Top-performing funds tend to attract a lot of money. That�� what happened to Wells Fargo Advantage Discovery (STDIX), which recently closed to new customers after seeing its asset base nearly doubled, to more than $3 billion, over the past five years. As is our custom, the closure prompted us to remove the mutual fund from the Kiplinger 25 and set us in search of a replacement.
AT A GLANCE: Kiplinger's 25 Favorite No-Load Funds
The newest member of the list of our favorite no-load funds is Parnassus Mid Cap (PARMX). As the name indicates, Parnassus prowls among midsize companies, which for it means generally investing in stocks with market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, of $3 billion to $20 billion. What the name doesn�� say is that Parnassus practices socially responsible investing, making it the first such fund to join the Kip 25. The fund favors companies that it believes behave ethically, and it won�� invest in tobacco stocks, beer and booze companies or weapons makers, among others.
Hot Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In 2015: Canadian Pacific Railway Limited(CP)
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates as a transcontinental railway providing freight transportation services, logistics solutions, and supply chain expertise in Canada and the United States. It transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, sulphur, and fertilizers; merchandise freight; finished vehicles and automotive parts; forest products, which include wood pulp, paper, paperboard, newsprint, lumber, panel, and oriented strand board; and industrial and consumer products comprising chemicals, energy, and plastics, as well as mine, metals, and aggregates. The company provides rail and intermodal transportation services over a network of approximately 14,700 miles serving the principal business centers of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, British Columbia; and the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. Canadian Pacific Railway Limited was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vanina Egea]
Conditions for railroad operations in the U.S. do not look as good as on the other side of the Great Lakes. While Canadian National (CNI) and Canadian Pacific (CP) have wrestled with a greater demand and adverse environmental conditions ���onditions that have sparked a heated debate at Congress ���.S. railroad operators lack the necessary demand to be noticed by the market.
- [By Holly LaFon]
Another area that is intriguing to us is the North American energy sector which looks to have a number of interesting catalysts currently. While the energy sector is at present only a modest overweight in the portfolios, we have been encouraged by several trends taking place for a number of years. These positive developments are also having an impact that goes far beyond the energy sector itself. Many believe that the U.S. will become energy independent and possibly a net exporter of natural gas and oil (currently restricted by law) in the next decade. This opinion is based primarily on the development of new drilling techniques (i.e. horizontal drilling, and high pressure fracking) that have enabled companies to access oil and natural gas reserves in shale formations that were previously not economically viable. The ability to tap into this acreage is a game-changer in our view and is already having a tremendous impact on the economy. Employment rates in these mostly rural areas surrounding the shale basins are very high and companies thus find hiring extremely competitive. Strong labor markets tend to create strong local economies. Oil States International (OIS) has been able to capitalize on this trend by providing housing and other services to oil service workers that are in demand in the area. CST Brands (CST) operates gas stations in Texas, but it is increasingly looking to broaden its product offering beyond fuel. Rail companies like Union Pacific (UNP), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU) and Genesee and Wyoming (GWR) have also benefited substantially. Given that shale areas are rural and often lacking infrastructure, substantial investment must be made to support drilling and production activities. Without pipelines in place, railroads have been the primary takeaway mechanism for moving production to the various clusters of refining capacity around the United States. In order to serve this demand, massive investment in railcars has been nee
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Ship Finance International Limited(SFL)
Ship Finance International Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of vessels and offshore related assets in Bermuda, Cyprus, Malta, Liberia, Norway, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the Marshall Islands. The company also involves in the charter, purchase, and sale of assets. As of March 22, 2011, it owned 29 oil tankers, 8 oil/bulk/ore carriers, 3 dry bulk carriers, 9 container vessels, 2 jack-up drilling rigs, 3 ultra-deepwater drilling units, 6 offshore supply vessels, and 2 chemical tankers. The company offers its services to various sectors of shipping and offshore industry, including oil transportation, drybulk shipments, chemical transportation, container transportation, drilling rigs, and offshore supply vessels. Ship Finance International Limited was founded in 2003 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Buckingham, Chief Investment Officer, Al Frank Asset Management, Inc. (AFAM)]
Ship Finance International (SFL) primarily engages in the transportation of crude oil and oil products, dry bulk, and containerized cargos, and in offshore drilling and related activities.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
While�[Seadrill] will continue to lean on [Seadrill Partners (SDLP)] and potentially [Ship Finance International (SFL)] to meet its funding requirements, a lot has to break right for�[Seadrill] to meet these funding requirements.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (BBW)
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of plush animals and related products. The company�s merchandise comprises various styles of animals to be stuffed; clothing, shoes, and accessories for the stuffed animals; and other brand appropriate toy and accessory items. It also licenses its Build-A-Bear Workshop brand to third parties to manufacture and sell merchandise to other retailers. As of January 31, 2013, the company operated approximately 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including the company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, as well as franchised stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, and South America. The company also sells its products through a Web store. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Toy & Hobby Stores: This industry moved up 1.99% by 10:40 am. The top performer in this industry was Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW), which gained 2%. Build-A-Bear's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $389.17 million.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Hasbro’s strength hasn’t necessarily translated into gains for other toy makers. Mattel (MAT) has fallen 0.5% to $42.50, while Build-a-Bear Workshop (BBW) has dropped 2.1% to $7.03. LeapFrog Enterprises (LF), however, has gained 3.3% to $8.98.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Exelon Corp (EXC)
Exelon Corporation (Exelon) is an energy provider and holding company for several energy businesses. Exelon is engaged in the energy generation business through its Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Generation) subsidiary; wholesale and retail energy sales through its Constellation business unit, and the energy delivery business through its Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) and PECO Energy Company (PECO) subsidiaries. It operates in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon Generation has approximately 35,000 megawatts of owned capacity. Constellation provides energy products and services to approximately 100,000 business and public sector customers and approximately 1 million residential customers. Exelon's utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 6.6 million customers in central Maryland, northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania. On March 12, 2012, Constellation Energy Group, Inc. merged into Exelon. In December 2012, the Company sold its three Maryland coal-fired power plants to Raven Power Holdings LLC (Raven Power).
In August 2012, the Company sold its interest in five California power plants to IHI Corp. It includes two coal-powered and three biomass-based plants-with a total generation capacity of 70 megawatts. IHI acquired Exelon's 50% interest in four power plants and 45% interest in one plant. On September 30, 2011, Generation acquired Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One. On August 24, 2011, Generation acquired Wolf Hollow, LLC.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC
Generation is an electric generation company. Generation�� business consists of its owned and contracted electric generating facilities, its wholesale energy marketing operations and its retail supply operations. Generation has three reportable segments, which consists of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and South and West regions. As of December 31, 2011, Generation owned generation resources with an aggregate net capacity of 25,544! megawatt, including 17,115 megawatt of nuclear capacity. Generation controlled another 5,025 megawatt of capacity through long-term contracts. Generation�� retail business provides retail electric and gas services as an unregulated retail energy supplier in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio.
Mid-Atlantic represents Generation�� operations primarily in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland (approximately 35% of capacity); Midwest includes the operations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota (approximately 45% of capacity); and the South and West includes operations primarily in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho and Oregon (approximately 20% of capacity). As of December 31, 2011, Generation had ownership interests in 11 nuclear generating stations in service, consists of 19 units with an aggregate of 17,115 megawatt of capacity. Generation wholly owns all of its nuclear generating stations, except for Quad Cities Generating Station (75% ownership), Peach Bottom Generating Station (50% ownership) and Salem Generating Station (Salem) (42.59% ownership).
Commonwealth Edison Company
Commonwealth Edison Company is engaged principally in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of distribution and transmission services to a diverse base of residential, commercial and industrial customers in northern Illinois. ComEd�� retail service has an area of approximately 11,400 square miles and an estimated population of nine million. The service territory includes the City of Chicago, an area of about 225 square miles with an estimated population of three million. As of December 31, 2011, ComEd had approximately 3.8 million customers.
PECO Energy Company
PECO is engaged principally in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and the provision of transmission and distribution services to retail customers in southeastern Pennsylvania, including the City of Philadelphia, as wel! l as the ! purchase and regulated retail sale of natural gas and the provision of distribution services to retail customers in the Pennsylvania counties surrounding the City of Philadelphia. PECO�� combined electric and natural gas retail service territory has an area of approximately 2,100 square miles and an estimated population of four million. PECO provides electric distribution service in an area of approximately 1,900 square miles, with a population of approximately 3.9 million, including approximately 1.5 million in the City of Philadelphia. PECO provides natural gas distribution service in an area of approximately 1,900 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania adjacent to the City of Philadelphia, with a population of approximately 2.4 million. PECO delivers electricity to approximately 1.6 million customers and natural gas to approximately 4,94,000 customers.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Justin Loiseau]
Exelon (NYSE: EXC ) reported earnings (link saves as PDF) today, beating analyst estimates on both top-line and bottom-line numbers.
First-quarter 2013 sales clocked in at $6.89 billion, 11% above analyst expectations of $6.2 billion. This quarter's results are 9.7% higher than Q4 2012, and up 47% from 2012's first quarter (before the company's Constellation merger).
- [By Justin Loiseau]
The POTUS has spoken: Climate change is real, it's dangerous, and we're going to do stuff to stop it. The president announced his latest climate change policy last week, and big changes are in store for some utilities. Let's look at how Obama's latest might affect Exelon (NYSE: EXC ) stock.
- [By David Dittman]
Question: Exelon Corp (NYSE: EXC) has been holding lately above thirty, are you feeling any better about its prospect for growth and improvement in its dividend?
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Kite Realty Group Trust (KRG)
Kite Realty Group Trust is a publicly owned real estate investment trust. The firm invests in real estate markets of the United States. It engages in ownership, operation, management, leasing, acquisition, construction, expansion, and development and redevelopment of operating retail properties, retail properties under development, operating commercial properties, parking garage, commercial property under development, parcels of land, shopping, dining, and entertainment properties. Kite Realty Group was founded in 1968 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Kite Realty Group Trust ag(KRG)reed to merge with fellow real-estate firm Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust in a stock-for-stock deal that will create a company worth $2.1 billion. Kite Realty shares climbed 5.7% to $6.50 premarket.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Reservoir Minerals Inc (RMC)
Reservoir Minerals Inc. (Minerals) is an international mineral exploration and development company with a portfolio of precious and base metal exploration properties in Serbia. On October 14, 2011 the Company completed the terms of the arrangement, which was regarding the re-organization of Minerals�� business components into two separately listed public corporations by the spin-out of certain Serbian mineral exploration permits (the Mining Assets), which received shareholder approval, on October 11, 2011. The Spin-out Transaction was effected by the transfer to Minerals of three indirectly held subsidiaries of Reservoir that hold such permits. Reservoir Exploration (BVI) Ltd. owns Deli Jovan Exploration and Mining D.o.o., which owns the Deli Jovan exploration permit, Reservoir Consulting (BVI) Inc. owns Balkan Exploration and Mining D.o.o., which owns the Lece, Plavkovo, Stara Planina, Parlozi and Bobija exploration permits. Its subsidiary also includes Rakita (BVI) Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
Whitney George is Director of Investments, Managing Director, and a Portfolio Manager of Royce & Associates, LLC, investment advisor to The Royce Funds. He serves as portfolio manager for Royce Premier Fund (RPR), Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund (RLP), Royce Global Value Fund (RGV), Royce SMid-Cap Value Fund (RSV), and Royce Focus Trust (FUND). He also serves as assistant portfolio manager for Royce Micro-Cap Fund (RMC), Royce Value Fund (RVV), Royce Value Plus Fund (RVP), Royce Focus Value Fund (RFV), and Royce Capital Fund ��Micro-Cap Portfolio (RCM). Mr. George's thoughts in this interview concerning the stock market are solely his own and, of course, there can be no assurance with regard to future market movements.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Watch In Right Now: KMG Chemicals Inc (KMG)
KMG Chemicals, Inc., incorporated on July 30, 1992, manufactures, formulates and globally distributes specialty chemicals. The Company has acquired and operates businesses selling electronic chemicals and industrial wood treating chemicals. The Company operates in two segments: electronic chemicals and wood treating chemicals. The Company's electronic chemicals segment provides wet process chemicals to the semiconductor industry, primarily to clean and etch silicon wafers in the production of semiconductors. The Company supplies wet process chemicals to the semiconductor industry in the United States and Europe. Its wood treating chemicals, pentachlorophenol (penta), and creosote, are sold to industrial customers who use these preservatives primarily to extend the useful life of utility poles and railroad crossties. The Company is the supplier of penta in North America, and supplier of creosote in the United States to wood treaters who do not produce their own creosote. On March 1, 2012, the Company discontinued its animal health business. In June 2013, the Company announced that it completed the acquisition of the Ultra Pure Chemicals subsidiaries of OM Group Inc located in the United States, England and Singapore.
Electronic Chemicals
The Company's electronic chemicals business sells wet process chemicals primarily to the semiconductor industry. These chemicals are used to clean and etch silicon wafers in the production of semiconductors. The Company's products include sulfuric, phosphoric, nitric and hydrofluoric acids, ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol and various blends of chemicals. The Company's products are sold in bulk and in containers, including bottles, drums and totes. This process is accomplished at the Company's Pueblo, Colorado, Hollister, California and Milan, Italy facilities, although the Company contracts with General Chemical to produce certain products for the Company at its facility. As of July 31, 2012, the Company's electronic ! chemicals business accounted for 58.5% of its net sales.
Wood Treating Chemicals
The Company supplies penta and creosote to industrial customers who use these products to extend the useful life of wood, primarily utility poles and railroad crossties. The Company's penta products include penta blocks, solutions and hydrochloric acid, a byproduct of penta production. Penta is used primarily to treat utility poles, protecting them from insect damage and decay. The Company manufactures solid penta blocks at its facility in Matamoros, Mexico. The Company sells solid penta to its customers, or make it into a liquid solution of penta concentrate at its Matamoros, Mexico and Tuscaloosa, Alabama facilities. The Company sells penta products primarily in the southeastern and northwestern United States and in Canada. The hydrochloric acid the Company produces as a byproduct of penta production is sold in Mexico for use in the steel and oils well service industries. Creosote is a wood preservative used to treat utility poles and railroad crossties. Creosote is produced by the distillation of coal tar, a by-product of the transformation of coal into coke. The Company sells creosote to wood treaters throughout the United States. As of July 31, 2012, the Company's wood treating chemicals constituted about 41.4% of the Company's net sales.
The Company competes with Honeywell, Kanto Corporation, Avantor, BASF and the OM Group.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on KMG Chemicals (NYSE: KMG ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Monica Gerson]
KMG Chemicals (NYSE: KMG) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.27 per share on revenue of $79.00 million.
Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO) is projected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.40 per share on revenue of $348.85 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Analysts expect KMG Chemicals (NYSE: KMG) to report its Q4 earnings at $0.27 per share on revenue of $79.00 million. KMG Chemicals shares surged 4.99% to close at $23.76 on Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment