This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature an upgrade for Thomson Reuters Reuters (NYSE: TRI ) , a new buy rating for Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX ) -- but for Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) , a downgrade. Let's get that bad news out of the way first.
Union Pacific derailed
Two weeks after railroad operator Union Pacific reported Q3 earnings that topped analyst estimates�by a penny, the stock got its reward today: a downgrade at the hands of investment banker R.W. Baird.
Coming on top of the 4% slide the stock has experienced since reporting its "beat", Baird's recommendation seems a bit harsh -- like adding insult to the injury that Union Pacific shareholders have seen inflicted on their portfolios. And yet, when you look at the numbers, it's apparent that Baird's making the right call in downgrading to neutral.
Priced at 16.5 times earnings, Union Pacific shares sell for a valuation right in the middle of the pack�of North America's bigger railroad operators, where Canadian National Railway, for example, costs more than 18 times earnings -- but CSX sells for just a hair over 14 times.
Best Consumer Stocks For 2015: IFM Investments Ltd (CTC)
IFM Investments Limited, incorporated on November 30, 2005, is a real estate services provider with the network of real estate sales offices in People�� Republic of China. The Company is the exclusive franchisor in People�� Republic of China for the CENTURY 21 brand As of December 31, 2012, its CENTURY 21 China network covered 27 cities. The Company operates under four business lines: Company-owned brokerage services, Primary and commercial services, mortgage management services and franchise services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 321 Company-owned sales offices, representing approximately 34.7% of its CENTURY 21 China network. Its Company-owned brokerage services business owns and operates regional sub-franchisors and sales offices in the CENTURY 21 China network. The Company�� mortgage management services business provides mortgage advisory services to home buyers and home owners and interim guarantee services to commercial banks.
Company-owned Brokerage Services
As of December 31, 2012, the Company directly owns 318 CENTURY 21 sales offices located in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, cities in People�� Republic of China with a number of secondary market real estate transactions per year. Through its Company-owned brokerage services business, the Company participates in sales and leasing transactions primarily with respect to middle to high grade residential properties in the secondary real estate market. Its services include property listing, advisory services and transaction negotiation and documentation. The Company also promotes its mortgage management services to its customers to provide real estate brokerage services. It also participates in real estate sales and leasing transactions with respect to properties in the primary and commercial real estate markets. The Company operates its Company-owned brokerage services business under the CENTURY 21franchise network.
The Company competes with Centaline (China) Property Cons! ultants Limited Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu.
Primary and commercial services
The Company�� primary and commercial services business consists of two business units, one that provides agency services to primary residential real estate developers and one that provides planning, consulting and brokerage services to commercial property developers. The Company generates revenues from its primary services by earning sales commissions from primary residential property developer clients, and it generate revenues from its commercial services by collecting service fees for consultancy services provided to commercial property developers.
The Company competes with World Union Properties Consulting Co., Limited and Syswin Inc., E-House (China) Holdings Limited, CB Richard Ellis and Jones Lang Lasalle.
Mortgage Management Services
The Company operates its mortgage management services as a separate segment under the brand of Kaisheng. Its mortgage management services include advisory services in connection with the selection and procurement of mortgage products offered by commercial banks. Its mortgage consultants promote and introduce various mortgage products, and advise home buyers or home owners in the selection of the appropriate mortgage product based on each mortgagor�� individual needs. The Company also has a call center in Shanghai to promote its mortgage management services business directly to its customers. The Company also provides mortgage management services to customers outside of its CENTURY 21 China network.
The Company competes with Beijing Houze Investment, Guarantee Company Limited and Shanghai Haoyonghang Investment Management Company Limited.
Franchise Services
The Company�� franchise network consists of three levels of franchise rights. First, through IFM Company Limited (IFM Co.), its wholly owned subsidiary, the Company is the exclusive franchisor for the CENTURY 21 brand in China. ! IFM Co. i! n-turn grants the right to franchise the CENTURY 21 brand within specific geographical regions to sub-franchisors whom the Company refers to as regional sub-franchisors. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 25 regional sub-franchisors with franchise networks in 27 cities in People�� Republic of China with a total of 924 franchised sales offices. Second, each regional sub-franchisor pays the Company ongoing service fees based on its revenue from the sales offices within its respective region, subject to minimum service fee requirements. In addition to generating revenue from its regional sub-franchisors, the Company leverages the geographic breadth and local market expertise of its CENTURY 21 franchise network.
The Company competes with Coldwell Banker.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Lam]
With 12 REIT IPOs in Canada since the beginning of 2012 and at least another coming from retailer Canadian Tire Corp. (CTC) in the near future, Taylor said the market has become saturated.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: Linn Energy LLC (LINE)
Linn Energy, LLC (LINN Energy) is an independent oil and natural gas company. The Company�� properties are located in the United States, primarily in the Mid-Continent, the Permian Basin, Michigan, California and the Williston Basin. Mid-Continent Deep includes the Texas Panhandle Deep Granite Wash formation and deep formations in Oklahoma and Kansas. Mid-Continent Shallow includes the Texas Panhandle Brown Dolomite formation and shallow formations in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Illinois. Permian Basin includes areas in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Michigan includes the Antrim Shale formation in the northern part of the state. California includes the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. Williston Basin includes the Bakken formation in North Dakota. On December 15, 2011, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located primarily in the Granite Wash of Texas and Oklahoma from Plains Exploration & Production Company (Plains).
On November 1, 2011, and November 18, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On June 1, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in the Cleveland play, located in the Texas Panhandle, from Panther Energy Company, LLC and Red Willow Mid-Continent, LLC (collectively Panther). On May 2, 2011, and May 11, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin. On April 1, 2011, and April 5, 2011, the Company completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On March 31, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin from an affiliate of Concho Resources Inc. (Concho). During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company completed other smaller acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties located in its various operating regions. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 7,759 or 69% of its 11,230 gross productiv! e wells.
Mid-Continent Deep
The Mid-Continent Deep region includes properties in the Deep Granite Wash formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths ranging from 10,000 feet to 16,000 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma and Kansas, which produce at depths of more than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Deep proved reserves represented approximately 47% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 49% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 285 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.
Mid-Continent Shallow
The Mid-Continent Shallow region includes properties producing from the Brown Dolomite formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths of approximately 3,200 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Illinois, which produce at depths of less than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Shallow proved reserves represented approximately 20% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 70% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 665 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.
Permian Basin
The Permian Basin is an oil and natural gas basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico and produce at depths ranging from 2,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Permian Basin proved reserves represented approximately 16% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 56% were classified as proved developed reserves.
Michigan
The Michigan region includes properties producing from the Antrim Shale formation in the northern ! part of t! he state, which produces at depths ranging from 600 feet to 2,200 feet. Michigan proved reserves represented approximately 9% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 90% were classified as proved developed reserves.
California
The California region consists of the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. California proved reserves represented approximately 6% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 93% were classified as proved developed reserves.
Williston Basin
The Williston Basin is one of the premier oil basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in North Dakota and produce at depths ranging from 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Williston Basin proved reserves represented approximately 2% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 48% were classified as proved developed reserves.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
And finally, there are the Kinder Morgan triplets, Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) and Kinder Morgan Management (KMR) and Kinder Morgan Partners (KMP), which fell 6%, 4.7% and 3%, respectively today. The reason for the drop: a press release from Hedgeye Risk Management, which called Kinder Morgan “a house of cards,” and said to expect a report on Sept. 10, explaining why. Deutsche Bank came out with its own note today defending Kinder Morgan, but the damage was done. Considering that Hedgeye’s Kevin Kaiser (and our own Andrew Bary) got Linn Energy (LINE) right, you can see why.
- [By Tyler Crowe]
If you're looking for income investments, then it's awfully hard to argue with the massive distribution payments from LINN Energy (NASDAQ: LINE ) (NASDAQ: LNCO ) , Breitburn Energy Partners (NASDAQ: BBEP ) , and Vanguard Natural Resources (NASDAQ: VNR ) . Thing is, though, income investments need both a decent yield and a level of certainty that it will keep that distribution going for many years to come. Other than being high-yielding investments, they are also all master limited partnerships, which means you need to look beyond just the operations to see how these companies will stand the test of time.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
Heckmann, as I said, wasn't the only company that had a problem with the weather last quarter. Oil and gas producer LINN Energy (NASDAQ: LINE ) had a number of issues in the quarter, with the weather negatively affecting its production volumes during the quarter. The company specifically pointed to severe winter weather in February and March that hit its operations in Oklahoma and Texas that caused the company significant production and drilling delays.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
5. Frank LINN
LINN Energy (NASDAQ: LINE ) didn't get the job done this quarter.Revenue and earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations for the independent oil and natural gas developer. LINN's adjusted earnings of $0.16 a share were well shy of the $0.24 a share that analysts were targeting.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: Glatfelter (GLT)
P. H. Glatfelter Company manufactures and sells specialty papers and fiber-based engineered materials in the United States and internationally. It offers carbonless and forms papers for credit card receipts, multi-part forms, security papers, and other end-user applications; book publishing papers for the production of hardbound books and other book publishing needs; envelope and converting papers for the direct mail market, shopping bags, and other converting applications; and engineered products for digital imaging, transfer, casting, release, postal, playing card, and other niche specialty applications. The company also provides food and beverage paper used for tea bags and single serve coffee products; metallized products used in the labeling of beer bottles, innerliners, gift wrap, self-adhesive labels, and other consumer products applications; and composite laminates papers used in production of decorative laminates, furniture, and flooring applications, as well as a line of paper products used in batteries, medical masks, and other engineered applications. In addition, it offers airlaid non-woven fabric-like materials used in feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence products, cleaning pads and wipes, food pads, napkins and tablecloths, and baby wipes. The company markets its products directly, as well as through wholesale paper merchants, brokers, and agents. P. H. Glatfelter Company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in York, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Specialty papers and and fiber-based materials manufacturer P.H. Glatfelter (GLT) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 11 cents per share, payable May 1 to shareholders of record as of April 3.
GLT Dividend Yield: 1.44% - [By Eric Volkman]
Glatfelter (NYSE: GLT ) has a new asset in its portfolio. The company announced it has finalized the acquisition of Germany-based Dresden Papier, which according to the American firm is "the leading global supplier of nonwoven wallpaper base materials."
- [By CRWE]
Glatfelter (NYSE:GLT) reported that the previously announced presentation by Dante C. Parrini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, at the Deutsche Bank Global Industrials and Basic Materials Conference on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 will be available via a live web cast.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (CMLP)
Crestwood Midstream Partners LP engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas primarily on the Barnett Shale formation of the Fort Worth Basin in north Texas. The company conducts its operations through its Cowtown System, Lake Arlington Dry System, and Alliance Midstream Assets, as well as the Fayetteville Shale and the Granite Wash plays. As of December 31, 2010, it managed approximately 500 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines. Crestwood Gas Services GP LLC serves as the general partner of Crestwood Midstream Partners LP. The company was formerly known as Quicksilver Gas Services LP and changed its name to Crestwood Midstream Partners LP in October 2010. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP was founded in 2004 and is based in Houston, Texas. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP is a subsidiary of Crestwood Gas Services Holdings LLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt DiLallo]
Inergy (NYSE: NRGY )
With operations that include a natural gas storage business as well as natural gas liquids assets, Inergy is another MLP to consider if you are on the lookout for a dividend-paying stock. There are a lot of moving parts with this company, which makes it an interesting stock to watch. The company, along with its affiliate Inergy Midstream (NYSE: NRGM ) , is in the process of merging with Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP ) to create a company boasting increased size, scale, and diversity, as you can see below. Once the transformational transaction is complete, the company can pursue its opportunity-rich organic growth projects which should drive both returns and income growth for investors. - [By Paul Ausick]
This deal follows three midstream transactions already this month. Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) will acquire PVR Partners LP (NYSE: PVR) for $5.6 billion, Crestwood Midstream LP (NASDAQ: CMLP) will acquire Arrow Midstream LLC for $750 million, and Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) will pay $650 million to Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) for 20 petroleum products terminals along the East Coast.
- [By Aimee Duffy]
Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP ) was one day shy of completing its merger with Inergy Midstream, when CEO Bob Phillips told Bloomberg the partnership was already looking for more deals. Well, it turns out Crestwood had already found a deal, as we learned Thursday. The master limited partnership plans to acquire Arrow Midstream Holdings for $750 million.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP ) is boosting its presence in the West with a new acquisition. The company today announced it has reached agreement to purchase a 50% stake in Jackalope Gas Gathering Services from privately held RKI Exploration & Production. The price is roughly $108 million.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: Flamel Technologies S.A.(FLML)
Flamel Technologies S.A., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of controlled-release therapeutic products based on its proprietary polymer based technology in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, France, and Europe. The company develops nanogel Medusa technology, which is intended to provide controlled release following injection of therapeutic proteins, peptides, and other molecules; a microparticle adaptation of the Medusa platform that is intended for use in the delivery of smaller proteins and peptides; and Micropump technology, a microparticle technology for oral administration of small molecule drugs with applications in controlled-release, taste-masking, and bioavailability enhancement; and Trigger-Lock technology, an adaptation based on Micropump technology, which is intended to minimize the misuse and abuse of medications subject to abuse. Its principal product based on Micropump technology is Coreg CR, which is intended for the treatment of moderate to severe heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction. The company?s products under development based upon Medusa technology include Interferon-alpha, a naturally occurring protein that the body uses for the treatment of Hepatitis C virus and as a immune response; and FT-105, an injectable insulin formulation for diabetic patients. Its products based on its Micropump technology comprise LiquiTime for the elderly and pediatric patient patients, or others who have difficulty swallowing. The company has strategic alliance with Baxter International, Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline; Merck Serono; and Pfizer Inc, as well as has a joint development agreement with Digna Biotech, S.L. Flamel Technologies S.A. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Venissieux, France.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Healthcare shares gained 0.81 percent in the US market on Friday. Top gainers in the sector included Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG), StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM), and Flamel Technologies SA (NASDAQ: FLML).
- [By Anna Prior]
Flamel Technologies SA(FLML) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the company’s new drug application for Vazculep, an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of clinically important hypotension resulting primarily from vasodilation in the setting of anesthesia. American depositary shares rose 5.1% to $14.78 in premarket trading.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Healthcare shares gained 0.81 percent in the US market on Friday. Top gainers in the sector included Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG), StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM), and Flamel Technologies SA (NASDAQ: FLML).
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: EMCOR Group Inc. (EME)
EMCOR Group, Inc. provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily to commercial, industrial, utility, and institutional customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers various electrical and mechanical systems, including electric power transmission and distribution systems, such as power cables, conduits, distribution panels, transformers, generators, uninterruptible power supply systems, and related switch gear and controls; premises electrical and lighting systems, including fixtures and controls; low-voltage systems comprising fire alarms, and security and process control systems; voice and data communications systems, including fiber-optic and low-voltage cabling systems; and roadway and transit lighting and fiber-optic lines. It also provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection systems; plumbing, processing, and piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; cranes and rigging; millwrighting; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding systems. In addition, the company offers facilities services comprising industrial maintenance and services; outage services to utilities and industrial plants; commercial and government site-based operations and maintenance; military base operations support; mobile mechanical maintenance and services; floor care and janitorial; landscaping, lot sweeping, and snow removal; facilities and vendor management; call center; building systems installation and support; and technical consulting and diagnostic services. Further, it provides small modification and retrofit projects; retrofit projects; and program development, management, and maintenance services for energy systems. EMCOR Group, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to EMCOR Group (NYSE: EME ) .
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Watch In Right Now: EPAM Systems Inc (EPAM)
EPAM Systems, Inc. (EPAM), incorporated on December 18, 2002, is a global information technology (IT) services provider focused on software product development services, software engineering and vertically-oriented custom development solutions. EPAM has been serving independent software vendors (ISVs), and technology companies. These companies produce advanced software and technology products that demand software engineering talent, tools, methodologies and infrastructure to deliver solutions. Its service offerings cover the full software development lifecycle from complex software development services through maintenance and support, custom application development, application testing, enterprise application platforms and infrastructure management. Its key service offerings include software product development services, custom application development services, application testing services, enterprise application platforms, application maintenance and support and infrastructure management services. In December 2012, the Company acquired Empathy Lab.
Software Product Development Services
EPAM provides a set of software product development services, including product research, design and prototyping, product development, component design and integration, full lifecycle software testing, product deployment and end-user customization, performance tuning, product support and maintenance, as well as porting and cross-platform migration. The Company focuses on development services for enterprise software products covering a range of business applications, as well as product development for multiple mobile platforms and embedded software product services.
Custom Application Development Services
EPAM offers custom application development services. The Company�� range of services includes business and technical requirements analysis, solution architecture creation and validation, development, component design and integration, quality assurance and testing, d! eployment, performance tuning, support and maintenance, legacy applications re-engineering/refactoring, porting and cross-platform migration and documentation.
Application Testing Services
The Company�� application testing services include software application testing, including test automation tools and frameworks, and testing for enterprise IT, including test management, automation, functional and non-functional testing, as well as defect management. It also includes and consulting services focused on helping clients improve their existing software testing and quality assurance practices.
Enterprise Application Platforms
As a provider of software product development services to ISVs, EPAM has developed industry standard technology and business application platforms and their components in such areas as customer relationship management and sales automation, enterprise resource planning, enterprise content management, business intelligence, e-commerce, mobile, Software-as-a-Service and cloud deployment. The Company offers services around Enterprise Application Platforms, which include requirements analysis and platform selection, deep and complex customization, cross-platform migration, implementation and integration, as well as support and maintenance.
Application Maintenance and Support
EPAM delivers application maintenance and support services. The Company�� application maintenance and support offerings meet rigorous CMMI and SAS 70 Type II requirements. Its services include incident management, fault investigation diagnosis, work-around provision, application bug fixes, release management, application enhancements and third-party maintenance.
Infrastructure Management Services
EPAM service offerings cover infrastructure management services. The Company has implemented large infrastructure monitoring solutions, providing real-time notification and control from the low-level infrastructure up! to and i! ncluding applications. Its solutions cover the lifecycle of infrastructure management, including application, database, network, server, storage and systems operations management, as well as incident notification and resolution.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM ) reported earnings on May 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), EPAM Systems met expectations on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.
No comments:
Post a Comment