The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.7% to 16,383 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.8% to 1,864. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.1% to 4,196.
The latest economic report showed that Americans spent slightly more in February as consumer spending grew at a modest pace despite the severe winter weather in much of the country.
Markets were higher in Europe and Asia also.
Asian stocks rose as as expectations grew that China will move to counter its economic slowdown. Chinese officials have set a target of 7.5% economic growth this year but are more concerned about ensuring sufficient new jobs are created than precisely meeting the GDP figure.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index gained 0.5% to close at 14,696.03. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.1% to 22,065.53. But the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 2,041.71 as major banks reported profits in line with analysts' forecasts.
Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2015: Midstates Petroleum Company Inc (MPO)
Midstates Petroleum Company, Inc. is an independent exploration and production company. The Company�� areas of operation include Pine Prairie, South Bearhead Creek/Oretta, West Gordon and North Cowards Gully. Its Upper Gulf Coast Tertiary trend extends from south Texas to Mississippi across its operating areas in central Louisiana. As of December 31, 2011, it had accumulated approximately 77,100 net acres in the trend. As of December 31, 2011, its development operations are focused in the Wilcox interval of the trend. The Company�� business is conducted through Midstates Petroleum Company LLC, as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary. In September 2012, the Company and its subsidiary acquired all of Eagle Energy Production, LLC�� producing properties as well as their developed and undeveloped acreage primarily in the Mississippian Lime oil play in Oklahoma and Kansas.
As of December 31, 2011, it drilled 57 gross wells in the trend, approximately 93% of. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its average daily production were 7,499 barrels of oil equivalent per day. As of December 31, 2011, it had a total of 974 gross vertical drilling locations, including 115 related to acreage under option, in the trend. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� properties included approximately 92 gross active producing wells, 95% of, which it operate, and in which it held an average working interest of approximately 99% across its 77,100 net acre leasehold. During March 31, 2012, the Company continued its drilling program, spudding 14 wells, of which nine are producing, three are being drilled and two are waiting to be completed. As of December 331, 2011, it averaged daily production is approximately 9,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Pine Prairie
The Company�� properties in the Pine Prairie area represented 46% of its total proved reserves as of December 31, 2011. During 2011, the Company�� average production from these properties was 3,793 net barrels of oil equ! ivalent per day, consisting of 2,143 barrels of oil, 565 barrels of natural gas liquidations (NGLs) and 6,508 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of December 31, 2011, it held an average working interest and average net revenue interest of 92.2% and 68.9%, respectively, on its acreage in Pine Prairie area. The Company has an additional 194 identified drilling locations in this area based primarily on 10-acre spacing.
South Bearhead Creek/Oretta
The Company�� properties in the South Bearhead Creek/Oretta area represented 20.3% of its total proved reserves as of December 31, 2011. During 2011, the Company�� average production from these properties was 4,367 net barrels of oil equivalent per day, consisting of 2,196 barrels of oil, 438 barrels of NGLs and 10,396 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. During 2011, these wells produced at an average daily rate of 2,413 net barrels of oil equivalent per day. As of December 31, 2011, it held an average working interest and average net revenue interest of 100% and 78.5%, respectively, on its acreage in South Bearhead Creek/Oretta area. The Company has an additional 43 identified drilling locations in this area based primarily on 40-acre spacing.
West Gordon
The Company�� properties in the West Gordon area represented 21% of its total proved reserves as of December 31, 2011. During 2011, the Company�� average production from these properties was 1,002 net barrels of oil equivalent per day, consisting of 617 barrels of oil, 68 barrels of NGLs and 1,901 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of December 31, 2011, it held an average working interest and average net revenue interest of 95.9% and 71.2%, respectively, on its acreage in West Gordon area. The Company has an additional 74 identified drilling locations in this area based primarily on 40-acre spacing.
North Cowards Gully
The Company�� properties in the North Cowards Gully area represented 11.5% of ! its total! proved reserves as of December 31, 2011. During 2011, the Company�� average production from these properties was 149 net barrels of oil equivalent per day consisting of 103 barrels of oil, 11 barrels of NGLs, and 211 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of December 31, 2011, it held an average working interest and average net revenue interest of 94.3% and 71.2%, respectively, on its acreage in North Cowards Gully area. The Company has an additional 95 identified drilling locations in this area based primarily on 40-acre spacing.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By The Energy Report]
Onshore, my favorite play is the Utica Shale, in which my top plays are Gulfport Energy Corp. (GPOR) and Rex Energy Corp. (REXX). Both companies have highly economic acreage, solid balance sheets and industry-leading production growth. I also like Rex Energy for its likely production upside. Another one of my favorite plays is the Eagle Ford Shale, in which my top plays are Penn Virginia Corp. (PVA) and Sanchez Energy Corp. (SN). Both have core acreage in the region, improving operating results and experienced management. Another favorite name of mine is Midstates Petroleum Co. Inc. (MPO). The company has assets in three solid plays and a management team with a long successful track record. Those are my favorite names at this time.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Midstates Petroleum (MPO) has surged 21% to $3.46 after the independent E&P company easily topped analyst earnings forecasts.
Jamba (JMBA) has tumbled 9% to $11.74 after the juice store missed the Street’s earnings and revenue expectations. Jamba also announced a $25 million share buyback program.
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: AutoZone Inc.(AZO)
AutoZone, Inc. retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company?s stores offer various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Its automotive hard parts product line includes A/C compressors, batteries and accessories, belts and hoses, carburetors, chassis, clutches, CV axles, engines, fuel pumps, fuses, ignition, lighting, mufflers, starters and alternators, water pumps, radiators, and thermostats. The company?s maintenance items include antifreeze and windshield washer fluid; brake drums, rotors, shoes, and pads; chemicals, including brake and power; steering fluid, oil, and fuel additives; oil and transmission fluids; oil, air, fuel, and transmission filters; oxygen sensors; paint and accessories; refrigerant and accessories; shock absorbers and struts; spark plugs and wires; and windshield wiper s. Its discretionary product line comprises air fresheners, cell phone accessories, drinks and snacks, floor mats and seat covers, mirrors, performance products, protectants and cleaners, sealants and adhesives, steering wheel covers, stereos and radios, tools, and wash and wax products. The company also offers commercial sales program that provides the delivery of parts and other products to local, regional, and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts. In addition, it sells the ALLDATA brand automotive diagnostic and repair software through the Website, alldata.com; and automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through the Website, autozone.com. As of May 7, 2011, the company operated 4,467 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and 261 stores in Mexico. AutoZone, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
AutoZone’s (AZO) earnings have investors puzzled as to whether they should buy or sell.
Reuters�The Wall Street Journal has the goods on AutoZone’s report:
For the quarter ended Aug. 31, AutoZone reported a profit of $371.2 million, or $10.42 a share, up from $323.7 million, or $8.46 a share, a year earlier. Excluding an additional week of sales in the latest period, earnings were $9.76 a share.
Net sales improved 12% to $3.1 billion. Sales at stores open at least one year rose 1%.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had most recently forecast per-share earnings of $10.34 on revenue of $3.09 billion.
Gross margin stayed at 51.8%.
The first reaction: Sell. In pre-open trading this morning, shares of Autozone had dropped 0.6% by 8:30 a.m. But they the stock soon rallied back into positive territory and was trading higher by 0.3% at 9:15. At the open, shares traded up as much as 1%, before falling into the red.�Citigroup’s�Kate McShane�digs into the results, which were decidedly mixed:
…the beat was driven by revenue growth of +12.0% y/y (vs. our +7.1%) and lower tax rate of 35.5% (vs. our 36.8%), partially offset by flat y/y gross margins (vs. our +117bps) and operating margin expansion of +29bps y/y (vs. our +143bps). Excluding the 17th�week, sales would have been +5.6% y/y and EPS of $9.76.
Autozone also said its same-store sales rose just 1%, lower than McShanes estimate of a 3% increase and the analyst consensus of 2.5%.
Autozone has gained 17% this year, but is off by 1.9% during the past month, both of which have lagged the S&P 500. Perhaps that explains the muted reaction to the report. With investors not expecting much, a mixed report is just–a mixed report.
Autozone has dropped 0.3% to $413.22 �, while�Pep Boys (PBY) has gained 0.2% to $12.19 , Advanced Auto Parts�(AAP) has risen 0.3% to $80.35, and O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY) has advan
- [By Daniel Miller]
Rather than pull my money out at the wrong time, as so many people did, I invested in specific trend-bucking, low-beta stocks -- O'Reilly (NASDAQ: ORLY ) , Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP ) , and AutoZone (NYSE: AZO ) . I did so while following Lynch's advice to "invest in what you know." To allow me to tell my story, let me briefly explain what the beta number is and how it works. Then I'll tell you why I picked those stocks and explain how you can do it next time.
- [By P.I.A.]
AutoZone (AZO) announced earnings on Wednesday, Sept. 25, beating estimates and reporting $10.42 per share. It is clear in listening to the conference call that the auto parts specialty retailer is a competitive operation. However, some are not currently as enthusiastic and O��eilly Automotive Inc. (ORLY) has been outperforming.
- [By Brad Thomas]
Like many of the other Triple-Net REITs, Agree operates its investment platform with a variety of free-standing net lease tenants including many household names such as Walgreens (WAG), CVS (CVS), Staples, Chase Bank, AutoZone (AZO), Advance Auto Parts (AAP), Lowe's (LOW), McDonald's (MCD), Family Dollar (FDO), Harris Teeter, Dollar General (DG), and Wawa. As shown below, Agree has a majority (88%) of nationally-recognized tenants, including many investment grade retailers (62.6%).
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: Next Generation Energy Corp (NGMC)
Next Generation Energy Corp., incorporated on November 21, 1980, is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas properties located onshore in the United States. On March 22, 2011, the Company purchased all of the membership interests of Knox Gas, LLC. Knox Gas, LLC owns a lease of 100 acres, which contains five drilled wells; a lease of 20.2 acres, which contains two drilled wells; a lease of 700 acres which contains no wells, and a lease of 400 acres, which contains three drilled wells.
The wells owned by Knox Gas were part of a larger field of 135 wells that was developed by Heartland Resources, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively Heartland), and were operated by Heartland Operating Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Heartland Resources, Inc. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company had no revenues.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Next Generation Energy Corp (OTCMKTS: NGMC) and Dutch Gold Resources, Inc (OTCMKTS: DGRI) are the latest small cap stocks to announce their entry into the marijuana business while peer Endocan Corp (OTCMKTS: ENDO) sees some paid promotions or investor relations activities, but otherwise remains quiet. So will investors and traders alike achieve a high with any of these small cap marijuana stocks? Here is a quick reality check:
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: Mdu Res Group Inc (MDU)
MDU Resources Group, Inc. operates as a diversified natural resource company in the United States. The company�s Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2012, this segment provided its electric services to approximately 131,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in 177 communities and adjacent rural areas. Its Natural Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. This segment served approximately 859,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 334 communities and adjacent rural areas. The company�s Pipeline and Energy Services segment provides natural gas transportation, underground storage, processing, and gathering services, as well as oil gathering through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services. Its Exploration and Production segment engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the United States and in and around the Gulf of Mexico. The company�s Construction Materials and Contracting segment mines, aggregates, and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel, and related construction materials, including ready-mixed concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt, and other value-added products. This segment also provides utility excavation services and inside electrical wiring, cabling, and mechanical services; sells and distributes electrical materials; and manufactures and distributes specialty equipment. MDU Resources Group, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Richard Stavros]
Created with YCharts
In addition to beating the market since the beginning of the year, diversified energy utilities, such as MDU Resources Group Inc (NYSE: MDU), Dominion Resources Inc (NYSE: D) and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), significantly outperformed pure-play or predominantly all-electric utilities, such as Duke Energy Corp (NYSE: DUK) and Entergy Corp (NYSE: ETR), by as much as several percentage points (See Chart B).
Interestingly, among top performers, there was no dominant strategy for exploiting natural gas demand, as these firms were involved in all aspects of the value chain–from exploration and production to distribution and storage. These companies have not only been benefiting from a natural gas surplus, but also from the pressing need to expand US energy infrastructure to deliver this newfound bounty to businesses and households.Chart B: Diversified Energy Utilities Outperformed Electric-Only Peers
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: CEPHEID(CPHD)
Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, engages in developing, manufacturing, and marketing integrated systems for testing in the clinical market, as well as for application in legacy biothreat, industrial, and partner markets. Its systems enable molecular testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automation. The company offers GeneXpert system that integrates sample preparation in addition to DNA amplification and detection; and SmartCycler system, which integrates DNA amplification and detection to allow rapid analysis of a sample. The GeneXpert system is designed for reference laboratories, hospital central laboratories, and satellite testing locations, such as emergency departments and intensive care units within hospitals and doctors? offices. Cepheid also provides GeneXpert Infinity System for high volume testing. The company offers tests for the GeneXpert and the SmartCycler systems in the areas of healthcare associated infections, critical infectious d isease, genetics, women?s health, and oncology. These tests include U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared products, CE marked products, analyte specific reagents, and research use only tests in the clinical market. In the industrial market, it sells its SmartCycler system along with general use polymerase chain reaction reagents and reaction tubes. Cepheid sells its products its direct sales force and through third-party distributors worldwide. It has collaboration agreements with Novartis, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Life Technologies Corporation, and Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD ) , a developer of molecular diagnostic tests for both clinical and non-clinical markets, plunged as much as 11% after the company reported its second-quarter earnings results following the closing bell last night.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, but the firm actually raised its price target to $41 (versus a $39.04 close).
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: UC Resources Ltd (UC&C)
UC Resources Ltd. is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The Company focuses on silver and gold exploration and production in Mexico. Its mineral properties include Copalquin property (Copalquin Project) and La Yesca. Its Copalquin is located in the northwestern state corner of Durango State, in Mexico. La Yesca is 100% owned by the Company�� subsidiary, Minera Silver Creeck. The La Yesca milling project is located near the town of La Yesca in Nayarit, Mexico, approximately 100 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara City. In the La Yesca district there are at least 16 known gold and silver mineral discoveries. The Mar project consists of a 100 hectare mining exploitation concession. On September 6, 2012, the Company discovered another previously unknown existing mine prospect on the La Yesca property just North of La Leona Mine. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
Polycom provides standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) solutions for voice and video collaboration. The company has three products and solutions categorized as follows: UC Platform, UC Group Systems and UC Personal Devices.
Hot Asian Companies To Own For 2014: Intex Resources ASA (ITX)
Intex Resources ASA is a Norway-based mining and exploration company that focuses primarily on mineral and metal deposits. As of 31 December 2011, the Company�� project portfolio consisted of Mindoro Nickel in the Philippines, the Nordli molybdenum project in Norway, the Maniitsoqdiamond project in West Greenland, as well as several grassroots exploration projects. The Company focuses primarily on the Mindoro Nickel nickel-laterite deposit. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a total of four wholly owned subsidiaries, namely Molynor AS, IceFire Diamonds AS, Intex Resources AS and Norex Resources AS. As of December 31, 2011, its largest shareholder was Lybica Holding B.V., which held 21.71% shares. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sarah Jones]
Inditex SA (ITX) added 3.5 percent to 101.30 euros after reporting a 5.2 percent increase in first-quarter sales to 3.59 billion euros. The world�� biggest clothing retailer also forecast stable profitability even after first-quarter profit advanced at the slowest pace in four years.
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