In this segment of The Motley Fool's everything-financials show,�Where the Money Is, banking analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson discuss a recent move by Berkshire Hathaway to add to one of its stock positions.
David tells viewers why this is something every investor can learn from.
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Editor's note: In the above video, David states that DaVita's share price is $17 -- the correct price at the time of filming was $117.
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Alon USA Partners, LP (Alon USA), incorporated on August 17, 2012, owns and operates refining and petroleum products marketing business. Its integrated downstream business operates primarily in the South Central and Southwestern regions of the United States. It owns and operates a crude oil refinery in Big Spring, Texas with total throughput capacity of approximately 70,000 barrels per day (bpd). The crude oil pipelines the Company utilizes consist of the Amdel, White Oil, Mesa Interconnect, Centurion and Centurion Interconnect. Its Big Spring refinery produces ultra-low sulfur gasoline, ultra-low sulfur diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, petrochemical feedstocks, asphalt and other petroleum products.
During the year ended December 31, 2011 and the six months ended June 30, 2012, sour crude, such as West Texas Sour (WTS), represented approximately 80.4% and 80.4% of its throughput, respectively, and sweet crude, such as West Texas Intermediate (WTI), represented approximately 15.8% and 17.1% of its throughput, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2011 and the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company produced approximately 49.1% and 49.2% gasoline, 32.3% and 32.5% diesel/jet fuel, 7.1% and 6.4% asphalt, 6.0% and 6.0% petrochemicals and 5.5% and 5.9% other refined products, in each case, respectively. The Company distributes fuel products through a product pipeline and terminal network of seven pipelines totaling approximately 840 miles and six terminals that it owns or access.
The Company competes with Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Tom Dorsey]
Over a several day period, I submitted questions and Mr. Eisman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ) and the parent company of Alon USA Partners LP Inc. (ALDW) responded. He provided some key insights to some challenges the company faces, where the company is going, and the opportunities available in the future. This insight should provide investors with additional information to understand the value of the company and the opportunity as an investor in the company.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Citigroup’s Faisel Khan and team are going full bull on US refiners after upgrading Phillips 66 (PSX), HollyFrontier (HFC), CVR Refining (CVRR) and Alon USA Partners (ALDW) to Buy.� They explain why:
- [By Robert Rapier]
I warned last week that refiners would report relatively poor earnings for Q3, and refinery MLPs could take a hit, presenting a buying opportunity. On Nov. 6 Alon USA Partners (NYSE: ALDW) reported a loss for the third quarter of $16.1 million, or ($0.26) per unit, compared with net income of $120.4 million for the same period last year. Paul Eisman, CEO and president, cited the deteriorating margins that I discussed in last week’s issue: “Our third quarter results were impacted by a volatile and deteriorating margin environment resulting primarily from decreasing discounts for West Texas crude oil.”
- [By Robert Rapier] In last week’s issue I discussed the basics of the refining sector. Today I will provide an overview of four MLPs that hold refining assets.
To review, the refining sector was very profitable in 2012 thanks to unusually high crack spreads, which for many US refiners are approximated by the price differential between Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oils. For a more thorough explanation of this phenomenon, please refer to last week’s issue.
After years of trading at a $1 to $3 per barrel discount to WTI, Brent began fetching a premium a few years ago as a glut of crude developed in the mid-continent area of the US. In 2011 the Brent-WTI price differential increased to more than $25/bbl, and it remained historically high in 2012.
But pipeline capacity started to catch up this year, and the share prices of refiners retreated as the glut began to dissipate and the Brent-WTI differential shrank. In Q3 2012, the Brent-WTI differential averaged $17.43/bbl, but by Q3 of this year, the differential had fallen to $4.43/bbl. This promises bad news for refiners about to report Q3 earnings.
Many analysts downgraded the refining sector in Q3, but as the differential fell below $5/bbl it was hard to imagine that the news could get much worse. With poor Q3 results largely priced in, the differential subsequently rose back above $10/bbl, signaling better refining margins moving into Q4.
Refiners began to post earnings this past week, and as expected they were weak. Valero (NYSE: VLO) reported slightly higher revenues year-over-year, but net earnings fell more than 50 percent from a year ago. Nevertheless, they beat the extremely pessimistic expectations of analysts, and Valero shares rose on the news.
Phillips 66’s (NYSE: PSX) refining unit actually posted a loss, but its chemical business turned in a solid quarter which more than compensated for the disappointing refining results.
The rest of the refine
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Banco Bradesco SA (BBD)
Banco Bradesco S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on November 5, 1943, is commercial bank. The Bank offers a range of banking and financial products and services in Brazil and abroad to individuals, large, midsized and small companies and local and international corporations and institutions. It operates in two segments: the banking, and the insurance, pension and capitalization bonds. Its products and services encompass banking operations, such as loans and advances and deposittaking, credit card issuance, purchasing consortiums, insurance, leasing, payment collection and processing, pension plans, asset management and brokerage services. The main services it offers through Bradesco Expresso are receipt and submission of account applications; receipt and submission of account applications; Social Security National Service (INSS) benefit payments; checking and savings account deposits, and receipt of consumption bills, bank charges and taxes. In May, 2011, the Bank acquired Banco do Estado do Rio de Janeiro S.A. (BERJ).
Banking
The Banking segment includes deposit-taking with clients, including checking accounts, savings accounts and time deposits; loans and advances (individuals and companies, real estate financing, microcredit, onlending BNDES funds, rural credit, leasing, among others); credit cards, debit cards and pre-paid cards; management of receipts and payments; asset management; services related to capital markets and investment banking activities; intermediation and trading services; custody, depositary and controllership services; international banking services, and purchasing consortiums.
The Bank offers a variety of deposit products and services to our customers through its branches, including Non-interest bearing checking accounts, such as Easy Account, Click Account, Academic Account and Cell Phone Bonus Account; traditional savings accounts; time deposits, and deposits from financial institutions. As of December 31, 2011, it had 43.4 million savings a! ccounts. It offers its customers certain additional services, such as identified deposits and real-time banking transfers. Its loans and advances to customers, consumer credit, corporate and agricultural-sector loans, totaled R$263.5 billion as of December 31, 2011.
The Bank�� loan portfolio consists of short-term loans, vehicle financings and overdraft loans on checking accounts. It also provides revolving credit facilities and traditional term loans. As of December 31, 2011, it had outstanding advances, vehicle financings, consumer loans and revolving credit totaling R$58.0 billion, or 22.0% of its portfolio of loans and advances. Banco Bradesco Financiamentos (Bradesco Financiamentos) offers direct-to-consumer credit and leasing for the acquisition of vehicles and payroll-deductible loans to the public and private sectors 'in Brazil. Supported by BF Promotora de Vendas Ltda. (BF Promotora), and using the Bradesco Financiamentos brand, the Bank operates through its network of correspondents in Brazil, consisting of retailers and dealers selling light vehicles, trucks and motorcycles, to offer financing and/or leasing for vehicles. Through Bradesco Promotora brand, it offer payroll-deductible loans to social security retirees and pensioners, public-sector employees, military personnel and private-sector companies sponsoring plans, and other aggregated products (insurance, capitalization bonds, cards, purchasing consortiums, and others).
As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 63,156 outstanding real estate loans. As of December 31, 2011, the aggregate outstanding amount of its real estate loans amounted to R$15.9 billion, representing 6% of its portfolio of loans and advances. As of December 31, 2011, it had 69,491 microcredit loans outstanding, totaling R$62.8 million. Its BNDES onlending portfolio totaled R$35.4 billion as of December 31, 2011.
The Bank provides traditional loans for the ongoing needs of its corporate customers. It had R$85.8 billion of outstand! ing other! local commercial loans, accounting for 32.5% of its portfolio of loans and advances as of December 31, 2011. It offers a range of loans to its Brazilian corporate customers, including short-term loans of 29 days or less; guaranteed checking accounts and corporate overdraft loans; discounting trade receivables, promissory notes, checks, credit card and supplier receivables, and a number of other receivables; financing for purchase and sale of goods and services; corporate real estate financing, and investment lines for acquisition of assets and machinery. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had R$11 billion in outstanding rural loans, representing 4.2% of its portfolio of loans and advances. The Bank conducts its leasing operations through its primary leasing subsidiary, Bradesco Leasing and also through Bradesco Financiamentos.
The Bank offers electronic solutions for receipt and payment management solutions, which include collection and payment services and online resource management enabling its customers to pay suppliers, salaries, and taxes and other levies to governmental or public entities. The global cash management concept provides solutions for multinationals in Brazil and/or domestic companies operating abroad. It manages third-party assets through mutual funds; individual and corporate investment portfolios; pension funds, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Vida e Previdencia, and insurance companies, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Seguros.
The Bank�� subsidiaries Bradesco S.A. CTVM and Agora S.A. CTVM (or Bradesco Corretora and Agora Corretora, respectively) trade stocks, options, stock lending, public offerings and forwards. They also offer a range of products, such as Brazilian government securities (under the Tesouro Direto program), BM&F trading, investor clubs and investment funds.
The Bank offers a range of international services, such as foreign exchange transactions, foreign tr! ade finan! ce, lines of credit and banking. As of December 31, 2011, its international banking services included New York City, a branch and Bradesco Securities Inc., its subsidiary brokerage firm, or Bradesco Securities United States, and its subsidiary Bradesco North America LLC, or Bradesco North America; London, Bradesco Securities U.K., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Securities U.K.; Cayman Islands, two Bradesco branches and its subsidiary, Cidade Capital Markets Ltd., or Cidade Capital Markets; Argentina, Banco Bradesco Argentina S.A., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Argentina; Banco Bradesco Luxemburgo S.A. its subsidiary, or Bradesco Europe; Japan, Bradesco Services Co. Ltd., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Services Japan; in Hong Kong, its subsidiary Bradesco Trade Services Ltd, or Bradesco Trade, and in Mexico, its subsidiary Ibi Services, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, or Ibi Mexico.
The Bank�� Brazilian foreign-trade related business consists of export and import finance. In addition to import and export finance, its customers have access to a range of services and foreign exchange products, such as purchasing and selling travelers checks and foreign currency paper money; cross border money transfers; advance payment for exports; accounts abroad in foreign currency; cash holding in other countries; collecting import and export receivables; repaid cards with foreign currency (individual), and structured foreign currency transactions through its foreign units.
Insurance, pension plans and capitalization bonds
The Bank offers insurance products through a number of different entities, which it refers to collectively as Grupo Bradesco Seguros. It offers life, personal accident and random events insurance through its subsidiary Bradesco Vida e Previdencia. It offers health insurance policies through Bradesco Saude and its subsidiaries for small, medium or large companies. It provides automobile, property/casualty and liability products through its subsidiary Bradesco Auto! /RE. It a! lso offers certain automobile, health, and property/casualty insurance products directly through its Website.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Charles Sizemore]
And speaking of top dividend stocks with high capital gains potential, next on the list of are Brazilian banking groups Banco Bradesco (BBD) and Banco Itau (ITUB) — two monthly dividend stocks you must consider.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Banco Bradesco S.A. (NYSE: BBD) is one of the key banks and financial services companies in Brazil. A Yahoo! Finance reference showed that the 2012 figures were as follows: 4,686 branches; 34,859 ATMs; 12,975 shared ATMs under the Banco24Horas brand; and 5,237 special points of banking services. At $11.65, the 52-week trading range is $11.29 to $17.79. This ADR is down 7% so far in 2014.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Novartis AG (NVS)
Novartis AG, incorporated on February 29, 1996, provides healthcare solutions. The Company is a multinational group of companies specializing in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of a range of healthcare products led by pharmaceuticals. Its portfolio includes medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. The Company has five segments: Pharmaceuticals, which include patent-protected prescription medicines; Alcon, which include surgical, ophthalmic pharmaceutical and vision care products; Sandoz, which include generic pharmaceuticals; vaccines and diagnostics, which include human vaccines and blood-testing diagnostics, and consumer health, which include over-the-counter medicines (OTC) and Animal Health. On April 8, 2011, the Company acquired the remaining non-controlling interest in Alcon, Inc. In December 2013, Alliance Pharma plc announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited, acquired all the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (ROI) rights to Lypsyl from Novartis AG.
In April 2011, Novartis sells global rights to Elidel, a medicine to treat atopic dermatitis to Meda. In March 2011, Novartis completes acquisition of majority stake in Zhejiang Tianyuan vaccines company in China. In March 2011, the Company acquired Genoptix, Inc. In October 2011, Novartis discontinues development of AGO178 for depressive disorder. In December 2011, the Company discontinues development of PRT128 for acute coronary syndrome and chronic coronary heart disease, and SMC021 for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In April 2011, Alcon's portfolio of generic ophthalmic medicines sold through its Falcon business unit primarily in the United States.
Pharmaceuticals Division
The Company�� Pharmaceuticals Division researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells patented prescription medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as Oncol! ogy; Primary Care, consisting of Primary Care medicines and Established Medicines, and Specialty Care, consisting of Ophthalmology, Neuroscience, Integrated Hospital Care, and Critical Care medicines. The Pharmaceuticals Division is organized into global business franchises responsible for the commercialization of various products, as well as Novartis Oncology, a business unit responsible for the global development and commercialization of oncology products, and Novartis Molecular Diagnostics, a business responsible for the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests and services related to its pharmaceuticals portfolio and therapeutic areas.
The Company�� Oncology products include Afinitor/Votubia, Exjade, Sandostatin SC/Sandostatin LAR , Femara , Zometa, Tasigna and Gleevec/Glivec. Gleevec/Glivec, which is a signal transduction inhibitor approved to treat patients with certain forms of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Tasigna is a signal transduction inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl, KIT+ and the PDGF-receptor. Zometa is a treatment to reduce or delay skeletal-related events (SREs), including pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, and/or requirement of radiation therapy or surgery to bone, in patients with bone metastases (cancer that has spread to the bones) from solid tumors and multiple myeloma. Femara is a once-daily oral aromatase inhibitor for the treatment of early stage or advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Sandostatin SC/Sandostatin LAR is indicated for the treatment of patients with acromegaly, a chronic disease caused by over-secretion of pituitary growth hormone in adults. Sandostatin is also indicated for the treatment of patients with certain symptoms associated with carcinoid tumors and other types of gastrointestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Exjade is an oral iron chelator approved for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions in patients over ! two years! of age who have a range of underlying anemias. Patients with congenital and acquired chronic anemia, such as thalassemia, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndromes, require transfusions, which puts them at risk of iron overload. Afinitor/Votubia is an oral inhibitor of the mTOR pathway.
The Company�� Primary Care products include Arcapta Neohaler/Onbrez Breezhaler, Diovan, Exforge, Tekturna/Rasilez, Galvus, Reclast/Aclasta, Voltaren/Cataflam, Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Focalin and Focalin XR. Its Specialty Care products include Lucentis, Gilenya, Exelon, Extavia and Comtan, and Stalevo. Its Integrated Hospital Care include Zortress/Certican, Ilaris, Neoral and Myfortic.The Company�� Critical Care products include Xolair and Tobi Podhaler. As of December 31, 2011, the products under development includes ACZ885, which is being investigated for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and for the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus; AEB071 (sotrastaurin) is a low molecular weight, selective inhibitor of protein kinase-C (PKC); AFQ056 (mavoglurant) is a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) antagonist in Phase II development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia; AIN457 (secukinumab) is a human monoclonal antibody neutralizing interleukin-17A, a key pro-inflammatory cytokine expressed by TH17 cells and other types of white blood cells; BAF312 is an oral, second-generation sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator in Phase II development for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; DEB025 (alisporivir) is a cyclophilin inhibitor for the treatment of Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV); Gileny a line treatment for relapsing forms of MS; Exjade (deferasirox) is an oral iron chelator in development for use in patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT); INC424 (ruxolitinib) is an investigational Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, and Zortress/Certican (everolimus) is an mTOR inhibitor with immune/non-immune cell proliferation inhibition being d! eveloped ! for prevention of solid organ transplant rejection.
Alcon Division
The Company�� Alcon Division discovers, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells eye care products. Alcon is engaged in eye care with product offerings in Surgical, Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals and Vision Care. In Surgical, Alcon develops, manufactures, distributes and sells ophthalmic surgical equipment, instruments, disposable products and intraocular lenses. In Pharmaceutical, Alcon discovers, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells medicines to treat chronic and acute diseases of the eye, as well as over-the-counter medicines for the eye. In Vision Care, Alcon develops, manufactures, distributes and sells contact lenses and lens care products.
Alcon's Surgical portfolio includes the Infiniti vision system for cataract procedures, the Constellation vision system for retinal operations, and the AcrySof family of intraocular lenses (IOLs), including the AcrySof IQ, AcrySof IQ ReSTOR, AcrySof IQ Toric and AcrySof IQ ReSTOR Toric IOLs. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its Alcon Division launched the LenSx femtosecond laser, a technology in cataract surgery, which increases the precision and reproductibility for corneal incisions, capsulorhexis and lens fragmentation steps of the procedure. In addition, Alcon provides advanced viscoelastics, surgical solutions, surgical packs and other disposable products for cataract and vitreoretinal surgery.
Alcon Division's Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals business combines Alcon's range of pharmaceuticals with selected ophthalmic products (excluding Lucentis) previously marketed by the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Division. The products treat chronic and acute diseases of the eye including glaucoma and allergies, as well as anti-infective/anti-inflammatory and dry eye treatments. our Alcon Division's Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals portfolio include Travatan Z solution and DuoTrav solution for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure associ! ated with! glaucoma; Vigamox solution for bacterial conjunctivitis; Pataday solution for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis; and Nevanac suspension for eye inflammation following cataract surgery. Alcon launched a number of products during 2011, including Dailies Total 1 lenses, Opti-Free EverMoist Multi Purpose Disinfecting Solution, LenSx laser, AcrySof IQ ReSTOR Toric lens, AcrySof IQ Toric T6-T9 lens, Travatan BAK-free solution, DuoTrav BAK-free solution, Moxeza solution and Systane Balance eye drops.
Sandoz Division
The Company�� Sandoz Division is a global generic pharmaceuticals company that develops, manufactures, distributes and sells prescription medicines, as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active substances, which are not protected by valid and enforceable third-party patents. The Sandoz Division has activities in Retail Generics, Anti-Infectives, and Biopharmaceuticals and Oncology Injectables. In Retail Generics, Sandoz develops, manufactures and markets active ingredients and finished dosage forms of pharmaceuticals, as well as supplying active ingredients to third parties. In Anti-Infectives, Sandoz develops and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, mainly antibiotics, for internal use by retail generics and for sale to third-party customers. In Biopharmaceuticals, Sandoz develops, manufactures and markets protein- or other biotechnology-based products (biosimilars or follow-on biologics) and sells biotech manufacturing services to other companies.
In Oncology Injectables, Sandoz develops, manufactures and markets primarily cytotoxic products for the hospital market. During 2011, the Company launched generic docetaxel (Taxotere), higher-strength generic amlodipine-benazepril (Lotrel), generic meropenem (Merem) injection, and the formation of a women's health portfolio with generic Seasonale, Nordette, Yaz and Yasmin. The product launched in various European countries included generic docetaxel, ge! neric ana! strazole (Arimidex), and valsartan/covalsartan (an early entry generic version of Novartis Pharmaceuticals' Diovan/Co-Diovan).
Vaccines and Diagnostics Division
The Company�� Vaccines and Diagnostics Division researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools. Novartis Vaccines is a global developer and manufacturer of human vaccines. Novartis Diagnostics is a blood testing and molecular diagnostics business dedicated to preventing the spread of infectious diseases through blood-screening tools that protect the world's blood supply. Novartis Vaccines' products include influenza, meningococcal, pediatric, adult and travel vaccines.
The Company�� influenza vaccines include Agrippal, Fluad, Fluvirin and Optaflu. Its Meningococcal Vaccines includes Menjugate and Menveo. Its travel vaccines include Encepur Children, Encepur Adults, Ixiaro and Rabipur/Rabavert. Its Pediatric Vaccines include Polioral and Quinvaxem.
Consumer Health
Consumer Health consists of two Divisions: OTC (over-the-counter medicines) and Animal Health. Each has its own research, development, manufacturing, distribution and selling capabilities. OTC offers readily available consumer medicine. Animal Health provides veterinary products for farm and companion animals.
OTC (over-the-counter medicines) offers products for the treatment and prevention of common medical conditions and ailments. OTC business focuses on a group of global brands in product categories that include treatments for cough/cold/respiratory (Triaminic, Otrivin, TheraFlu/NeoCitran), pain relief (Excedrin, Voltaren), digestive health (Benefiber, Prevacid24HR, Pantoloc Control), dermatology (Lamisil, Fenistil), and smoking cessation (Habitrol/Nicotinell).
Animal Health offers products and services focusing on both companion and farm animals (including cultivated fish). Key products for companion animals include Atopica (atopic dermatitis manageme! nt), Dera! maxx and Onsior (pain relief), Fortekor (heart failure in dogs, chronic renal insufficiency in cats), and Sentinel/Milbemax/Interceptor (intestinal parasite control and heartworm prevention), while farm animal products include the therapeutic anti-infective Denagard, an antimicrobial used to treat and control bacteria in swine, CLiK, an insect growth regulator used to control blowfly strike in sheep, cattle vaccines used to prevent respiratory and reproductive diseases in beef and dairy cattle, and Zolvix, a sheep drench representing the new sheep anthelmintic class. Aquaculture products include vaccines and treatments mainly used in salmon farming.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: QCOR ) , a specialty biopharmaceutical company, skyrocketed as much as 37% after the company announced a deal to purchase Synacthen and Synacthen Depot in the U.S. from Novartis (NYSE: NVS ) .
- [By Brian Pacampara]
So what: The trial showed that patients taking the once-daily drug Arikace had a smaller improvement in lung capacity than those treated with Novartis' (NYSE: NVS ) twice-daily competitor TOBI, triggering plenty of investor concern over Arikace's position in the market. While Insmed said that the trial met its main objective of showing that Arikace was not statistically inferior to TOBI, the lackluster results -- it isn't exactly superior -- suggest that the drug's sales potential is limited.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Muenchener Rueckversicherungs Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen (MUV2)
Muenchener Rueckversicherungs Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen is a Germany-based holding company engaged in reinsurance and insurance business fields. The Company diversifies its operations into reinsurance, primary insurance, Munich Health and Asset management. The Reinsurance business comprises five divisions: Life; Europe and Latin America; Germany, Asia Pacific and Africa; Special and Financial Risks, and Global Clients and North America. The business covers a range of products from traditional reinsurance products to solutions for risk assumption. The Company's primary insurance activities are combined into the ERGO Insurance Group (ERGO) and offers direct insurance, life, property-casualty, health, legal expenses and travel insurance products. It covers the Company's international health reinsurance business and health primary insurance outside Germany and engages the risk management services. The Asset management business handles the investment activities of Munich Re and ERGO.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jonathan Morgan]
Munich Re (MUV2), the world�� biggest reinsurer, dropped 4.9 percent to 145.25 euros after it said second-quarter profit fell 35 percent, missing analysts��estimates, as claims arising from natural disasters rose. Net income dropped to 529 million euros from 808 million euros a year earlier, trailing the 557.1 million-euro average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Clearbridge Energy MLP Fund Inc (CEM)
ClearBridge Energy MLP Fund Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to provide a high level of total return with focus on cash distributions. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in master limited partnerships (MLPs) in the energy sector. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in MLPs in the energy sector (the 80% policy). Entities in the energy sector are engaged in the business of exploring, developing, producing, gathering, transporting, processing, storing, refining, distributing, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products or coal. Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC is the Fund�� investment manager and ClearBridge Advisors, LLC is the Fund�� subadviser.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Robert Abbott]
For OTEX, this includes five distinct groups of services:
Enterprise Content Management (ECM), which includes records management, archiving, and email services Business Process Management (BPM), including software for analyzing and optimizing business processes Customer Experience Management (CEM), includes software that integrates internal and external content to enhance the ��ustomer experience�� Information Exchange (iX), "...a set of offerings that facilitate efficient, secure, and compliant exchange of information inside and outside the enterprise." Discovery, which includes the indexing, navigation, and retrieval of information in databases (for a fuller description of these segments, see the 10-K Report for 2014). As of June 30, 2014 it employed about 8,000, including 2,000 in cloud services, 1,900 in product development and 1,400 in sales and marketing.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: MercadoLibre Inc.(MELI)
MercadoLibre, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, hosts online commerce and payments platforms in Latin America. Its services are designed to provide its users with mechanisms to buy, sell, pay for, and collect on e-commerce transactions. The company principally offers MercadoLibre marketplace, an automated online commerce service, which permits businesses and individuals to list items and conduct their sales and purchases online in a fixed-price or auction-based format. Its MercadoLibre marketplace enables registered users to list and purchase motor vehicles, vessels, aircraft, real estate, and other services through online classified listings; and Internet users to browse through various products and services that are listed on its Website and to register with MercadoLibre to list, bid for, and purchase items and services. The company also provides MercadoPago, an integrated online payments solution to facilitate transactions on and off the MercadoLibre marketplace by providing a mechanism that allows its users to send and receive payments online. In addition, it offers MercadoClics advertising program that allows businesses to promote their products and services on the Internet. This program enables users and advertisers to place, display, and/or text advertisements on its Web pages to promote their brands and offerings. Further, the company provides MercadoShops on-line stores solution, a software-as-a-service, which allows users to set-up, manage, and promote their own on-line Webstores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated online commerce platforms directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela; online payments solutions directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, and Colombia; and a real estate classified platform that covers various areas in Florida. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Dan Caplinger]
Next Monday, MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed kneejerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.
- [By Luke Jacobi]
Mercadolibre (NASDAQ: MELI) shares shot up 14.5 percent to $105.85 after the company reported stronger than expected quarterly results.
Shares of Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) saw a boost, shooting up 12.5 percent to $59.81 on upbeat quarterly results.
- [By Hilary Kramer]
Mercadolibre (MELI): The name of the company is Spanish for ��ree market,��and I think of MELI as the eBay (EBAY) of Latin America. Online shopping is growing at a faster rate in Latin America as the middle class continues to grow, and Brazil is one of the hot spots. Ecommerce in Brazil reached $17 billion in 2012, according to eMarketer, and that number is expected to jump to $29 billion by the end of 2017 as smartphone usage increases and more people access the Internet. Mercadolibre operates ecommerce sites where items are sold either through auction or a fixed price. MELI also has an electronic payment business called MercadoPago, similar to eBay�� PayPal, which can be used on MELI’s sites as well as for payments elsewhere. We took profits in it earlier this year in my GameChangers newsletter, but I continue to watch it closely and like its long-term potential.
- [By Rudy Martin, Editor, Investing Insight]
The aggressive firm, Mercado Libre Inc. (MELI), has been firming its franchises in the various nations it serves, by customizing its various local services to conform to the prevailing cultures of the countries.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Hillenbrand Inc(HI)
Hillenbrand, Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells funeral service products to licensed funeral directors operating licensed funeral homes. The company?s products include burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers, vaults, urns, and selection room display fixturing for funeral homes, as well as other personalization and memorialization products and services, including Web-based applications, and the creation and hosting of Websites for licensed funeral homes. It markets its products under the Batesville and Options brand name through direct sales force in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The company also designs, produces, markets, sells, and services bulk solids material handling equipment and systems for various industrial markets, including plastics, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, coal mining, pulp and paper, frac sand, industrial minerals, agribusiness, recycling, wood and forest pr oducts, and biomass energy generation. It offers feeders and pneumatic conveying equipment under the K-Tron brand name; and size reduction equipment, such as hammer mills, double-roll crushers, wood and bark hogs, chip sizers, screening equipment, pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, storage/reclamation systems, and specialty crushers and other equipment under the Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach, and Jeffrey Rader brand names. In addition, the company manufactures dry material separation machines that sort dry, granular products based on the particle?s size serving various industries, including frac sand, potash, urea, phosphates, chemical, agricultural, plastics, and food processing. The company sells its material handling equipment and systems worldwide through a combination of a direct sales force, and a network of independent sales representatives and distributors. Hillenbrand, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By GURUFOCUS]
Hillenbrand Inc. (HI), a diversified industrial company, makes and sells business-to-business products and services for various industries worldwide. Dec. 4, the company increased is quarterly dividend 1.3% to $0.1975 per share. the dividend is payable Dec. 31, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 17, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Tuesday
Earnings Expected: Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), Hillenbrand Inc (NYSE: HI), Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) Economic Releases Expected: German retail sales, French consumer confidence, German unemployment rate, eurozone CPI, eurozone PPI, US trade balance, US redbook Wednesday
