Stock Market News & Stocks to Watch from StraightStocks » Kansas

Soligenix Inc. (SNGX.OB) Taking Steps to Meet Challenges of Vaccine Technology and Biological Warfare

QualityStocks — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:28:41 +0000

Soligenix Inc., formerly known as DOR BioPharma Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company, today announced it has formed a consortium to develop technology to enhance acting vaccines, including RiVax, the company’s proprietary vaccine for ricin toxin, which can be used as a biological weapon. Soligenix also announced it was awarded a $9.4 million grant from the [...]

Mortgage Delinquencies Still Rising – Analyst Blog

Dirk Van Dijk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:20:13 +0000

This morning Trans Union, the big credit bureau, released its quarterly report on mortgage delinquencies, and it was not pretty. Nationwide, 6.25% of all residential mortgages were at least 60 days past due in the third quarter, up from 5.81% in the second quarter and 3.96% a year ago. This was the 11th straight quarter that delinquencies increased.

Mortgage delinquencies are the first step in a house eventually going into foreclosure, so look for those to start heading up again. Foreclosures have been held down by trial modifications under the HEMP program, but very few of those have gotten to the stage of being final modifications. And even when mortgages are modified, there is a strong tendency for those people to again find themselves in financial trouble. Clearly people not paying on their mortgages is not good news for the big banks like Bank of America (BAC) and Wells Fargo (WFC) that lent them the money.

If there is a silver lining in the data, it is that the rate of increase seems to be slowing. The third quarter increase was "only" 7.6%, which is down from an 11.3% increase in the second quarter and a 14.0% increase in the first quarter. Of course, as the base increases, each additional percentage of increase means a bigger absolute number of delinquent mortgages.

There are huge regional disparities in the rate of mortgage delinquencies. The former bubble states continue to suffer mind-bogglingly high rates of delinquencies -- 14.5% of all mortgages in Nevada and 13.3% of all homeowners in Florida are at least two months behind on their mortgages. That is almost one in seven in Nevada and about two in every fifteen in Florida.

In contrast, states where very few people live are experiencing very low rates of delinquencies. North Dakota is holding up best, as it is on a number of economic indicators with a rate of only 1.7%. South Dakota is not faring all that much worse at 2.3% and in Vermont the rate is only 2.6%.

However, the gap is starting to close, and not in a good way. The fastest growth in delinquencies is now coming from areas where there was no real housing bubble. The biggest jump came in Wyoming where delinquencies jumped by 17.9% in the quarter, followed by Kansas at 17.4% and North Dakota at 16.0%. Still, it would take a long time for North Dakota to catch up to Nevada.

There are two key forces that are leading to people not paying their mortgages. One goes to a lack of desire to do so, and the other goes to lack of ability to do so. If your house is substantially underwater, i.e. your mortgage is for a lot more than the house is worth, it is not economically rational to continue to pay your mortgage. After all, most mortgages are non-recourse, which means that the worst thing that happens is that the house gets foreclosed on and you go rent.

At one point, there was a huge social stigma to being foreclosed upon, but as it becomes more common, the stigma diminishes. There are, of course, some non-economic costs associated with not paying and just living rent- or mortgage-payment-free for awhile, and in many areas of the country that can now be well over a year. Your kids might be upset with you since they would have to change schools and leave all their friends if you can’t rent in the same school district. People also develop emotional attachments to their houses. Those factors might be worth a $5,000 or $10,000. However, if the house is underwater by $100,000, most people will just tell little Billy that he will make new friends at his new school.

The second reason for rising delinquencies is unemployment. Quite simply, with no paycheck, it is harder to write the mortgage check. It is not a coincidence that states like Nevada, Florida and California, which have very high delinquency rates, also rank near the top in terms of unemployment -- and the Dakotas and Vermont have unemployment rates that are well below the national average. For the delinquency rate to start to fall significantly, we will need to see progress on both the employment front and on the housing price front.

The government has been doing everything in its power to re-inflate the value of houses. It is throwing money at homebuyers in the form of tax credits. Under the recent extension, you don’t even have to be a first-time home buyer to benefit from Uncle Sam’s generosity. Of course, giving money away to move up buyers does not even reduce the inventory of unsold homes, since for each one bought, another one goes on the market.

The Fed has been artificially depressing mortgage rates by buying up $1.25 trillion of mortgage-backed securities. In the absence of that program, rates on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage would probably be at least a full percentage point higher. The Federal government has also assumed the role of subprime mortgage lender through the FHA, which is offering mortgage loans with only 3.5% down, and the tax credit can be used for the down payment. That is exactly the same sort of behavior that got New Century Financial and Washington Mutual into trouble. It just goes to prove the power of a good lobby over economic rationality.

This gift to the realtors of the country is eventually going to come back and bite the country on the behind, resulting in a massive -- think Fannie Mae (FNM)- and Freddie Mac (FRE)-sized bailout -- of the FHA.

The massive actions have had some effect, and the Case Schiller index has shown some improvement in housing prices over the last few months. Also, housing prices are much closer to normal, relative to incomes and rents, than they were a few years ago at the peak of the bubble.

Notice that I said "closer to normal," not "below normal." In the absence of this extraordinary government support, there is still room for housing prices to fall without them becoming undervalued based on historical relationships. The fact that incomes are not growing much due to high unemployment, and rents are falling due to record high vacancy rates, does not help the situation.

This poses a bit of a dilemma, since new housing starts typically lead changes in unemployment. This can be seen in the first graph below (from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/). In the graph, the unemployment rate is inverted to better show the relationship between it and the rate of housing starts, as well as the lag involved. The dot.com crash-induced recession of 2001 is the one case where the relationship does not seem to hold.

The good news is that it looks like we have seen the bottom for housing starts this cycle back in January. Based on the historical relationship, that means we might start to see some improvement in the unemployment rate by this coming spring.

The bad news, though, is that new housing right now is a classic case of mal-investment. With lots of vacant housing, the last thing we need as a country is more housing units. The second graph below (also from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/) shows that the dramatic decline in housing starts has not yet begun to make a dent in the number of houses and apartments that are sitting vacant. Thus it seems unlikely that we will see housing starts return to anything like the 1.1 million a year that has historically been about normal for the country.

More likely the rebound will stall out around the levels that marked the bottom for new housing starts in past cycles of around 600,000 a year. Yes, that is a nice percentage gain from the lows of under a 400,000 rate, but it does not suggest a robust recovery.

Read the full analyst report on "BAC"
Read the full analyst report on "WFC"
Read the full analyst report on "FNM"
Read the full analyst report on "FRE"
Zacks Investment Research

Treaty Energy Corp. (TECO.OB) Announces Acquisition of 54 Kansas-based Oil and Gas Leases

QualityStocks — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:54:27 +0000

Treaty Energy Corp. acquires, develops and produces oil and natural gas, seeking out leases with proven, but undeveloped reserves. The company yesterday announced an agreement to acquire 54 oil and gas leases and their respective production equipment in Kansas. The leases span 6,700 acres and include 662 “stripper wells,” oil wells that produce 10 [...]

Coventry in Expansion Mode – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:15:59 +0000

Early this morning, Coventry Health Care Inc. (CVH) announced that it has agreed to acquire Preferred Health Systems, Inc. (commonly referred to as PHS), the wholly-owned health insurance subsidiary of Via Christi Health System, Inc.

PHS is based in Wichita, Kansas. It is a commercial health plan whose beneficiaries include more than 100,000 members for whom it assumes full insurance risk, and 20,000 members for whom PHS provides administrative services. The acquisition of PHS will further widen the customer base of the diversified national managed healthcare company in the Midwestern United States.

The transaction, expected to close in the next 90 to 120 days, will not affect Coventry ’s earnings in the first year.

PHS was incorporated in 1993 following strong support and encouragement from area physicians, St. Francis Regional Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center , which merged to form Via Christi Health System. Area physicians, hospital administrators and business leaders constitute its board of directors.

As such, Coventry is very active on mergers and acquisitions having completed over 15 acquisitions to date. The company’s growth strategy by acquisition targets small, local health plans in second-tier markets, where it can leverage its regional service centers and improve operating efficiencies, largely through economies of scale.

Coventry operates a diversified portfolio of local market health plans serving states primarily in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest , and Southeast regions. The plans are generally located in small to midsized metropolitan areas. The markets served by the company are characterized by strict pricing discipline, improved provider arrangements, more effective medical management techniques, and reductions in overhead costs.

Coventry competes with players like Aetna Inc. (AET), Unitedhealth Group, Inc. (UNH) and WellPoint Inc. (WLP).

Currently, we have a Neutral rating on the stock.
Read the full analyst report on "CVH"
Read the full analyst report on "AET"
Read the full analyst report on "UNH"
Read the full analyst report on "WLP"
Zacks Investment Research

KMP Completes Crosstex Buy – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:13 +0000

Late last week, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) closed the previously announced acquisition of natural gas treating business from Dallas-based Crosstex Energy LP (XTEX) and its general partner Crosstex Energy Inc. (XTXI) for approximately $266 million.

As part of the transaction, Kinder Morgan purchased approximately 290 amine-treating and dew-point control plants from natural gas company Crosstex. These plants are primarily located in Texas and Louisiana , with additional facilities in Mississippi , Oklahoma , Arkansas and Kansas.

Kinder Morgan will use these natural gas treatment plants in servicing its Texas Intrastate customers and to other producers in various supply basins, including the fast growing shale plays. Following the deal, Kinder Morgan has become the largest provider of contracted natural gas treating services in the country.

The Crosstex asset acquisition will allow the partnership to expand its natural gas business through the inclusion of additional fee-based assets that produce stable cash flows. Kinder Morgan expects the transaction to be immediately accretive and to add value to its business.

Houston-based Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. is the largest independent owner and operator of petroleum product pipelines in the U.S. , transporting nearly 2 million barrels per day of gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, and natural gas liquids. The partnership also has capacity to transport 7 billion cubic feet/day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. It owns or operates more than 26,000 miles of pipeline and approximately 170 terminals. The terminals store petroleum products and chemicals, besides handling bulk materials like coal and petroleum coke. Kinder Morgan is also the largest carbon dioxide marketer and transporter in the country.

We currently rate Kinder Morgan units as Neutral.
Read the full analyst report on "KMP"
Read the full analyst report on "XTEX"
Read the full analyst report on "XTXI"
Zacks Investment Research

Goodyear to Save $215 Million – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:00:59 +0000

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT) has revealed details about its master labor contract, ratified by members of the United Steel Workers (USW) union on Sep 18. The master contract covered about 10,300 employees at seven tire plants in the U.S. The plants are in Akron, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; Danville, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina.; Gadsden, Alabama; Topeka, Kansas; and Union City, Tennessee.

The master contract is expected provide Goodyear with cost savings of $215 million over its term. Combined with savings realized through pre-bargain agreements to reduce staffing levels at five plants, the company expects to realize $555 million in total savings over the term of the agreements.

The contract also allows Goodyear to invest $600 million over the term of the agreement in its USW facilities to make them more efficient and productive. Additionally, it provides continued job security for six of the company's USW plants.

The agreement also gives Goodyear the flexibility on vacation scheduling and staffing levels. It will also help the company to trim $55 million in wage and benefit costs, according to Richard J. Kramer, Goodyear's Chief Operating Officer and President.

Goodyear is focused on streamlining its operations by achieving cost reductions of $2.5 billion by 2009. Of this, the company has already achieved $1.8 billion by the first half of the year.

A weak industry demand negatively affected Goodyear Tire’s results in the second quarter of the year. The company has reported a net loss of $221 million or 92 cents per share for the quarter versus earnings of $75 million or 31 cents per share in the same quarter of 2008. Total segment operating income plummeted 93% to $24 million from $330 million in the prior-year quarter. Sales went down 25% to $3.9 billion.

We continue to recommend the shares of Goodyear as Neutral with a target price of $19.
Read the full analyst report on "GT"
Zacks Investment Research

Penske Walks Away from Saturn – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:01:29 +0000

Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has declined to buy the Saturn brand from General Motors (GM), despite nearing the end of the deal. The spokesperson of the Michigan-based second leading automotive retailer in the U.S. has explained that Penske was unable to find a manufacturer to make the Saturn models when GM stops producing them after 2011.

In June, Penske had reached a tentative agreement with GM to purchase the brand. Under the deal, GM had agreed to manufacture three Saturn models beyond 2011, but afterwards Penske was supposed to manufacture the products made by a third-party manufacturer.

Speculation was rife that Penske was discussing the production of Saturn with French automaker Renault or a Chinese automaker to produce Saturn but the company spokesperson has not confirmed either. As Penske failed to reach an agreement with third party manufacturers for Saturn, it had no option but to call off the deal.

It takes several years to design new vehicles or engineer foreign vehicles to meet U.S. standards. Thus Penske would risk having run out of stock once GM stops making the vehicles. Penske spokesperson has revealed that there is a little chance that the talks could be reopened. This has triggered fear among the 350 remaining Saturn dealers around the U.S. that they may go bust.

GM now plans to stop manufacturing Saturn as soon as possible. However, this would involve no layoffs as the company manufactures the brand at facilities that produce other brands as well. Saturns are made at plants in Kansas City, KS, Delta Township, MI and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM has assured that the Saturn owners can go to their dealers for service.

Saturn was officially launched in 1990. After a good year in 2007, the brand’s sales dropped last year as the auto market dried up. Through August, Saturn sales were down 60% compared to first eight months of last year.

We recommend the shares of Penske Automotive as Neutral.
Read the full analyst report on "PAG"
Zacks Investment Research

Cimarex Energy Co. – Momentum – Zacks Rank Buy

Michael Vodicka — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Cimarex Energy Co. (XEC) has a very bullish 120% earnings growth projection in the next-year period as energy prices trend higher on renewed economic optimism.

Company Description

Cimarex Energy Co. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The company has interests in oil fields primarily in Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and southwest Kansas. Cimarex was founded in 2002 and has a market cap of $3.52 billion.

Shares of XEC have been trending higher since early March on the heels of an economic recovery and higher energy prices. The company's Q2 results, reported on August 6, were down from last year but still ahead of expectations.

Second-Quarter Results

Revenue was down 64% from last year to $213.4 million. But earnings came in 7 cents ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate at 46 cents per share. The company said that the sharp decline in its sales was almost exclusively due to lower gas and oil prices.

Estimates Rising

With energy prices on the upswing, estimates have followed suit. The current-year estimate is up 57 cents in the last 90 days to $1.96 per share. The next-year estimate is very bullish, pegged at $4.32, a 120% growth projection.

The Chart

Shares of XEC have been posting big gains over the last 6 months after bottoming out just above $15 in early March. Shares are currently trading above $44 and in position to challenge the 52-week high $49.16. Take a look at the chart below.

Zacks Investment Research

G-20 Heats Up…

Contrarian Profits — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:07:47 +0000

p Dollar#8217;s rally is cut short#8230;Major problems for loans still exist#8230;Yen rallies on exporter repatriation#8230;Kiwi gets whacked! And Now#8230; Today#8217;s Pfennig!/p pGood day#8230; And a Happy Friday to one and all! It#8217;s still raining here in St. Louis this morning, but I won#8217;t that get me down, as it is a Friday! G-20 has gotten a bit ugly, folks#8230; Seems everyone just can#8217;t seem to get along! Imagine that! 20 different countries, and now they want to be able to watch another country#8217;s finances and comment on them! Oh, I can see that working out real well! NOT!/p pSo#8230; Yesterday, we had the dollar gaining back the ground that it had lost the previous day, but at the end of the day, we#8217;re#8230;/p

Sofame Technologies (SDW.V) – more detail on funding plans

Gabriel Didham, CFA — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:18:59 +0000

Objective Capital comment issued on Sep 11, 2009 titled 'Sofame Technologies (SDW.V) - more detail on funding plans'.

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 9/08/09, PRGS, PRST, AAPH, XCEL, EWRC, EGAM

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:28:15 +0000

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Layne Christensen’s Lackluster Q2 – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:44:44 +0000

Layne Christensen Co. (LAYN) announced fiscal second-quarter results yesterday after the closing bell. The company reported GAAP net loss of $8.6 million or 45 cents per share, compared to GAAP net income of $15.1 million or 78 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.

Excluding a non-cash impairment charge, net income came in at $4.4 million or 23 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by nearly 92%, or 11 cents.

Layne Christensen is engaged in providing drilling services and related products and services in 4 principal markets: water infrastructure, mineral exploration, geotechnical construction and oil and gas. The company’s customers include municipalities, industrial, mining, oil and gas companies and consulting and engineering firms.

The Mission Woods, Kansas-based company’s revenue slumped 19.4% year over year to $217.2 million, still it came in ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $214.8 million.

Sales from Water Infrastructure, the company’s flagship segment, slipped 11.2% to $174.1 million primarily due to lackluster performance across all major product lines, partially offset by growth in pipeline construction due to a significant project in Colorado.

Revenues were particularly sluggish in the Western U.S. on account of a slump in housing construction coupled with budget constraints on municipal government spending. The segment’s backlog also fell by 5.1% year over year to $453.4 million.

Revenue from Minerals Exploration plunged 49.2% year over year to $30.3 million as markets were impacted by a tight credit environment and sluggish economic conditions. The Energy division recorded a slight 0.8% year-over-year decline, mainly attributable to management’s decision to slash production on account of depressed natural gas prices.

The company’s gross profit reduced 27.1% year over year to $51.7 million, while gross margin contracted 250 basis points to 23.8%. The decline was primarily caused by a shift in the mix towards low margin heavy construction projects and pricing pressures.

Meanwhile, Layne Christensen posted a pretax loss of $13.0 million, against a pretax profit of $24.8 million in the year-ago period. The loss was the result of sluggish revenues and gross margin coupled with an impairment charge of $21.6 million related to oil and gas reserves determination.

Layne Christensen ended the quarter with cash and equivalents of $64.8 million, compared to $62.7 million at the end of the previous quarter. The company‘s total long term debt was $13.3 million at the end of the quarter, against $26.7 million in the last quarter.

Looking ahead, management expects weak demand for additional water supply to affect performance in the rest of the fiscal year. The company also warned that its Energy division may suffer further impairments if natural gas prices remain depressed or if it is unable to replace current forward sales contracts at favorable prices.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate, derived from 6 covering analysts, on earnings for the fiscal year ending January 2010 is currently pegged at 47 cents per share, which has moved down by 6 cents over the past 3 months.
Read the full analyst report on "LAYN"
Zacks Investment Research

Goodyear Reaches Deal with USW – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:40:19 +0000

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) revealed that it reached a tentative four-year agreement on a United Steel Workers (USW) deal, about three hours before a midnight deadline for expiration last Saturday. The new contract covers about 10,300 employees at seven tire plants in the U.S. The plants are in Akron, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; Danville, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina.; Gadsden, Alabama; Topeka, Kansas; and Union City, Tennessee.

The three-year old contract has been extended twice. Goodyear was in talks with USW in Cincinnati since June 8. The steelworkers were adamant throughout the negotiations about maintaining their job security. However, Goodyear did not disclose any details about the deal, especially on job cuts and plant closures.

Goodyear is focused on streamlining its operations by achieving cost reductions of $2.5 billion by 2009. Of this, the company already achieved $1.8 billion by the first half of the year. Goodyear anticipated that its master labor agreement with the USW will result in savings of $300 million in 2009.

A weak industry demand negatively affected Goodyear Tire’s results in the second quarter. The company reported a net loss of $221 million or 92 cents per share for the quarter versus earnings of $75 million or 31 cents per share in the same quarter last year. Total segment operating income plummeted 93% to $24 million from $330 million in the prior-year quarter. Sales were down 25% to $3.9 billion.

We continue to recommend the shares of Goodyear as Neutral with a target price of $19.

Read the full analyst report on "GT"
Zacks Investment Research

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 8/31/09, DCTH, TSEM, VSEC, KMP, XTEX, RBA

Dr. Stock Pick — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:34:16 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Monday August 31, 2009 ************************************************************** Delcath Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: DCTH), a medical technology company testing its proprietary treatment method for primary and metastatic cancers to the liver, announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration granted Delcath’s request for orphan drug designation for doxorubicin for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma [...]

Wells Fargo Going Slow on Wachovia – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:15:40 +0000

Six months after acquiring Wachovia Corp., the Wells Fargo (WFC) name and stagecoach logo have yet to be seen in the Kansas City area. Indeed it will not be visible till the next year. San Francisco-based Wells Fargo has been moving slowly to consolidate Wachovia Bank into its system.

During December last year, the brokerage firm Wachovia Securities became part of Wells Fargo. All 4,800 branches of the residential lender Wachovia Mortgage have been folded into Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Wachovia Corp. was purchased by Wells Fargo on Dec 31, 2008, when it ceased to be an independent corporation. The company had been battered by heavy losses – especially in its portfolio of flexible, interest-only home loans – and was suffering a run on its deposits.

The consolidation of Wachovia bank branches into Wells Fargo's network is scheduled to begin this November. The integration will begin in Colorado, one of a half-dozen states where both the institutions have overlapping branches.

After Colorado, the branch-conversion process will move to five other states – California, Arizona, Illinois, Nevada and Texas – where Wells Fargo and Wachovia offices also overlap. Conversion in these states is expected to begin in 2010, though the conversion dates haven’t been announced for the Wachovia-only markets in the Carolinas and along the East Coast.

Wells Fargo’s growth plans have included a large number of acquisitions, Wachovia being the latest in December 2008. The company has demonstrated its ability to assimilate local franchises offering a wider range of products than the acquired company could have had.

The Wachovia merger is expected to generate an internal rate of return (IRR) of about 20% and be accretive to earnings starting from the third year without any adjustments. Further, as a result of the merger, Wells Fargo substantially expanded its distribution network and has a Community Banking presence for the first time in 16 states – Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington D.C.

Last month, Wells Fargo reported net income of 57 cents per share. The company reported that the Wachovia merger is on track and expects to realize $5 billion of annual merger-related savings upon completion of the integration process. During the latest reported quarter, 39% of the combined revenue came from Wachovia. With the combined resources, Wells Fargo will be in an even better position to satisfy its customers’ financial needs.

We maintain a Neutral recommendation on the shares of Wells Fargo.

Read the full analyst report on "WFC"
Zacks Investment Research

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 8/13/09, ICOP, GORX, AET, FRED, MDT, BIEL

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:27:57 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Thursday August 13, 2009 ************************************************************** ICOP Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICOP), an industry-leading company engaged in advancing digital surveillance technology solutions, today announced the results of the Company’s 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, held Wednesday, August 12, 2009, in Overland Park, Kansas. GeoPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:GORX) (the “Company”) announced today that it will host a [...]

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 8/11/09, VLGEA, GENC, JCI, FWV, WTR, PESI

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:14:55 +0000

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Superior Still in the Red – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:02:08 +0000

Superior Industries International Inc. (SUP) reported a net loss of $13.9 million or 52 cents per share (excluding non-recurring charges) in the second quarter, driven by a significant 52% decline in unit wheel shipments, the lowest in more than a decade. Reported losses were considerably higher than Zacks' consensus loss of 36 cents.

In addition to lower volumes, average selling prices declined 22%, which resulted in a 63% decline in revenue to $80.9 million in the second quarter of 2009 from $217.4 million reported in the same period last year.

During the quarter, the company’s two major customers -- Chrysler and General Motors -- had extended periods of shutdown and closed certain plants, which significantly hurt unit shipments. To address the industry-wide reduction in demand for aluminum wheels, Superior closed its manufacturing facilities in Pittsburg, Kansas in December 2008 and Van Nuys, California in June 2009. However, it anticipates moderate improvement in volumes during the next six months, with the key customers regaining their positions.

Superior supplies 35% of the aluminum wheels used by passenger cars and light trucks in North America. The company operates in a highly competitive environment in terms of customer service, product quality and innovations. It is the lowest-cost wheel producer in the U.S. as its three manufacturing units in Chihuahua, Mexico are the most economical facilities in the world since Mexican labor is about 33% cheaper than in the U.S.

Going forward, Superior plans to transfer about 66% of the current production to these lower-cost Mexico plants. This apart, Superior’s debt free status makes it financially strong. The company is, therefore, advantageously positioned should it desire to expand its facilities or grow internationally.

However, declining demand, pricing pressures from original equipment manufacturers and production cuts have negatively affected Superior Industries. Thus, we rate the stock a Hold and set a six-month target price of $12.50.

Read the full analyst report on "SUP"
Zacks Investment Research

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 7/31/09, SNF, ELMG, LTC, GRH, RNIN, ANR

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:31:46 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Friday July 31, 2009 ************************************************************** The Spain Fund, Inc. (NYSE: SNF) announced today that the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has approved a change to the Fund’s investment objective and certain investment policies. Most significantly, the Board approved a broadening of the Fund’s investment universe to include companies located [...]

GRMN, WRI, DrStockPick Watch List! for Friday July 31, 2009, Garmin Ltd. and Weingarten Realty Investors

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:55:53 +0000

GRMN, Garmin Ltd. WRI, Weingarten Realty Investors DrStockPick Watch List! DrStockPick Watch List! for Friday July 31, 2009 My Picks for Friday July 31, 2009 are: ************************************************************** GRMN, Garmin Ltd. Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of GRMN, the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices [...]

Buckeye Plans to Restructure – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:34:09 +0000

Buckeye Partners (BPL) will retrench 260 staffs -- nearly 25% of its workforce -- as part of the restructuring plan that the company announced today. This is pursuant to the outcome of the "best practices" review of the business processes and organizational structure that Buckeye had initiated earlier this year to improve operational efficiency and bring down cost.

Buckeye estimates to incur around $30-$34 million for this purpose -- out of which approximately $22-$30 million will be recorded in the second quarter and the balance during remaining half of this year. These charges mostly involve severance payments, early retirement benefits and other employee-related costs. Buckeye anticipates an annualized savings of $18-$22 million 2010 onwards.

Moreover, Buckeye has evaluated one of its natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines -- that carries NGL from Wattenberg (Colorado) to Bushton (Kansas) -- as non-core to existing operations of the company. As a consequence of the strategic review, Buckeye estimates to record a non-cash charge of around $65-$75 million in the second quarter of this year, in order to reflect the fair value of the asset in its books.

Buckeye closed at $44.13 on Monday. It will report its second quarter financial results on 28th of this month. We reiterate our Buy recommendation for the company.
Read the full analyst report on "BPL"
Zacks Investment Research

State Budgets Are Anti-Stimulus – Analyst Blog

Dirk Van Dijk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Today is the end of the 2009 fiscal year, and many states are still scrambling to get budgets in place for the 2010 fiscal year.

It is not easy since when the economy turns south, so do tax revenues, and states are not allowed to run deficits or borrow for operating needs. Some states have managed to cut costs or raise taxes enough to close their deficits for the upcoming year. The only two states without a budget problem are Montana and North Dakota.

As shown in the table below (from http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=711), the total spending cuts or revenue increase needs to be $166 billion or 24% of the projected budget. To some extent states have used "rainy day funds" and the money from the Federal Stimulus bill to close some of the gap. Still the problem is very severe with 5 states (CA, AZ, NV, IL, NY) facing shortfalls of greater than 30%. California is in the worst shape with a gap of 58.2%.

STATES WITH PROJECTED FY2010 BUDGET GAPS
State	FY2010 pre-budget	FY2010 mid-year gap	FY2010 Total	FY2010 Total % of Budget
Alabama	$1.2 billion	0	$1.2 billion	16.70%
Alaska	$1.3 billion	0	$1.3 billion	30.00%
Arizona	$4.0 billion	0	$4.0 billion	41.10%
Arkansas	$146 million	0	$146 million	3.20%
California*	$34.2 billion	$19.5 billion	$53.7 billion	58.20%
Colorado	$1.0 billion	$384 million	$1.4 billion	18.60%
Connecticut	$4.1 billion	0	$4.1 billion	23.20%
Delaware	$557 million	0	$557 million	17.60%
District of Columbia	$650 million	$150 million	$800 million	12.70%
Florida	$5.9 billion	0	$5.9 billion	22.80%
Georgia	$3.1 billion	$750 million	$3.9 billion	22.30%
Hawaii	$682 million	$297 million	$978 million	19.10%
Idaho	$411 million	0	$411 million	16.40%
Illinois	$9.2 billion	0	$9.2 billion	33.00%
Indiana	$1.1 billion	0	$1.1 billion	7.50%
Iowa	$779 million	0	$779 million	13.20%
Kansas	$1.4 billion	Yes, DK size	$1.4 billion	22.60%
Kentucky	0	$1.1 billion	$1.1 billion	11.30%
Louisiana	$1.8 billion	0	$1.8 billion	21.60%
Maine	$640 million	0	$640 million	21.40%
Maryland	$1.9 billion	Yes, DK size	$1.9 billion	13.60%
Massachusetts	$5.0 billion	0	$5.0 billion	17.90%
Michigan	$2.4 billion	0	$2.4 billion	12.00%
Minnesota	$3.2 billion	0	$3.2 billion	21.00%
Mississippi	$480 million	0	$480 million	9.60%
Missouri	$923 million	0	$923 million	10.30%
Nebraska	$150 million	0	$150 million	4.30%
Nevada	$1.2 billion	0	$1.2 billion	37.80%
New Hampshire	$250 million	0	$250 million	16.20%
New Jersey	$8.8 billion	0	$8.8 billion	29.90%
New Mexico	$345 million	0	$345 million	6.30%
New York	$17.9 billion	0	$17.9 billion	32.30%
North Carolina	$4.6 billion	0	$4.6 billion	21.90%
Ohio	$3.3 billion	0	$3.3 billion	12.30%
Oklahoma	$600 million	0	$600 million	10.50%
Oregon*	0	0	0	0.00%
Pennsylvania	$4.8 billion	0	$4.8 billion	18.00%
Rhode Island	$590 million	0	$590 million	19.20%
South Carolina	$725 million	0	$725 million	12.50%
South Dakota	$32 million	0	$32 million	2.90%
Tennessee	$1.0 billion	0	$1.0 billion	9.70%
Texas	$3.5 billion	0	$3.5 billion	9.50%
Utah	$721 million	$279 million	$1.0 billion	19.80%
Vermont	$278 million	0	$278 million	24.80%
Virginia	$1.8 billion	Yes, DK size	$1.8 billion	10.90%
Washington	$3.4 billion	$195 million	$3.6 billion	23.30%
West Virginia	$200 million	0	$200 million	5.30%
Wisconsin	$3.2 billion	0	$3.2 billion	23.20%
Wyoming	0	$32 million	$32 million	1.70%
Total	$143.2 billion	$22.7 billion	$165.9 billion	24.40%

This will lead to very drastic cuts in state budgets. Access to medical care by the poor will likely be one of the first things to be cut.

Education budgets will also probably be pared. This could be decreased spending on new textbooks, which would not be good news for publishers like McGraw-Hill (MHP) and Scholastic (SCHL).

Another area that is likely to be hit is new equipment at the municipal level. For example, I would not expect Oshkosh (OSK) to have a very good year selling new fire engines and snow removal equipment to municipalities.

Layoffs of state and municipal workers will simply add to the already high and rising unemployment rate. In short, a big part of the federal stimulus spending is being offset by (legally mandated) anti-stimulus actions at the state level.

As the graph shows, state fiscal problems tend to persist well after the recession is officially over. Indeed the problem is usually worse in the second or third year since by then the "rainy day funds" have already been used up.

Following the last recession, states collectively had their worst year in 2004 with a shortfall of $80 billion (or less than half what they face for fiscal 2010), which was well after the recession officially ended. Thus 2011, and possibly even 2012, will be a very lean year at the state level as well.

Read the full analyst report on "MHP"
Read the full analyst report on "SCHL"
Read the full analyst report on "OSK"
Zacks Investment Research

Avalon Oil Oil & Gas, Inc. (AOGN.OB) Revenues Climb with First Check From Scissortail

QualityStocks — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:37:32 +0000

Avalon Oil & Gas, Inc., an independent domestic producer/investor of oil and natural gas, announced last month that it has received its first check for gas revenues from Scissortail Energy, an Oklahoma based provider of natural gas midstream services. The payment is for natural gas produced in the East Chandler Field in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, [...]

Water Stocks News – Wescorp Energy (OTCBB: WSCE) Ships First H2Omaxx Water Remediation Unit for Operations in Kansas, USA

Dawn Van Zant — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

HOUSTON, TEXAS AND CALGARY, ALBERTA -- May 27, 2009 -- Wescorp Energy Inc. (OTCBB: WSCE.OB), an oil and gas technology solutions provider, is pleased to announce that a 2,000 barrel per day H2Omaxx water remediation unit has been shipped to Kansas to begin full operations for an oil and gas producer.

Wescorp Energy, Inc. (WSCE.OB) Announces Shipment of First H2Omaxx Water Remediation Unit

QualityStocks — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:15:24 +0000

Wescorp Energy Inc., an oil and gas technology solutions provider, was pleased to announce today that a 2,000 barrel per day H2Omaxx water remediation unit has been shipped to Kansas to begin full operations for an oil and gas producer. H2Omaxx safely, effectively and economically cleans and separates oil and solids from produced water using [...]

Wescorp Energy Ships First H2Omaxx Water Remediation Unit for Operations in Kansas, USA

Dawn Van Zant — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

HOUSTON, TEXAS AND CALGARY, ALBERTA -- May 26, 2009 -- Wescorp Energy Inc. (OTC BB: WSCE.OB), an oil and gas technology solutions provider, is pleased to announce that a 2,000 barrel per day H2Omaxx water remediation unit has been shipped to Kansas to begin full operations for an oil and gas producer.

The Perfect Refinery Penny Play

Contrarian Profits — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:35:23 +0000

pLast year, oil prices went crazy. In a matter of weeks, oil shot up as high as $147 and came right back down. Today, oil is sneaking back up. The obvious temptation is to try and time it again. The smart money, however, is looking elsewhere to take advantage. We found the perfect penny play to do just that…/p p style="text-align: center;"strongSpreading Your Bet Without Losing Any Profits/strong/p pInstead of outright betting on oil’s price, let’s use the spread between oil and gas. After all, some of the largest companies in the world do this. All the large oil companies (ExxonMobil -NYSE:a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=XOM"XOM/a-, a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=BP"BP/a, Shell -NYSE:a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=RDS.a"RDS.A/a-, etc.) do it by owning refineries./p pNow, to be fair, most of their profits don’t come from the refinery process.#8230;/p

Today in Russian Business – April 28, 2009

Robert Amsterdam — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:59:55 +0000

The Economic Development Ministry has announced that unemployment reached 10% last month, and will continue to rise, but at a slower pace. The government is sticking to its plans to reduce inflation to 8% by 2012, and plans to reduce...

Freedom Financial Holdings, Inc. (FDMF.PK) Partners with State of Kansas

QualityStocks — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:37:43 +0000

Freedom Financial Holdings, Inc., a holding company with a focus on the identification of opportunities in the financial services sector, announced today that it has formed a strategic alliance with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), District 3 office in Chanute, Kansas to use KC 9000(TM) for tank remediation. “Several weeks ago, we presented a table [...]

Four Reasons to Like Nexia Holdings, Inc. (NXHD.OB)

QualityStocks — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:57:12 +0000

Nexia Holdings is a bargain hunter’s dream; a low-priced stock with very high potential. In addition to recent television and radio exposure, there are quite a few aspects of this company that make it attractive. Utah-based Nexia is a widely-diversified holdings company with arms that reach from real estate to retail. Nexia currently owns several [...]

Aspire Misery Index for the Week Ended March 13, 2009

Small Cap Pulse — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:41:00 +0000

March 14, 2009 - The markets got a reprieve this week, despite the fact that the negative economic data kept streaming in. The catalyst for stocks came from the financial services industry where Citigroup said it earned a profit in the first two months of 2009, and Bank of America was reportedly regaining some footing. As a result, the DJIA gained 9% on the week, the Nasdaq gained 10.6% and the Samp;P gained 10.7%. This is good news, but major concerns persist. Unemployment data continued to show that more Americans are losing jobs and expectations are that this trend will continue at least through the first half of 2009. A direct consequence of job losses is that consumer spending is going to continue to taper off. The US economy has come to be so dependent on consumer spending that this is going to have materially negative impact on GDP. To be sure, it doesnrsquo;t look like US exports are making up any of the slack. So the outlook for the corporate sector, and earnings continues to be shaky at best, which has led Wall Street to recalibrate earnings expectations lower on what seems to have been a daily basis. Another elephant in the room, which is a major concern is that China is becoming more openly critical about the mounting US debt. Pundits reacted quickly suggesting that China lsquo;wouldnrsquo;t darersquo; sell its US debt holdings because it would be too damaging to its own assets. Letrsquo;s assume that is correct. It will be damaging enough to the US plan of attack if China determines that it doesnrsquo;t have an appetite to purchase any more of our debt ndash; a reasonable position, especially if we continue to devalue their holdings at our printing presses. We wouldnrsquo;t be taking the rallies in the markets this week as any signal that the worst is over, given the fact that there are just so many very real things that could go very wrong in our attempt to get the US economy back on the rails. We fully expect that the dollar is setting up for a crash at some point in 2010 if the earth sun and moon donrsquo;t perfectly align under Obamarsquo;s stimulus plan. And it is by no means clear when Americans are going to find any footing again ndash; if ever. For now, they are faced with increasing job losses, record credit debt and the prospects of inflation if we are right about the outlook for the dollar. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; US Debt - Chinarsquo;s Premier express concerns about the levels of US debt, and the security of Chinarsquo;s assets invested in the US. Wen Jiabao said the US should ldquo;honor its wordsrdquo; and ldquo;stay a credible nation and ensure the safety of Chinese assets.rdquo; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Wholesale Inventories ndash; Wholesale inventories fell 0.7% in January, marking the fifth straight month of declines. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Budget Deficit ndash; The federal deficit hit $765 billion in the first five months of the budget year. The administrationrsquo;s target is $1.75 trillion for the entire year. The deficit for February alone was $192.8 billion, a record for the month. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Trade Deficit - The US trade deficit for January narrowed a bit narrower than forecast to $36 billion, a decline of 9.7% on a month-over-month basis and the lowest level since October 2002. This was an improvement, but economists and the Street will likely look at the imports side of the equation negatively. US imports fell 6.7% to $160.9 billion (lowest since 2005) indicating that the US consumer is weak. Our take is that, while it is bad news the consumer is weak, the pullback in consumer spending on imports is a good thing for the economy and desperately needed if it is going to get healthy again. Consumers need to get back to healthier personal balance sheets and the only way to do this is to spend less, pay down debt and save more. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Household Net Worth - the Fed reported that household net worth has fallen by 9% in the October-December period of 2008, from the previous quarter, which is the biggest decline on record since 1951. The decline represented about $5.1 trillion, leaving the total at $51.48 trillion at year end. The Fed estimated that stock holdings value fell by 23%. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Profit Warnings ndash; McDonaldrsquo;s, United Technologies middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Markets ndash; Hedge Funds ndash; Hedge Fund Research said that about 920 funds, or 12%, closed last year, and about 70% of hedge funds lost money in 2008, meaning that they canrsquo;t collect performance fees until the losses are recouped. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Job Cuts ndash; McClatchy (1,600 jobs), Eastman Chemical (up to 300 jobs), United Technologies (11,600 jobs), Witchita Eagle (14 jobs), National Semiconductor (1,725 jobs), Grady Health System (150 jobs), Miami Herald (about 175 jobs), Belo (150 jobs), Advanced Energy Industries (about 300 jobs), Finnair (laying off 700), Sunoco (750 jobs), middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Job Cuts ndash; Hedge Funds ndash; the Options Group reported that hedge funds may cut 20,000 jobs this year, about 14% of the industryrsquo;s total jobs middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Weekly Jobless Claims ndash; Weekly claims rose to 654,000 (more than expected) while continuing claims rose by 193,000 to 5.3 million. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Unemployment Rate ndash; States ndash; Connecticutrsquo;s unemployment rate hit 7.3% in January, Oklahoma hit 5.6%, South Carolina hit 10.4%, Colorado hit 6.6%, Kansas hit 6.4%, North Carolina hit 9.7%, Nebraska hit 4.3%, Maine hit 7.8%, Alabama hit 7.8%, California hit 10.1%, Puerto Rico hit 13%, Michigan hit 11.6%, Virginia hit 6.4%, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Closing the Doors ndash; Lowersquo;s is closing its distribution center in North Carolina at the end of the year, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Chapter 11 ndash; Fleetwood, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Chapter 7 ndash; Meadowbrook Farms, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Credit Card Delinquencies ndash; Declined in Q4 by 11% on a Y/Y basis to 1.21%. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Consumer Credit Debt ndash; Average borrower debt increased by 1.96% to $5,729 from $5,619 on a Y/Y basis middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Ratings Downgrades ndash; Fitch cut Nissan, Fitch cut Visteon, Moodyrsquo;s cut Clear Channel, Moodyrsquo;s cut Merck, Fitch cut Cemex, Moodyrsquo;s cut Phoenix, Fitch cut Berkshire Hathaway, Samp;P cut MGIC Investment, Moodyrsquo;s cut AK Steel, Fitch cut Dow Chemical, Fitch cut American Airlines, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Airlines ndash; American Airlines is cutting its US capacity by 9% this year and its international capacity by 2.5%, Delta is cutting its international flights by an additional 10% starting in September, middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Financial Sector ndash; Financial institutions have reported $1.2 trillion on losses and have cut more than 284,000 jobs since the US subprime mortgage market collapsed. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Financial Sector ndash; Hedge Funds ndash; Investors pulled out a total of $11 billion from hedge funds in February, which were about a third of what redemptions were in January, according to Eurekahedge Pte. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Housing Sector - RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures rose by 30% in February on a Y/Y basis, and are up 6% since January. The Mortgage Bankers Association said recently that almost 12% of all mortgage holders are delinquent. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Retail Sales - Retail sales in February fell for the seventh time in eight months, down 0.1%, according to the Commerce Department. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; KROCK is switching to a top 40 format. nbsp;

Nexia Holdings, Inc. (NXHD.OB) Gearing Up For National Expansion

QualityStocks — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:22:02 +0000

Nexia Holdings (NXHD.OB), a diversified holdings company, is gearing up for major growth over the next 3 years, with the acquisition of more commercial properties and the opening of 30 additional salons. Since the company currently has only two salons, it represents a significant expansion. The company’s Utah-based operations target the health, beauty, and fashion [...]

Garmin (GRMN), Ahead of the Game in Satellite Navigation

Contrarian Profits — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:50:16 +0000

pCurrent economic conditions show positive results for the tech leader, Garmin (a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ%3AGRMN"GRMN/a). Katherine Schildt of a href="http://www.investmentu.com/" class="alinks_links"Investment U/a says that, “with new products on the horizon, and an obvious demand for its products, Garmin’s future is looking much brighter.”This from Katherine:/p blockquotepNavigation devices have become increasingly popular over the years, and the leader in the a href="http://www.corporateinformation.com/Company-Snapshot.aspx?cusip=G37260109"United States is Garmin Ltd/a. (Nasdaq: a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ%3AGRMN"GRMN/a)./p pShares of Garmin Ltd., headquartered in Olathe, KS, soared 17% this morning from Friday’s close, giving hope to a company that has been struggling over past few months./p pIts biggest issue recently has been inventory, but it was able to reduce that by $274 million in the quarter./p p“It’s a sign that they may not have to price as aggressively to move the inventory#8230;/p/blockquote

Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN): Stock of the Day

Investment U — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:13:16 +0000

Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN): Stock of the Day by Katharine Schildt, Assistant Editor, The Oxford Club Navigation devices have become increasingly popular over the years, and the leader in the United States is Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Shares of Garmin Ltd., headquartered in Olathe, KS, soared 17% this morning from Friday’s close, giving hope to a company that [...]

Economy Down Gold Up, Stock Advice, Stimulus Bill to be Signed, Retail Forecast and More!

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:15:16 +0000

pGold booms after global strife, Byron King on whether the precious metal is still a buy#8230; Stimulus bill a done deal, details of the final 1,073-page fiasco#8230; States in peril, revenue crash causes budget crisis from California to New Jersey#8230; Wal-Mart surprises Street, Rob Parenteau on retail’s sudden comeback#8230; Stocks dive toward new crisis lows, equity advice from Mayer and Buffett#8230; Plus, have you noticed? One major index quietly up 30% YTD#8230;/p p class="BodyCopy" align="left" strongSo how’s the financial world faring so far this week?/strong One chart should set the scene: /p p class="BodyCopy" align="center"/p p class="BodyCopy" align="left"A seven-month high for our favorite metal may be sign that investors are losing faith in…. umm… everything. In fact, gold is up 33% since October, making it one of the planet’s finest asset#8230;/p

Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production

Alex Stanczyk — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:00:40 +0000

Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production Commodities / Food Crisis Feb 09, 2009 - 07:11 AM By: Eric_deCarbonnel After reading about the droughts in two major agricultural countries, China and Argentina, I decided to research the extent other food producing nations were also experiencing droughts. This project ended up taking a lot longer than I thought. 2009 looks [...]

Aspire Misery Index for the Week Ended January 30, 2009 (updated Friday a.m. Jan. 30)

Small Cap Pulse — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:57:00 +0000

Aspire Misery Index for the Week Ended, January 30, 2009 Another week chalked with downbeat earnings performance, profit warnings, and further indications of economic erosion here in the U.S., and abroad is almost behind us, and now we can start focusing on the Super Bowl. Here is a list of bullets to consider when setting expectations for stock, portfolio and indices performance (not 100% comprehensive but a pretty good gauge of this weekrsquo;s lowlights in the U.S. economy): GDP ndash; The U.S. economy contracted by 3.8% in the Q4, the most since 1982. The good news is that economists were expecting the number to come in at 5.4%. For 2008, GDP growth was 1.8%. Consumer Spending ndash; dropped by 3.5% last quarter following a 3.8% in the prior quarter. Durable Goods ndash; durable goods orders fell for the fifth straight month in December by 2.6%. Economists had expected a 2% decline. Orders fell 5.7% for the year, the second biggest decline on record. Retail Industry ndash; The National Retail Federation released a forecast for retailers in 2009 to record a 0.5% drop in revenue. Sales for the first half of 2009 are expected to decline by 2.5%, then a 1.1% decline in Q3 and a 3.6% increase in Q4. Auto Industry ndash; The National Association of Auto Dealers expects sales of at least 12.7 million vehicles in the U.S. this year. Mitsubishi extended the downtime at its Illinois factory for an extra five weeks. A irline Industry ndash; The International Air Transport Association said the industry lost $5 billion in 2008 on lower traffic.nbsp;nbsp; Mobile Phone Industry - Global mobile phone market will shrink 9% in 2009, its first decline since 2001 and with the first half set to be especially grim, Strategy Analytics said. Job Cuts ndash; Caterpillar (20,000 jobs), Sprint Nextel (8,000 jobs), Deere (700 jobs), Home Depot (7,000 jobs), GM (2,000 jobs), Wyeth (8,000 jobs ndash; on consolidation from Pfizer purchase), Brooks Automation (350 jobs, or 20% of workforce), Corning (3,500 jobs), Quiksilver (200 jobs), Weyerhauser (221 jobs), STM Microelectronics (4,500 jobs), IBM (estimated 4,000 jobs), Target (1,000 headquarters jobs),nbsp; Volvo (laying off 650 at Virginia plant), JL French Automotive Castings (300 jobs), Starbucks (7,000 more jobs), Citrix (about 462 jobs), Boeing (10,000 jobs), Jabil Circuit (3,000 jobs), AOL (700 jobs), nbsp;Wet Seal (41 jobs), Readerrsquo;s Digest (about 280 jobs), Revel (lays off 400), Pacific Sunwear (57 jobs), Analogic (140 jobs), Kodak (3,500 to 4,500 jobs), Black amp; Decker (1,200 jobs), Teradyne (14% of workforce), Bon-Ton (1,150 jobs), Cessna (2,000 jobs), AstraZeneca (another 6,000 jobs), New Jersey hospital system (cutting 180 jobs), Caterpillar (added 2,100 more jobs to its already announced 20,000 jobs), Unemployment ndash; The Conference Board said unemployment could rise to 9%. Nevadarsquo;s jobless rate reached 9.1% in December. Unemployment in Kansas rose to 4.9% in December from 4% the year prior. Coloradorsquo;s unemployment rate in December hit 6.1%. South Carolinarsquo;s unemployment rate rose to 9.5%. Indianarsquo;s unemployment rate rose to 8.2% in December. Arkansasrsquo; unemployment rate rose to 6.2% in December. Mainersquo;s unemployment rate rose to 7% in December. Montanarsquo;s unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in December. West Virginiarsquo;s jobless rate is expected to increase to between 8.7% and 9.5% by the last quarter of 2009. The Labor Department reported that weekly jobless claims rose to 588,000 while the continuing claims rose to an all-time high of almost 4.8 million. Nebraska unemployment rose to 4% in December. nbsp; Profit Warnings ndash; Caterpillar, Applied Industrial Tech, Eaton, Max Capital Group, Moog, McGraw Hill, Quanex, Lexmark, Jacobs Engineering, U.S. Steel, AK Steel, Yahoo, Total Systems, Rayonier, ATamp;T, McCormick, Tyco, Norsk Hyrdo, Cirrus Logic, Baker Hughes, Canon, Qualcomm, Textron, Oshkosh, NEC, Honda, Hitachi, Credit Ratings ndash; Fitch lowered Johnson Control ratings, Moodyrsquo;s downgraded Sealy, Samp;P cut Ryder System, Samp;P and Moodyrsquo;s cut Blythrsquo;s ratings, Samp;P cut rates on PPL Corp and PPL Electric, Samp;P cut ratings on SunTrust Banks, Samp;P cuts Hexion, Moodyrsquo;s cuts Intrsquo;l Game Technology, Samp;P cut Golden Nugget, Chapter 11 ndash; Hartmarx (Obamarsquo;s suit maker), Smurfit-Stone, Closing the Doors ndash; Weyerhauser is closing two mills in southwestern Washington, Starbucks is closing 300 stores, Venture Capital ndash; Investments in Q4 fell by 33% Y/Y to $5.4 billion.nbsp; Investment into biotech and medical device companies fell 31% Y/Y to $1.6 billion. Investment into software companies fell by 28% Y/Y to $1 billion. The only sector bucking the trend was alternative energy and clean tech, which raised $908.2 million in the Q4, up 26% over the same period last year. For the full year, VC invested $28.3 billion, down 8% Y/Y. State Budgets ndash; Nevadarsquo;s unemployment rate rose to 9.1% in December; Home Sales ndash; Existing home sales rose 6.5% in December while the median home sales price fell 15.3% Y/Y to $175,400. For 2008, homes sales were down 13% TO 4.9 million homes, the lowest level since 1997. The National Association of Realtors said southern existing home sales fell almost 7% in December on a Y/Y basis, while the median sales price fell 8% to $158,600; existing home sales in the Midwest fell almost 5% in December on a Y/Y basis and the media sale price declined to $140,800. The Commerce Department reported new homes fell 14.7% in December to the slowest pace since 1963. The median price of new homes sold in December was $206,500, a decline of 9.3% Y/Y. Home Prices - Samp;P Case/Shiller index reported that home prices in 20 U.S. cities declined by 18.2% in November on a Y/Y basis. Ken Rose, UC Berkeley Economist projected home prices to slide 6% in 2009. Leading Indicators ndash; The Conference Boardrsquo;s monthly forecast of economic activity increased 0.3% in December. Stock Dividends ndash; the AP reported that dividends are being cut at the fastest pace in at least 50 years. Colleges ndash; universities are cutting budgets, and college endowments are down 3% in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and in the first five months of FY2009, endowments are down 23% (source: TIAA-CREF and NACUBO). Tourism ndash; The U.N. World Tourism Organization said global tourism could decline by up to 2% in 2009. Hawaiirsquo;s tourism industry saw a 16.5% decline in December, and 10.8% for the year. pa href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/smallcappulse/feed?a=13Fjnk"img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/smallcappulse/feed?i=13Fjnk" border="0"/img/a/p

CenturyTel (CTL): Cash In On America’s Digital Revolution

Irwin Greenstein — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:10:17 +0000

pA significant piece of legislation that is part of President Obama’s stimulus package could open parts of the U.S. to new high-speed Internet services – giving local economies a boost. If so, we’ve identified one company that investors should consider buying in anticipation of a key piece of legislation that was passed last week./p pHigh-speed Internet can exert a profound impact on how local businesses and consumers improve their own personal productivity and expand their entertainment venues. Our thinking here is very much along the lines of our “Cell Phone Indicator” that we use in emerging markets – improved communications boost the local economy./p pThe House Energy and Commerce Committee approved $6 billion in rules for billions in government funds to spur#8230;/p

Aspire Misery Index for the Week Ended January 16, 2009 – Updated through January 16

Small Cap Pulse — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Aspire Misery Index for the Week Ended January 16, 2009 As of Friday morning, January 16, here is what we have accumulated for our Misery Index: middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; US. Auto Industry ndash; Ford expects U.S. light vehicles to reach 12.2 million units this year, Chrysler expects sales to reach 11 million and GM projects 10 to 11 million - down from 16 million in 2007 and 13.2 million last year. Wachovia expects 10.3 million unit sales. CSM worldwide expects 2009 sales in the U.S. to hit 11.5 million (but then rebound to 13.6 million in 2010). Deutsche Bank projects 2009 sales in the U.S. to decline by 13% to 11.5 million units. J.D. Power amp; Associates projects sales in the U.S. to decline to 11.4 million units in 2009, and then grow to 13.4 million in 2010, and 14.7 million units by 2011.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Global Auto Industry ndash; French-Romanian manufacturer Dacia announced a temporary closure of a Romanian plant; Hyundai cutting domestic output between 25% to 30%. CSM Worldwide is forecasting 2008 global sales to fall about 8% to 56.8 million (but a rise in 2010 sales of nearly 7% to 60.8 million units). PSA Peugeot Citroen said its sales declined by 4.9% in 2008. South Korearsquo;s Ssangyong Motor has halted production, after filing for bankruptcy last week. Nissan is cutting domestic production by 64,000 vehicles in February and March. European car sales have hit a 15-year low, according to the ACEA, with demand in the region down 7.3%. Sales in the region in December were down 18% Y/Y. Honda is halting production at its British plant for 20 days in April and 15 days in May to reduce production by 17,000 units and it is cutting production in Japan by an additional 56,000 units.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Global Technology ndash; Forrester Research anticipates spending to decline by 3% this year, which would mark the first decline since 2002, but it expects spending to recover to as much as 9% growth by 2010.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; PC Shipments ndash; Global shipments of PCs posed their first quarterly decline in six years, during the last quarter of 2008, by 0.4% Y/Y. In the U.S. shipments of PCs fell by 3.5%.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Global Handset Marketnbsp; - Sony Ericcson revised its estimate to 1.19 billion units, or 6% growth, down from previous estimates of 10% growth.nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Retail ndash; The Commerce Department reported that retail sales fell 2.7% in December, following a 2.1% decline in November. Ex-autos, the number came in at a decline of 3.1%.nbsp; Expectations were for a 1.2% decline in December. Excluding auto sales, expectations were for a decline of 1.3%. Chain-store sales fell 2.3% for the week ended January 10. December chain-store sales fell 2% Y/Y, and excluding Wal-Mart, comparable store sales declined 4.6% Y/Y marking the largest downturn since 1970.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Airline Industry ndash; Airbus expects orders to dip below deliveries for the first time in six years. Airline traffic fell 7.1% in October. SkyWest said December traffic fell by 3.3% Y/Y.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Beer ndash; reports from brewers are indicating that the beer industry is not immune from current economic conditions either. SABMiller is reporting shipments fell unexpectedly in Q3; Carlsberg A/S said it is cutting 274 jobs to save on costs;nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Inventories ndash; The Commerce Department said businesses cut inventories by 0.7% in November. Expectations were for a 0.5% decline. This is the third straight month of reductions in inventories.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The housing market continues to reel. Reports this morning are that more than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure last year, an 81% increase from 2007. 860,000 properties were actually repossessed by lenders and Moodyrsquo;s Economy.com is projecting that the number of homes lost to foreclosure will rise by another 18% this year. RealtyTrac said Hawaiirsquo;s foreclosures tripled in December, compared to the same period last year; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hustlerrsquo;s Larry Flynt reported hat adult DVD sales have decreased 22% in 2008 over the prior year.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Ratings Revisions ndash; Moodyrsquo;s revises Harscorsquo;s outlook to negative; Moodyrsquo;s revised Synovus outlook to negative; Samp;P downgraded Visteon to CCC status from B- with a negative outlook; Samp;P reduced Hayes Lemmerz maintaining outlook to negative; Fitch downgraded Tronox ratings; Moodyrsquo;s cut Harscorsquo;s outlook to negative; Samp;P cut auto parts supplier BorgWarnerrsquo;s ratings; DCP Midstream outlook downgraded to negative by Samp;P, Moodyrsquo;s downgraded Texas Industries; Samp;P cut ratings on Merisant; Moodyrsquo;s said the fundamental credit outlook for the United Arab Emiratesrsquo; banking sector is negative; Samp;P lowered Greece republic; Moodyrsquo;s downgraded American Greetings; Delta Petroleum rating downgraded by Moodyrsquo;s; Moodyrsquo;s downgraded Quiksilver; Samp;P lowered ratings on Spansion; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Profit warnings ndash; Vertex, Hologic, Kendle, Aetna, Kennametal, Aetna, Celgene, KLA Tencor, Health Management, Prestige, Liz Clairborne, Cepheid, Lexmark, Prestige Brands, Old National, Nvidia, Genesco, Visteon, Kenneth Cole,nbsp; F.N.B.., Marathon, Beazer, Deutsche Bank AG, Ametek, P.F. Changs, Kenneth Cole, Bunge, VF, California Pizza Kitchen, Cardiac Science, Trimble, Sanyo, Plantronics, Intel, Cynosure, RC2, Caliper, Autodesknbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Job cuts ndash; Waterford (367 jobs), Courier (72 jobs), Kennametal (1,200 jobs), Westchester Medical Center (400 jobs), Cessna (2,000 jobs), Seagate (10% of its U.S. workforce, or 800 jobs), Cost Plus (18% of its staff), BRE Properties (33 jobs), Mosaic (1,000 jobs in Canada), Cummins (800 jobs and freezing salaries), PGT Inc. (10% of workforce), Pfizer (800 jobs), Hutchinson Technology (275 jobs), ING Group (750 jobs), Digicel (10% of workforce), Harrahrsquo;s Cherokee Casinos (100 jobs), FormFactor (22% of workforce or about 200 jobs); Nieman Marcus (about 375 jobs), Sonus Networks (4% of its workforce, or 40 jobs), Oracle (500 jobs), Reebok (more than 300 workers), Cardiac Science (12% of workforce, or 66 jobs), Barnes amp; Noble (100 jobs); Motorola (another 4,000 jobs), Ecolab (1,000 jobs), Google (100 jobs), MeadWestvaco (10% of its workforce, or 2,000 jobs), Sanyo (1,200 jobs), Plantronics (18% of workforce), Standard Micro (5% to 10% of workforce), Vulcan (50 jobs), Saks (1,100 jobs), AAA (200 jobs), Cynosure (17% of workforce), Random House (confirmed it is cutting an undisclosed number of jobs), the Boston Globe (up to 50 newsroom jobs),nbsp; Marshall amp; Illsley (830 jobs), Autodesk (750 jobs), Blue Cross Blue Shield (up to 1,000 jobs), Roche (780 jobs),nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Employers announced almost 40,000 jobs cuts on Friday alone!nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The Labor Market was expected to report unemployment claims were 500,000 last week. Instead, jobless claims rose 54,000 to 524,000. The one positive note is that continuing claims declined to 4.5 million from an upwardly revised number of 4.6 million the prior week. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Chapter 11 ndash; Tronox, Tarrogon Corp., Apex Silver (planned); Nortel, Gottschalks, Goodyrsquo;s, Black Angus,nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; BankruptcyData.com reported that bankruptcy filings amongst publicly traded companies increased by 74% in 2008 (136 filings). The record was set in 2001 with 263 filings.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Corporate Defaults ndash; Moodyrsquo;s Investors Service said the rate of defaults by corporate borrowers around the world more than quadrupled last year to 4%. The default rate is expected to rise to about 15.1% by the end of this year.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Closing shop ndash; Cost Plus is closing 26 stores and exiting eight media markets; Sunoco is closing its Texas manufacturing plant; AAA is closing 34 offices in 7 states; Circuit City is closing remaining 567 U.S. stores;nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; States running on empty ndash; Texas comptroller announced it expects a $9 billion drop in revenue for the next 2-year state budget; Iowa estimates a budget gap that could top $600 million; Minnesotarsquo;s State Budget Trends Commission said budget problems are long-term, and the state faces a $4.85 billion deficit for the coming 2-year budget; Florida is pulling from its last-resort reserves to help fill its $2.3 billion budget deficit;nbsp; Ohiorsquo;s unemployment compensation fund is out of money, and the state plans on borrowing $500 million to pay benefits in January and February; Kansas is projecting a $186 million budget deficit but estimates are that the deficit could grow to more than $1 billion by 2010; New Mexico is facing a $450 million deficit; Idahorsquo;s governor has proposed cutting $75.8 million from its public education funding to help cut its fiscal 2010 budget; Alabamarsquo;s Legislative Fiscal Office said its public schools and colleges face $1 billion in budget cuts this year and next as the state grapples with its budget shortfalls; Arizona faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in its current budget; Marylandrsquo;s governor announced that state employee layoffs are in the state budget to be submitted next week; Connecticut is working on a plan to trim its $1 billion deficit; California is running with a $41.6 billion deficit;nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The federal government has run the deficit up to a record $485.2 billion in the first three months of the current budget year. The deficit for December was $83.6 billion, contrasted with a surplus of $48.3 billion in December, 2007. The deficit for the entire 2008 year was $454.8 billion. Dan Weiss of Samp;P expects that this yearrsquo;s deficit will hit $1.6 trillion and will remain above $1 trillion next year as well.nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; And the House Democrats are stepping up the pace announcing a stimulus bill on Thursday that would amount to $825 billion in federal spending and tax cuts. middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President, Dennis Lockhart: ldquo;Looking ahead, the economy is very weak, and I expect it will remain weak at least through the first quarter in late April.rdquo;nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hedge Fund Research reported that almost 700 funds, or 7% of the industry, shut down in the first three quarters of 2008 with the average hedge fund losing 18% of its value (better than the DJIA which lost 34% and the Samp;P 500 which lost 38%).nbsp;nbsp; middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The UN predicts zero world growth in 2009. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; pa href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/smallcappulse/feed?a=j1HlHK"img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/smallcappulse/feed?i=j1HlHK" border="0"/img/a/p

Jan 15: Initial Claims Jump by 52,000

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:04:26 +0000

Initial Claims for the week ending Jan. 10rd rose by 54,000 to 524,000, from 470,000 last week (revised upwards by 3,000). This decrease came slightly above analyst expectations of 520,000. Initial claims filings have fallen the previous two weeks, a consequence of the holidays, following a 26 year high the week before (586,000 for the week ending 12/20/08). The report shows those continuing to receive unemployment benefits fell by 115,000 to 4,497,000, from 4,612,000 the week ending Dec 27th, which is the highest since November of 1982 (when size of labor force was smaller), and was only 2,743,000 in the prior year. In the past week, ending January 3rd, initial claims decreased as a result of significantly reduced filings in California, Kansas, Michigan, , and Illinois (upwards of 9,500 in each state) cited from fewer layoffs in construction, services, manufacturing, and trade industries. Filings in South Carolina increased significantly, +14,905, from increased layoffs in industrial machinery and manufacturing industries. The 4-week moving average was 518,500, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's average of 526,500.

Upcoming Releases
Consumer Price Index (01/16 at 8:30 AM EST)
Capacity Utilization (01/16 at 9:15 AM EST)
Industrial Production (01/16 at 9:15 AM EST)

Zacks Investment Research

Jan 8: Initial Claims Fall for 2nd Consecutive Week

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:30:27 +0000

Initial Claims for the week ending Jan. 3^rd fell 24,000 to 467,000, from 491,000 last week, and from a 26-year high of 586,000 the week before. This decrease came at a -13.5% surprise from the 540,000 estimate. Initial claims have fallen the last two weeks, which may have been a result of offices closed for holidays allowing less opportunity for initial unemployment claims filings were made. Also, the figures indicate that those filing haven't regained employment as the number of persons continuing to receive unemployment benefits rose to 4,611,000, the highest since November of 1982 (when size of labor force was smaller), and was only 2,690,000 in the prior year. In the past week, ending December 27^th, initial claims decreased as a result of significantly reduced filings in Texas, California, Florida, and Virginia cited from fewer layoffs in construction, trade, services, automobile, and manufacturing industries. In Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, initial claim filings increases last week from layoffs in construction, trade, service, transportation, manufacturing, and warehousing industries. The 4-week moving average was 525,250, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's average of 552,750.

Upcoming Releases

Unemployment Rate (01/09 at 8:30 AM EST)

Wholesale Inventories (01/09 at 10:00 AM EST)

Zacks Investment Research

Latest Delays With Boeing’s Dreamliner Puts Program Two Years Behind Schedule

Contrarian Profits — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:43:21 +0000

pThe Boeing Co. (a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ABA" target="_blank"BA/a). is pushing back the schedule of its troubled 787 Dreamliner jet program by about six months as it works to unwind delays caused by the recently concluded union-machinists strike, and by thousands of improperly installed fasteners on the first couple of jetliners on the production line. This puts the high-profile airliner program about two years behind schedule./p pThe Chicago-based aerospace giant also has unveiled a series of management changes it says will improve supervision of both supply-chain management and production quality at improving oversight of supply-chain and quality problems that led to delays on all of Boeing’s jet programs in recent months./p pWith the move, the fuel-efficient jet’s first flight has been shifted into the second quarter of#8230;/p

Avalon Oil & Gas, Inc. (AOGN.OB) is “One to Watch”

QualityStocks — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:42:52 +0000

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Avalon Oil & Gas, Inc. is an oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition of producing oil and gas properties. Trading on the OTCBB, the Company is doing this in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Their corporate strategy is to use efficient reservoir maintenance and innovative technology to obtain [...]

Boeing Will be Forced to Announce Yet Another Dreamliner Delay

Contrarian Profits — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:12:25 +0000

pThe Boeing Co. (a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ABA" target="_blank"BA/a) may further delay first deliveries of its flagship 787 Dreamliner by at least six months – meaning the jet will enter service more than two years later than was originally projected – because of the recently concluded strike by union machinists and several other problems, strongemThe Wall Street Journal/em/strong reported./p pSources told the strongemJournal/em/strong that a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122843343598181119.html" target="_blank"the first deliveries/a of the fuel-efficient jet might not occur until the summer of 2010. Boeing’s most recent schedule called for initial deliveries in the third quarter of 2009. Officials with the Chicago-based aerospace giant are expected to announce the newest delays later this month, after making certain of the new timetable, the newspaper said./p h3A Recent Record of Costly Delays/h3 pBoeing has long prided itself for#8230;/p

Waddell & Reed Financial (WDR) – Bear of the Day

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Waddell & Reed Financial (WDR) - Kansas-based Waddell & Reed, one of the nation's oldest mutual fund asset managers, offers investment management, investment product underwriting and distribution, as well as shareholder services.

A slowdown of sales momentum and a sharp decline in assets under management (AUM) impacted asset-based fee revenue [in its most recent quarter], which led to an overall decline in revenue across all channels. Assets under management decreased 14.7% sequentially (though up 0.7% year-over-year) to $59.8 billion as of September 30, 2008.

We anticipate the decline in AUM to continue to hurt the top-line for the next few months, in view of the continued downturn in the global markets. We have reduced our FY08 and FY09 EPS estimates and downgraded our recommendation on the shares to a Sell with a six-month target price of $10.75 per share.
"WADD" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

Stocks Which Benefit from Low Oil Prices Part 2: Utilities

Fred Fuld — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:18:00 +0000

a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STtlkEBkX0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/1FYndgjniZU/s1600-h/oilderrick.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/STtlkEBkX0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/1FYndgjniZU/s320/oilderrick.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276923058624683842" //abr /Oil may break through $40 a barrel, since it is skirting very close to that price and has traded as low as $40.81. Recently, I wrote about the trucking and package delivery a href="http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/stocks-which-benefit-from-low-oil.html"stocks which could benefit from lower gasoline prices/a.br /br /With the price of oil and natural gas tanking, investors are now looking closely at the utility stocks that use oil and gas as a major fuel source of their electrical generation. Hopefully, the cost savings for these companies will pass through to the bottom line long before the Utilities Commissions implement rate reductions. br /br /Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with 24% of their electric energy coming from oil and natural gas. About 35% comes from coal and 21.5% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a PE of 11, a PEG of 2.62 and a yield of 7.2%.br /br /Westar Energy Inc. (WR) generates about 34% of its energy from natural gas, with 56% from coal and 9% from nuclear. This utility which serves Kansas has a PE of 12, a PEG of 3.11 and a yield of 6.2%.br /br /Entergy Corp. (ETR) has about 18% of its fuel sources coming from oil and natural gas. 12% is from coal and 33% from nuclear, with the rest purchased. Entergy serves Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans, where it is based. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 1.17 and a yield of 3.7%.br /br /OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) has 29% of its energy coming from natural gas, with 51% from coal. They serve the south central United States. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 2.32 and a yield of 6%.br /br /Alliant Energy Corp. (LNT) has 28% of its electricity generated from natural gas and 6% from oil. The company serves Iowa and southern Minnesota. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.78 and a yield of 4.9%.br /br /Cleco Corp. (CNL), another Louisiana based company, with 14% exposure to natural gas. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 0.99 and a yield of 4.2%.br /br /If you like utility stocks, you should take a look at a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/highest-yielding-electric-utilities-for.html"Highest Yielding Electric Utilities/a and a href=" http://stockerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/highest-yielding-natural-gas-utilities.html"Highest Yielding Natural Gas Utilities/a. You can also find an Excel database of utility stocks, which you can download, add to and sort, at a href="http://WallStreetNewsNetwork.com"WallStreetNewsNetwork.com/abr /br /emAuthor does not own any of the above./embr /br /By Fred Fuld at a href="http://Stockerblog.com"Stockerblog.com/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"div class='adsense' style='text-align:center; padding: 0px 3px 0.5em 3px;' script type="text/javascript"!-- google_ad_client="ca-pub-2427831169011625"; google_ad_width=300; google_ad_height=250; google_ad_format="300x250_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_ad_channel ="8681602088"; google_color_border="FFF3DB"; google_color_bg="FFF3DB"; google_color_link="1B0431"; google_color_url="1B0431"; google_color_text="29303B"; //--/script script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" /script /div

The State of State Muni’s

Richard Shaw — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:44:39 +0000

Several of our clients have come to us this past week with questions and concerns about municipal bond funds. They are concerned about recent performance, about California projected cash shortages, about many states struggling with budget deficits, about the fate of revenue bonds in the face of current economic problems; and whether the US government would [...]

Nexia Holdings, Inc. (NXHD.OB) is “One to Watch”

QualityStocks — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:03:37 +0000

Nexia Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holdings company with operations in health and beauty, fashion retail, and real estate. Currently, the company owns two salons, one retail store, one online retail store and three commercial properties. The two salons, Landis Lifestyle Salon and Landis Salon, are both located in Utah. Landis Lifestyle Salon, located in Salt [...]

Waddell & Reed Lowered to Sell – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:53:44 +0000

Kansas-based, Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (WDR), one of the nation's oldest mutual fund asset managers, offers investment management, investment product underwriting and distribution, as well as shareholder services.

A slowdown of sales momentum and a sharp decline in assets under management (AUM) impacted asset-based fee revenue [in its most recent quarter], which led to an overall decline in revenue across all channels. Assets under management decreased 14.7% sequentially (though up 0.7% year-over-year) to $59.8 billion as of September 30, 2008.

We anticipate the decline in AUM to continue to hurt the top-line for the next few months, in view of the continued downturn in the global markets. We have reduced our FY08 and FY09 EPS estimates and downgraded our recommendation on the shares to a Sell with a six-month target price of $10.75 per share.

Read the full analyst report on WDR

"WDR" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

Boeing Machinists Strike Will Delay Dreamliner Jetliner Test Flight Until the New Year

Contrarian Profits — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:10:21 +0000

For The Boeing Co. (BA), the strike may be over, but the fallout continues. Just days after resolving an eight-week strike by 27,000 unionized machinist workers, the Chicago-based aerospace giant announced that the job action will force it to delay the first test flight of its problem-plagued 787 Dreamliner passenger jet until next year.

Boeing was planning to make the inaugural flight of the next-generation jetliner – already delayed four times – during the fourth quarter. But company spokesman Jim Proulx said the strike – which started Sept. 6 and forced Boeing to temporarily shutter its commercial aircraft business – forced the firm to push the test flight into next year.

Boeing is conducting a special assessment to determine just how much…

Boeing (BA) Shares Soar as Striking Machinists go to End Walkout

Contrarian Profits — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:55:47 +0000

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union will vote this Saturday on whether to end its two-month strike against The Boeing Co. (BA). A tentative agreement to end the strike was reached Monday.

Boeing’s shares soared $6.55 each, or 15.5%, to close at $48.91. They are still down 50% from their 12-month high of $98.71 and are down 45% for the year.

It was the longest strike in 13 years: The union walked out for 28 days in 2005 and 69 days in 1995.

Both sides claimed victory this time around.The union said that it “won the battle and made some significant gains,” while Boeing claimed it had “retained the flexibility necessary” to manage its business, Reuters reported.

Saturday will be the…

Striking Machinists to Vote Saturday on Deal To End Boeing Walkout – Shares Soar

Money Morning — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:00:24 +0000

From Money Morning Staff Reports The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union will vote this Saturday on whether to end its two-month strike against The Boeing Co. (BA).... Money Morning is here to help investors profit ha...

CenturyTel’s Bid for Embarq Will Likely Jump-Start a Wave of Mergers Among Rural Telecom Players

Contrarian Profits — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:45:34 +0000

CenturyTel Inc. (CTL) will acquire rival Embarq Corp. (EQ) in an $11.6 billion deal that could kick-start a flurry of mergers among rural-regional telephone carriers. The deal should be good for the two companies, said Jeff Kagan, an independent analyst who is well known for his coverage of the telecom sector.

“There has been a lot of talk recently about Embarq wanting to be acquired,” Kagan told MarketWatch.com. “However, the financial crisis that is on the front page every day made finding a partner difficult. That may have lowered the price Embarq hoped to get. CenturyTel saw an opportunity and jumped in to acquire Embarq. Timing was on CenturyTel’s side in this deal.”

The all-stock deal – announced yesterday (Monday) – calls…

CenturyTel’s Buyout Bid for Embarq Will Likely Jump-Start a Wave of Mergers Among Rural Telecom Players

William Patalon lll — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:30:17 +0000

By William Patalon III Executive Editor Money Morning/The Money Map Report CenturyTel Inc. (CTL) will acquire rival Embarq Corp. (EQ) in an $11.6 billion deal that could kick-start a flurry of... Money Morning is here to help investors profit ha...

Top Yielding Electric Utilities over 6%

Fred Fuld — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:13:00 +0000

When the stock market is volatile and in recessionary times, investors often turn to electric utilities as investments. The advantages are the high income, less volatility than other stocks, they are monopolies, they provide a product that everyone requires, and during a recession when people are cutting back, one of the last things they cut back on are their electric bills.

The following electric utility stocks all have yields over 6%, PE ratios below 18, and PEG ratios below 3.

Great Plains Energy Incorporated ( GXP ) is a Kansas City based generator of electricity from coal, nuclear, natural gas, oil, and wind. It pays a yield of 8.70% , and has a PE of 10 and a PEG of 1.42 .

Ameren Corporation ( AEE ) is a utility that serves Missouri and Illinois. It pays a yield of 8.10% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 2.54 .

Constellation Energy Group, Inc. ( CEG ) is a Baltimore based utility which operates fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy generating facilities It pays a yield of 7.70% , and has a PE of 5 and a PEG of 0.26 .

The Empire District Electric Company ( EDE ) provides electricity to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It pays a yield of 6.80% , and has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 2.18 .

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation ( PNW ) is a Phoenix, Arizona based utility. It pays a yield of 6.60% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 2.84 .

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ( CNP ) is a Houston, Texas based utility. It pays a yield of 6.60% , and has a PE of 9 and a PEG of 0.51 .

Progress Energy, Inc. ( PGN ) provides electricity in North Carolina, South Carolina, and west central Florida. It pays a yield of 6.50% , and has a PE of 11 and a PEG of 2.01 .

Westar Energy, Inc. ( WR ) is a Topeka, Kansas based utility. It pays a yield of 6.30% , and has a PE of 10 and a PEG of 2.97 .

DTE Energy Company ( DTE ) is a Detroit, Michigan based utility. It pays a yield of 6.10% , and has a PE of 8 and a PEG of 1.89 .

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. ( TEG ) is a Chicago, Illinois based utility which uses coal, natural gas, fuel oil, hydroelectric, nuclear, and wind sources to generate electricity. It pays a yield of 6.00% , and has a PE of 12 and a PEG of 1.36 .

If you want to download an Excel spreadsheet database which lists all the high yielding electric utilities that you can add to and sort, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author owns PGN.

By Stockerblog.com

Highest Yielding Income Partnership Stocks over 8%

Fred Fuld — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:47:00 +0000

Income partnerships, generally known as Master Limited Partnerships or MLP's or US Income Partnerships, are investments that are similar to income royalty trusts, except that they are structured as limited partnerships. MLP's have certain advantages over regular stocks with high dividends. There is no double taxation because the income is passed through without being taxed at the corporate level. Also, they can pass through tax deductions. However, there are a couple issues you should be aware of, that make them different from income trusts.

For example, income partnerships don't send out 1099 forms, they send out a Schedule K-1 Form, and the income is reported on your tax return differently from regular dividends. In addition, you should never, ever put an MLP into a retirement plan because of the UBTI or Unrelated Business Taxable Income problem, which could put the tax deferred status of your retirement plan in jeopardy, based on what I understand. MLP closed end funds should not be a problem. However, since I am not an accountant, please discuss MLP's with your accountant or CPA for clarification, before investing in MLPs.

Most MLP's are generally involved in pipeline businesses, usually oil and gas, and usually have very high dividends. Here are some with some high yields.

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. (TNH) a Sioux City, Iowa based company producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizer products, has a yield of over 16.9%. They distribute anhydrous ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solutions. This New York Stock Exchange company has a P/E of 6.

Atlas Pipeline Partners LP (APL) is a Pennsylvania based company natural gas distributor with approximately 7,900 miles of intrastate gas gathering pipelines, that yields 16.5%. They have a forward P/E of 7 and a PEG of 2.56.

Rio Vista Energy Partners LP (RVEP), a producer of oil and natural gas, yields 16%. Earnings have recently been negative.

Teekay LNG Partners LP. (TGP) is a marine transportation company which yields 15%. They transport liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and crude oil. The stock has a forward PE of 9 and a PEG of 1.99.

Ferrellgas Partners LP (FGP), the propane distribution company, has a yield of 12.3%. This Overland Park, Kansas company distributes gas throughout the US. The stock has a P/E of 40 and a PEG of 2.88.

Another high yield partnership is Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (ETP) which has a payout of 9.8%. The company is in the business of transporting and storing natural gas through its pipelines. The stock, which trades on the NYSE, has a P/E of 9.

You can find an Excel spreadsheet list of over a dozen master limited partnerships, which can be downloaded, sorted, added to and changed, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Wisconsin is a popular tourist destination. The most visited places within the state are: The Wisconsin Dells, House on The Rock, and the Circus World Museum. Some interesting facts about Wisconsin follow:

1. Wisconsin’s largest forest product is papermaking, and it employs more than 100,000 people.
2. Gravel and construction sand represent 80% of Wisconsin’s nonfuel mineral production.
3. Wisconsin’s top agricultural products are dairy beef and calves, and corn
4. Workers in the papermaking industry of Wisconsin are the highest paid within the manufacturing industry.
5. Wisconsin tourism industry employs 177,000 workers and generated about $6 billion in revenue.
6. Wisconsin’s major exporter industries are the computer, machinery, and the transportation.
7. Wisconsin’s main exports go to Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
8. One of the largest ore bodies of zinc copper is located in Wisconsin.
9. Wisconsin offers property tax exemptions for certain manufacturing companies.
10. Business taxes in Wisconsin are among the 15 lowest in the country.

The following companies are headquartered in Wisconsin:

Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) develops and sells energy saving technologies, among other services. The stock has a market cap of $12.37 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.73, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) is a retail chain with operations throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $9.79 billion, a PE of 10, and a PEG of 0.74.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) develops and manufactures motorcycles, accessories and parts for motorcycles worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.88, and it pays a yield of 4.5%.

Fiserv, Inc. (FISV) renders information management systems services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.79 billion, a PE of 9, and a PEG of 0.70.

Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) delivers natural gas and electric services in Wisconsin and Michigan. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.51, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (MI) is a bank providing financial services to corporate, institutional, and government customers. The stock has a market cap of $3.62 billion, a PE of 8, and it pays a dividend of 7.3%.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) designs and provides software and solutions for industrial automation of different processes. The stock has a market cap of $3.75 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.52, and it pays a yield of 4.0%.

Joy Global, Inc. (JOYG) makes, and sells mining gear. The stock has a market cap of $3.00 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.67, and it pays a dividend of 2.2%.

Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT) generates, delivers and sells electric power in Minnesota, and Iowa. The stock has a market cap of $2.66 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 1.74, and it pays a yield of 5.1%.

Manpower Inc. (MAN) offers employment services in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Australia, and Argentina. The stock has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a PE of 5, a PEG of 0.46, and it pays a yield of 2.2%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns HOG.

By Stockerblog.com

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Wisconsin Stocks

Fred Fuld — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Louisiana Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Louisiana, unlike any of the other states of the union is made up of Parishes, as opposed to counties. A state of subtropical temperatures, and wild hurricanes is also a land of great riches. Louisiana refines more oil than any other state. Here are some interesting facts about Louisiana:

1. Petroleum and natural gas are Louisiana’s number one mined products, and together they account for 90% of the total state mining income.
2. Louisiana ranks number one in shrimp production.
3. The production of chemical products are one of Louisiana’s top manufacturing industries.
4. Sugar cane is Louisiana’s top farm product.
5. 19 refineries are located within the state of Louisiana, and together they are responsible for 15% of the total refining capacity of America.
6. The state imposes a $0.20 per gallon tax on oil.
7. Almost 9,000 people are employed by refineries, and the average employee makes over $20,000 more than employees in any other industries in the state.
8. Louisiana’s fishing industry accounts for 25% of the total seafood production in the country.
9. The state produces 25% of the total U.S. production of petrochemicals
10. Louisiana is the top fur producer, including furs from nutria, muskrat and mink.

The following companies are headquartered in Louisiana:

CenturyTel, Inc. (CTL) is a telecommunications company in the United States. It provides voice, Internet and broadband services. The stock has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.60, and it pays a yield of 7.9%.

Lamar Advertising Company (LAMR) delivers advertising services in the United States and Canada. The stock has a market cap of $2.36 billion, a PE of 77, and a PEG of 8.94.

Tidewater, Inc. (TDW) is a support company to the offshore energy industry. It provides vessels and other marine support. The stock has a market cap of $2.08 billion, a PE of 6, a PEG of 0.12, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Superior Energy Services, Inc. (SPN) is a service and support company. It provides equipment to oil and gas companies drilling in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a PE of 4, and a PEG of 0.25.

The Shaw Group, Inc. (SGR) is an engineering company providing industrial services to several companies worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $1.38 billion, a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.41.

Cleco Corporation (CNL) produces, delivers and markets electricity in the state of Louisiana. The stock has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 4.0%.

Amedisys, Inc (AMED) renders home health services, such as nursing services, and occupational therapies in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE of 16, and a PEG of 0.72.

Whitney Holding Corporation (WTNY) is a banking institution providing services to retail and small business customers. The stock has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 2.34, and it pays a dividend of 6.2%.

McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR) explores, and produces oil and natural gas. The stock has a market cap of $778.22 million, and a PE of 16.

Pool Corporation (POOL) is a wholesaler of swimming pool products and supplies, including chemicals and cleaning products. The stock has a market cap of $865.30 million, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.49, and it pays a dividend of 2.8%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Michigan Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:45:00 +0000

Michigan is best known for its auto industry and its beautiful shoreline, which is also the largest freshwater coastline in the world.
Although Michigan’s main industry today continues to be the manufacturing industry, the state government encourages different industries to locate in the state through its attractive incentive programs. Some interesting facts about Michigan follow:

1. Michigan’s manufacturing industry produces 30% of the total state revenue.
2. Recently enacted legislation mandates that by 2015, Michigan’s energy be produced from renewable sources.
3. Michigan has a tax-free zone designed for the food processing industry, the forestry industry and the renewable energy industry.
4. Michigan’s top agricultural products are dairy products, cattle and calves, hogs and chicken eggs.
5. Michigan is the top producer of automobiles in the United States. Its production accounts for 21% of all automobiles manufactured within the country.
6. In 2007 visitors to Michigan spent $18.1 billion.
7. Michigan is the top producer of tart cherries.
8. The state’s top agricultural export was soybeans, totaling $960 million.
9. There are more than 4,000 oil wells in production currently in Michigan.
10. The oil and gas industry generates over 10,000 jobs In the state.

The following companies are headquartered in Michigan:

The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) makes and markets chemicals, plastics, and agricultural products. The stock has a market cap of $23.85 billion, a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.53 and it pays a dividend of 5.9%.

Stryker Corporation (SYK) is a medical development company with operations worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $21.37 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.10, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Kellogg Company (K) makes and sales cereals and related products. The stock has a market cap of $18.45 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.93, and it pays a yield of 2.4%.

Ford Motor Company (F) develops and manufactures cars and trucks worldwide. Ford’s stock has a market value of $4.70 billion.

DTE Energy Company (DTE) is a utility company that produces, delivers and sells electric power and natural gas in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE of 8, a PEG of 2.02, and it pays a yield of 5.9%.

Masco Corporation (MAS) is a home improvement company with business in the U.S. and international markets. It makes, sells and installs different building products. The stock has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a PE of 35, a PEG of 1.80, and it pays a dividend of 5.9%.

Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) designs, makes and distributes home appliances worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $4.08 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.89, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

General Motors Corporation (GM) develops and manufactures cars, trucks and automobile parts worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $2.69 billion, and it has a yield of 13.2% based on previous payments.

Perrigo Company (PRGO) is a pharmaceutical company. It produces both, over the counter medicines and prescription drugs. The stock has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a PE of 23, a PEG of 0.87, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Pulte Homes, Inc. (PHM) is a homebuilding company in the United States. It also provides financial services. The stock has a market cap of $2.7 billion, and it pays a dividend of 1.4% based on previous payments.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns F.

By Stockerblog.com

Kentucky Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:07:00 +0000

Once, a part of Virginia, Kentucky is today one of only four states that calls itself a Commonwealth. It is also known as the Bluegrass State. Kentucky is one of the top producers of automobiles in the United States. Some interesting facts about the Commonwealth of Kentucky are:
1. Kentucky offers a $1 tax credit per gallon of biodiesel produced to companies in the state.
2. New and expanding service companies in the state may be entitled to a tax credit of up to 100% of its income tax liability.
3. Kentucky is the 15th state with the lowest cost of doing business.
4. Kentucky’s nonfuel mineral production revenue is $600 million, which ranks it number 24 nationally.
5. The service industry employs 34% of the labor force, followed by the utilities, trade and transportation utility employing 20% of the labor force.
6. Canada is Kentucky’s top international export market. In 2004 exports to that country totaled $4.63 billion. Following Canada are France, the United Kingdom and Japan.
7. Kentucky is a top producer of coal, with an approximate 400 mines throughout the state.
8. Mining (except oil and gas) produced $2.28 billion in 2002.
9. Kentucky’s Gross State Product is about $130 billion.
10. 96% of Kentucky’s export s are manufactured goods, followed by agricultural products (2.2%).

The following companies are headquartered in Kentucky:

Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) is a fast food restaurant chain. Its brands include: KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell among others. The stock has a market cap of $12.23 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.20, and it pays a yield of 2.7%.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) makes and sells alcoholic beverages. The stock has a market cap of $7.34 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of 2.01, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Humana Inc. (HUM) is a provider of health benefits. Its clients are companies and individuals in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.50.

Ventas, Inc. (VTR) operates and manages healthcare properties in the United State, mainly senior care facilities. The stock has a market cap of $4.59 billion, a PE of 28, a PEG of 1.68, and it pays a yield of 5.3%.

Omnicare, Inc. (OCR) is a pharmaceutical company. It provides pharmaceutical services to seniors. The stock has a market cap of $2.65 billion, a PE of 30, a PEG of 0.94, and it pays a yield of 0.3%.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (BWP) delivers and stores natural gas in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 1.23, and it pays a yield of 11%.

Lexmark International, Inc. (LXK) makes and sells imaging and printing products worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a PE of 8, and a PEG of 1.16.

Ashland, Inc. (ASH) delivers chemicals, plastics in North America and Europe. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.83, and it pays a yield of 4.2%.

General Cable Corporation (BGC) sells fiber optic wires, aluminum, and copper wires worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $777.77 million, a PE of 3, and a PEG of 0.42.

Kindred Healthcare (KND) engages in the business of providing healthcare services in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $807.34 million, a PE of 19, and a PEG of 1.19.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Indiana Stocks

Fred Fuld — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Indiana is perhaps best known by its world famous Indianapolis 500 motorsports race, but there is indeed much more to this state. It is also a fast growing and very diverse state. The following are interesting facts about Indiana:

1. Livestock and poultry occupations employ over 42,000 in Indiana.
2. There are three biodiesel plants in Indiana, and one under construction.
3. There are 12 ethanol plants operating within the state and together they produce over 1 billion gallons of ethanol.
4. A third of Indiana’s soybean production is exported.
5. Indiana’s tourism industry contributes almost $7 billion to the economy.
6. Indiana’s top manufacturing industries are: transportation equipment, chemicals, and primary metals.
7. The manufacturing industry employs approximately 640,000 workers in the state.
8. Indiana’s coal industry provides the state with over 2,000 jobs.
9. International manufacturing firms with operations in Indiana employ 90,000 people.
10. Indiana offers several attractive incentives to companies relocating to the state.

The following companies are headquartered in Indiana:

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) develops makes and markets pharmaceutical drugs and products worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $34.43 billion, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.43, and it pays a yield of 5%.

WellPoint, Inc. (WLP) is a health benefits company. Its customers are large and midsize employers in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $17.17 billion, a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.65.

Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG) buys, owns, develops, and manages retail real estate in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $14.95 billion, a PE of 34, a PEG of 1.27, and it pays a yield of 1.8%.

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (ZMH) develops and sells orthopedic products in Latin America, Europe and Asia. The stock has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a PE of 15, and a PEG of 1.06.

Cummins, Inc. (CMI) makes and sells natural gas engines, and related services and products. The stock has a market cap of $6.18 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.39, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

NiSource (NI) delivers natural gas and electricity to customers in the U.S. The stock has a market cap of $30.4 billion, a PEG of 3.48, and it pays a yield of 7.0%.

ITT Educational Services (ESI) offers study programs leading to Associate, bachelor, and masters degree in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.81.

Duke Realty Corporation (DRE) leases and manages properties in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.31, and it pays a yield of 11.3%.

Steel Dynamics Incorporated (STLD) makes and sells steel products in the United States The stock has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a PE of 3, a PEG of 0.29, and it pays a yield of 4.2%.

Vectren Corporation (VVC) engages in the transportation and delivery of energy to customers in the United States. The stock has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 2.84, and it pays a yield of 5.7%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Illinois Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Chicago the most populous city of Illinois is also home to the world’s second busiest airport, Chicago O’Hare. But this state’s economy does not depend on any particular city or industry. Read on to find out more:

1. Illinois is the top producer of nuclear power in the country.
2. The state offers several tax incentive programs for companies relocating to Illinois.
3. Almost 12,000 manufacturing firms are headquartered in the state, and together they operate 19,000 plants within the state.
4. The most important industries in Illinois are: food, chemicals machinery, and fabricated metals.
5. Over 2,000 banks and 1,000 savings institutions are headquartered in Illinois.
6. The agricultural industry produces more than $8 billion in income.
7. Illinois is the number one producer of soybeans and a top producer of corn.
8. More than 6,000 trucking companies call Illinois home.
9. 65% of the state soil beneath the surface is rich in coal.
10. The state is the 9th top producer of coal in the country.

The following companies are headquartered in Illinois:

Abbot Laboratories (ABT) designs, makes and sells health care products at an international level. The stock has a market cap of $77.46 billion, a PE of 19, a PEG of 1.41, and it pays a yield of 2.6%.

McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) is a chain food company, it operates not only in the US market, but also worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $58.57 billion, a PE of 14, a PEG of 1.45, and it pays a yield of 3.8%.

Kraft Foods, Inc. (KFT) makes and sells packaged foods in the United States and abroad. It also makes and sales beverages. The stock has a market cap of $42.05 billion, a PE of 17, a PEG of2.10, and it pays a yield of 3.8%

Baxter International, Inc. (BAX) is a healthcare provider company with operations worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $36.67 billion, a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.55, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

The Boeing Company, (BA) develops, makes and markets parts and supports for commercial, and military aircraft. The stock has a market cap of $32.87 billion. It has a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.70, and it pays a yield of 3.2%.

Exelon Corporation (EXC) produces, delivers and sells electricity to residential, industrial and commercial customers in Illinois. The stock has a market cap of $31.66 billion, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.90, and it pays a yield of 3.7%.

Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) makes and markets mining and construction equipment. The stock has a market cap of $27.27 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.68, and it pays a yield of 3.5%.

Walgreen Co. (WAG) is a pharmacy chain throughout the U.S. The stock has a market cap of $25.02 billion, a PE 12, a PEG of 0.84, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

CME Group Inc. (CME) manages two futures exchanges, CME, and CBOT. Some of its products are: futures and options, equity indexes, and foreign exchange. The stock has a market cap of $19.39billion, a PE of 22, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 1.2%,

Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (ITW) makes industrial equipment. It also makes packaging products. The stock has a market cap of $18.18 billion, a PE of 11, a PEG of 0.89, and it pays a yield of 3.4%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns MCD.

By Stockerblog.com

Arkansas Stocks

Fred Fuld — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Arkansas is the birthplace of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. Arkansas’ subtropical weather sounds very inviting for those who live in regions of extreme temperatures. The state has usually mild winters, but that is not the reason why some world renowned companies call Arkansas home. Here are some interesting facts about the state:

1. Arkansas main agricultural products are chicken, rice, soybeans, and cattle and calves.
2. The north west part of the state is rich in natural gas, which is the most important mined product in the state.
3. In 2007 tourism contributed a total of $5.4 billion to the state economy.
4. Agriculture employs 275,000 in Arkansas
5. Agriculture’s contribution to the state gross domestic product is the largest of any state, 12% of Arkansas’ GDP comes directly from agricultural activities.
6. Arkansas ranks 4th for timber production
7. Arkansas’ Little Rock is ranked 22nd best place to do business.
8. Arkansas is the number one state producer of bromine.
9. Arkansas is the number producer of silica stone (and the only one).
10. The state is one of the top producers of gemstones.

The following companies are headquartered in Arkansas:

Wal-Mart (WMT) is the largest retailer worldwide. Wal-Mart sells general merchandise, electronics, fabrics, stationery, shoes, housewares, etc. The stock has a market cap of $200 billion, a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.35, and its stock pays a yield of 1.7%.

Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) explores and produces gas and oil throughout the world. The stock has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a PE of 7, a PEG of 0.17, and it pays a yield of 2%.

Windstream Corporation (WIN) is a telecommunications company. Its services include, telephone, Internet services, and wireless services. Its customers are rural communities throughout the United States. The stock has a market cap of $3.86 billion, it has a PE of 4, a PEG of 2.86 and it pays a yield of 10.4%.

Tyson Foods, In. (TSN) makes and markets prepared foods, from chicken, beef, and pork. The stock has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a PE of 54, a PEG of 2.43, and it pays a yield of 1.4%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) is an industrial transportation company. It provides services to the paper industry, construction, and retail industries. The stock has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.46, and it pays a yield of 1.5%.

Baldor Electric Company (BEZ) makes and sells industrial electric motors, and generators. The stock has a market cap of $954.22 million, a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.29, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Acxiom CP (ACXM) delivers marketing databases, data integration services, and other management solutions services worldwide. The stock has a market cap of $649.40 million, a PE of 40, a PEG of 1.37, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Arkansas Best Corporation (ABFS) is a transportation service provider. Its services include national transportation of commodities . the stock has a market cap of $713.85 million, a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.51, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Dillard’s Inc. (DDS) is a major operator of retail stores in the southern United States. It carries men, women and children wear. The stock has a market cap of $624.36 million, a PE of 1,700, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

Deltic Timber Corp. (DEL) plants and harvests timber. The company also leases oil and gas rights to its lands. The stock has a market cap of $608.24 million, a PE of 154, and it pays a yield of 0.6%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other central states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author owns WIN.

By Stockerblog.com

Oklahoma Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Oklahoma is a land of innovation. After all, the first parking meter came out of this state. Today Oklahoma is a top producer of automobiles and planes. Centrally located, mild temperatures and low cost of living make Oklahoma a very attractive state. Here are some interesting facts about Oklahoma:

1. Oklahoma’s top exports are pumps for liquids, and liquid elevators.
2. Oklahoma offers an incentive program for new employers generating employment within the state. Its quality jobs program pays up to 5% of the total payroll expense for up to 10 years.
3. The cost of doing business in Oklahoma is the 10th lowest in the country.
4. It is estimated that Oklahoma will be the second largest provider of wind power by 2030.
5. The state’s aerospace industry employs over 143,000 people.
6. There are 4 foreign trade zones within the state.
7. It is expected that service providing industries in Oklahoma will account for 99% of all new employment between 2004 and 2014.
8. By contrast, manufacturing is one the fastest declining industries in the state.
9. Oklahoma’s finance industry provides almost 4% of all jobs in the state.
10. Top industries in the state within the finance industry are: commercial banking and insurance agencies & brokerages.

The following companies are headquartered in Oklahoma:

Devon Energy Corporation (DVN) produces and delivers oil and gas. Devon Energy owns properties throughout the United States. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 1.14, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) explores, produces, and sells natural gas and oil. The company owns properties in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Montana, Colorado, and Oklahoma. The stock has a PEG of 0.68, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) explores, produces and sells natural gas. The company owns property in Argentina, Venezuela, an throughout the United states. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 0.48, and it pays a yield of 2.0%.

Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR) explores and produces natural gas and oil. The company owns properties in the United States. The stock has a PE of 15, and a PEG of 0.32.

ONEOK Partners, L.P. (OKS) owns and manages gas pipelines. It is also engaged in the production of natural gas liquids, and distribution. The stock has a PE of 10, a PEG of 1.62, and it pays a yield of 7.9%.

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (HP) provides equipment and personnel for the drilling of oil and gas wells worldwide. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 0.90, and it pays a yield of 0.5%.

Bok Financial Corporation (BOKF) is a financial service company, the company provides ATM, merchants, and small business banking services. The stock has a PE of 20, a PEG of 1.72, and it pays a yield of 1.7%.

ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) buys, transports and markets natural gas. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.19, and it pays a yield of 4.7%.

SandRidge Energy Inc. (SD) manages an oil and gas company. It explores and produces oil and gas in the United States. The company has a PEG of 0.53.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) produces, transports and sells electricity and natural gas to customers in the United States. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 3.03, and It pays a yield of 4.5%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other Midwestern states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Nebraska Stocks

Fred Fuld — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:03:00 +0000

Nebraska prides itself for being one of the states with the lowest cost of living in the country, having some of the cleanest air and water, and being centrally located. An above average health care system is also in place in Nebraska. A hospital stay costs 30 percent less than the average national cost. Some other interesting facts about Nebraska are:

1. Nebraska has no property tax.
2. Income tax liability is calculated based on sales only.
3. Nebraska is the only state to offer a 100% public power system.
4. Agriculture and manufacturing are Nebraska’s primary source of revenue.
5. Nebraska’s top agricultural commodities are: cattle and calves, corn, and soybeans.
6. The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the major natural underground water available is under Nebraska’s soil.
7. Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral legislature.
8. Nebraska is geographically located in the center of the United States, half way between Boston and San Francisco.
9. The state of Nebraska offers several incentives for businesses relocating to the state. Including, investment credits, sales tax refunds, and inventory tax exemptions.
10. Nebraska’s largest export is processed food.

The following companies are headquartered in Nebraska. They have a market cap of over $600 million.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) is in the business of insurance and reinsurance of property. The stock has a market cap of $213.61 billion, and a PE of 19.

Union Pacific Corp. (UNP) is a rail transportation company. Its services link the west part of the United States with major ports in the east coast, and some Mexican destinations. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 0.74, and it pays a yield of 1.6%.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (AMTD) provides brokerage and financial services to customers in the United States. The stock has a PE of 13, and a PEG of 0.63.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) provides ready to be consumed food. Some of its brands are: Banquet, Blue Bonnet, Healthy Choice, VanCamp, and many others. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 1.16, and it pays a dividend of 3.8%.

Valmont Industries Inc. (VMI) manufactures metal and concrete products, irrigation systems. Some of its products include power poles, which are used for street lighting among other uses. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 0.80, and it pays a yield of 0.7%.

Buckle Inc. (BKE) is a retail company with more than 300 stores throughout the United States. Its products include casual apparel, and footwear. The stock has a PE of 17, a PEG of 1.14, and it pays a yield of 2.3%.

Werner Enterprises Inc. (WERN) provides transportation services in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its clients include several retail stores. The stock has a PE of 23, a PEG of 2.34, and it pays a yield of 0.9%.

Lindsay Corp. (LNN) produces and markets agricultural irrigation devices, which are capable of automating the process while saving energy, water, and manpower. The stock has a PE of 24, a PEG of 1.12, and it pays a dividend of 0.4%.

Cabela’s inc. (CAB) is a retailer of outdoor sports merchandise. It operates primarily in the United States, and its business is focused on the sale of hunting, camping and fishing gear. The stock has a PE of 8, and a PEG of 0.57.

Nelnet Inc. (NNI) is a company focused on the financing high education in the United States. It assists families and students with planning and financing, before, during, and after college. The stock has a PEG of 1.35, and it pays a yield of 1.9%.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the other Midwestern states, such as Missouri stocks, Minnesota stocks, Kansas stocks, and Iowa stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Kansas Stocks

Fred Fuld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:24:00 +0000

Kansas was purchased in 1803 by the US government as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Their soil today produces wheat, corn, oats, berries potatoes, and much more. Kansas is also home to some of the leading aircraft-manufacturing companies.
Here are some interesting facts about the state:
1. Kansas is the number one producer of wheat.
2. Kansas is one of top oil producers. The state has also natural gas and helium reserves.
3. Kansas wheat exports had a value of $1,012.8 million in 2007, and ranked it second among the states.
4. Kansas added more than 20,500 new jobs during 2006.
5. 70% of Kansas’ population, age 16 and over, are either working or looking for work.
6. It is expected that Kansas total employment will increase by 13.4% from 2002 to 2012.
7. Kansas demand for Architects, medical assistants and teachers is expected to grow by almost 50% by the year 2012.
8. The trade, transportation and utilities industry contributed more than 18% to Kansas nominal GDP of $111 billion in 2006.
9. Kansas top export is transportation equipment.
10. Kansas top trading partners, in order of importance are: Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
The following companies are headquartered in Kansas:

Embarq Corporation (EQ) is a service company. It delivers local and long distance calls, internet services, video, wireless and satellite services. The stock has a PE of 8, a PEG of 3.88, and it pays a yield of 6.8%.

Capitol Federal Financing (CFFN) operates in Kansas and it offers its customers savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs and other accounts. The stock has a PE of 76, and it pays a yield of 4.4%.

Westar Energy Inc. (WR) produces and delivers electric energy in Kansas. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.44, and it pays a yield of 5.0%.

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. (SPR) designs and produces aero-parts, such as wings, and fuselage for its commercial, business and military customers. The stock has a PE of 6, and a PEG of 0.54.

Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. (WDR) manages investment accounts, and provides shareholder services. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 0.96, and it pays a yield of 3.1%.

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (CMP) manufactures and sells mineral products, such as fertilizers in the United States, and United Kingdom. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 2.17, and it pays a yield of 2.8%.

Seabord Corp. (SEB) engages in the production and processing of pork. It also exports wheat and other commodities The stock has a PE of 8, and it pays a yield of 0.2%.

Collective Brands Inc. (PSS) is a wholesaler and retailer of footwear for men, women and children. The stock has a PE of 164, and a PEG of 1.08.

Farrelgas Partners (FGP) purchases, transports and resale propane. This propane is used for heating, cooking, and water heating. The stock has a PE o 45, a PEG of 3.56, and it pays a yield of 10.9%.

Euronet Worldwide (EEFT) is in the business of providing electronic payment systems. Some of its products include: ATMs, card issuing and processing. The stock has a PE of 21, and a PEG of 0.81.

Don't forget to check out stocks from some of the western states, such as Arizona stocks, Oregon stocks, and Nevada stocks.
.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Red Chip Featured Company: Gulf Western Petroleum Corp. (GWPC.OB)

QualityStocks — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:08:00 +0000

Gulf Western Petroleum Corporation (GWPC.OB) is a Houston-based company capitalizing on domestic sources of natural gas and oil. The exploration and development company actively seeks domestic opportunities to maximize growth and returns for its stakeholders. With a number of projects and lease holdings in Texas, Kansas, and Kentucky, Gulf Western works to leverage its core [...]

Pioneer Drilling Company – Value – Zacks Rank Buy

Tracey Ryniec — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Pioneer Drilling is taking advantage of the push to "drill, drill, drill" as revenues spiked 48% in the second quarter. The company has surprised on estimates 2 out of the last 4 quarters. Pioneer Drilling is cheap, trading at only 7x projected earnings.

Company Description

Pioneer Drilling Company (PDC) provides two services to companies in the energy sector: contract drilling and workover rig, wireline and fishing and rental services.

The company, a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy), engages in Contract Drilling Services for both the major oil companies and the independent operators in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, the Rocky Mountain Region and in Central America, in Colombia.

The Production Services Division, which supplies energy producers along the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions, has a fleet of 69 land drilling rigs that drill in depth ranges between 6,000 and 18,000 feet, 66 workover rigs, 51 wireline units and fishing and rental tools.

Revenues Jump 48% in the Second Quarter

On Aug 7, Pioneer reported second quarter earnings that missed Wall Street estimates by 6 cents per share. Net income was $19.1 million, or 38 cents per share, compared with $13.1 million, or 26 cents, for the year earlier period. The quarter included results from the Production Services Division that was formed in March. The Production Services Division was the result of acquisitions combined with the Colombian operations.

Revenues rose 48% to $152.5 million from $102.8 million a year ago. The Drilling Services Division continues to be the primary revenue generator, with $109.3 million in the second quarter, up $6.5 million from the prior year. Rig utilization rose to 90% compared to 84% in the first quarter. The margins increased 14% to $8,026 per day, the highest of the year, up from $7,047 in the first quarter.

Pioneer expects continued improvement in margins throughout the rest of the year. The company also moved a 4th drilling rig into Colombia.

The Production Services Division saw revenues of $43.3 million. The company said the division was performing better than expected and generated a 49% margin in the second quarter. It is also bullish on demand for services for the remainder of the year.

Estimates Rise for the Third Quarter and the Full Year

In spite of volatility in the energy sector as crude prices have moved lower, covering analysts are bullish on Pioneer. Consensus estimates for the third quarter rose 7 cents to 43 cents in the last 60 days. Full year estimates jumped 17.8% to $1.52 from $1.29 during the same period.

Value Fundamentals

Pioneer's stock has fallen as energy and commodities-related stocks sold off. It now trades at only 7x forward earnings. Its price-to-book is 1.35, under the industry average of 1.78. It has a five year average return on equity (ROE) of 10.25%.

"PDC3" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

University Endowment Funds List | Resource

Richard C. Wilson — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:43:22 +0000

University Endowment Funds

University Endowment Funds List

Quick Link: Hedge Fund Marketing Guide

Yesterday a hedge fund sent me this list of university endowments from Wikipedia and I thought I would share this with others involved in hedge fund marketing and sales.

Institution	Endowment (2005) billion USD	Endowment (2006) billion USD	Endowment (2007) billion USD
Amherst College	$ 1.155^[1]	$ 1.337^[2]	$ 1.662^[3]
Baylor College of Medicine	$ 1.008^[1]	$ 1.059^[2]	$ 1.278^[3]
Baylor University	$ 1.008^[1]	$ 0.870^[2]	$ 1.278^[3]
Berea College	$ 0.862^[1]	$ 0.949^[2]	$ 1.102^[3]
Boston College	$ 1.270^[1]	$ 1.448^[2]	$ 1.670^[3]
Boston University	$ 0.777^[1]	$ 0.916^[2]	$ 1.101^[3]
Brown University	$ 1.844^[1]	$ 2.167^[2]	$ 2.781^[3]
California Institute of Technology	$ 1.418^[1]	$ 1.581^[2]	$ 1.860^[3]
Carnegie Mellon University	$ 0.837^[1]	$ 0.939^[2]	$ 1.116^[3]
Case Western Reserve University	$ 1.516^[1]	$ 1.599^[2]	$ 1.841^[3]
Columbia University	$ 5.191^[1]	$ 5.938^[2]	$ 7.150^[3]
Cornell University	$ 3.777^[1]	$ 4.321^[2]	$ 5.425^[3]
Dartmouth College	$ 2.714^[1]	$ 3.092^[2]	$ 3.760^[3]
Duke University	$ 3.826^[1]	$ 4.498^[2]	$ 5.910^[3]
Emory University	$ 4.376^[1]	$ 4.870^[2]	$ 5.562^[3]
George Washington University	$ 0.823^[1]	$ 0.963^[2]	$ 1.147^[3]
Georgetown University	$ 0.741^[1]	$ 0.834^[2]	$ 1.059^[3]
Georgia Institute of Technology	$ 0.937^[1]	$ 1.047^[2]	$ 1.281^[3]
Grinnell College	$ 1.391^[1]	$ 1.472^[2]	$ 1.718^[3]
Harvard University	$ 25.473^[1]	$ 28.916^[2]	$ 34.635^[3]
Indiana University (system-wide)^[4]	$ 1.107^[1]	$ 1.276^[2]	$ 1.557^[3]
Johns Hopkins University	$ 2.177^[1]	$ 2.351^[2]	$ 2.800^[3]
Lehigh University	$ 0.845^[1]	$ 0.939^[2]	$ 1.086^[3]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$ 6.712^[1]	$ 8.368^[2]	$ 9.980^[3]
Michigan State University	$ 0.906^[1]	$ 1.048^[2]	$ 1.248^[3]
New York University	$ 1.548^[1]	$ 1.775^[2]	$ 2.162^[3]
Northwestern University	$ 4.215^[1]	$ 5.141^[2]	$ 6.503^[3]
Ohio State University	$ 1.726^[1]	$ 1.997^[2]	$ 2.338^[3]
Pennsylvania State University	$ 1.175^[1]	$ 1.326^[2]	$ 1.590^[3]
Pomona College	$ 1.299^[1]	$ 1.457^[2]	$ 1.761^[3]
Princeton University	$ 11.207^[1]	$ 13.045^[2]	$ 15.787^[3]
Princeton Theological Seminary	$ 0.864^[1]	$ 0.945^[2]	$ 1.109^[3]
Purdue University (system-wide)^[4]	$ 1.341^[1]	$ 1.494^[2]	$ 1.787^[3]
Rice University	$ 3.611^[1]	$ 3.986^[2]	$ 4.670^[3]
Rockefeller University	$ 1.557^[1]	$ 1.772^[2]	$ 2.145^[3]
Smith College	$ 1.036^[1]	$ 1.156^[2]	$ 1.361^[3]
Southern Methodist University(SMU)	$ 1.014^[1]	$ 1.122 ^[2]	$ 1.328^[3]
Stanford University	$ 12.205^[1]	$ 14.085^[2]	$ 17.165^[3]
Swarthmore College	$ 1.164^[1]	$ 1.245^[2]	$ 1.441^[3]
Syracuse University	$ 0.818^[1]	$ 0.908 ^[2]	$ 1.086^[3]
Texas A&M University System (system-wide)^[4]	$ 4.964^[1]	$ 5.643^[2]	$ 6.590^[3]
Texas Christian University	$ 0.942^[1]	$ 1.016^[2]	$ 1.187^[3]
Tufts University	$ 0.845^[1]	$ 1.215^[2]	$ 1.452^[3]
Tulane University	$ 0.780^[1]	$ 0.858^[2]	$ 1.009^[3]
University of California (system-wide)^[4]	$ 5.222^[1]	$ 5.734^[2]	$ 6.439^[3]
University of Chicago	$ 4.137^[1]	$ 4.867^[2]	$ 6.204^[3]
University of Cincinnati	$ 1.032^[1]	$ 1.101^[2]	$ 1.185^[3]
University of Delaware	$ 1.077^[1]	$ 1.223^[2]	$ 1.397^[3]
University of Florida	$ 0.836^[1]	$ 0.996^[2]	$ 1.219^[3]
University of Illinois (system-wide)^[4]	$ 1.148^[1]	$ 1.252^[2]	$ 1.515^[3]
University of Kansas (system-wide)^[4]	$ 0.955^[1]	$ 1.049^[2]	$ 1.239^[3]
University of Michigan	$ 4.931^[1]	$ 5.652^[2]	$ 7.090^[3]
University of Minnesota	$ 1.969^[1]	$ 2.224^[2]	$ 2.804^[3]
University of Missouri (system-wide)^[4]	$ 0.849^[1]	$ 0.944^[2]	$ 1.098^[3]
University of Nebraska (system-wide)^[4]	$ 1.042^[1]	$ 1.153^[2]	$ 1.277^[3]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	$ 1.486^[1]	$ 1.149^[2]	$ 2.164^[3]
University of Notre Dame	$ 3.650^[1]	$ 4.437^[2]	$ 5.944^[3]
University of Oklahoma	$ 0.777^[1]	$ 0.960^[2]	$ 1.114^[3]
University of Pennsylvania	$ 4.370^[1]	$ 5.313^[2]	$ 6.635^[3]
University of Pittsburgh	$ 1.530^[1]	$ 1.803^[2]	$ 2.254^[3]
University of Richmond	$ 1.208^[1]	$ 1.388^[2]	$ 1.655^[3]
University of Rochester	$ 1.370^[1]	$ 1.491^[2]	$ 1.726^[3]
University of Southern California	$ 2.746^[1]	$ 3.066^[2]	$ 3.715^[3]
University of Texas (system-wide)^[4]	$ 11.610^[1]	$ 13.235^[2]	$ 15.614^[3]
University of Virginia	$ 3.219^[1]	$ 3.618^[2]	$ 4.370^[3]
University of Washington	$ 1.490^[1]	$ 1.794^[2]	$ 2.184^[3]
University of Wisconsin (UW Foundation only)	$ 1.125^[1]	$ 1.426^[2]	$ 1.645^[3]
Vanderbilt University	$ 2.628^[1]	$ 2.946^[2]	$ 3.487^[3]
Wake Forest University	$ 0.907^[1]	$ 1.042^[2]	$ 1.249^[3]
Washington University in St. Louis	$ 4.268^[1]	$ 4.684^[2]	$ 5.658^[3]
Wellesley College	$ 1.276^[1]	$ 1.412^[2]	$ 1.657^[3]
Williams College	$ 1.348^[1]	$ 1.462^[2]	$ 1.892^[3]
Yale University	$ 15.224^[1]	$ 18.031^[2]	$ 22.530^[3]
Yeshiva University	$ 1.149^[1]	$ 1.273^[2]	$ 1.410^[3]

Free Daily Hedge Fund Newsletter

Related to University Endowment Funds list:

Permanent Link: University Endowment Funds List

Tags: University Endowment Funds List, List of Endowment Funds, List of University Endowment Funds, Endowment Funds of Universities, endowments

Does Energy Empire Corporation International (EEGC.OB) Have the Answers to the World’s Energy Crisis?

QualityStocks — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:46:35 +0000

Sometimes innovative ideas are washed away and sometimes brilliant ideas are overlooked. Malcolm Bendall may be a genius who has been overlooked. For over 30 years, Bendall, the CEO of the Kansas-based company Empire Energy Corporation International has been trying to convince the world that there is undiscovered oil and gas buried in Tasmania, Australia [...]

Jayhawk Energy Inc. (JYHW.OB) Continues to Build Stable, Consistent Value with Long Term Drill Program

QualityStocks — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:24:50 +0000

The “next quarter” crowd of investors is quickly finding out the true implications of their shortsightedness. Instead of enjoying long term investment payoff in a solid and consistent manner, they are now experiencing the hangover of wanting it all now. Slow and careful planning with consistent execution has always been the most predictable way to [...]

J. Alexander’s Corp. (JAX) is Tickling Taste Buds with Fine Food

QualityStocks — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:57:37 +0000

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, J. Alexander’s Corporation is a contemporary American restaurant focusing on food quality and professional service. They are a NASDAQ-traded company that positions themselves between the heavily-themed casual dining restaurant venue and the fine-dining, white-tablecloth dinner houses. Their first restaurant opened in Nashville in 1991. The company focuses their expansion efforts in areas [...]

JayHawk Energy Inc. (JYHW.OB): Searching for Resources to Help Solve America’s Energy Woes

QualityStocks — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:02:34 +0000

JayHawk Energy (JYHW) is a development stage crude oil and natural gas company primarily exploring for the aforementioned resources in Colorado, Kansas and the surrounding areas. JayHawk owns interest in the Uniontown project covering 35,000 gross acres of non-producing coalbed methane natural gas reserves located in Bourbon County, Kansas. The company also shares 12 miles [...]

Commerce Bancshares Pricey – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:39:43 +0000

Commerce Bancshares, Inc.'s (CBSH) diluted operating earnings (excluding the gain on sale of a branch in southeastern Kansas) of $0.71 per share were in-line with our estimates, but two pennies ahead of consensus. Earnings were driven by expansion in net interest margin and strong growth in non-interest revenue, while expenses remained under control.

Non-performing assets were somewhat stable but charge-offs increased during the quarter. After reviewing the results and based on credit concerns, we are moderating our FY08 and FY09 estimates but maintaining our Hold recommendation on the shares of CBSH with a six-month target price of $47.50 per share.

CBSH has significant excess capital -- 8.66% tangible equity at June 30. We see significant value in this excess capital as reflected by our valuation methodology. Repurchases have been significant, reducing outstanding shares by about 0.5% to 1% quarterly over the last five years, adding greatly to EPS and supporting the stock price in the market.

A focus on fee income is another key investment point. CBSH has also been delivering increasing dividends for the past 40 consecutive years. During 1Q08, the company increased its quarterly dividend by 5% sequentially to $0.25 per share and maintained the same dividend payout in 2Q08. Currently the company generates an above-average dividend yield of 2.40%.

However, valuation remains a matter of great concern now. Relative pricing continues to look very expensive on a P/E-to-growth (PEG) basis. Currently, the PEG ratio for the company is at a 26% premium to the median for the peer group. On a price-to-book basis as well, CBSH is trading at a 48% premium which looks stretched, given a return-on-equity (ROE) only 13% above median.

Kalyan Nandy contributed to the report.

Read the full analyst report on CBSH

"CBSH" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
Zacks Investment Research

Index Oil and Gas Inc. (IXOG.OB) Indexed for Future Growth

QualityStocks — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:37:30 +0000

Originally incorporated in the U.K. in 2003, Index Oil and Gas Inc. is an early stage oil and gas exploration and production company. Trading on the OTCBB, they have a current market capitalization of $34.32 million. The company has their head office in Houston, Texas, as well as an office in Bath, England. Their oil [...]

ICOP Digital Inc. (ICOP): Digital Surveillance for the 21st Century

QualityStocks — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:20:22 +0000

ICOP Digital (ICOP) is a maker of advanced security, surveillance and communications technology used by law enforcement agencies across the United States. As video surveillance technology evolves from analog to digital technology, the industry is expected to grow to $46 billion in sales by 2013. ICOP’s first product was an in-car video system for law [...]

Grab Your Shorts ‘Cause the Tide Has Turned

Graham Summers — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:38:55 +0000

Aug 26th, 2008: If stocks don't rebound strongly today, the next leg down is here. Prepare accordingly.

Gas Pipeline ConnectedGas Pipeline Connected to New JayHawk Energy, Inc. (JYHW.OB) Wells To New JayHawk Energy, Inc. (JYHW.OB) Wells

QualityStocks — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:54:19 +0000

Four additional wells in the Kansas Cherokee Basin Project signal progress for JayHawk Energy, Inc. (OTCBB: JYHW). The company is developing 50,000 gross acres. This brings the total to six out of a planned 20 wells for the first stage of natural gas production. The end goal is 100 wells in the southeast Kansas location, where [...]

Dow falls 250 points, another win for the SKF

Stockmasters Staff — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:42:57 +0000

Trying to make sense of it all? Don't. Like we've said before, When in doubt just Buy the SKF. The good ol' ProShares UltraShort Financials (AMEX:SKF), it wins every time.

Monday Charts on Gold, Oil & The Dollar — and Plenty of News You Can Use

Sean Brodrick — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:08:08 +0000

Labor Day is around the corner, so we can expect low volume. That should lead to more volatility this week -- up, down or both -- but it may not count for much in the long term. This is a good week for watching and waiting.

News of Interest

ECONOMY

U.S. and Global Economies Slipping in Unison

Only a few months ago, some economists still offered hope that robust expansion could continue in much of the world even as the United States slowed. Foreign investment was expected to keep replenishing American banks still bleeding from their disastrous bets on real estate and to provide money for companies looking to expand. Overseas demand for American goods and services was supposed to continue compensating for waning demand in the States. Now, high energy prices, financial systems crippled by fear, and the decline of trading partners have combined to choke growth in many major economies. The International Monetary Fund expects global growth to slow significantly through the end of this year, dipping to 4.1 percent from 5 percent in 2007.

How to stop the next bubble

"The financial crisis has shown that markets are bubble-prone and that laissez-faire regulation doesn’t work. The authorities need to get a grip if we are to avoid a mega-bubble. But we may need an even deeper crisis for that to happen."

BANKS

Columbian Bank and Trust Company, of Topeka, Kansas, is the latest bank to fail. Can things get worse? Heck, yeah! Check out the following chart from Calculated Risk …

From Calculated Risk: even with the failure of almost 3,000 banks and thrifts during the S&L crisis, the overall economy stayed fairly healthy with only a mild-to-moderate recession starting in July 1990.

Libor Signals Credit Seizing Up as Banks Balk at Lending in Money Markets Most of the bond strategists and salesmen that Resolution Investment Management Ltd.'s Stuart Thomson talked to last August expected the credit crunch to be long over by now. Instead, money markets show there's no end in sight, and it may even worsen.

CURRENCIES

Organized Crime Groups Dump Weak US Dollar For Euro

The weakened US dollar has fallen out of favor with organized crime groups to pay for drug shipments or to settle scores, a Canadian government report said Friday.

PAKISTAN -- THE NEXT CRISIS?

Pakistani Government On Brink Of Collapse

Pakistan's ruling coalition was at risk of collapsing Monday if its junior partner carries out a threat to quit unless judges ousted by ex-President Pervez Musharraf are restored immediately.

Taleban winning war (in Pakistan), says Zardari

The Pakistani Taleban have "the upper hand" and should be put on the list of banned organisations in Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto's widower has said.

CHINA

Olympics disappoint China business owners

Many owners of small restaurants, hotels and shops in Beijing are wearing long faces this summer, especially those who poured their life savings into buying businesses or sprucing up their shops ahead of the Games. About half a million foreign visitors were expected in Beijing this month. But many businesspeople think that because of stricter visa rules and other hassles, there are no more here now than there were last August, when 420,000 visitors from abroad came to the capital. In July, Air China, the nation's flagship carrier, saw its international passenger traffic fall by 19% from a year earlier.

China's Economic Gains Give Way to Hazy Future

In the next few years, China will cross the threshold to a majority-urban society. China's urbanization rate is about 40% to 45% now, well below levels of about 75% in most of Western Europe and Latin America, but statistics show that growth in China's urban population is already slowing.

China's 1.3 billion people each consumed the equivalent of 1.4 tons of oil in energy last year, a relatively low figure. If each Chinese was to consume the same amount of energy as each person in the U.S. does -- the equivalent of 7.82 tons of oil -- then China alone would consume nearly as much energy as the entire world does now.

So far, China's government is falling behind in its drive to cut the amount of energy required to produce each yuan of economic output. It managed a reduction of just 2.9% in the first half, less than last year's 3.7%

MINING & RESOURCES

Mining Industry Shifts on Bad News

Weaker commodity prices and higher costs are starting to take a toll on the global mining industry as the billions of dollars being spent on new projects could take years to recoup.

…

Demand for resources by China and other emerging markets still is expected to soar in the years ahead.

Some analysts view the recent mine closures as bullish for commodity prices in the long run, because the moves suggest companies are imposing more financial discipline than in past booms. As miners curb output, it could help prop up prices.

Still, the economics of mining have shifted drastically in recent years. The cost of energy to run mining trucks and other equipment has skyrocketed, while steel and other building materials also are more expensive.

Commodities Hint of Bottom as Mines Close, Crop Supplies at Five-Year Lows Corn and soybeans have rebounded as reduced crop yields push U.S. stockpiles to near five-year lows. Oil has reversed on U.S.-Russian tensions. Nickel has turned after Xstrata Plc closed a Dominican Republic plant.

Corn, Soybeans Jump as Midwest Crop Tour Forecasts Smaller U.S. Harvests Corn and soybeans gained after Professional Farmers of America said harvests in the U.S. will be smaller than forecast by the government as dry weather in August hurt Midwest crops already stunted by flooding in June.

Wescorp Energy Inc. (WSCE.OB) Successfully Completes Nitrogen Testing on Water Remediation Unit

QualityStocks — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:26:10 +0000

Excellent results increase potential that Kyoto Credits will be available for operators utilizing Wescorp’s remediation units Wescorp Energy Inc. (OTCBB: WSCE), an oil and gas technology solutions provider, is pleased to announce that Nitrogen Testing on its 2,000 barrel per day commercial water remediation test unit has been successfully completed. Wescorp’s water remediation units use a [...]

Nacel Energy Corp. (NCEN.OB) Reaches Wind Energy Development Goals Ahead of Schedule, Expanding Programs toward 1,000 Megawatts

QualityStocks — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:34:50 +0000

No one source of energy will solve the power needs of the world today. A solution will entail the efficient use of many types of power generation. Unfortunately, there are many issues to solve before individual energy projects can come online. The technical progress needed to make energy programs feasible is moving forward nicely, but [...]

Dutton Associates Featured Company: Index Oil and Gas, Inc. (IXOG.OB)

QualityStocks — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:30:02 +0000

Index Oil and Gas, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, appraisal, development, production, and sale of oil and gas properties, primarily in the prolific petroleum regions of Kansas and the onshore Gulf Coast, mainly in Texas and Louisiana. As of March 31, 2008, the company’s estimated total proved oil and gas reserves were approximately 219.469 [...]

Utilities With Heavy Oil and Gas Exposure

Fred Fuld — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:59:00 +0000

One way to analyze electric utility stocks is to look at what types of fuel they use to run their generators, and how much exposure to oil and natural gas that they have. If you believe the price of oil and gas has peaked and will continue to drop, then it may be time to take a close look at the electric utility stocks with the highest usage of these fuels.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with 24% of their electric energy coming from oil and natural gas. About 35% comes from coal and 21.5% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a PE of 10, a PEG of 3.55 and a yield of 6%.

Westar Energy Inc. (WR) generates about 34% of its energy from natural gas, with 56% from coal and 9% from nuclear. This utility which serves Kansas has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.28 and a yield of 5%.

Entergy Corp. (ETR) has about 18% of its fuel sources coming from oil and natural gas. 12% is from coal and 33% from nuclear, with the rest purchased. Entergy serves Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans, where it is based. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.19 and a yield of 3%.

OGE Energy Corp. (OGE) has 29% of its energy coming from natural gas, with 51% from coal. They serve the south central United States. The stock has a PE of 13, a PEG of 3.15 and a yield of 4.2%.

Alliant Energy Corp. (LNT) has 28% of its electricity generated from natural gas and 6% from oil. The company serves Iowa and southern Minnesota. The stock has a PE of 9, a PEG of 2.45 and a yield of 4.1%.

Cleco Corp. (CNL), another Louisiana based company, with 14% exposure to natural gas. The stock has a PE of 12, a PEG of 1.09 and a yield of 3.5%.

If you like utility stocks, you should take a look at Highest Yielding Electric Utilities and Highest Yielding Natural Gas Utilities. You can also find an Excel database of utility stocks, which you can download, add to and sort, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Capital City Energy Group, Inc. (CETG.OB) is Led by a Strong Management Team

QualityStocks — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:46:40 +0000

Capital City Energy Group, Inc. (OTCBB: CETG) is an oil and natural gas company whose business has evolved from being an innovative leader in the design, management, and sponsorship of retail and intuitional direct participation energy programs, to become one of the few vertically integrated independent oil and natural gas companies. The company focuses [...]