Three public companies rolled into one, an enterprise value of $31 billion, a strong balance sheet, over $20 billion in an investment-management business, and operating in 21 countries around the world, Prologis is the company Hamid Moghadam, winner of the Ernst & Young U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year (2014) built since he founded AMB Property Corp in 1983 with a $50,000 line of credit from a regional bank. And it�� a stock that�� worth a look by investors, as well, having performed nicely since the last several years, but with plenty of room to run ahead.
As the real-estate crisis unfolded in 2008, Mr. Moghadam acted boldly and intelligently, taking advantage of opportunities around the world and eventually merging AMB with ProLogis (PLD) �in 2011 to create the current, a company who�� stock, since the bottom of the crisis in 2009, has outperformed the S&P 500.
Boise Inc., incorporated on February 1, 2007, is a manufacturer of packaging and paper products, including corrugated containers and sheets, containerboard, protective packaging products, imaging papers for the office and home, printing and converting papers, label and release papers, newsprint and market pulp. The Company operates in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada. The Company operates in three segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. The Company�� newsprint is sold primarily to newspaper publishers in the southern and southwestern the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012, approximately 38% of the Company�� uncoated freesheet paper was sold to OfficeMax Incorporated, its customer.
Packaging
In the Packaging segment, the Company manufactures and sells linerboard, containerboard, corrugated containers and sheets, protective packaging products, and newsprint. Linerboard is a paperboard, which when combined with corrugating medium is used in the manufacture of corrugated sheets and containers. Corrugated sheets are containerboard sheets that are sold primarily to converters that produce a variety of corrugated products. Corrugated containers are corrugated sheets that have been fed through converting machines to create containers, which are used in the packaging of fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. Stock boxes are corrugated containers manufactured to pre-set dimensions.
Protective packaging products include multi-material customized packaging solutions, which may utilize kraft paper-based honeycomb corrugated packaging, foamed plastics, and air pocket packing materials Newsprint is a paper commonly used for printing newspapers, other publications, and advertising material. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its Packaging segment produced approximately 613,000 short tons of linerboard, and its Paper segment produced approximately 135,000 short tons! of corrugating medium. It manufactures linerboard and newsprint on two machines at its mill in DeRidder, Louisiana. It also manufactures corrugated containers and sheets and protective packaging products at 26 plants located in North America and Europe.
Paper
In its Paper segment, the Company manufactures and sells three general categories of products: communication-based papers; packaging-based papers, and market pulp. Its communication-based papers include cut-size office papers, and printing and converting papers. Its Packaging-Demand-Driven Papers include Label and release papers, Flexible packaging papers, and Corrugating medium. Printing and converting papers are used by commercial printers or converters to manufacture envelopes, forms, and other commercial paper products.
Its packaging-based papers include label and release papers and corrugating medium. The Label and release papers include label facestocks, as well as release liners. The coated and uncoated papers sold to customers create packaging products for food and nonfood applications. Market pulp is sold to customers in the open market for use in the manufacture of paper products. The Company manufactures its Paper segment products at three mills, all located in the United States.
Corporate and Other
The Company�� Corporate and Other segment includes transportation assets, such as rail cars and trucks, which it uses to transport its products from its manufacturing sites. The Company provides transportation services not only to its own facilities but also, on a limited basis, to third parties. Rail cars and trucks are typically leased.
The Company competes with International Paper Company, Rock-Tenn Company, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Packaging Corporation of America, Longview Fibre Paper, Packaging, Inc, Green Bay Packaging Inc., KapStone Paper, TexCorr, L.P., Resolute Forest Product, SP Newsprint Co. and Domtar Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the move: Boise Inc. (NYSE: BZ) is up 26% at $12.55 following the company�� acquisition by Packaging Corporation of America Inc. (NYSE: PKG) for $12.55 a share ($1.28 billion). Omeros Corp. (NASDAQ: OMER) is up 68.2% at $8.56 following an analyst upgrade. Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NYSEArca: NAK) is down 33.3% at $1.48 following an announcement from Anglo American plc that it was withdrawing from a massive copper mining project in Alaska.
- [By David Sterman]
That was precisely the rationale behind Packaging Corp. of America's (NYSE: PKG) just-announced $2 billion (in cash and assumed debt) acquisition of rival Boise (NYSE: BZ). The deal will create a $6 billion (in sales) behemoth in the cardboard box industry.
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Oberbank AG (OBV)
Oberbank AG is an Austria-based commercial regional bank. The Company provides products and services for individual customers, as well as for corporate customers. It divides its operations into four segments: Corporate Customers, Private Customers, Financial Markets and Others. The Company offers credit and debit cards, current and saving accounts, investment services, electronic banking services, as well as financing, leasing, investment and real estate services. It operates through numerous offices in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The Company�� major shareholder is CABO Beteiligungsgesellschafts mbH with a stake of 32.54%.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Tom Aspray]
The US market has not been immune to China shocks in 2013 as a plunge in the Japanese market on May 24 was a reaction in part to more weak manufacturing data out of China. But just a month later, the correction in the US market was over as it was no longer overbought (see chart). The weekly on-balance volume (OBV) on the bottom of the chart has continued to make higher highs, line a, since early in 2012.
- [By Tom Aspray]
I have always felt it was important to give credit to those who originally developed or used a particular analytical tool. I still refer to the TRIN as the ARMs Index as it was developed by an old friend Dick Arms. My favorite volume tool, of course, is the on-balance volume (OBV) and I frequently give credit to its creator, Joe Granville.
- [By Tom Aspray]
The daily on-balance volume (OBV) formed a bullish divergence, line c, at the lows. The bottom was confirmed by the move through the downtrend, line b, and the July high. The next level to watch is the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement resistance at $81.54 and then the 50% at $82.54. This decline in yields should be an opportunity to shorten the maturity of your bond holdings and reduce your exposure to the long end of the bond market.
- [By Tom Aspray]
The high in August 2013 (point 2) just reached the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement resistance from the high at $174.07. This, therefore, was a key level of resistance. As prices declined from the highs, the daily on-balance volume (OBV) began a new downtrend and by October the OBV was acting weaker than prices.
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.(JAZZ)
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the identification, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs. The company markets Xyrem, a sodium oxybate oral solution for the treatment of both cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy; and Luvox CR extended-release capsules for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. Its product candidates under clinical development include JZP-6, a Phase III pivotal clinical trials completed product for the treatment of fibromyalgia; and JZP-8, an intranasal formulation of clonazepam, which has completed Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of acute repetitive seizures in epilepsy and solid oral dosage forms of sodium oxybate. The company sells its products through specialty sales force targeting sleep specialists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and pulmonologists. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headq uartered in Palo Alto, California.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Michael Robinson]
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (JAZZ) has a strong expertise in treating narcolepsy, chronic pain, blood disease, cancer, and some psychiatric disorders.
- [By Myra Ramdenbourg]
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (JAZZ): EVP and CFO Kathryn E. Falberg Sold 2,000 Shares
On 02/12/2014, EVP and CFO Kathryn E. Falberg sold 2,000 shares at an average price of $157. The price of the stock has decreased by 1.12% since. Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC has a market cap of $9.01 billion and its shares were traded at around $155.24. The company has a P/E ratio of 44.00 and P/S ratio of 10.96. Over the past five years, Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC had an annual average earnings growth of 68.30%.
- [By Philip Springer]
What’s more, earnings estimates for 2014 by Wall Street analysts have increased for seven of the 10 companies over the last three months. Amgen’s are down slightly and those for Celgene and Novo Nordisk are unchanged.
Two of the 10 stocks currently are in the PF Growth Portfolio. Another, Allergan, was sold for a 75 percent long-term gain since its initial recommendation.
As of late February, the 10 stocks profiled carried market capitalizations of roughly $30 billion and up. Here are another four companies to watch: Grifols SA (NSDQ: GRFS), Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NSDQ: JAZZ), Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ: QCOR) and Salix Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ: SLXP). Each of these four companies is generating rapid revenue and profit growth, and each stock carries a market capitalization of $5 billion or more.
Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: HSN Inc. (HSNI)
HSN, Inc., an interactive multi-channel retailer, provides retail experiences through various platforms, including television, online, mobile, catalogs, and retail and outlet stores. It markets and sells a range of third party and private label merchandise primarily in the United States. The company�s HSN segment offers jewelry, apparel and accessories, beauty and wellness products, housewares, home fashions, electronics, culinary, and fitness and other products directly to consumers through television home shopping programming broadcast on the HSN television networks, HSN.com Website, its mobile applications, and outlet stores. Its Cornerstone segment provides home furnishings, including indoor/outdoor furniture, window treatments, and other home related goods under the Frontgate, Ballard Designs, Grandin Road, and Improvements brands; and apparel and accessories under the Garnet Hill, TravelSmith, and Chasing Fireflies names through various branded catalogs and related Web sites. As of February 21, 2013, this segment distributed approximately 300 million catalogs; and operated 8 separate digital sale sites, and 11 retail and outlet stores. HSN, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Lawrence Meyers]
Diller then spins off some of these entities into public companies, as he did with Home Shopping Network (HSNI) and timeshare company Interval Leisure Group (IILG). The company�� 52 week high was $80.64, it trades right now at $66. I�� love to make this one of my stocks to buy in the below the $50 mark, but IACI would be a bargain under $55.
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: ACI Worldwide Inc (ACIW)
ACI Worldwide, Inc.(ACI), incorporated on November 2, 1993, develops, markets, installs and supports a line of software products and services primarily focused on facilitating electronic payments. In addition to its own products, it distributes, or acts as a sales agent for software developed by third parties. These products and services are used principally by financial institutions, retailers and electronic payment processors, both in domestic and international markets. Its products are sold and supported through distribution networks covering three geographic regions the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia/Pacific. Each distribution network has its own sales force that it supplements with independent reseller and/or distributor networks. Its products are marketed under the ACI Worldwide and ACI Payment Systems brands. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of Online Resources Corp. In November 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Official Payments Holdings, Inc, a provider of electronic bill payment solutions.
The Company�� software products and hosted services deliver a broad range of solutions for payments processing, card and merchant management, online banking, mobile, branch and voice banking, fraud detection and trade finance. Trusted by more than 1,650 organizations globally, ACI serves three primary market audiences: Financial institutions, including national, regional and global banks, community banks and credit unions , Processors and Retailers. Its products cover several different domains within the payments and banking marketplace, which includes Online Banking and Cash Management ,includes the payments and cash flows across accounts globally through the online or mobile channel , Branch , includes the management and processing of monetary, non monetary, sales and account origination financial transactions, Trade Finance, includes the management of all trade related transaction types, both traditional trade and open acc! ount instruments with the ability for end users to view and track those transactions through the online channel, Community Financial Services, includes the online and mobile banking and payment systems, and security solutions that service community banks and credit unions , Retail Banking Payments provides the software to support in house issuance of payment instruments and the management of a consumer payment from transaction acquiring all through the lifecycle within the banking system to settlement; which it split into Payments Processing, and Card and Merchant Management , Wholesale Banking Payments , includes the management of primarily corporate payments and messages through their lifecycle including RTGS payments, ACH payments, and SWIFT transactions , Merchant Retail , includes the management of a consumer payment within a merchant retailer and supporting services such as the management of store and gift card and loyalty programs , Payment Fraud Management, includes securing of payments against fraud and money laundering and Payment Infrastructure, includes the tools and infrastructure to operate and optimize the payments system .
Online Banking and Cash Management, Branch and Trade Finance
Online Banking and Cash Management, Branch & Trade domain offers ACI Enterprise Banker is a comprehensive Internet-based business banking product for financial institutions including banks, brokerage firms and credit unions and can be flexibly packaged for small, medium and business customers. This product provides these customers with electronic payment initiation capability, information reporting, and numerous other payment related services that allow the business customer to manage all its banking needs via the Internet. ACI Global Banker provides single-window access to corporate cash management, trade finance, FXservices, reporting and data exchange. Global Banker supports single-window, Single Sign-On access to a bank�� corporate Internet banking platform. ACI Universal Onl! ine Banke! r is a comprehensive Internet-based banking product for financial institutions including banks, brokerage firms and credit unions and can be flexibly packaged for small, medium and business customers as well as individual consumers. This product provides these customers with electronic payment initiation capability, information reporting, and numerous other cash management services that allow the business customer to manage all its banking needs via the Internet as well as mobile channels.
InterACT Universal Banker is a multi-channel product suite which supports the processing of monetary, non-monetary, sales and account origination transactions across multiple channels including branch, call center and back office, as well as delivering extended branch support for browser based employees , such as relationship managers or calling officers. track their entire trade portfolio of traditional trade and open account instrument over the Internet. This product is also utilized in the wholesale domain. ACI Mobile Channel Manager allows organizations to provide consumers, business and corporate customers with mobile access to functions across the banking and payments spectrum. When used with ACI banking products and payment engines, Mobile Channel Manager enables mobile functions which might include account management, balance inquiries, transfers, bill payments, person-to-person (P2P) payments (including PayPal), pre-paid purchases, remote deposit capture, ATM/branch locator, SMS notifications. This solution is also utilized in the retail domain.
Community Financial Services
Online and Mobile Banking solutions for Community Banks and Credit Unions offers a full-featured self-service banking solution including online banking, voice banking and mobile banking for consumer and small-to-mid-size businesses, all from a single hosted platform. The WebFederal suite provides credit unions with online banking, business solutions, mobile banking, CRM Marketing, and Creative and ! Web Desig! n services. ACI Defense is a full-service security solutions for community banks and credit unions. The ACI Defense suite of solutions helps U.S. financial institutions address security compliance obligations with firewall and intrusion prevention services, security assessments, vulnerability testing, endpoint and mobile protection, email security and encryption and identity theft/anti-phishing services. Online Bill Payment and Presentment provides full-service bill payment solutions for community banks and credit unions, including pay-anyone functionality, online bill presentment, P2P and A2A payments and express pay services.
Retail Banking Payments Payments Processing
The Company's retail payments processing products are designed to acquire electronic payment transactions from transaction generators and route them to acquiring institutions so that they can be authorized for payment. The software often interfaces with regional or national switches to access the account-holding financial institution or card issuer for approval or denial of the transactions (authorization). The software returns messages to the original transaction generator (e.g. an ATM), thereby completing the transactions. Depending on how the software is configured, it can perform all of the functions necessary to authenticate, authorize, route and settle an electronic payment transaction, or it can interact with other systems to ensure that these functions are performed. Payments processing software may be required to interact with dozens of devices, switch interchanges and communication protocols around the world.
BASE24-eps is an integrated electronic payments processing product marketed to customers operating electronic payment networks in the retail banking and retail industries. The modular, open architecture of the product enables customers to select the application and system components that are required to operate their networks. BASE24-eps offers a broad range of features and function! s for ele! ctronic payment processing. BASE24-eps is licensed as a standalone electronic payments solution for financial institutions, retailers and electronic payment processors. BASE24-eps, which operates on International Business Machines��(IBM) System z, IBM System p, Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) NonStop, and Oracle Solaris servers, provides flexible integration points to other applications and data within enterprises to support 24-hour per day access to money, services and information. On the HP NonStop platform, BASE24-eps uses NET24-XPNET, an ACI developed message oriented middleware solution. ACI continues to support and maintain a number of other retail payments engines which are no longer actively marketed to new customers.
BASE24 is an integrated family of software products previously marketed to customers operating electronic payment networks in the retail banking and retail industries. A substantial portion of ACI�� revenues are derived from licensing the BASE24 family of products and providing related services and maintenance as it has been the core of the ACI business since the Company�� inception. The BASE24 product line operates exclusively on HP NonStop servers. The HP NonStop parallel-processing environment offers fault-tolerance, linear expandability and distributed processing capabilities. The combination of features offered by BASE24 and the HP NonStop technology are important characteristics in high volume, 24-hour per day electronic payment systems. BASE24 makes use of NET24-XPNET, an ACI developed message oriented middleware solution.
Postilion is an integrated electronic payments processing system. It authenticates, authorizes, routes and switches transactions generated at ATMs and merchant POS sites as well as provides flexible infrastructure to handle key aspects of the back office functions. The product is used widely across the world, with a particular emphasis in Africa. This product is also used in the merchant retail domain.
Retail Ban! king Paym! ents Card and Merchant Management
ACI Card and Merchant Management solutions are card issuing and merchant management products, which have been successfully used by the payments industry for many years. These products run on IBM System z, and various Unix and Microsoft Windows servers. ACI Issuer is a modern card and account management system. It has been developed to support national, international, and global financial institutions. The system has full multi-currency, multi-product, multi-institution and multi-language capabilities. It manages card portfolios in different countries and for different issuers on a single platform and has been built to fully comply with EMV standards. ACI Acquirer supports the full lifecycle of merchant portfolio management, including merchant onboarding, transaction acquisition, interchange fee qualification, settlement and statement generation. The system is enabled with the flexibility acquirers require to manage complex merchant portfolios.
ACI Interchange is the central monetary transaction manager, processing all incoming customer transactions and maintaining a central transactions database. ACI Interchange also manages the clearing and settlement communication with the international payment schemes, ensuring compliance with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, China Union Pay and JCB. The module can easily be adapted to manage clearing and settlement with additional networks such as domestic payment schemes. ACI Token Manager consists of a suite of products from ACI�� partner Bell Identification B.V. The Smart Card & Application Management System provides for central lifecycle management of smart cards and other tokens as well as the management of the applications activated within the scheme. The Key Management System facilitates the implementation of security concepts based on the generation, storage, recovery, import and distribution of cryptographic keys. The keys are used for encryption and decryption of data and for verific! ation and! authorization of trusted parties using digital certificates. ACI Token Manager for Mobile enables the delivery of payment tokens, such as wallets, to mobile phones.
ACI Payments Manager is an integrated, modular software solution that automates the processing, settlement and reconciliation of electronic transactions, as well as provides plastic card issuance and account management. This product is primarily marketed in North America. ACI Automated Dispute Manager enables issuers, acquirers, processors and payment networks to streamline and automate the dispute management process through workflow-based software components.
Wholesale Banking Payments
The Company�� wholesale banking solutions are focused on global, super-regional and regional financial institutions that provide treasury management services to corporations and correspondent banks. In addition, the market includes non-bank financial institutions with the need to conduct their own internal treasury management activities. ACI Money Transfer System provides high value payments processing, bulk payments processing and SWIFT financial messaging. The high value payments processing function, which produces the majority of revenues for the ACI Money Transfer System, is used to generate, authorize, enrich, route and settle high value wire transfer transactions in domestic and international environments. The ACI Money Transfer System product operates on IBM System p servers using the AIX operating system.
Merchant Retail
ACI Retail Commerce Server is a solution for retailers, is an integrated suite of electronic payments products that facilitate a broad range of capabilities. These capabilities include prepaid, debit and credit card processing, ACH processing, electronic benefits transfer, card issuance and management, check authorization, customer loyalty programs and returned check collection. The Retail Commerce Server product line operates on open systems technologies such as! Microsof! t Windows, UNIX and Linux, with the current installations deployed on the Microsoft Windows platform. ACI In-store Solution supports retailers and drives the retailer�� payment portion of the customer�� in-store purchase experience. The In-store solution prompts the consumer and gathers the necessary card payment details to process the payment request. Importantly, the solution helps retailers control the costs and risk of key regulatory issues such as PCI compliance and data theft at the point of sale.
Payment Fraud Management
ACI Proactive Risk Management is a payment fraud detection system designed to help card issuers, merchants, merchant acquirers and financial institutions combat fraud schemes. The system combines the pattern recognition capability of neural-network transaction scoring with custom risk models of rules-based strategies and advanced client/server account management software. The real time capability enables fraud assessment to be part of the authorization process preventing fraud from occurring. Proactive Risk Management operates on IBM System z, HP NonStop, Oracle Solaris and Microsoft Windows servers. This product offers customers the flexibility to automate activities and processes across the complete lifecycle of a case related to fraud. Cases are created when fraud officers checking an alert within Proactive Risk Manager identify fraud or money laundering. The solution is a basic framework that defines processes for researching and resolving cases, including investigation resources, timeframes, escalation paths and alerts.
Payments Infrastructure
The Payments Infrastructure products provide specific technology extensions to augment the business services provided in the business service domains. ACI Communication Services provides a range of communication services to enable message exchange on multiple platforms in particular enabling applications to support legacy protocols, such as SNA and X.25, running over TCP/IP net! works. It! also supports hybrid networking environments such as IBM�� HPR/IP. This set of products runs on HP NonStop, IBM System z and Unix platforms. ACI Enterprise Security Services is a suite of security solutions that secure access to systems and resources. These products run on the HP NonStop platform and are designed to take advantage of HP NonStop fundamentals.
ACI Web Access Services allows HP NonStop users to securely expose existing applications to peer systems as well as PC clients and Web browsers. Web Access Services supports new GUI client development, standard 6530 and 3270E terminal emulation or automated data stream transformation to give users a range of options for integrating NonStop services across the enterprise. ACI Payment Testing (ASSET) is a simulation and testing tool that allows companies involved in electronic payments to simulate devices and transactions, and perform application testing. ASSET is available for use with BASE24, BASE24-eps, Postilion, and ACI Proactive Risk Manager.
Prognosis is available for use with BASE24, BASE24-eps, Postilion, ACI Proactive Risk Manager, and ACI Money Transfer System. ACI Mobile Alerting powered by Spectrum MoneyGuard offers fraud or service alert options in near real-time with SMS messages to their mobile phones of events affecting their banking transactions. When used for fraud alerting, customers have the option of responding via text (two-way communication) and requesting a block of the card and a confirmation is sent.
Services
It offers its customers a wide range of professional services, including analysis, design, development, implementation, integration and training. It has service professionals within each of its three geographic regions who generally perform the majority of the work associated with installing and integrating its software products, rather than relying on third-party systems integrators. It utilizes a standard methodology to deliver customer project implementations ! across al! l products lines. Within the process, it provides customers with a variety of services, including on-site solution scoping reviews, project planning, training, site preparation, installation, product configuration, product customization, testing and go-live support, and project management throughout the project lifecycle. Product-support-funded services are available to customers after a solution has been installed and are based on the relevant product support category. A team of support analysts and an appointed customer manager are available to assist customers. Technical services are provided to customers who have licensed one or more of its software products. Services offered include programming and programming support, day-to-day systems operations, network operations, help desk staffing, problem resolution, system design, and performance planning and review. Technical services are typically priced according to the level of technical expertise required. ACI�� education courses provide students with knowledge at all levels, to enhance and improve their understanding of ACI products. ACI also provides further, more in-depth technical courses that allow students to use practical labs to enhance what they have learned in the classroom. The ACI trainers��ability to understand customers��systems means ACI can also provide tailored course materials for individual customers.
ACI�� testing services team works within the ACI customer base to establish testing practices and build a standard testing environment that meets an organization�� current needs, and is easily extensible for future requirements. It is important that any testing environment encompasses all aspects of the testing lifecycle (i.e., functional, acceptance, regression and stress testing), as well as allowing ease of use by the appropriate staff. ACI�� testing services can provide this environment as either a stand-alone deliverable or as a fully managed service.
ACI is committed to providing cons! ulting se! rvices to its customer base. In order to do this, it has assembled a team of technicians with many decades of experience, not only with ACI solutions, but also in the payments industry in general. Trusted globally, these consultants are available to provide technical assistance to ACI�� customers across the full range of the ACI portfolio. The consultants��knowledge and understanding of ACI�� customers allow them to define, design and build appropriate technical solutions. This in turn provides an enhanced business offering to customers, ultimately enabling a greater competitive advantage and increased satisfaction. It offers facilities management services whereby it operates a customer�� electronic payments system for multi-year periods. Pricing and payment terms for facilities management services vary on a case-by-case basis giving consideration to the complexity of the facility or system to be managed, the level and quantity of technical services required, and other factors relevant to the facilities management agreement.
The Company competes with Clear2Pay NV/SA (Clear2Pay), Intuit Corporation, Bottomline Technologies, ARGO, FIS, Fundtech Ltd, First Data Corporation, Fidelity National Information Services, Inc, Fiserv, Inc., China Systems, CSI, Misys, CGI, Clear2Pay, Computer Sciences Corporation, Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., Pegasystems Inc., OpenWay Group, Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS), Alaric Technology Inc., BPC Banking Technologies, PayEx Solutions AS, Financial Software and Systems, CR2, Lusis Payments Ltd., Opus Software Solutions Private Limited, Atos Origin S.A., Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., First Data Corporation, SiNSYS, TSYS, VISA, MasterCard, Dovetail Software, IBM, Logica Plc, Tieto Corporation, AJB Software Design, Inc., Retalix, Heartland Payment Systems, Inc., Servebase Computers Ltd, Tender Retail Inc., VeriFone Systems, Inc, Actimize, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation, BAE Systems Detica, ReD, Memento Inc., Norkom Techn! ologies, ! and SAS Institute, Inc., CA Technologies, HP and Oracle USA, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By CRWE]
ACI Worldwide (Nasdaq:ACIW), a leading international provider of payment systems, released details of its product roadmaps to the market, and described how the combination of ACI and S1 adds innovation, new product capabilities and resources around the globe to support the needs of its customers.
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Nash-Finch Company(NAFC)
Nash-Finch Company operates as a wholesale food distributor in the United States. The company?s Military segment distributes grocery products to the United States military commissaries and exchanges in the United States and the District of Columbia, Europe, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Azores, Egypt, and Bahrain. Its Food Distribution segment sells and distributes various branded and private label grocery products and perishable food products to approximately 1,500 independent retail locations through its 14 distribution centers. This segment also provides various services, including promotional, advertising, and merchandising programs; installation of computerized ordering, receiving, and scanning systems; retail equipment procurement assistance; accounting, budgeting, and payroll contract services; consumer and market research; remodeling and store development services; supply chain through Internet services; and securing existing grocery stores. The company?s Retail segment operates corporate-owned grocery stores under the Sun Mart, Econofoods, AVANZA, Family Thrift Center, Pick ?n Save, Family Fresh Market, Prairie Market, Saver?s Choice, Wally?s Supermarkets, and Wholesale Food Outlet banners primarily in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This segment?s conventional grocery stores offer a range of grocery products and services, such as fresh meat counters, delicatessens, bakeries, eat-in cafes, pharmacies, banks, and floral departments, as well as provide check cashing, fax services, and money transfer services. As of December 31, 2011, the company served 93 retail stores operating under the IGA banner and 50 retail stores under the Food Pride banner; and operated 43 conventional supermarkets, 1 AVANZA grocery store, 1 Wholesale Food Outlet grocery store, and 1 Saver?s Choice store. Nash-Finch Company was founded in 1885 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Alex Planes]
Sysco has avoided the margin compression suffered by chicken producers Tyson (NYSE: TSN ) and Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM ) and which was more deeply felt by smaller food-service operator Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC ) . (It is omitted from this chart due to its drop into outright negative operating margin territory (a decline of roughly 250% in two years.) However, fellow food-service company United Natural Foods (NASDAQ: UNFI ) has actually improved its margins, and restaurant chains both large and small (well, mid-size) have done an admirable job of holding the margin line in the face of rising input costs. So it appears that scale alone isn't enough to help Sysco outrun the rising costs of its products.
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
What: Shares of Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC ) and Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN ) jumped as much as 16% and 15%, respectively, after Spartan said it would buy Nash-Finch, primarily for its military stores.
Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: Shiloh Industries Inc.(SHLO)
Shiloh Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells first operation blanks, engineered welded blanks, stampings, and modular assemblies for the automotive, heavy truck, and other industrial markets. The company offers blanks for use in structural and exterior steel components, such as support brackets, frame sides, fenders, hoods and doors; and stampings primarily for use as components in mufflers, seat frames, structural rails, window lifts, heat shields, vehicle brakes, and other structural body components. It builds modular assemblies, including components in the structural and powertrain systems of vehicles. The company also designs, engineers, and sells precision tools and dies, and welding and assembly equipment to original equipment manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and other industrial customers. In addition, it offers a range of intermediate steel processing services, such as oiling, leveling, cutting-to-length, multi-blanking, slitt ing, edge trimming of hot and cold-rolled steel coils, and inventory control services for automotive and steel industry customers. The company supplies its products to automotive manufacturers and automotive suppliers, as well as to manufacturers in the lawn and garden, and heavy duty truck and trailer industries. Shiloh Industries was founded in 1950 and is based in Valley City, Ohio. Shiloh Industries, Inc. is a subsidiary of MTD Holdings Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:
