.
NGL Pipelines & Services
The Company�� NGL Pipelines & Services business segment includes its natural gas processing plants and related NGL marketing activities; approximately 16,700 miles of NGL pipel! ines; NGL and related product storage facilities; and 14 NGL fractionators. This segment also includes its import and export terminal operations. At the core of its natural gas processing business are 24 processing plants located across Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Natural gas produced at the wellhead (especially in association with crude oil) contains varying amounts of NGLs. Once the mixed component NGLs are extracted by a natural gas processing plant, they are transported to a centralized fractionation facility for separation into purity NGL products. Once processed, this natural gas is available for sale through its natural gas marketing activities. Its NGL marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of NGLs it takes title to through its natural gas processing activities and open market and contract purchases from third parties. Its NGL marketing activities utilize a fleet of approximately 670 railcars, the majority of which are leased from third parties.
The Company�� NGL pipelines transport mixed NGLs and other hydrocarbons from natural gas processing facilities, refineries and import terminals to fractionation plants and storage facilities; distribute and collect NGL products to and from fractionation plants, storage and terminal facilities, petrochemical plants, export facilities and refineries, and deliver propane to customers along the Dixie Pipeline and certain sections of the Mid-America Pipeline System. Revenues from its NGL pipeline transportation agreements are based upon a fixed fee per gallon of liquids transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Certain of its NGL pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services. It collects storage revenues under its NGL and related product storage contracts based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a storage fee. In addition, it charges customers throughput fees based on volumes delivered into and subsequently withdrawn from storage. Its ! principal! NGL pipelines include Mid-America Pipeline System, South Texas NGL Pipeline System, Seminole Pipeline, Dixie Pipeline, Chaparral NGL System, Louisiana Pipeline System, Skelly-Belvieu Pipeline, Promix NGL Gathering System, Houston Ship Channel pipeline, Rio Grande Pipeline, Panola Pipeline and Lou-Tex NGL Pipeline. It operates its NGL pipelines with the exception of the Tri-States pipeline.
The Company�� NGL operations include import and export facilities located on the Houston Ship Channel in southeast Texas. It owns an import and export facility located on land it leases from Oiltanking Houston LP. Its import facility can offload NGLs from tanker vessels at rates up to 14,000 barrels per hour depending on the product. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its average combined NGL import and export volumes were 132 thousand barrels per day. In addition to its Houston Ship Channel import/export terminal, it owns a barge dock also located on the Houston Ship Channel, which can load or offload two barges of NGLs or other products simultaneously at rates up to 5,000 barrels per hour.
The Company owns or have interests in 14 NGL fractionators located in Texas and Louisiana. NGL fractionators separate mixed NGL streams into purity NGL products. The primary sources of mixed NGLs fractionated in the United States are domestic natural gas processing plants, crude oil refineries and imports of butane and propane mixtures. Mixed NGLs sourced from domestic natural gas processing plants and crude oil refineries are transported by NGL pipelines and by railcar and truck to NGL fractionation facilities.
The Company�� NGL fractionation facilities process mixed NGL streams for third party customers and support its NGL marketing activities. It earns revenues from NGL fractionation under fee-based arrangements, including a level of demand-based fees. At its Norco facility in Louisiana, it performs fractionation services for certain customers under percent-of-liquids co! ntracts. ! Its fee-based fractionation customers retain title to the NGLs, which it processes for them. Its NGL fractionators include Mont Belvieu fractionator, Shoup and Armstrong fractionator, Hobbs NGL fractionator, Norco NGL fractionator, Promix NGL fractionators and BRF fractionators.
Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services
The Company�� Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 19,900 miles of onshore natural gas pipeline systems, which provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. It leases salt dome natural gas storage facilities located in Texas and Louisiana and own a salt dome storage cavern in Texas, which are integral to its pipeline operations. This segment also includes its related natural gas marketing activities.
The Company�� onshore natural gas pipeline systems and storage facilities provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas from producing regions, such as the San Juan, Barnett Shale, Permian, Piceance, Greater Green River, Haynesville Shale and Eagle Ford Shale supply basins in the western United States. In addition, these systems receive natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico through coastal pipeline interconnects with offshore pipelines. Its onshore natural gas pipelines receive natural gas from producers, other pipelines or shippers at the wellhead or through system interconnects and redeliver the natural gas to processing facilities, local gas distribution companies, industrial or municipal customers, storage facilities or to other onshore pipelines.
Its onshore natural gas pipelines generates revenues from transportation agreements under which shippers are billed a fee per unit of volume transported multiplied by the volume gathered or delivered. Its onshore natural gas pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services whereby the shipper pays a contractually stated fee based on the level of through! put capac! ity reserved in its pipelines whether or not the shipper actually utilizes such capacity. Under its natural gas storage contracts, there are typically two components of revenues monthly demand payments, which are associated with a customer�� storage capacity reservation and paid regardless of actual usage, and storage fees per unit of volume stored at its facilities. The Company�� natural gas marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of natural gas obtained from third party well-head purchases, regional natural gas processing plants and the open market.
Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services
The Company�� Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 5,100 miles of onshore crude oil pipelines, crude oil storage terminals located in Oklahoma and Texas, and its crude oil marketing activities. Its onshore crude oil pipeline systems gather and transport crude oil in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to refineries, centralized storage terminals and connecting pipelines. Revenue from crude oil transportation is based upon a fixed fee per barrel transported multiplied by the volume delivered.
The Company owns crude oil terminal facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, which are used to store crude oil volumes for it and its customers. Under its crude oil terminaling agreements, it charges customers for crude oil storage based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a contractual storage fee. With respect to storage capacity reservation agreements, it collects a fee for reserving storage capacity for customers at its terminals. In addition, it charges its customers throughput (or pumpover) fees based on volumes withdrawn from its terminals. It provides fee-based trade documentation services whereby it documents the transfer of title for crude oil volumes transacted between buyers and sellers at its terminals. The Company�� crude oil marketing activities generate revenues! from the! sale and delivery of crude oil obtained from producers or on the open market.
Offshore Pipelines & Services
The Company�� Offshore Pipelines & Services business segment serves active drilling and development regions, including deepwater production fields, in the northern Gulf of Mexico offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This segment includes approximately 2,300 miles of offshore natural gas and crude oil pipelines and six offshore hub platforms. Its offshore Gulf of Mexico pipelines provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas or crude oil. Revenue from its offshore pipelines is derived from fee-based agreements whereby the customer is charged a fee per unit of volume gathered or transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Poseidon Oil Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Poseidon), in which it has a 36% equity method investment, purchases crude oil from producers and shippers at a receipt point (at a fixed or index-based price less a location differential) and then sells quantities of crude oil at onshore Louisiana locations (at the same fixed or index-based price, as applicable).
The Company�� offshore platforms are components of its pipeline operations. Platforms are used to interconnect the offshore pipeline network; provide means to perform pipeline maintenance; locate compression, separation and production handling equipment and similar assets, and conduct drilling operations during the initial development phase of an oil and natural gas property. Revenues from offshore platform services consist of demand fees and commodity charges. Revenue from commodity charges is based on a fixed-fee per unit of volume delivered to the platform multiplied by the total volume of each product delivered.
Petrochemical & Refined Products Services
The Company�� Petrochemical & Refined Products Services business segment consists of propylene fractionation plants, pipelines and related marketing activities; a butane isom! erization! facility and related pipeline system; octane enhancement and isobutylene production facilities; refined products pipelines, including its Products Pipeline System, and related marketing activities, and marine transportation and other services.
The Company�� propylene fractionation and related activities consist of seven propylene fractionation plants (six located in Mont Belvieu, Texas and a seventh in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), propylene pipeline systems aggregating approximately 680 miles in length and related petrochemical marketing activities. This business includes an export facility and associated above-ground polymer grade propylene storage spheres located in Seabrook, Texas. Results of operations for its polymer grade propylene plants are dependent upon toll processing arrangements and petrochemical marketing activities. The toll processing arrangements include a base-processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its petrochemical marketing activities include the purchase and fractionation of refinery grade propylene obtained in the open market and generate revenues from the sale and delivery of products obtained through propylene fractionation. The revenues from its propylene pipelines are based upon a transportation fee per unit of volume multiplied by the volume delivered to the customer. As part of its petrochemical marketing activities, it has refinery grade propylene purchase and polymer grade propylene sales agreements. Its butane isomerization business includes three butamer reactor units and eight associated deisobutanizer units located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which comprise the commercial isomerization facility in the United States.
The Company�� commercial isomerization units convert normal butane into mixed butane, which is fractionated into isobutane, isobutane and residual normal butane. The uses of isobutane are for the production of propylene oxide, isooctane, isobutylene and alkylate for motor gasoline. These processing arrangements inclu! de a base! -processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its isomerization business also generates revenues from the sale of natural gasoline created as a by-product of the isomerization process. The Company owns and operates an octane enhancement production facility located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which produces isooctane, isobutylene and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The products produced by this facility are used in reformulated motor gasoline blends. The isobutane feedstocks consumed in the production of these products are supplied by its isomerization units. The Company owns a facility located on the Houston Ship Channel, which produces high purity isobutylene (HPIB). The feedstock for this plant is produced by its octane enhancement facility located at its Mont Belvieu complex. HPIB is used in the production of alkylated phenols used as antioxidants, lube oil additives, butyl rubber and resins.
Refined products pipelines and related activities consist of its Products Pipeline System, equity method investment in Centennial Pipeline LLC (Centennial) and refined products marketing activities. The Products Pipeline System transports refined products, and petrochemicals, such as ethylene and propylene and NGLs, such as propane and normal butane. These refined products are produced by refineries and include gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, kerosene, distillates and heating oil. Refined products also include blend stocks, such as raffinate and naphtha. Blend stocks are used to produce gasoline or as a feedstock for certain petrochemicals. The Centennial Pipeline intersects its Products Pipeline System near Creal Springs, Illinois, and loops the Products Pipeline System between Beaumont, Texas and south Illinois. In addition, it has refined products terminals located at Aberdeen, Mississippi and Boligee, Alabama adjacent to the Tombigbee River and on the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. Its related marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of refin! ed produc! ts obtained from third parties on the open market.
The Company�� marine transportation business consists of tow boats and tank barges, which are used to transport refined products, crude oil, asphalt, condensate, heavy fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas and other petroleum products along inland and intracoastal the United States waterways. Its marine transportation assets service refinery and storage terminal customers along the Mississippi River, the intracoastal waterway between Texas and Florida and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway system. It owns a shipyard and repair facility located in Houma, Louisiana and marine fleeting facilities in Bourg, Louisiana and Channelview, Texas. Other services consist of the distribution of lubrication oils and specialty chemicals and the bulk transportation of fuels by truck, in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Aimee Duffy]
Foolish takeaway
It was no doubt an exceptional quarter for Plains All American. The company joins American midstream peers Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP ) and Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD ) with investor-friendly first-quarter results. KMP increased distributable cash flow by $88 million, while EPD provided a coverage ratio of 1.5 times distributions. Yield hungry investors will want to take a closer look at these three opportunities, as all are sporting yields above 4%. Year-to-date unit price growth for the group stands at or above 9%, with Plains leading the way with just shy of a 30% return.
- [By David Dittman]
Answer: Verizon, NextEra, Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE: EPD), Pembina Pipeline, Apple Inc (NSDQ: AAPL) and APA Group (ASX: APA, OTC: APAJF).
- [By Marc Bastow]
Midstream energy services MLP Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) raised its quarterly distribution 6.2% to 69 cents per share, payable Nov. 7 to unitholders of record as of Oct. 31. The increase is the 37th consecutive quarterly rise in the distribution.
EPD Distribution Yield: 4.41%
- [By Aimee Duffy]
FERC filings can actually be exciting, especially in the wild world of pipeline approval, construction, reversals, and the like. The trick here is that midstream outfits like Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP ) and Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD ) often have LLCs that manage certain systems, or individual pipelines. Most times you can still search by the name of the partnership, but it can also be beneficial to search terms like "Trunkline" or "Seaway", in the case of the aforementioned entities.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Communications Systems Inc.(JCS)
Communications Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells modular connecting and wiring devices, digital subscriber line filters, structured wiring systems, and media and rate conversion products primarily in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company?s Suttle segment manufactures and markets copper and fiber connectivity systems, enclosure systems, XDSL filters and splitters, and active technologies for voice, data, and video communications under the Suttle brand name; and residential structured wiring products under the SOHO Access brand name. This segment offers its products directly and through distributors to communication companies, smaller telephone companies, electrical/low voltage contractors, home builders, cable customers, and original equipment manufacturers. Its Transition Networks segment designs, assembles, and markets network interface devices, media converters, network interface cards, Ethernet switches, sma ll form factor pluggable modules, and other connectivity products under the Transition Networks and MILAN brand names. This segment sells its products through distributors, resellers, integrators, and original equipment manufacturers. The company?s JDL Technologies segment offers information technology (IT) solutions, including network design and integration IT service management, network security, desktop virtualization, and managed network operation center services. This segment serves educational clients, IT value added resellers, and managed service providers, as well as healthcare, enterprise, and government markets. Its Austin Taylor segment provides telephony and data networking products to telecommunications companies, distributors, and installers. This segment designs and manufactures external metal cabinets and internal metal boxes to industry standards and to customer specifications. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Victor Selva]
On Dec.24, Mario Gabelli, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc. added Communications Systems Inc. (JCS) at an average price of $11.05 and currently holds 330,172 shares of the stock. It was the 5th time he added the stock during this year, which makes me feel that he is betting in favor of a positive future for the consumption of network capacity.
Recommendations of the Board
Communications Systems is engaged in the manufacture and sale of modular connecting and wiring devices for voice and data communications, digital subscriber line filters, and structured wiring systems, and through its Transition Networks business unit in the manufacture of media and rate conversion products for telecommunications networks.
Few months ago the firm announced�a series of actions to increase revenues and improve profitability. The first change was to operate as a holding company, monitoring and supporting all the business units: Suttle, Transition Networks (TN) unit and JDL Technologies. With this ��ew format�� each unit will operate with a high degree of autonomy. This will result in the reduction of labor costs, the emphasizing of accountability in the units as well as better recognition of performance. "While difficult decisions for the Board, we believe the changes we have taken to restructure our parent company as a holding company and to focus on individual business unit performance is in the best interest of our shareholders and will increase shareholder value" said Curtis A. Sampson, the Company's Board Chair and Interim CEO. Furthermore, strategic investments in the TN unit such as marketing, sales and product development will boost revenues in the future.
Severe Warning Signs
Not all are good news, we found three severe warning signs issued by GuruFocus: Piotroski F-Score of 2 is low, which usually implies poor business operation; revenue has been in decline over the past 3 years and operating margin has been in 5-year
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: National Bank of Greece SA (NBG)
National Bank of Greece S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on March 30, 1841, is a Greece-based financial institution. It offers a range of integrated financial services, including corporate and investment banking, retail banking (including mortgage lending), leasing, stock brokerage, asset management and venture capital, insurance, real estate and consulting services. In addition, the Company is involved in various other businesses, including hotel and property management, real estate and information technology (IT) consulting. On May 19, 2009, the Bank established Ethniki Factors S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 8, 2009, Finansbank A.S. established Finans Faktoring Hizmetleri A.S. (Finans Factoring), a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 30, 2009, NBG Luxemburg Holding S.A. and NBG Luxfinance Holding S.A. were merged to NBG Asset Management Luxemburg S.A. On January 18, 2010, the Bank acquired 35% of the share capital of AKTOR FM. On October 16, 2009, United Bulgarian Bank A.D. (UBB) established UBB Factoring E.O.O.D., a wholly owned subsidiary of UBB. On September 15, 2009, the Bank disposed of its investment in Phosphoric Fertilizers Industry S.A.
At December 31, 2009, the Bank operated in Greece through 575 branches, one private banking unit, one unit for financial institutions and 10 specialized banking units that deal exclusively with troubled and non-performing loans. At December 31, 2009, the Bank had over 1500 automated teller machines (ATMs).
Retail Banking
The Bank offers retail customers a number of different types of deposit and investment products, as well as a range of services and products. The Bank offers a range of mortgage products, with floating, fixed, or a combination of fixed and floating interest rates. In February 2009, the Bank introduced a new floating rate product, the ESTIA MIKTO with flexible payment terms. In addition to fire and earthquake property insurance, the Bank offers an optional life insurance plan together with mortgage! s.
The Small Business Lending Unit (SBL Unit) a part of the Bank's retail banking division consists of three credit centers situated in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patrastail. The SBL Unit offers term loans geared towards medium and long-term working capital needs for the financing of asset purchases.
Corporate and Investment Banking
The Bank offers corporate accounts with overdraft facilities, foreign currency loans, variable rate loans, and currency swaps and options for corporate customers. The Bank's commercial loan portfolio in Greece comprises approximately 50,000 corporate clients, including small and medium sized enterprises. It offers the corporate clients a range of products and services, including financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans denominated in euro and other currencies, foreign exchange services, insurance products, custody arrangements and trade finance services. The Bank lends primarily in the form of credit lines, which are generally at variable rates of interest with payment terms of up to 12 months. In addition, the Bank provides letters of credit and guarantees for its clients.
The Bank�� shipping finance and syndicated loan portfolio consists of first-tier shipping groups involved in diversified shipping activities. The Bank provided project finance advisory services to the Hellenic Republic on two infrastructure projects: the new Attica Motorway and Kasteli International Airport.
Global Markets & Asset Management
The treasury activities provided by the Bank and its subsidiaries include
Greek and other sovereign securities trading, foreign exchange trading, interbank lending and borrowing in euro and other currency placements/ deposits, forward rate agreement trading, repurchase agreements, corporate bonds, and derivative products, such as options and interest rate and currency swaps. The Bank also conducts a portion of its treasury activities through its subsidia! ry CPT. A! s at December 31, 2009; CPT's portfolio comprised Greek government bonds and corporate bonds, with a total value of EUR 1.8 billion.
The Bank offers its private banking services both domestically and internationally from its international private banking units in London. The Bank offers custodian services to its foreign and domestic institutional clients who hold equity securities listed on the ATHEX or listed Greek State debt, as well as remote settlement and custody services on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. The Bank offers trade settlements, safekeeping of securities, corporate action processing, income collection, proxy voting, tax reclamation, brokerage services, customized reporting, regular market flashes and information services. The Bank also acts as global custodian to its domestic institutional clients who invest in securities outside of Greece.
The domestic fund management business is operated by NBG Asset Management, which is wholly owned by the Group. NBG Asset Management manages funds that are made available to customers through the Bank's extensive branch network. As at December 31, 2009, NBG Asset Management's total assets under management were EUR 1.9 billion.
National Securities S.A offers a range of investment services to both individual and institutional customers. In September 2009, National Securities S.A. opened a branch in Nicosia, Cyprus, to provide brokerage services to local private investors.
Turkish Operations
The Bank�� Turkish operations include the Finansbank group of companies and NBG Bank (Malta) Ltd. Finansbank's group of companies includes Finans Invest, Finans Leasing, Finans Portfolio Management, Finans Investment Trust, Finans Factoring, IBTech, Finans Pension, and Finans Consumer Finance. As at December 31, 2009, Finansbank operated through a network of 461 branches in 60 cities.
Finansbank Corporate Banking serves corporations through its eight branches in the four cities in Turkey.! Finansba! nk Commercial Banking serves medium-sized companies located in 23 cities in Turkey through its head office, four regional offices (three in Istanbul and one in Ankara) and a distribution network, which includes 61 branches.
Finansbank Investment Banking consists of project finance, corporate finance and technical consulting. Investment Banking acts as a client relations specialist while providing medium to long-term loans and other products. Finansbank Private Banking has been providing investment products and asset management services to individuals through eight private banking centers and 28 private banking corners located in Finansbank's branches in the cities throughout Turkey.
International
The Bank's international operations include the Bank's branches in Albania, Egypt and Cyprus, as well as banking subsidiaries in six countries: NBG Cyprus; Stopanska Banka A.D. in FYROM; United Bulgarian Bank A.D. in Bulgaria; Banca Romaneasca S.A., in Romania; Vojvodjanska in Serbia; and the South African Bank of Athens, as well as other subsidiaries, primarily in the leasing sector. As at December 31, 2009, the Bank had foreign branches in four countries, including one in the United Kingdom, 30 in Albania, one in Cyprus, 15 in Egypt and one in Guernsey (which closed early in 2010).
Insurance
The Bank provides insurance services to individuals and companies through the wholly owned subsidiary Ethniki Insurance Group (EI) and Finans Pension. EI offers a range of products such as life, accident and health insurance for individuals and groups, fire, catastrophe, credit, motor, marine hull and cargo insurance, and general third party liability. EI operates through a network of 2,850 tied agents and 2,620 independent insurance brokers, in addition to selling bancassurance products through the Bank's network. EI provides bancassurance products through our insurance brokerage subsidiary NBG Bancassurance S.A. (NBGB), which assumes no insurance underwr! iting ris! k, and the Bank's extensive network in Greece.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jon C. Ogg]
Moody’s raised the rating of Greece’s government bonds to Caa3�with a “stable” outlook. Now we have five Greek banks being given credit rating upgrades as well. The one upgrade that ADR investors will want to watch is the rating on the National Bank of Greece S.A. (NYSE: NBG). Moody’s signaled that the upgrade reflects NBG’s more favorable asset-quality, funding profile and earnings than local peers. It also is based upon an expectation of further capital enhancements to address its weaker capital base.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
There's just one problem with the big runups from Elephant Talk Communications, WidePoint Corporation, and CytRx Corporation. That problem? Before the surges, it was very unlikely any of them were on very many traders' radars. In fact, it's very likely most traders had never even heard of at least one of them (if not two). The trick to creating success as a speculator of small cap stocks is spotting a big winner before the runup starts to materialize, since (to be blunt, but honest), most small cap stock picks aren't all that rewarding. Enter the National Bank of Greece (NYSE:NBG). The National Bank of Greece is also one of the small caps that has gone ballistic of late? No, it hasn't - that's just it. NBG hasn't gone anywhere of late. If the very subtle clues are on target though, then this stock has a good shot at becoming the next WYY, ETAK, or CYTR, and you know about it before it actually happens.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)
Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Lauren Pollock]
ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: LRAD Corporation(LRAD)
LRAD Corporation engages in the design, development, and commercialization of directed sound technologies and products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company develops and delivers directed acoustic products that beam, focus, and control sound over short and long distances. It offers Long Range Acoustic Device, which creates directed acoustic beam to communicate at operational ranges in high ambient noise environments, primarily for military applications. The company also provides SoundSaber thin film magnetic speaker technology that provides high clarity throughout the audio range for emergency and mass notification, public address, and other sound applications. Its SoundSaber hardened panels are used in acoustic environments, such as hangar bays, industrial buildings, airports, and other facilities. LRAD Corporation sells its products directly to government, military, large end-users, and defense-related companies. The company was formerly known as American Technology Corporation and changed its name to LRAD Corporation in March 2010. LRAD Corporation was founded in 1980 and is based in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By gurujx]
LRAD (LRAD): CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott Sold 38,204 Shares
CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott sold 38,204 shares of LRAD stock on Aug. 28 at the average price of $1.57. Katherine H McDermott owns at least 17,800 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 10.19% since.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd (ASM)
Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (Avino) is a natural resource company, primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties. The Company�� principal business activities include the exploration of a mineral property located in the State of Durango, Mexico and other mineral properties in Canada, specifically British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The Company is focused on silver and gold exploration. As of December 31, 2011, the Company explored five silver and gold projects in Canada and Mexico. All of the Company�� mineral property interests in Canada are wholly owned by the Company. In Mexico, the Company has a 99.28% interest in Cia Minera, a Mexican company, which is involved in the mining of commercial ores and resource exploration and development, including the operation of the Avino Mine. Cia Minera is not involved with any exploration activities in Canada.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By abirk]
Spirit's profits are signs of steady growth. Since 2010, Annual passenger revenue and net income have both increased steadily. Spirit generated 24.4% growth in revenue passenger miles (RPM), while the available seat miles (ASM), and grew 24.8%. On the other hand, Delta's mainland division had 8.6 million RPM. �On a revenue basis, Spirit is equivalent to about 3.2% of the total revenue of the combined Delta and US Airways, now part of American Airlines Group (AAL).
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SAIC Inc(SAI)
SAIC, Inc. scientific, engineering, systems integration, and technical services and solutions to various branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the other U.S. government civil agencies, state and local government agencies, foreign governments, and customers in select commercial markets. Its Government segment provides a range of technical services and solutions in the areas of systems engineering and integration, software development, cyber security, data processing and analysis, secure information sharing and collaboration, IT outsourcing, communication systems and infrastructure, command and control, logistics, research and development, environmental consulting, energy and utilities, design and construction, securing critical infrastructure, disaster preparedness and recovery, homeland security product, geospatial solutions, and modeling and simulation. The compan y?s Commercial segment provides consulting, systems integration, and managed IT services, as well as customizable IT software solutions to oil and gas customers; and enterprise information technology optimization, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning maintenance, and staff augmentation services to select commercial customers, and state and local government customers. In addition, it offers business, engineering, energy, and infrastructure consulting services; language translation, interpretation, and training services; architectural design services; and information systems and communications, and rapid prototyping of technical solutions and products focused on support to intelligence and special warfare operations. SAIC, Inc. was formerly known as Science Applications, Inc. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Eric Volkman]
SAIC (NYSE: SAI ) is continuing its habit of paying out a little over a dime per share in quarterly distributions. The company on Monday declared a regular dividend of $0.12 per share, to be paid on July 30 to shareholders of record as of July 15.
- [By John Udovich]
In addition to recent news, there are a couple of upcoming events that is bound to gain Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NYSE: AMD) some attention from investors and traders alike. I should note that Advanced Micro Devices is in our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio as we believe its making progress in the transition away from the PC market, but�the performance of our position has been rather up and down recently (currently we are down about 2%). Nevertheless, there is still enough good news to keep us excited about the stock�� future performance. Just consider the following recent news:
Upcoming AMD GPU ��4 Tech Day. On Wednesday, Advanced Micro Devices will unveil its next-generation graphics processing unit at the AMD GPU ��4 Tech Day event. Its not known whether�the company plans to unleash an all-new product family for 2014 or just�a flagship GPU due to arrive in Q4 2013. There will be�a real-time video webcast of the showcase available on the�Investor Relations home page here. Micro Server Pioneer Andrew Feldman is Interviewed. VentureBeat has interviewed Andrew Feldman who is one of the pioneers of micro servers after his�company, SeaMicro, used low-cost Intel Atom chips to create a category of servers with lots of processors in a single machine�and exceptionally low power consumption. Advanced Micro Devices bought SeaMicro early last year for $334 million in order to gain entry into the energy-efficient server market as well as�gain new insights into server customers. Feldman is now corporate vice president and general manager of AMD�� server group and the interview will give investors some insight into the company�� server business. Sony Expects to Sell 5 Million PlayStation 4s for the Holidays and Into the New Year. Bloomberg has recently reported that Sony Corp. expects the PlayStation 4�� lower price and wider variety of entertainment services to drive its forecast to sell 5 million units by the end of March.� - [By Rich Smith]
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded multiple contractors shares in some 17 contracts Tuesday, valued at up to $1.3 billion in combined dollar value. Most of the funds awarded went to a series of 13 contractors working on a single cyber-defense project -- but there were a few other winners. Among them:
- [By John Udovich]
Last week, it was reported that S&P MidCap 400 constituents Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASD: VRTX) and Ametek Inc (NYSE: AME) would be replacing Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) and SAIC Inc (NYSE: SAI) in the S&P 500, and Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC will replace Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Ametek in the S&P Mid Cap 400. I should mention that both Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC Inc are�in our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio and as of today, we are down 1.29% and up 19.77%, respectively, in both stocks. In the case of�Advanced Micro Devices, we feel the company�� transition into mobility and gaming consoles makes it a compelling value while defense contractor SAIC Inc is interesting as its well positioned to address�cyber security issues. Moreover, SAIC Inc is splitting into 2 companies in a transaction that�� expected to be completed before the end of the month.
Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: 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]
Today, GTHP remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.710 with 44,700 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:42AM EDT August 21, 2013).
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.
