International Business Machines' (NYSE: IBM ) second-quarter report wasn't up to the mark, even though the company beat revenue and earnings expectations. Analysts picked on IBM's slower-than-expected growth in software, which grew just 1% from last year, compared to an expectation of 3%. However, IBM expects this segment to get back on track in the second half of the year, projecting growth in the mid-single digits.
Moreover, IBM recently signed a deal with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) , which will improve its enterprise software business. In addition, the company is already tapping data centers and cloud computing with a number of solutions. So, investors need to look beyond a small hiccup in IBM's latest earnings and focus on the long run.�
Investing for the future
IBM is seeing double-digit growth in emerging technologies in enterprise IT. The company is focused on driving innovation, apart from stability, in its core franchises.
In the first quarter, IBM launched its cloud platform-as-a-service for the enterprise, known as Bluemix. In addition, IBM made an investment of $1.2 billion to expand its SoftLayer cloud hubs globally, apart from investing $1 billion to bring the Watson supercomputer's cognitive capabilities to the enterprise segment.
Top Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: USA Truck Inc. (USAK)
USA Truck, Inc. operates as a truckload carrier that provides general commodities transportation services in the continental United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company transports full dry van trailer loads of freight from origin to destination. It offers truckload freight services as a short-to medium-haul common carrier, as well as freight brokerage services, rail intermodal services, and third party logistics. The company also provides transportation scheduling, routing, and mode selection services. USA Truck, Inc. offers its services to various industries, such as industrial machinery and equipment, rubber and plastics, retail stores, paper products, durable consumer goods, metals, electronics, and chemicals. As of December 31, 2010, its trucking fleet consisted of 2,363 in service tractors and 6,709 service trailers. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Van Buren, Arkansas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Nguyen]
Citigroup cited two potential catalysts for their upgrade, "First; Knight appears intent on resuming growth in ��4 and may use an acquisition to get it. While it remains involved with USA Truck (NASDAQ: USAK), valuation sensitivity may prevent the deal from being complete, but Knight could refocus attention to another target. Second; we believe continued economic growth and Hours of Service restricted capacity could drive improvement in TL fundamentals, potentially aiding yield growth and margins."
- [By John Udovich]
Despite what can best be described as a�soft economy, small cap trucking stocks YRC Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: YRCW), Arkansas Best Corporation (NASDAQ: ABFS), Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FFEX), Saia Inc (NASDAQ: SAIA) and USA Truck, Inc (NASDAQ: USAK) have been trucking some pretty impressive returns since the start of the year. In fact, these small cap trucking stocks are up anywhere from 72% to 150% or so since the start of the year despite the slow economy. Certainly trucking stocks provide a good indicator of how the economy is doing, but might investors be�jumping the gun by pushing up these trucking stocks?
Best International Stocks To Watch For 2014: Farmer Brothers Company(FARM)
Farmer Bros. Co. engages in the manufacture, wholesale, and distribution of coffee, tea, and culinary products. Its product line includes roasted coffee; liquid coffee; and coffee related products, such as coffee filters, sugar and creamers, assorted teas, cappuccino, cocoa, spices, gelatins and puddings, soup, gravy and sauce mixes, pancake and biscuit mixes, and jellies and preserves. The company distributes its products through direct and brokered sales to institutional foodservice establishments, including restaurants, hotels, casinos, hospitals, and foodservice providers, as well as retailers, such as convenience stores, coffee houses, general merchandisers, private label retailers, and grocery stores in the United States. Farmer Bros. Co. was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Torrance, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Monday
Earnings Releases Expected: Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: DMND), Farmer Brothers Company (NASDAQ: FARM) Economic Releases Expected: US Chicago PMITuesday
- [By Eric Volkman]
Farmer Brothers (NASDAQ: FARM ) has a new top financial executive. The company has appointed Mark Nelson to its CFO and treasurer positions, effective April 15. He will initially be assisted by, then replace, interim Treasurer and CFO Jeffrey Wahba.�
Best International Stocks To Watch For 2014: ADVA Optical Networking SE (ADV)
ADVA Optical Networking SE is a Germany-based company that develops, manufactures and sells optical and Ethernet-based networking solutions to telecommunications carriers and enterprises to deploy, manage and deliver data storage, voice and video services in metropolitan areas. Its optical transmission solutions are based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology. Its Ethernet-optimized transmission solutions for fiber- or copper-based lines are used to provide access for enterprises into a carrier's network. Its systems are used by telecommunications services providers, companies, universities and government agencies worldwide. It sells its product portfolio both directly and through an international network of distribution partners. Its optical and Ethernet-based network solutions have been deployed by more than 250 carriers and more than 10,000 enterprises. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 13 wholly owned subsidiaries across Europe, Asia, North and Latin America. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adrian Day]
Adrian Day: Yes, yes, I like the concept of looking up the secondary plays. I mean, you know we own Altius (ALS) for example, rather than Alderon (ADV). Altius owns 30% of Alderon, that is more diversified, has a better balance sheet. If Alderon succeeds, Atius will succeed.
- [By Holly LaFon]
We re-established an investment in CME Group, Inc. (CME) during the period. CME is the largest and most diversified derivatives marketplace in the U.S. Its exchanges support trading across a variety of asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, energy, agricultural commodities, foreign exchange and metals. We believe CME has the opportunity to significantly accelerate its growth rates due to the eventual normalization of interest rates and the attendant interest rate volatility. CME's interest rate trading volumes (ADV) have been depressed as a result of the Fed's zero interest rate policy and low interest rate volatility. For example, interest rate ADV was 4.8 million in 2012compared to 7.1 million in 2007, before the financial crisis. However, given the Fed's recent policy statements (discussed above), market participants are starting to anticipate an end to quantitative easing (QE). On May 30, CME experienced record volume for interest rate derivatives with ADV of 19.4 million. With the globalization of CME's business, a host of new products, and the regulatory requirement for interest rate swaps to be cleared on an exchange, we believe CME's interest rate volumes can surpass their prior peak, significantly driving earnings growth for the company.
Best International Stocks To Watch For 2014: Systemax Inc.(SYX)
Systemax Inc. operates as a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. The company operates in two segments, Technology Products and Industrial Products. The Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies, and consumer electronics in North America and Europe. This segment offers individual technology products in categories, including computers; computer parts; television and video; audio; cameras and surveillance; car and GPS; cell phones; software; video games and toys; home and office; and other products. The Industrial Products segment sells various industrial products and supplies in North America. This segment provides products in categories, such as material handling; storage and shelving; workbench and shop desks; packaging and supplying; furniture and office; foodservice and appliances; janitorial and maintenance; tools and instruments; fasteners and hardware; motors and power transmission; HVAC/R and fans; electrical and bulbs; plumb ing supplies; and safety and medical items. The company offers its products through its relationship marketers, catalog mailings, and Internet Websites. It serves individual consumers; and business customers comprising for-profit businesses, educational organizations, and government entities. Its portfolio of catalogs comprises various brand names, such as TigerDirect.com, Global Computer Supplies, TigerDirect.ca, Misco, Global Industrial, Nexel, and Inmac WStore. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 42 retail stores in North America; and 7 distribution centers in Europe. Systemax Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Port Washington, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Systemax (NYSE: SYX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Best International Stocks To Watch For 2014: A. H. Belo Corp (AHC)
A. H. Belo Corp incorporated on October 1, 2007, is a newspaper publishing and local news and information company that owns and operates four metropolitan daily newspapers and several associated Web sites. The Company publishes The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA), and the Denton Record-Chronicle. It publishes various niche publications targeting specific audiences, and its investments and/or partnerships include Classified Ventures, LLC, owner of cars.com and the Yahoo! Inc. (Yahoo!) Newspaper Consortium. The Company also owns and operates commercial printing, distribution and direct mail service businesses. The Company�� primary sources of revenue include advertising sold in published issues of its newspapers and on the Company�� Web sites, the sale of newspapers to subscribers and single copy customers, and commercial printing and distribution. In July 2012, The Dallas Morning News acquired Pegasus News (www.pegasusnews.com) from PanLocal Media LLC, a subsidiary of Archstream LLC of Dallas.
The Company�� The Dallas Morning News is a metropolitan newspapers in America. The Dallas Morning News is distributed primarily in Dallas County and 10 surrounding counties. The Dallas Morning News also publishes Briefing, a condensed newspaper distributed four days per week at no charge to non-subscribers of The Dallas Morning News in select coverage areas, and Al Dia, a Spanish-language newspaper published on Wednesdays and Saturdays and distributed at no charge in select coverage areas. The Dallas Morning News also publishes other news products targeted at communities in the North Texas area. The Dallas Morning News��financial and operating results also include The Denton Record-Chronicle.
The Company�� The Providence Journal is a newspaper in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The Providence Journal is a daily newspaper of general circulation and continuous publication in the United States. The Providence Journal a! lso publishes ProjoExpress, a weekly publication distributed at no charge to households in select Rhode Island communities. The Press-Enterprise is distributed in the Inland Southern California region, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The Press-Enterprise also publishes La Prensa, a weekly Spanish-language newspaper distributed at no charge in select coverage areas, as well as The Weekly, a targeted condensed newspaper distributed mid-week at no charge to non-subscribers, and Sunday Weekly, a publication that is distributed on Sunday at no charge to non-subscribers.
In addition to its core newspaper operations, the Company and Belo Corp., through their subsidiaries, together own 6.6% of Classified Ventures, LLC, a joint venture, in which the other owners are Gannett Co., Inc., The McClatchy Company, Tribune Company, and The Washington Post Company. The three principal online businesses Classified Ventures, LLC operates are cars.com, apartments.com, and homegain.com. The Company and Belo, through Belo Lead Management LLC, have also invested in ResponseLogix, Inc. (www.responselogix.com). ResponseLogix provides advanced, Internet-based management solutions to auto dealers.
Advertising
The Company has a portfolio of print, online and digital advertising products and services. During the year ended December 31, 2011, advertising revenues accounted for approximately 61.2 % of total revenues of which 12.5 of advertising revenue was generated by the Company�� digital advertising products. Its Display advertising revenue consists of sales of advertising space within its newspapers and niche publications to local, regional or national retail and service businesses with local operations, affiliates or resellers. Its Classified advertising revenue comprises sales of advertising space in the classified and other sections of its newspapers, which include certain automotive, real estate, employment and other.
The Company�� Preprint revenue ! is earned! from sales of pre-printed advertisements or circulars inserted into its core newspapers and niche publications, or distributed by mail or third-party distributors to households in targeted areas in order to provide total market coverage for advertisers. Its Digital advertising revenue consists of sales of and other display, video, behavioral targeting, search, rich media, directories, classifieds, direct email marketing, or other advertising on digital platforms associated and integrated with the Company�� print publications, and on third party Web sites, such as Yahoo!, monster.com, and cars.com..
Circulation
Circulation revenues accounted for approximately 30.3 % of total revenues in 2011 and represent subscription and single copy sales revenue related primarily to the Company�� core newspapers. The Company�� Websites also include (dallasnews.com, providencejournal.com, pe.com and other related Websites) offering users news information, user-generated content, advertising, e-commerce and other services.
Printing and Distribution
Printing and distribution revenues comprised approximately 8.5 % of the Company�� revenue in 2011 and consists primarily of commercial printing, distribution and direct mail service. The Company provides commercial printing services, primarily for national newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today and other local newspapers. Newsprint used in the production of large national newspapers is generally provided by the customer. The Company also provides home delivery and retail outlet distribution services, for such national newspapers, as well as for regional newspapers delivered into its coverage areas, such as The Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times. The Company also operates a direct mail service business in Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon Friedman]
Editor's note: A previous version of this article referred to A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC) instead of Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC). The Fool regrets the error.�
Best International Stocks To Watch For 2014: WABCO Holdings Inc (WBC)
WABCO Holdings Inc. (WABCO) is a provider of electronic, mechanical and mechatronic products for the commercial truck, trailer, bus and passenger car manufacturers. The Company manufactures and sells control systems, including advanced braking, stability, suspension, transmission control and air compressing and processing systems. Its products are included in approximately two out of three commercial vehicles with advanced vehicle control systems and offered in niche applications in cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). WABCO develops, manufactures and sells advanced braking, stability, suspension and transmission control systems primarily for commercial vehicles. In September 2012, it acquired Ephicas.
The Company�� products include pneumatic anti-lock braking systems (ABS), electronic braking systems (EBS), automated manual transmission systems, air disk brakes, and a large variety of conventional mechanical products, such as actuators, air compressors and air control valves for heavy- and medium-sized trucks, trailers and buses. It also supplies advanced electronic suspension controls and vacuum pumps to the car and SUV markets in Europe, North America and Asia. The Company sells replacement parts, diagnostic tools, training and other services to commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors, repair shops, and fleet operators and provide remanufacturing services.
The Company�� key product groups include Actuator, Air Processing/Air Management System, Foundation Brake, Conventional Braking System, Electronic and Conventional Air Suspension Systems, Transmission Automation, Vehicle Electronic Architecture (VEA), and Vehicle Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Roll Stability Support (RSS). WABCO sells its products primarily to four groups of customers worldwide: truck and bus (OEMs), trailer (OEMs), commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors for replacement parts and services, and major car manufacturers. Its customers include Daimler, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, BMW, China! National Heavy Truck Corporation (CNHTC), Cummins, Fiat (Iveco), Hino, Hyundai, Krone, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG (MAN), Meritor, Meritor WABCO (a joint venture), Paccar (DAF Trucks N.V. (DAF), Kenworth, Leyland and Peterbilt), First Automobile Works, Otto Sauer Achsenfabrik (SAF), Scania, Schmitz Cargobull AG, TATA Motors and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF).
The Company competes with Knorr-Bremse, Haldex, Bosch, Continental and Siemens-VDO.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adam Haigh]
Westpac Banking Corp. (WBC) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the two biggest Australian lenders, each slid at least 1 percent as minutes from a central bank meeting highlighted concern about business conditions. ICBC, the world�� largest lender by market value, sank 2.1 percent in Hong Kong. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) gained 12 percent, taking this month�� rise to 90 percent.
No comments:
Post a Comment