The term "fracking" -- referring to the hydraulic fracturing of rock formations to tap into seams of natural gas deep underground -- is controversial. Consumers have expressed concerns that fracking may cause groundwater contamination, and regulators are studying the issue.
The good news: Proper safeguards can help fracking unlock America's vast trove of natural gas in ways that don't despoil the environment, and several companies are gearing up to help the cause. Oil services giant Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), for example, is now selling fracking fluids that have a much more benign environmental footprint, and rivals are coming up with their own solutions as well.
Still, for these fluids to work effectively, fresh water needs to be trucked in, and post-fracking wastewater needs to be trucked away from drilling sites. One of the leading companies in that effort also happens to be one of the most unloved stocks in the market right now. That's largely due to a major acquisition made nine months ago that has weighed on recent quarterly results. Yet that deal should start to generate more solid results in coming quarters, and when that happens, this stock should pivot back into investor favor and deliver solid upside.
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: IZEA Inc (IZEA)
IZEA, Inc. (IZEA), formerly IZEA Holdings, Inc., incorporated in February 2006, is a marketplace for consumer generated advertising, connecting advertisers with social media publishers, such as bloggers, tweeters and others in order to develop and distribute content throughout the blogosphere and social networks. The Company is a social media sponsorship, operating multiple marketplaces, which include WeReward, SponsoredTweet, SocialSpark, PayPerPost and InPostLinks. It generates its revenue through the sale of social media sponsorships (SMS) to its customers. Each platform the Company operates is designed to facilitate SMS transactions. Each platform provides advertisers with access to a network of publishers, workflow management, content control, payment processing, performance tracking and legal compliance. It has more than 50,000 registered advertisers in 157 different countries. Its publishers publish sponsored content to blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare and reach other existing platforms, such as Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google and Bing through syndication of that content. On May 12, 2011, the Company acquired IZEA Innovations, Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Twitter marketing platform FeaturedUsers.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company derived 80% its revenue from advertisers for the use of its network of social media publishers to fulfill an advertiser sponsor requests for a blog post, tweet, click, purchase, or action. During 2011, it derived the remaining 20% revenue from various service fees charged to advertisers and publishers. Service fees to advertisers include fees charged for management of advertising campaigns through its platforms and inactivity fees for dormant accounts. Service fees to publishers include upgrade account fees for obtaining greater visibility to advertisers in advertiser searches in its platforms and inactivity fees for dormant accounts.
SocialSpark
SocialSpark is the Company�� blog marketing platf! orm. Through SocialSpark it provides robust targeting and detailed analytics to advertisers. The site allows advertisers to develop lists of blogs based on various criteria, such as relevancy, traffic and demographic data. The platform also enables advertisers to create social media campaigns with the click of a button and to observe campaign results in real time. SocialSpark is also used by brands interested in engaging in conversations with their consumer bases. This platform is an automated, scalable version of other blogger outreach services conducted by public relations agencies, such as Porter Novelli, Edelman and Ketchum.
SponsoredTweets
SponsoredTweets is an online marketplace, which allows consumers to connect directly with advertisers to engage in sponsored conversations through Twitter. Marketers pay for Twitter advertising campaigns on either a cost per tweet (CPT) or cost per click (CPC) basis. SponsoredTweets allows advertisers to hand pick individual tweeters, including celebrities, to participate in Twitter advertising campaigns.
WeReward
WeReward is a social-mobile incentive platform, which allows brands to drive purchases, reward loyalty and understand their customers. WeReward promotes businesses, consumer products and mobile applications through its application, which can be downloaded on iPhone and Android devices. Consumers are able to earn WeReward points at more than 15 million businesses in the United States. WeReward points act as a cash rebate through PayPal to create value for users. This platform is similar to CheckPoints.
PayPerPost and InPostLinks
PayPerPost and InPostLinks are online marketplaces designed to facilitate search engine and allow advertisers to connect directly with bloggers to develop relevant blog post content and place text link advertising within blog posts. Both systems allow advertisers to compensate bloggers with cash in exchange for content and links back to Websites.
! IZEAMedia and Staree
IZEAMedia (in Pilot) allows advertisers to place display advertising next to sponsored blog content. Staree (in Development) is an online platform designed to help celebrities better monetize multimedia content through SMS.
The Company competes with Facebook, Glam Media, Federated Media, BlogHer, Ad.ly, Mom Central, Foursquare and Groupon.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap tech, mobile or cloud computing stocks SofTech, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOFT), Firstin Wireless Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: FINW) and Izea Inc (OTCMKTS: IZEA) have been getting some extra attention lately in various investment newsletters or alerts. That�� because at least one of these stocks appears to be the subject of paid third party promotions while another is the focus of an apparent investor relations campaign. Keeping that in mind, are these three tech orientated stocks going to bring profits to investors and traders or bring out the luddite in them? Here is a closer look:
Hot Services Companies To Own In Right Now: Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG (SZU)
Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG is a Germany-based company engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials. The Company is organized, along with its subsidiaries, into four segments: the Sugar segment comprises sugar production and the agricultural division; the Special Products segment includes the activities of four divisions: BENEO, which produces and sells ingredients made from natural raw materials for food products and animal feed; the Freiberger Group is a producer of chilled and frozen pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks; the PortionPack Europe group specializes in portion packs, and the starch division comprises starch companies in Hungary and Romania, bio-ethanol production in Austria and Hungary, as well as starch production facilities in Austria; the CropEnergies segment includes the bio-ethanol activities of the Company in Germany, Belgium and France, and the Fruit segment comprises the fruit juice preparations and fruit juice concentrates divisions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
Volkswagen AG (VOW), Europe�� biggest automaker, climbed 3.7 percent as data showed European car sales increased for the first time in 19 months in April. Suedzucker AG (SZU) dropped to an eight-month low as J&E Davy Holdings Ltd. downgraded the shares.
Hot Services Companies To Own In Right Now: Wynn Resorts Limited(WYNN)
Wynn Resorts, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and operation of destination casino resorts. The company owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas casino resort in Las Vegas, which includes approximately 22 food and beverage outlets comprising 5 dining restaurants; 2 nightclubs; 1 spa and salon; 1 Ferrari and Maserati automobile dealership; wedding chapels; an 18-hole golf course; meeting space; and foot retail promenade featuring boutiques. Wynn Las Vegas casino resort also features approximately 147 table games, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, 1 poker room, 1,842 slot machines, and 1 race and sports book. It also owns and operates an Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resort, a destination casino resort located adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas that features a 2,034 all-suite hotel, as well as a casino with 95 table games, 1 sky casino, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, and 778 slot machines. In addition, the company operates Wyn n Macau casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People?s Republic of China. Wynn Macau casino resort features approximately 595 hotel rooms and suites, 410 table games, 935 slot machines, 1 poker room, 1 sky casino, 6 restaurants, 1 spa and salon, lounges, meeting facilities, and retail space featuring boutiques. Further, it operates Encore at Wynn Macau resort located adjacent to Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau resort features approximately 410 luxury suites and 4 villas, as well as casino gaming space, including a sky casino consisting of 60 table games and 80 slot machines, 2 restaurants, 1 luxury spa, and retail space. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Casino developer, owner and operator Wynn Resorts (WYNN) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to $1.25 per share, payable on Dec. 6 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 20.
WYNN Dividend Yield: 3.07%
- [By Travis Hoium]
Cotai continues to be the growth engine of Macau. The Macau Peninsula, where Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) are located, have been holding steady but the growth is on Cotai, and that's why investors are willing to pay a premium for Melco Crown and Las Vegas Sands.
- [By Matt Thalman]
While Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS ) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) are both major players in Macau, MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM ) is making a big push to grow its base in the Chinese gambling mecca, while it also has a massive footprint in Las Vegas, and the other two have a much lower room count. MGM owns a good portion of the Las Vegas Strip, and as we continue to see average daily hotel room rates rise for the city and increased gaming revenue for the strip, we will see MGM greatly benefit from a recovering American tourist industry and a stronger Las Vegas.
- [By John Divine]
The S&P 500 Index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) retreated from the all-time highs it reached yesterday, as a trace of bearishness returned to the stock market today. Although both factory orders and motor vehicle sales came in higher than expected, the three major U.S. indices each fell, and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN ) , Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF ) and E*Trade Financial (NASDAQ: ETFC ) finished as the three worst performers in the S&P 500. The benchmark index itself didn't take much of a hit, losing less than a point, or less than 0.1%, to finish at 1,924.
Hot Services Companies To Own In Right Now: Bravo Enterprises Ltd (OGNG)
Bravo Enterprises Ltd., formerly Organa Gardens International Inc., incorporated on November 29, 1983, is a development-stage company. The Company holds an undivided 85% working interest and an undivided 68% net revenue interest in 13,189 acres located in Wasatch County, Utah, known as the Uinta Basin and a 0.7% gross overriding royalty interest on 6,360 acres of oil and natural gas rights located in the Powder River Basin of eastern Wyoming. The Company has a vertical hydroponics farming system. The Company owns a 2% royalty interest in the Harvester Property. The LAK Ranch field covers approximately 7,500 acres in the Powder River basin. In September 2011, the Company completed its merger agreement with Integrated Green Technologies LLC.
The Organa Garden Systems (OGS) provide a means for food production and consumption change to global and ecological through vertical hydroponics rotary farming. There are two OGS models; the Discovery (OGS-D) and the Enterprise (OGS-E). Its specially designed waterwheel technology allows the fully automated system to recycle and reuse 95% of the water used while requiring a negligible amount of energy to run.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap green stocks Vision Industries Corp (OTCMKTS: VIIC), Bravo Enterprises Ltd (OTCMKTS: OGNG) and Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: KGET) have reported recent news and/or they are being promoted. Of course, it goes without saying that small cap green stocks tend to be more volatile that other types of investments. So will investors and traders alike see some greenbacks from these green stocks? Here is a quick reality check:
Hot Services Companies To Own In Right Now: PriceSmart Inc.(PSMT)
PriceSmart, Inc. owns and operates membership shopping warehouse clubs in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Its warehouse clubs sell perishable foods and consumer goods at low prices to individuals and businesses, as well as offers ancillary services, which include food courts, tire centers, and photo centers. The company operates its warehouse clubs under the brand name of PriceSmart. As of August 31, 2011, it operated 29 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and 1 U.S. territory, including 5 in Costa Rica, 4 each in Panama and Trinidad, 3 each in Guatemala and in the Dominican Republic, 2 each in El Salvador and Honduras, and 1 each in Colombia, Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and the United States Virgin Islands. PriceSmart, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
PriceSmart (NASDAQ: PSMT) shares touched a new 52-week low of $80.18 after the company reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the third quarter. PriceSmart posted its quarterly earnings of $0.70 per share on revenue of $615 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.69 per share on revenue of $621.9 million.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Latin American warehouse club operator PriceSmart (NASDAQ: PSMT ) announced yesterday that same-store sales for the five-week period ending June 2 jumped 9.8% over the same time frame in 2012.
- [By Seth Jayson]
PriceSmart (Nasdaq: PSMT ) is expected to report Q3 earnings on July 10. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict PriceSmart's revenues will grow 13.1% and EPS will grow 25.0%.