Today, however, the father would answer, "Why, it's the ProFunds Biotechnology Ultrasector Fund, up 114.6%, child." The child would narrow her eyes and ask, "What's the No. 2 fund?" And the father would say, "Why, it's also the ProFunds Biotechnology Ultrasector Fund, up 112.5%, child."
There would then be a lengthy discussion of the differences between mutual fund share classes and the definition of "ultrasector," and the use of futures and options in mutual funds, at which point the tearful child would declare that Santa is dead and that there is no good in this world worth fighting for.
Top 5 Semiconductor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Powershares S & P Small Cap Energy Portfolio (PSCE)
PowerShares S&P SmallCap Energy Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index called the S&P SmallCap 600 Capped Energy Index (the Underlying Index). The Underlying Index consists of common stocks of the United States energy companies that are principally engaged in the business of producing, distributing or servicing energy-related products, including oil and gas exploration and production, refining, oil services, pipeline, and solar, wind and other non-oil-based energy. The Underlying Index is compiled, maintained and calculated by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC (Standard & Poor's). The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of small-capitalization energy companies. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund�� investment adviser is Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap oil and gas stock Penn Virginia Corporation (NYSE: PVA) surged 14.84% after reporting earnings and was also rising close to 6% in�pre-market trading���meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at the small cap along with the performance of ETF peers IQ Global Oil Small Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: IOIL) and PowerShares S&P SmallCap Energy Portfolio (NASDAQ: PSCE). After all, a look at the longer term chart of Penn Virginia Corporation does not reveal a pretty picture for investors over the long haul.
Top Performing Stocks To Own For 2014: Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ)
Alon USA Energy, Inc. engages in refining and marketing petroleum products primarily in the South Central, Southwestern, and Western regions of the United States. The company operates in three segments: Refining and Marketing, Asphalt, and Retail. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil into petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, feed stocks, asphalts, and other petroleum products. It markets finished products and blend stocks through sales and exchanges with other oil companies, state and federal governmental entities, unbranded wholesale distributors, and various other third parties. This segment also markets motor fuels to distributors under the Alon brand; and licenses Alon brand name and provides payment card processing services, advertising programs, and loyalty and other marketing programs to licensed locations. The Asphalt segment is involved in the marketing of patented tire rubber modified asphalt products; and production of paving and roofing grades of asphalt comprising performance-graded asphalts, emulsions, and cutbacks. This segment sells paving asphalt to road and materials manufacturers and highway construction/maintenance contractors; polymer modified or emulsion asphalt to highway maintenance contractors; and roofing asphalt to roofing shingle manufacturers or other industrial users. The Retail segment operates retail convenience stores that offer various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, food products, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise primarily under the 7-Eleven and Alon brands. As of December 31, 2012, it had 298 retail convenience stores located in Central and West Texas, and New Mexico. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Alon USA Energy, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alon Israel Oil Company, Ltd.
Advisors' Opinion:- [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 - [By Dan Dzombak]
Among companies with over a $1 billion market cap, today's oil and gas stocks leader was Alon USA Energy (NYSE: ALJ ) , up 4.95% to $17.16. During the refiners' drop on Tuesday and Wednesday, Alon dropped 12.89%. Despite the comeback today, the stock is still down 8.6% from where it was before the plunge. Alon USA owns refineries in Louisiana and California, 11 asphalt terminals, as well as 300 7-11 retail locations. The company has been profiting heavily from the massive price difference between WTI and Brent crude. In November of 2012, the company IPO'd its Big Springs refinery as a master limited partnership, Alon USA Partners LP,�the proceeds of which Alon used to pay down debt.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Alon USA Energy (NYSE: ALJ ) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Alon USA Energy beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.
Top Performing Stocks To Own For 2014: Demand Media Inc. (DMD)
Demand Media, Inc. operates as an Internet media and domain services company worldwide. The company focuses on an Internet-based model for the professional creation and distribution of content at scale. It offers content and media, and registrar services. The company�s content and media services include creating media content primarily consisting of text articles and videos, and delivering together with its social media and monetization tools to the company's owned and operated Websites and mobile applications, and network of customer Websites and their mobile applications to publishers, brands, and retailers. Its content and media services are delivered through the company's content and media platform, which includes its content creation studio, social media applications, and a system of monetization tools designed to match content with advertisements. The company deploys its content and media platform to it�s owned and operated Websites, such as eHow.com, LIVESTRONG.CO M, and Cracked.com, as well as to Websites operated by its customers. Its registrar service offering provides domain name registration and related value added services, such as third-party Website security services, identification protection services, Web hosting plans, customizable email accounts, and business listing services to resellers, including small businesses, e-commerce Websites, Internet service providers, Web-hosting companies, and retail consumers. Demand Media, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Demand Media (NYSE: DMD) shares reached a new 52-week low of $4.23. Demand Media is expected to announce its Q1 results on May 8, 2014.
Express (NYSE: EXPR) shares fell 2.49% to touch a new 52-week low of $14.28. Express shares have dropped 14.83% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 20.97% in the same period.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One under-$10 Internet services player that's starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Demand Media (DMD), which focuses on an Internet-based model for the professional creation and distribution of content at scale. This stock has been hit hard by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 44%.
If you take a look at the chart for Demand Media, you'll notice that this stock has recently formed a triple bottom over the last month, with shares finding buying interest at $4.80, $4.72 and $4.88 a share. Shares of DMD have now started to spike higher off those support levels, and the stock is quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DMD if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $5.39 to $5.46 and then once it takes out its 50-day moving average at $5.76 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 681,665 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then DMD will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.50 to $7 a share. Any high-volume move above $7.14 would then give DMD a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from June that started near $8.50 a share.
Traders can look to buy DMD off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $4.88 or at $4.72 a share. One can also buy DMD off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Demand Media Inc. (DMD) �shares declined 0.3% to $5.84 in light volume after the company said it had accepted the resignation of its chief executive, Richard Rosenblatt, effective Oct. 31.
Top Performing Stocks To Own For 2014: Anglo American PLC (AAUKY.PK)
Anglo American plc (Anglo American), incorporated on May 14, 1998, is a mining company. The Company�� portfolio include Bulk commodities which consists of iron and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal; base metals, which consists of copper, nickel and niobium; Precious metals and minerals, which include platinum and diamonds and Other Mining and Industrial. The Company operates in Africa, Brazil, Chile, North and South America, Australia, China, India, Japan, other Asia and Europe. In November 2013, Anglo American PLC announced the completion of its sale of the Amapa iron ore operation in Brazil (Amapa) to Zamin Ferrous Ltd. In January 2014, Anglo American completed the acquisition of Mineral Technology Exploration Production SA (MINTEP) and Societe Miniere d'Alumine SA.
Iron and Manganese
The Company�� Iron Ore portfolio consist a 69.7% holding in Kumba Iron Ore Limited (Kumba), a supplier of seaborne iron ore, and Iron Ore Brazil�� 100% interest in Anglo Ferrous Minas-Rio, a 49% shareholding in LLX Minas-Rio, which owns the port of Acu, and a 70% interest in the Amapa iron ore system. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Kumba operated three mines: Sishen Mine in the Northern Cape, which produced 33.7 million tons (MT) of iron ore, Thabazimbi Mine in Limpopo, with an output of 0.8 MT and Kolomela mine, also in the Northern Cape and produced 1.5 MT. During 2011, Kumba exported more than 85% of its total iron ore sales volumes of 44.4 million tons, with 69% of these exports destined for the People�� Republic of China and the remainder to Europe, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. Its Minas-Rio iron ore project is located in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
The Company�� Manganese interests consist of a 40% holding in Samancor Holdings, which owns Hotazel Manganese Mines and Metalloys, both in South Africa, and a 40% holding in each of the Australian-based operations Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) and Tasmanian Electro ! Metallurgical Company (TEMCO), with BHP Billiton owning 60% and having management control. It is producer of seaborne manganese ore and is top three global producers of manganese alloy. Its operations produce a combination of ores, alloys and metal from sites in South Africa and Australia.
Metallurgical Coal
The Company�� coal operations in Australia are based on the east coast, from where Metallurgical Coal serves a range of customers throughout Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and Europe and South America. Its metallurgical coal operation in Canada, Peace River Coal, mainly serves customers in Europe, Japan and South America. Metallurgical Coal operated six mines, one wholly owned and five in which it has a controlling interest. Five of the mines are located in Queensland�� Bowen Basin: Moranbah North (metallurgical coal), Capcoal (metallurgical and thermal coal), Foxleigh (metallurgical coal), Dawson (metallurgical and thermal coal) and Callide (thermal coal). Drayton mine (thermal coal) is in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Moranbah North is an underground longwall mining operation with a mining lease covering 100 square kilometers.
Capcoal operates two longwall underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produce around 5.0 MT annually of hard coking coal, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coal. Capcoal also supplies methane-rich seam gas to Energy Developments Limited�� power station. Foxleigh is an open cut operation with an annual output exceeding 1.4 million tons of PCI coal. During 2012, Dawson, which is an open cut operation, produced 4.6 MT total of coking and thermal coal. During 2012, Capcoal operates two underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produced around 6.0 Mt of hard coking, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coals. During 2012, Foxleigh is an open cut operation which produced 1.9 Mt of high quality PCI coal.
Thermal Coal
Thermal Coal operates in South Africa a! nd and is! a joint partner in Cerrejon, Colombia. In South Africa, Thermal Coal wholly owns and operates nine mines and has a 50% interest in the Mafube colliery and Phola washing plant. During 2012, six of the mines supplied 23 million tons per annum of thermal coal to both export and local markets. New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries are domestic product operations supplying 29 million tons per annum of thermal coal to Eskom, the state-owned power utility. During 2012, Isibonelo mine produced five million tons per annum of thermal coal for Sasol Synthetic Fuels, the coal to liquids producer, under a 20 year supply contract. Thermal Coal�� South African operations route all export thermal coal through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), in which it has a 24.2% shareholding, to customers throughout the Med-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions. Within South Africa, 62% of total sales tons are made to the Eskom power utility.
Copper
The Company has interests in six copper operations in Chile. The wholly owned operations consists of the Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde mines, and it hold a 50.1% interest in Anglo American Sur (AA Sur), which includes the Los Bronces and El Soldado mines and the Chagres smelter. It has a 44% interest in the Collahuasi mine. The mines also produce associated by-products, such as molybdenum and silver. In addition, it has interests in Quellaveco and Michiquillay projects in Peru and a 50% interest in the Pebble project in Alaska.
Nickel
Nickel has three ferronickel operations: Codemin and Barro Alto in Brazil and Loma de Niquel in Venezuela. Within the
business unit�� portfolio there are also two projects, Jacare and Morro Sem Bone, both in Brazil, and exploration projects in Finland, Canada and Australia.
Platinum
The Company�� Platinum business, based in South Africa, is the producer of platinum. Platinum mines, processes and refines the entire range of platinum group metals (PGMs): platin! um, palla! dium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Base metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt sulphate are secondary products and are contributors to earnings. Platinum�� operations exploit reserve of PGMs, known as the Bushveld Complex, which contains PGMbearing Merensky, UG2 and Platreef ores. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Platinum wholly owns 10 mining operations in production, a tailings re-treatment facility, three smelters, a base metals refinery and a precious metals refinery. Concentrating, smelting and refining of the output are undertaken at Rustenburg Platinum Mines��(RPM) metallurgical facilities. During 2012, Platinum�� 100% owned mining operations consists of the five mines at Rustenburg Section: Khomanani, Bathopele, Siphumelele, Thembelani and Khuseleka; Amandelbult Section�� two mines, Tumela and Dishaba, as well as Mogalakwena and Twickenham mines. Union Mine is 85% held with a black economic empowerment (BEE) partner, the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela traditional community, holding the remainder. The Unki mine in Zimbabwe is wholly owned.
Diamonds
The Company�� diamond interests are represented by its 40% holding in De Beers. The other shareholders in De Beers are Central Holdings Ltd, which owns 40%, and the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) with 15%. De Beers is a diamond company producing diamonds from its mines in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As of December 31, 2012, De Beers held a 50% interest in Debswana Diamond Company and in Namdeb Diamond Corporation. In addition, De Beers has a 74% holding in South African based De Beers Mines Limited. De%Beers owns 100% of De%Beers Canada. De%Beers owns 100% of The Diamond Trading Company (DTC). De Beers, through Element Six Technologies, is a supplier of industrial supermaterials. Element Six operates internationally, with 10 manufacturing sites globally and a global sales network.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Kramer-Miller]
The Pebble Project is an enormous potential mine in Alaska containing mostly copper, and some gold and molybdenum. The project is owned by the Pebble Partnership, of which Northern Dynasty Minerals owns half, while Anglo American (AAUKY.PK) owns the other half.
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