Domestic carrier iPhone activations have proven to be a useful tool for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) investors. The figures are inexact on a quarterly basis, which became apparent after Apple directly disclosed domestic iPhone sales for the first time ever last year in a court filing. However, in the long term, the differences smooth out and the discrepancy averages out to about just 1%, so the aggregate total of carrier activations does provide a fairly good proxy for domestic iPhone sales.
Investors can no longer count on getting this useful data point, as Apple's biggest domestic carrier partner has just decided to stop showing Apple's cards. AT&T (NYSE: T ) will no longer disclose iPhone activations. It had provided the digits for years.
Ma Bell did say last night that it activated an impressive 6.8 million total smartphones, a notable increase sequentially from the 6 million activated last quarter. When pressed about the mix on the conference call, CFO John Stephens said, "Our smartphone sales of 6.8 million, and I think we have disclosed that we had a record Android sales, but we are not giving the specific iPhone number."
5 Best Shipping Stocks To Own For 2015: First Trust Exchange Traded Fund (FVL)
First Trust Value Line 100 Fund (the Fund) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks to outperform the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (the S&P 500 Index) by adhering to a strategy of investing in a diversified portfolio of the 100 common stocks ranked number 1 in Value Line's Timeliness Ranking System. The Fund invests 80% of its net assets in the stocks that are ranked number one in the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System. As of March 31, 2006, the Fund had invested in sectors, such as household durables, metals and mining, specialty retail, oil and gas, software, machinery, hotels, restaurants and leisure, computers and peripherals, biotechnology, information technology services, and textiles, apparel and luxury goods.
As of March 31, 2006, the Fund's top 10 holdings were Palm, Inc., United INDL Corp., AAR Corp., Accenture LTD, Citrix Systems, Inc., Cymer Inc., Guess, Inc., Henry Jack & Assoc., Inc., Micrel Inc. and Molecular Devices Corp. The Fund had a large capitalization orientation to its portfolio holdings as of December 31, 2005. As of December 31, 2005, the 100 stocks in the portfolio consisted of large-cap stocks (34), mid-cap stocks (35) and small-cap stocks (31). During the year ended December 31, 2005, the Fund posted a net asset value (NAV) total return of 11.9% and a market value total return of 7.5%. This compared to a gain of 4.8% for the S&P 500 Index. The Fund's investment advisor is First Trust Advisors, L.P.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Trainer]
First Trust Value Line 100 ETF (FVL) is my worst-rated All Cap Blend ETF and Clarity Fund (CLRTX) is my worst-rated All Cap Blend mutual fund. FVL earns my Dangerous rating, while CLRTX gets my Very Dangerous rating.
- [By David Trainer]
First Trust Value Line 100 ETF (FVL) is in the Danger Zone this week. FVL is another example of a supposedly "passive" ETF that purportedly tracks an index but actually resembles an actively managed portfolio. FVL's methodology tracks an index, but it is an index in name only.
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Lazard LTD. (LAZ)
Lazard Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a financial advisory and asset management firm. The company�s Financial Advisory segment offers various advisory services on mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic matters, as well as on restructurings, capital structure, capital raising, and other financial matters. Its Asset Management segment provides investment solutions and investment management services in equity and fixed income strategies; and alternative investments and private equity funds. The company serves corporations, governments, institutions, partnerships, and individual clients. It operates from 42 cities across 27 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Central and South Americas. Lazard Ltd. was founded in 1848 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
Value investor John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio) recommends JM Smucker (SJM), Bally Tech (BYI) and Lazard (LAZ).
Also check out: John Rogers Undervalued Stocks John Rogers Top Growth Companies John Rogers High Yield stocks, and Stocks that John Rogers keeps buying
Currently 0.00/512345Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Student Transportation Inc (STB)
Student Transportation Inc. (STI) is a provider of school bus transportation services in North America, conducting operations through wholly owned operating subsidiaries. The Company operates in two segments: a transportation segment and an oil and gas segment. The transportation segment provides school bus and management services to public and private schools in North America. The oil and gas segment represents its investments as a non-operator in oil and gas interests. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it acquired certain assets of Schumacher Bus Lines; certain assets and contracts of S&K Transportation Inc.; A&B Bus, Co.; School Transportation Services, LLC.; Dairyland Bus, Inc., Dairyland-Hamilton, Inc., Lakeland Area Bus Service, Inc. and Lakeside Buses of Wisconsin, Inc., and certain assets and contracts of Safe Start Transportation of New Jersey, LLC. On May 24, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets and contracts of National Express Corporation. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Charles Sizemore]
Finally, for an off-the-wall pick, consider picking up shares of Student Transportation (STB), North America�� third-largest operator of school buses.� Student Transportation doesn’t just operate more than 10,000 school buses and transport more than a million students daily across the United States and Canada. It’s a monthly dividend stock with a solid yield.
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Precision Castparts Corporation(PCP)
Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC) manufactures and sells metal components and products worldwide. Its Investment Cast Products segment offers aerospace structural and airfoil castings; industrial gas turbine (IGT) castings; artificial hips and knees; parts for satellite launch vehicles; landing gear struts and engine inlets for unmanned aerial vehicles; impellers for pumps and compressors; components for armament systems; and alloys for other manufacturers of investment castings. The company?s Forged Products segment provides forged components for jet engines, including fan discs, compressor discs, turbine discs, seals, spacers, shafts, hubs, and cases; airframe structural components, such as landing gear beams, bulkheads, wing structures, engine mounts, struts, tail flaps, and housings; discs, spacers, and valve components for steam turbine and IGT engines; shafts, cases, and compressor and turbine discs for marine gas engines; mechanical and structural tubular forged produ cts for energy markets; and forged components for propulsion systems on nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, as well as forgings for pumps, valves, and structural applications. PCC?s Fastener Products segment offers aerospace fasteners comprising bolts, nuts, nut plates, latches, expandable diameter fasteners, quick release pins, hydraulic fittings, bushings, inserts, collars, and other precision components. It also provides refiner plates and screen cylinders for the pulp and paper industry; metal-injection-molded and ThixoFormed components; grinder pumps and components for sewer systems; gas monitoring systems for the power generation industry; and thread-rolling and trimming dies, pins and steel, and carbide forging tools for fastener production. PCC sells its fastener products and services through a network of distributors and independent sales representatives, as well as through a direct sales and marketing staff. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Por tland, Oregon.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chris Hill]
Boeing's (NYSE: BA ) 787 Dreamliner was back in the news (and not for good reasons), which is one reason we prefer Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP ) . Ulta Salon (NASDAQ: ULTA ) names a new CEO. Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC ) makes a big buy. And Facebook (NASDAQ: FB ) is reportedly working on a news service for mobile devices. In this installment of Investor Beat, Andy and Jason discuss four stocks making big moves.
- [By Jim Jubak]
You could sell Precision Castparts (PCP) now, because at Friday's close of $267.85, the stock was well over my most recent target price of $242. Or you could sell because the stock is just short of its 52-week high of $270 a share. Or, because the current price is an all-time high for the stock.
- [By GURUFOCUS]
Precision Castparts Corp. (1.6%) (PCP - $227.24 - NYSE)(PCP) is a manufacturer of investment castings and forgings, primarily for the aerospace and industrial gas turbine markets. The company also makes fasteners and industrial products for the automotive, aerospace, and general industrial markets. PCP is a strong cash flow generator, and we continue to believe the company will use its cash for acquisitions, such as the recently completed Titanium Metals Corporation. PCP's acquisition strategy centers on buying businesses within the company's core competencies, which include manufacturing component products for complex end users. The strategy also includes finding companies that have procurement or technologies similar to PCP's and similar customer profiles. These characteristics should provide opportunities for PCP to improve the acquired company's profitability, thereby enhancing PCP's earnings.
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (LGND)
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated operates as a biotechnology company. It principally engages in the development and acquisition of royalty revenue generating assets. The company engages in the research, milestone, and royalty revenue activities resulting from its collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. The collaborations primarily include ongoing clinical programs at Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Merck & Co., Cephalon, Inc, and Celgene. These partnered product candidates are being studied for the treatment of indications, such as thrombocytopenia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, and Alzheimer?s disease. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated receives royalties principally on sales of Avinza from Pfizer, Promacta from GlaxoSmithKline, and Viviant /Conbriza from Pfizer. The company through its subsidiary, CyDex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., offers four marketed products, as well as has one approved product, a portfolio of partnered drug development programs, an internal pipeline of proprietary drugs, and the Captisol drug formulation platform technology. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated was formerly known as Progenx Inc. and changed its name in 1989. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in La Jolla, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
QCOR is a strong buy at the current price.
Biotech Stocks to Buy: Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND)Ligand Pharmacuticals (LGND) is a biotech company that focuses on acquisition and development of royalty revenue generating assets in the United States. Ligand has relationships with most of the leading drug companies including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Merck (MRK), Bristol-Myers (BMY), Eli Lilly (LLY) and others.
- [By James Oberweis]
Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND) has a business model that is focused on drug discovery and partnering with pharmaceutical companies at an early development stage.
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Morgan Stanley(MS)
Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals worldwide. It operates in three segments: Institutional Securities, Global Wealth Management Group, and Asset Management. The Institutional Securities segment offers financial advisory services on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, recapitalizations, spin-offs, exchange offers, and leveraged buyouts and takeover defenses, as well as shareholder relations, capital raising, corporate lending, and investments. This segment also engages in sales, trading, financing, and market-making activities, including equity trading, commodities, and interest rates, credit, and currencies, as well as financing services, such as prime brokerage, consolidated clearance, settlement, custody, financing, and portfolio reporting services. The Global Wealth Management Group segment provide s brokerage and investment advisory services covering various investment alternatives comprising equities, options, futures, foreign currencies, precious metals, fixed income securities, mutual funds, structured products, alternative investments, unit investment trusts, managed futures, separately managed accounts, and mutual fund asset allocation programs; education savings programs, financial and wealth planning services, and annuity and insurance products; credit and other lending products; cash management services; retirement services; and trust and fiduciary services. The Asset Management segment offers products and services in equity, fixed income, and alternative investments, such as hedge funds, fund of funds, real estate, private equity, and infrastructure to institutional and retail clients through proprietary and third party distribution channels. This segment also involves in investment and merchant banking activities. The company was founded in 1935 and is headq uartered in New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
Financial services powerhouse Morgan Stanley (MS) is showing us the exact same setup right now, a fact that's not really that surprising considering the fact that the investment bank's big equity exposure basically makes it a leveraged bet on stocks.
But with markets in bull mode, that's a good thing!
Like SPY, Morgan Stanley is bouncing within a well-defined price channel right now. Price channels are valuable because they provide high probability ranges for a stock's price action. In other words, MS's price is unlikely to trade outside of those two bands on the chart above -- and that's exactly what makes this stock tradable right now. The best time to be a buyer comes on a bounce off of support, a level we're not far from.
Buying off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: it's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring the MS can actually still catch a bid along that line.
A stellar relative strength uptrend in MS adds some extra evidence that its rally has staying power.
- [By Greg Madison]
But the offering was beset by... nearly everything that could go wrong with an IPO. The exchange suffered a computer malfunction that misplaced somewhere between $10 and $20 million worth of share orders. There were allegations that underwriter Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) offered too many shares at too high a price.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.40 per share on revenue of $7.70 billion.
Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.78 per share on revenue of $5.77 billion.
Top 10 Stocks To Invest In 2014: MicroFinancial Incorporated(MFI)
Microfinancial Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialized commercial finance company that provides microticket equipment leasing and rental, and other financing services in the United States. The company provides financing alternatives, and leases and rents commercial equipment to start-up and established businesses for use in their daily operations. It leases water filtration systems, food service equipment, security equipment, point-of-sale cash registers, salon equipment, health care and fitness equipment, and automotive equipment. The company primarily sources its originations through a network of independent equipment vendors, sales organizations, and other dealer-based origination networks. Microfinancial Incorporated was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Gerrit De Vynck]
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI), the Canadian producer of foods from hamburgers to frozen pasta, has drawn bids for its bread unit from Grupo Bimbo SAB, Flowers Foods Inc. (FLO) and several private-equity firms, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
- [By Eric Lam]
Alacer Gold Corp. and Iamgold Corp. rallied at least 5.9 percent as the metal traded at its highest in 11 weeks. Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI) jumped 7.8 percent as it agreed to sell a unit for C$645 million ($614 million). Penn West Petroleum (PWT) Ltd. added 1.7 percent after cutting 25 percent of its workforce to reduce costs.
- [By Magic Diligence]
One stock that has been in the official Magic Formula (MFI) screen for the past month or so has piqued my interest: Kraft (KRFT).
The MFI screens, particularly the $50 million screen, are usually reserved for deep value stocks. Usually you find stocks in here suffering serious adverse business developments (LQDT, NSR, etc.), operate in out-of-favor industries (APOL, STRA, etc.), have volatile and difficult-to-predict future prospects (PDLI comes to mind), or are just simply cheap quantitatively (CSCO, COH, et.al.).
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