Sempra Energy (SRE) posted strong third quarter results of $1.27 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.19 by 8 cents. The company also beat the year-ago earnings per share (EPS) of $1.24 by 3 cents. This is commendable since Sempra Energy had witnessed a steep fall in its topline year-over-year. The upside in earnings came mainly from its commodities-trading joint venture with Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc. -- RBS Sempra Commodities. Sempra Energy is an energy services holding company involved in the sale, distribution, storage and transportation of natural gas. The company operates through two segments -- Sempra Utilities and Sempra Global. Sempra Utilities consists of two California regulated public utility companies, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Sempra Global consists of businesses engaged in providing energy products and services -- Sempra Commodities, Sempra Generation, Sempra Pipelines & ...

Constellation Energy Group Inc. (CEG) and EDF Development Inc. recently announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the investment structure and license transfer related to EDF’s investment in Constellation Energy Nuclear Group LLC. EDF Development Inc. -- the wholly owned subsidiary of French energy major EDF S.A. -- is planning to acquire 49.99% stake in Constellation Energy’s nuclear assets for $4.5 billion. Subsequently, EDF’s interest in Constellation Energy Nuclear Group will be structured as a new joint venture between the companies. The deal has received the necessary federal approvals and clearance from the New York Public Service Commission. However, regulatory approval from the Public Service Commission in Maryland is pending. A final decision will be taken by the Maryland Public Service Commission in October 2009. Constellation Energy is pursuing the divestment of its nuclear assets to improve liquidity position and strengthen balance ...

Recently, Precision Castparts Corp. (PCP), a diversified manufacturer of complex metal components and products, has completed its acquisition of Carlton Forge Works in Paramount, California. Carlton is a leading manufacturer of seamless rolled rings of nickel, titanium and steel for utilization primarily in aircraft engine (80%) and gas turbine (20%) applications. Precision Castparts has also acquired Arcturus Manufacturing Corporation, a hammer forging operation in Oxnard, California.  Precision acquired both Carlton and Arcturus for $850 million. The acquisitions are all-cash deals and are financed primarily through current cash balances and small levels of debt. The transactions will be included in Precision’s Forged Products segment, which accounted for about 42% of the company’s sales in the last quarter of fiscal 2009. Precision generated about 24% of its margins from this segment. Management expects the acquisitions to be immediately accretive to earnings.  Precision is among the leading manufacturers of ...

Constellation Energy Group Inc. (CEG) is focused on improving its liquidity position and strengthen its balance sheet. The company was able to reduce its total debt level from $8.5 billion at year-end 2008 to below the $7 billion mark after the first half of fiscal 2009. The debt-loaded company with a debt-to-equity ratio of 134.6% after the first half of fiscal 2009 dished out $143.9 million in interest expenses during the recent second quarter of 2009 compared to only $78.8 million in the year-ago quarter. The pain may get even worse with the July 2009 downgrade by Fitch Ratings, bringing Constellation Energy's senior unsecured debt rating from BBB to BBB- and BGE's (Baltimore Gas & Electric) senior unsecured debt rating from A- to BBB+. With more than $1.5 billion of debt lined up for maturity this fiscal year, the company may have to resort to ...

A subsidiary of Sempra Energy (SRE) recently became an equal partner of a BP Plc. (BP) unit for developing a 200MW Fowler Ridge II Wind Farm in Benton County, Indiana. 

The Fowler Ridge joint venture is currently under construction on a 17,000-acre site, about 90 miles northwest of Indianapolis and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of fiscal 2010. The 200MW facility will produce enough electricity for nearly 60,000 homes.

The project's entire power output has already been sold under four, long-term 50-MW contracts. Three of these deals were signed with units of American Electric Power (AEP) and one with Vectren Energy Delivery (VVC) of Indiana for 20-year terms each. The project will use 133 wind turbines, each with the ability to generate 1.5 MW.

The Fowler Ridge II development is an expansion of Fowler Ridge I, a 400-MW wind farm that commenced operations

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ETF Securities made a big splash with its new silver fund, SIVR. Next up on its wish list are funds focusing on gold, platinum and palladium.

 

William Rhind is head of sales and marketing at ETFS Marketing LLC, the U.S. arm of London-based ETF Securities. The U.S. unit opened operations in July with the launch of its first exchange-traded fund, the ETFS Silver Trust (NYSEArca: SIVR).

The former iShares executive for Barclays Global Investors’ European operations recently discussed with IndexUniverse.com’s Murray Coleman plans by ETFS to expand in the U.S. marketplace.

 

IU: Has a move into the U.S. been something that ETFS has been considering for awhile?

Rhind: Our chairman, Graham Tuckwell, invented the gold ETF in 2003 and launched the first gold ETF in Australia. The first ETF in the

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Neah Power Systems, Inc. is developing fuel cells for the military and portable electronic devices. The company uses a unique, patented, silicon-based design for their micro fuel cells. These enable higher power densities, lower cost, and compact form-factors. Neah Power Systems trades on the OTCBB and they have their corporate headquarters in Bothell, Washington. Prototype development continues for the company and they expect to make their energy products commercially available this year.

Neah Power anticipates their patented silicon-based fuel cell will provide a premier power source for all types of military applications. They expect their Neah Power fuel cell to provide two to three times the energy capacity versus the standard BA-5590 battery, while remaining in the same compact form. Soldiers would need to carry only one fuel cell and cartridges for continuous power capability – lessening their load by 70 percent.

Neah Power Systems, Inc. is also developing their products for

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PennyOmega.com Stock Report!

PennyOmega.com Hot Stock News & Alerts!

 

Wednesday August 5, 2009

PennyOmega.com Stock Report!

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USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: USNA) announced today that it will present at the 29th Annual Canaccord Adams Global Growth Conference in Boston. Jeffrey Yates, Vice President and CFO, is scheduled to present to leading institutional investment representatives on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. ET at the Boston Intercontinental Hotel.

MGE Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGEE) entered into agreements to purchase land development rights for two wind generation sites in northeast Iowa. The sites, located near Wellsburg and Hawkeye, could produce up to 175 megawatts of renewable energy.

CardioDynamics (Nasdaq: CDIC), the innovator and leader of BioZ(R) impedance

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How the people of the world buy and use energy has been a real hot button issue in recent years. All involved understand the need for more efficient use and care of the systems that make the world move but often come to different conclusions as to how it is best to be handled. In the end, there are a variety of ways to combine disparate energy sources to arrive at an efficient use of energy. If an investor can find a company that efficiently manages combined buying and use of energy products, they may have found an investment that will grow nicely.

World Energy Solutions Inc., an energy consortium of public and private entities, works to offer consulting and energy auction strategies that provide consortium members with optimum buying power. The company offers a wide range of energy buying options designed to provide the lowest cost energy possible for individual

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In the energy market on Tuesday, crude for August delivery prolonged its slide, closing at $62.93/barrel, down $1.12. August reformulated gasoline lost a penny, to $1.73/gallon. Economic worries seem to have firmly established themselves at the driver of the moment. “The market got way ahead of itself with hopes that the [global economic] recovery would be quick,” said Zachary Oxman, managing director at TrendMax Futures.

“I think the dips you are seeing now are preceding the next big down move in stocks and commodities as well,” Oxman added. “I’d be net short, with a trading bias to the short side.”

Another bear is Edward Meir, of MF Global, who wrote that, “Despite the string of declines hitting the crude-oil markets of late, we do not think the current selling bout is over just yet … The markets remain vulnerable to a poor fundamental backdrop, typified by high stocks and lackluster

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