Sharp Cross-Currents In Q2 Results
Although BB&T's bottom line reported results looked relatively sound compared to analyst expectations, there were a lot of surprising cross-currents in the details. All told, there was nothing particularly alarming about BB&T's results and the company's core/intrinsic growth and profitability look pretty good.
SEE: Bank Of America Brings The Growth
Revenue rose 1% from the year-ago period and about 2% on a sequential basis, good for a roughly 4% beat compared to expectations. Net interest income was down slightly on a sequential basis due in large part to covered loan run-off, as net interest margin erosion wasn't as bad as expected (down 6bp sequentially, or 3bp on a core basis). On a core basis, BB&T's net interest margin of 3.4% compares pretty well with U.S. Bancorp's (NYSE:USB) 3.43%, Wells Fargo's (NYSE:WFC) 3.46%, Comerica's (NYSE:CMA) 2.83%, Fifth Third's (Nasdaq:FITB) 3.33%, and PNC's (NYSE:PNC) 3.58%.
Top 10 Asian Stocks To Buy For 2015: Mellanox Technologies Ltd.(MLNX)
Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, marketing, and sale of interconnect products primarily in North America, Israel, Europe, and Asia. It offers semiconductor interconnect products that facilitate data transmission between servers, communications infrastructure equipment, and storage systems in enterprise data centers, high-performance computing, and embedded systems. The company provides solutions based on InfiniBand, including host channel adapter, switch and gateway ICs, adapter cards, switch and gateway systems, cables, and software. Its products also support the Ethernet standard. The company provides adapters to server, storage, communications infrastructure, and embedded systems OEMs as ICs or standard card form factors with PCI-X or PCI express interfaces; support server operating systems, including Linux, Windows, AIX, HPUX, Solaris, and VxWorks; and InfiniBand switch ICs to server, storage, communicati ons infrastructure, and embedded systems OEMs to create switching equipment. The company offers its products under the Mellanox, BridgeX, ConnectX, InfiniBlast, InfiniBridge, InfiniHost, InfiniPCI, InfiniRISC, PhyX, InfiniScale, and Virtual Protocol Interconnect trademarks in the United States. It primarily serves enterprise data center, high-performance computing, and embedded end-user markets, as well as embedded systems OEMs. The company sells its products directly, as well as through a network of domestic and international sales representatives, and independent distributors. Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Yokneam, Israel.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Luke Jacobi]
Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX) also closed up, gaining 5.90 percent to $37.97 after the company announced general availability of MetroX solutions.
- [By Mani] Shares of Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX) have fallen 54 percent in the last one year. However, the company could see potential upside from the return of hyperscale high performance computing (HPC) buyers driven by Intel's Grantley later next year, more storage market sales required due to flash, and Ethernet switch share gain helped by open source Layer 3 software.
Mellanox Technologies is a leading supplier of end-to-end InfiniBand and Ethernet interconnect solutions and services for servers and storage. Mellanox interconnect solutions increase data center efficiency by providing the highest throughput and lowest latency, delivering data faster to applications and unlocking system performance capability.
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Vivo Participacoes S.A.(VIV)
Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP provides fixed-line telecommunications services to residential and commercial customers in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its services include local voice services, such as activation, monthly subscription, measured service, and public telephones; intraregional, interregional, and international long-distance voice services; data services comprising broadband services; pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology and land based wireless technology multichannel multipoint distribution service; and network services, such as interconnection and rental of facilities, as well as other services consisting of extended maintenance, caller identification, voice mail, cell phone blockers, computer support, and antivirus for Internet service subscribers. The company also offers multimedia communication services, such as audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, and texts and other information. In addition, it provides interc onnection services to cellular service providers and other fixed telecommunications companies through the use of its network. Further, the company offers telecommunications solutions and IT support designed to address the needs and requirements of companies operating various types of industries, including retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, and government. Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP provides its products and services through person-to-person sales, telesales, indirect channels, Internet, and door-to-door sales. As of December 31, 2010, its telephone network included 11.3 million fixed lines in service, including residential, commercial, and public telephone lines; 3.3 million broadband clients; and 0.5 million pay TV clients. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP is a subsidiary of Telefonica S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vanina Egea] rket share reduce to 25.13% in March from 25.28% in February, Telefonica Brasil�� share grew from 28.62% to 28.68% in the same period. Furthermore, while average revenue per user in the mobile sector has fallen for five consecutive years, the firm�� mobile unit Vivo was the only carrier to generate ARPU growth in 2013.
On the fixed-line side, although total revenue fell 3.7% year over year, the company expects to resume growth in this segment through the expansion of video, broadband Internet and Pay-TV services. To this aim, the firm launched its IPTV platform in late 2013 and is growing its FTTH footprint. Along these lines, it will invest 18% to 19% of its revenue in deploying high-speed fiber optic cable in the state of Sao Paulo in order to cover 2.5 households in 2014. Thus, the company will be better positioned to compete with giants like cable operator Net Servicos de Comunicacao SA (NETC), which also offers bundled services and has aggressively expanded its Internet and TV subscriber base in the state.
Investing for Long-term Growth
Looking forward, Telefè´¸nica Brasil is investing in technology and network expansion to further empower its competitive position. The firm is expanding its 3G network based on CDMA EV-DO and HSPA technologies, which provide a great advantage over its peers. Further, it expects to benefit from the growth opportunities in the 4G market. Consequently, it has signed a deal with Ceragon Networks Ltd. (CRNT) to deploy the superfast 4G network nationwide.
A Valuable Stock
Telef贸nica Brasil has a healthy balance sheet with strong cash flow generation (up to 9,576 million in 2013 from 3,488 million in 2011) and reasonable debt levels. Its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio is of 0.17 times and it has a debt- to-equity ratio of 0.2 against its peers��average of 0.9. Its financial strength and a robust dividend have attracted investment gurus like Charles Brandes (Trades, Portfolio) and David Dreman (Trades,
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Telefonica Brasil, S.A. (NYSE: VIV) is one of the top telecom and communications players in Brazil. At $20.10, its 52-week range is $17.91 to $27.71.
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Mueller Water Products Inc (MWA)
Mueller Water Products, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2005, is a manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water. The Company�� product portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, pipe fittings, water meters, leak detection and pipe condition assessment which are used by municipalities, as well as the residential and non-residential construction industries. The Company operates in two segments: Mueller Co. and Anvil. Mueller Co. The Company�� valve or fire hydrant products are specified for use in the 100 metropolitan areas in the United States.
Mueller Co.
Mueller Co. manufactures valves for water and gas systems, including iron gate, butterfly, tapping, check, plug and ball valves, as well as dry-barrel and wet-barrel fire hydrants and a of pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks. The Company offers residential and commercial metering products and systems and leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services. Mueller Co. products are sold through waterworks distributors.
The Company�� fire hydrants consist of an upper barrel and nozzle section and a lower barrel and valve section that connects to a water main. In dry-barrel hydrants, the valve connecting the barrel of the hydrant to the water main is located below ground at or below the frost line, which keeps the hydrant upper barrel dry. It sells dry-barrel fire hydrants with the Mueller and U.S. Pipe Valve and Hydrant brand names in the United States and the Mueller and Canada Valve brand names in Canada. The Company also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times. It also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times.
Mueller Co. manufactures a variety of intelligent water technology products under the Mue! ller Systems and Hersey Meters brand names that are designed to help water providers accurately measure water usage. These products include water meters, advanced metering infrastructure systems and automated meter reading products, have the capability to measure water usage ranging from small residential flows to large commercial and industrial applications.
Mueller Co. offers leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services under the Echologics brand name. Other products include pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks and municipal castings, such as manhole covers and street drain grates. It sells these products under the Mueller and Jones brand names.
The Company competes with McWane, Inc., American Cast Iron Pipe Company, The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc., A.Y. McDonald Mfg, Sensus, Neptune Technology Group, Inc., Badger Meter, Inc., Aclara LLC and Itron, Inc.
Anvil
Anvil manufactures and sources a range of products, includes fittings, couplings, hangers, valves and related products for use in many non-residential constructions for HVAC, fire protection, energy and oil and gas applications. Anvil's products are sold through distributors who then sell the products to a variety of end users. These distributors are serviced primarily through Anvil's distribution centers.
Fittings and Couplings manufactures threaded and grooved pipe fittings and couplings. Pipe fittings and couplings join two pieces of pipe together. The five categories of pipe fittings and couplings are cast iron fittings, malleable iron fittings and unions, grooved fittings, couplings and valves, threaded steel pipe coupling and nipples. Hangers, manufacture an array of pipe hangers and supports. Standard pipe hangers and supports are used in fire protection sprinkler systems and HVAC applications where the objective is to provide rigid support from the building structure.
The Company competes with Ward Man! ufacturin! g L.L.C., malleable iron fittings, Victaulic Company, Tyco International Ltd., ERICO International Corporation, Cooper Industries plc and Carpenter & Paterson, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA ) jumped as much as 17% today after the company released earnings.
So what: Fiscal-second-quarter revenue jumped 12.6% to $283.1 million and net income was $6.2 million, or $0.05 per share. Analysts only expected revenue to be $270.8 million and earnings of $0.02 per share so this was well ahead of estimates. �
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: NL Industries Inc (NL)
NL Industries, Inc. (NL) is a holding company. The Company operates in the component products industry through NL's majority-owned subsidiary, CompX International Inc. The Company operates in the chemicals industry through its non-controlling interest in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. As of December 31, 2011, it owned 87% interest in CompX International Inc and 30% interest in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. The Company also owns 100% of EWI RE, Inc., an insurance brokerage and risk management services company. In July of 2011, CompX completed the acquisition of an ergonomic component products business.
Component Products-Compx International Inc.
Through the Company�� subsidiary, CompX, it manufactures components that are sold to a variety of industries including office furniture, recreational transportation (including boats), mailboxes, toolboxes, home appliances, banking equipment, vending equipment and computer-related equipment. CompX�� Security Products business, with one manufacturing facility in South Carolina and one in Illinois shared with the Marine Components business, manufactures mechanical and electronic cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms used in a variety of applications including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, vending and gaming machines, high security medical cabinetry, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments and gas station security. These products include disc tumbler locks, pin tumbler locking mechanisms, and eLock and Stealthlock electronic locks.
CompX�� Furniture Components business, with facilities in Canada and Taiwan, manufactures a line of ball bearing slides and computer keyboard, monitor and central processing unit (CPU) support systems for use in applications, such as file cabinets, desks, computer server racks, wall mounted computer applications, home appliances, tool storage cabinets, imaging equipment, automated teller machines and other applications. These products include I! ntegrated Slide Lock, Ball Lock, Self-Closing Slide, articulating computer keyboard support arms along with the LeverLock keyboard arm, CPU storage devices, flat panel computer monitor support systems and keyboard, monitor and CPU wall mounts.
CompX�� Marine Components business, with a facility in Wisconsin and a facility shared with the Security Products business in Illinois, manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust components, gauges, throttle controls, hardware and accessories primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard boats. These products include original equipment and aftermarket stainless steel exhaust headers, exhaust pipes, mufflers and other exhaust components; gauges, such as global positioning system (GPS) speedometers and tachometers; controls, throttles, steering wheels and other billet aluminum accessories, and dash panels, light emitting diode (LED) lighting, rigging and other accessories. CompX operated five manufacturing facilities, as of December 31, 2011, including one facility in Grayslake, Illinois that housed operations relating to Security Products and Marine Components.
Chemicals-Kronos Worldwide, Inc.
Kronos is a global producer and marketer of titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2), a base industrial product used in a range of applications. Kronos, along with its distributors and agents, sells and provides technical services for NL's products to over 4,000 customers in approximately 100 countries with the majority of sales in Europe and North America. TiO2 is a white inorganic pigment used in a range of products. Kronos offers customers a portfolio of products that include over 40 different TiO2 pigment grades. Kronos��major customers include domestic and international paint, plastics, decorative laminate and paper manufacturers. Kronos ships TiO2 to customers in either a powder or slurry form via rail, truck or ocean carrier. Kronos and its agents and distributors primarily sell and provide technical services for Kronos��pr! oducts in! three markets: coatings, plastics and paper.
Kronos��TiO2 is also found in food products, such as candy and confectionaries and in pet foods. In pharmaceuticals, TiO2 is used commonly as a colorant in pill and capsule coatings, as well as in liquid medicines. Kronos owns and operates two ilmenite mines in Norway. Kronos manufactures and sells iron-based chemicals, which are co-products and processed co-products of the sulfate and chloride process TiO2 pigment production. These co-product chemicals are marketed through Kronos��Ecochem division and are primarily used as treatment and conditioning agents for industrial effluents and municipal wastewater, as well as for the manufacture of iron pigments, cement and agricultural products. Kronos manufactures and sells titanium oxychloride and titanyl sulfate. Kronos produces TiO2 in two crystalline forms: rutile and anatase. Rutile TiO2 is manufactured using both a chloride production process and a sulfate production process, whereas anatase TiO2 is only produced using a sulfate production process.
The chloride process is a continuous process, in which chlorine is used to extract rutile TiO2. The sulfate process is a batch process, in which sulfuric acid is used to extract the TiO2 from ilmenite or titanium slag. Kronos operates four TiO2 plants in Europe, which includes one in each of Leverkusen, Germany; Nordenham, Germany; Langerbrugge, Belgium, and Fredrikstad, Norway. In North America, Kronos has a TiO2 plant in Varennes, Quebec, Canada. Kronos produced 550,000 metric tons of TiO, during the year ended December 31, 2011. Kronos and a subsidiary of Huntsman Corporation each hold a 50% interest in a manufacturing joint venture, Louisiana Pigment Company, L.P. (LPC). LPC owns and operates a chloride process TiO2 facility located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The Company competes with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., National Titanium Dioxide Company Ltd., Huntsman Corporation, Tronox Incorporated and Sachtleben Chemi! e GmbH.! p> Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Typically, when the chairman of a company dies, its shares drop. That hasn’t been the case for Valhi (VHI), Kronos Worldwide (KRO) and NL Industries (NL), which have all advanced today after Harold Simmons passed away.
- [By John Udovich]
Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons died over the weekend with investors sending shares of some of his publically traded companies like Valhi, Inc (NYSE: VHI), Kronos Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: KRO), NL Industries, Inc (NYSE: NL) and�CompX International Inc (NYSEMKT: CIX)to higher levels as they anticipate changes���such as asset sales or spin offs. Harold Simmons was the embodiment of the American dream because he was born during the depths of the Great Depression in Golden, Texas to schoolteacher parents and he spent�his early years living without indoor plumbing or electricity. However and by recognizing�underpriced assets and through the use of massive amounts of leverage (e.g. junk bonds),�he built an empire and�ranked #40 on the 2013 Forbes 400 with a fortune estimated to be worth some $10 billion.
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Carbonite Inc (CARB)
Carbonite, Inc. (Carbonite), incorporated on February 10, 2005, focuses on the development and marketing of personal computer backup software that enables users to backup, access, and restore data files online. Carbonite is a provider of online backup solutions for consumers and small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). The Company provides secure online backup solutions with anytime, anywhere access to files stored on its servers, which it calls the Carbonite Personal Cloud. In November 2012, the Company acquired Zmanda, Inc.
The Company�� backup solutions works automatically uploading encrypted copies of its customers��files to the Carbonite servers. The Company's customers can browse and share their photos, videos, and documents anytime, anywhere using a Web browser or its free iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android apps. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had subscribers in more than 100 countries, with subscribers based in the United States representing 94% of its total revenue for 2012.
The Company competes with CrashPlan, Mozy, SOS Online Backup, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, DropBox, SugarSync, Box and others.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Carbonite (Nasdaq: CARB ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 12. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Carbonite's revenues will grow 27.5% and EPS will remain in the red.
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Legacy Oil + Gas Inc (LEGPF.PK)
Legacy Oil + Gas Inc. (Legacy) is engaged in exploration, exploitation and development drilling for oil and natural gas reserves. Legacy's wholly owned subsidiary, Legacy Oil & Gas ND, Inc., holds properties and operates in the State of North Dakota. Its Southeast Saskatchewan properties are located in an area ranging from approximately 130 to 290 kilometers southeast of the city of Regina, Saskatchewan. Legacy has an average working interest of approximately 75% in 24,576 gross (18,647 net) acres of undeveloped land at Taylorton. It has an average working interest of approximately 70% in 32,959 gross (22,938 net) acres of undeveloped land in the Viewfield Bakken play with properties at Stoughton, Heward and Star Valley. On January 1, 2011, it amalgamated with its wholly owned subsidiaries Legacy VRI Ltd. and Legacy TV Ltd. In April 2013, it closed the acquisition of Villanova Oil Corp. (Villanova) and the acquisition of light oil assets. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Value Digger]
To open up new Cardium opportunities, Manitok is also expanding to the Southern Alberta Foothills, where it plans to drill the first well of the farm-in with Legacy Oil & Gas (LEGPF.PK) before year end. Legacy Oil has a 99% average working interest in the Farm-in Lands prior to Manitok earning. Manitok will pay 100% of the cost to drill, complete and equip one horizontal Cardium oil well in order to earn 70% of Legacy's working interest, in a small block of land within the Farm-in Lands. If Manitok drills, completes and equips 3 horizontal Cardium oil wells at 100% of the cost, it will earn the entire 70% of working interest in Legacy's Farm-in Lands.
Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Supertex Inc.(SUPX)
Supertex, Inc., together with its subsidiary, Supertex Limited, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high voltage analog and mixed signal integrated circuits (IC) primarily in Asia, the United States, China, and Europe. The company offers high voltage analog multiplexer switches, pulsers, high-speed MOSFET drivers, and discrete high voltage MOSFETs and arrays for the medical electronics market. It also provides LED driver products, including linear regulators and switching regulators for general lighting in automotive, industrial, and consumer applications; and for backlighting in LCD TVs, monitors, and laptop screens. In addition, the company offers electroluminescent lamps for backlighting hand-held instruments, such as cell phone keypads, watches, monochrome flat screens, and MP3 players; and driver ICs for driving non-impact printers and plotters. Further, it provides high voltage amplifier ICs to drive optical micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for use in optical switching applications in the telecommunications market; high voltage electronic switch ICs for use in telephones; high voltage ICs for use as ring generators; and protection ICs for line cards. Additionally, the company offers ICs and DMOS devices primarily for various industrial applications. It markets and sells its products through direct sales personnel, independent sales representatives, and distributors primarily to original equipment manufacturers of electronic products. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are AutoNavi Holdings Ltd.(AMAP), Dick's Sporting Goods Inc.(DKS) and Supertex Inc.(SUPX)
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