Source: thinkstockAugust 27, 2013: U.S. markets opened lower Tuesday morning with worries over possible U.S. actions in Syria weighing prices down all day. The S&P Case-Shiller house price index was strong again in June, but homebuilders��stocks and home improvement shares followed stocks lower. The July consumer confidence index from the Conference Board came in higher than expected as short-term expectations rose. Germany�� Ifo business climate index posted a two-year high this morning as well.
European and Latin American markets closed lower today, while Asian markets closed mixed.
Wednesday�� calendar includes the following data releases and events:
7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications 10:00 a.m. – National Association of Realtors pending home sales 10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report 1:00 p.m. – 5-year note auctionWe also broke out the top Wall Street calls with analyst upgrades and analyst downgrades.
Best Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: El Paso Electric Company (EE)
El Paso Electric Company, a public utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity primarily in west Texas and southern New Mexico. It principally operates nuclear, natural gas, and coal power plants, as well as wind turbines. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned 6 electrical generating facilities with a net generating capacity of approximately 1,643 megawatts. It serves approximately 370,000 residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, and wholesale customers. The company sells its products to electric utilities and power marketers, as well as to oil and copper refining, and steel production facilities, universities, and the United States military installations. El Paso Electric Company was founded in 1901 and is based in El Paso, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tyler Crowe]
If we were to pinpoint a company that�embodies�this�success�as of late, it's First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR ) . It just sold a 139 megawatt facility to�utility�giant -- and large coal consumer -- Southern (NYSE: SO ) , and recently signed a power purchase deal with El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE ) that will supply El Paso with electricity for half what it pays for power from coal. These deals also come with the announcement that the company upped guidance earlier in April which sent share prices up by 46% in one day.�
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Wet Seal Inc (WTSL)
The Wet Seal, Inc., incorporated in 1990, is a specialty retailer operating stores selling apparel and accessory items designed for female customers aged 15 to 39 years old. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 558 retail stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico. Its products can also be purchased online through its Websites. It operates two nationwide, primarily mall-based, chains of retail stores under the names Wet Seal and Arden B. Wet Seal is a junior apparel brand for teenage girls who seek trend-focused clothing, with a target customer age range of 15 to 23 years old. Arden B is a fashion brand for the feminine contemporary woman. Arden B targets customers aged 25 to 39 years old and seeks to deliver collections of fashion and basic separates and accessories for various aspects of the customers��lifestyles. During fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 28 and closed six Wet Seal stores and opened four and closed one Arden B stores.
The Company maintains a Web-based store located at www.wetseal.com, offering Wet Seal merchandise comparable to that carried in its stores, to customers over the Internet. The Company also maintains a Web-based store located at www.ardenb.com, offering Arden B merchandise comparable to that carried in its stores, to customers over the Internet. Its online stores are designed to serve as an extension of the in-store experience and offer a range of merchandise. Wet Seal stores average approximately 4,000 square feet in size. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 472 Wet Seal stores and Arden B stores average approximately 3,100 square feet in size.
The Company competes with Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, BCBG, bebe, Body Central, Charlotte Russe, Express, Forever 21, Gap, Guess?, H&M, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear, Rue 21, Target, Urban Outfitters and Zara. As of April 28, 2012, the Company operated a total of 553 stores in 47 states and Puerto! Rico, including 469 Wet Seal stores and 84 Arden B stores.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM] Records fell on Wall Street Friday as another solid report on housing lifted the market for the second day in a row. There's a three-day weekend coming up -- something that often prompts investor caution -- but the gains were broad-based even though volume was fairly light. The VIX, which measures volatility, fell to its lowest level this year. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) gained 63 points, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) rose 31, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) added 8, topping the record high set last week. The Dow Transportation average also raced to an all-time high, lifted by airline stocks. United (UAL) soared more than 4 percent; Delta (DAL) gained more than 1 percent and Southwest (LUV) gained 2 percent. Southwest is at an all-time high, up 79 percent from a year ago. New home sales bounced back with a better than expected 6.4 percent increase last month. Lennar (LEN) and D.R. Horton (DHI) both rose 4 percent. Pulte (PHM), Beazer (BZH) and Hovnanian (HOV) also solid posted gains. Earnings continue to drive retail stocks. Gap (GPS) edged higher even though net fell. Foot Locker (FL) gained 1½ percent after topping expectations. GameStop (GME) rose 4 percent. Its net rose, helped by the rollout last year of new Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Zumiez (ZUMZ) rose 5½ percent on an earnings beat. But Aeropostale (ARO) tumbled 24 percent. Its loss widened and sales declined. The retailer continues to struggle with teen fashion trends. Also on the earnings front, TiVo (TIVO) rose 2 percent as it swung to a profit from a year ago loss. It also reported an increase in the number of subscribers. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) rose 6 percent on news the company plans to eliminate up to 16,000 additional workers in an effort to cut costs. And several stocks extended big moves from yesterday. Best Buy (BBY) rose more than 3 percent for the second straight day after earnings beat expectations. Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) jumped
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch have gained 11% to $36.78 today, even as Aeropostale (ARO) has dropped 5.2% to $8.50, and Zumiez (ZUMZ) has fallen 5.6% to $22.85. Wet Seal (WTSL), meanwhile, has gained 0.8% to $2.60 and�American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has advanced 0.9% to %15.46.
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Geospace Technologies Corp (GEOS)
Geospace Technologies Corporation, formerly OYO Geospace Corporation, incorporated on September 13, 1997, designs and manufactures instruments and equipment used in the acquisition and processing of seismic data, as well as in the characterization and monitoring of producing oil and gas reservoirs. The Company also manufactures and distributes thermal imaging equipment and dry thermal film products to a variety of markets including the screenprint, point of sale, signage and textile markets. As of September 30, 2011, OYO Corporation U.S.A. (OYO USA) owned approximately 20.3% of the Company�� common stock. The Company operates in two segments: Seismic and Thermal Solutions. The seismic segment of its business accounts for the majority of its sales. Its thermal solutions product technologies were developed for seismic data processing applications.
Seismic Products
Geoscientists use seismic data primarily in connection with the exploration, development and production of oil and gas reserves to map hydrocarbon bearing formations and the geologic structures that surround them. The Company provides many of the components of seismic data recording systems, including data acquisition systems, geophones, hydrophones, multi-component sensors, seismic leader wire, geophone strings, connectors, seismic telemetry cables and other seismic related products. Its marine seismic products help steer streamers while being towed and help recover streamers if they become disconnected from the vessel.
The Company has developed permanently installed high-definition reservoir characterization products for ocean-bottom applications in producing oil and gas fields. It also produces a retrievable version of this ocean-bottom system for use on fields where permanently installed systems are not appropriate or economical. Seismic surveys repeated over selected time intervals show dynamic changes within the reservoir and can be used to monitor the effects of production. In addition, it produc! es seismic borehole acquisition systems which employ a fiber optic augmented wireline capable of high data transmission rates. These systems are used for several reservoir characterization applications, including an application pioneered by it allowing operators and service companies to monitor and measure the results of fracturing operations.
The Company designs and manufactures power and communication transmission cable products for offshore applications and market these products to the offshore oil and gas and offshore construction industries. These products include a variety of specialized cables, primarily used in deepwater applications, such as remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tethers, umbilicals and electrical control cables. These products also include specially designed and manufactured cables, including armored cables, engineered to withstand harsh offshore operating environments. In addition, it designs and manufactures industrial sensors for the vibration monitoring, security and earthquake detection markets. The Company also design and manufacture other specialty cable and connector products, such as those used in connection with global positioning products and water meter applications.
Its seismic product lines consists of land and marine nodal seismic data acquisition systems, high-definition reservoir characterization products and services, geophones and hydrophones, including multi-component geophones and hydrophones, seismic leader wire, geophone string and acquisition system connectors, seismic telemetry cables, marine seismic cable retrieval and steering devices and specialized data acquisition systems targeted at conventional and niche markets.
The Company�� high-definition reservoir characterization products include the HDSeis product line and a suite of borehole and reservoir characterization products and services. Its HDSeis System is a high-definition seismic data acquisition system with architecture that allows it to be configured as a bo! rehole se! ismic system or as a subsurface system for both land and marine reservoir-monitoring projects. Its multi-component seismic product developments include an omni-directional geophone for use in reservoir monitoring, a compact marine three-component or four-component gimbaled sensor and special-purpose connectors, connector arrays and cases. Its products used in marine seismic data acquisition include its marine seismic streamer retrieval devices (SRDs). Its SRDs, which are attached to the streamer cables, contain air bags which are designed to inflate automatically at a given depth, bringing the severed streamer cables to the surface. It also produces seismic streamer steering devices, or birds, which are finlike devices that attach to the streamer cable. These birds help maintain the streamer cable at a certain desired depth as it is being towed through the water.
The Company competes with CGGVeritas, ION Geophysical, INOVA, Amphenol Corporation, Fairfield Industries, Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, Avalon, Mitcham Industries, Inc. and Seismic Equipment Solutions.
Thermal Solutions Products
The Company thermal printers include both thermal imagesetters for graphics applications and thermal plotters for seismic applications. In addition, its thermal solutions products include direct-to-screen systems, thermal printheads, dry thermal film, thermal transfer ribbons and other thermal media. Its thermal imaging solutions produce images ranging in size from 12 to 54 inches wide and in resolution from 400 to 1,200 dots per inch. It markets its thermal imaging solutions to a variety of industries, including the screen printing, point-of-sale, signage, flexographic and textile markets. It also distributes private label dry thermal media for use in its thermal printers and direct-to-screen systems. In addition, the Company is engaged in efforts to develop new lines of dry thermal film and ribbon in order to improve the image quality of its media for use with printheads.
The! Company thermal solutions products include thermal imagesetters for graphics applications and thermal plotters for seismic applications. In addition, its thermal solution products include thermal printheads and thermal media products. It markets these products to a variety of industries, including the screen print, point of sale, signage and textile markets. It also sells these products to seismic customers.
The Company competes with KIWO USA, Inc., Colour Scanned Technology and iSys Group.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Geospace Technologies (Nasdaq: GEOS ) reported earnings on May 2. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Geospace Technologies whiffed on revenues and whiffed on earnings per share.
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Axcelis Technologies Inc.(ACLS)
Axcelis Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation, dry strip, and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. It offers a line of high energy, high current, and medium current ion implanters for various applications, such as line of single wafer implanters, known as the Optima platform, comprising the Optima XE, the Optima HD, and the Optima MD. The company also offers dry strip tools, including the Integra RS, which comprises paired-chamber process modules. In addition, it provides aftermarket services and support, such as spare parts, equipment upgrades, maintenance services, and customer training. The company sells its equipment and services through direct sales force, distributors, and manufacturing representatives. Axcelis Technologies was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]
The major dry strip product today is Suprema - Mattson's most advanced tool, and one that uses inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technology and vacuum transfer. Two of the company's primary competitors use one but not the other, while the third uses both but charges about 20% more for its tools. According to Gartner, Mattson holds about 22% market share in this roughly $180 million/year market, with Lam Research (which acquired Novellus and dry strip IP from Axcelis (ACLS)) and PSK as the primary competitors.
- [By Ben Axler]
An old spin-out of Eaton Corp. (ETN), Axcelis Technologies (ACLS) designs, manufactures and services ion implantation, dry strip and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips. The semiconductor capital equipment industry is very cyclical, and as a smaller player in the industry, ACLS has not been immune, and gone through protracted periods of losses. In the past few years, the company has taken numerous steps to reposition itself for the next cyclical upswing by listening to its customers and investing heavily in R&D to revamp its product line to expand its addressable market opportunity, right-sizing its cost structure to substantially lower its breakeven level, establishing new collaborative partnerships, and optimizing its balance sheet to unlock value. Now with signs of a cyclical upswing occurring, and being led by memory - Micron (MU) and SanDisk (SNDK), ACLS is poised for accelerating earnings potential beginning in Q4'2013 that could drive its stock price substantially higher. However, with a few nearer-term catalysts on the horizon, investors may not want to wait too long before purchasing shares. As an early indicator, investors should consider that insiders recently purchased the stock in the open market in August at current levels. These stock purchases coincide with the one year anniversary of ACLS's new Purion M product line entering an evaluation period with a major customer. Sell-side analysts are starting to take notice and listening in to the company's recent conference call, which at least opens the door to new broker initiations in the future. The downside risk appears mitigated by ACLS's strengthened balance sheet, and dramatically improved operating financial model that has stemmed further cash burn. As the company hits an inflection point with new customer contracts and proves its earnings cycle is under way, we expect ACLS's valuation discount to peers to narrow and the stock to appreciate substantially
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: State Bank Financial Corporation.(STBZ)
State Bank Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for State Bank and Trust Company that provides community banking services to individuals and businesses in the middle Georgia and metropolitan Atlanta areas. It offers deposit products, such as checking accounts, commercial accounts, savings accounts, commercial and consumer demand products, and other time deposits, including daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit, as well as retirement account services. The company also provides loans to small and medium-sized businesses, residential and commercial construction and development loans, commercial real estate loans, farmland and agricultural production loans, residential mortgage loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans. In addition, it offers online banking and bill payment, online cash management, safe deposit box rental, and debit card and ATM card services. State Bank Financial Corporation operates through 22 branch offices. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vera Yuan]
We initiated a new position in Aircastle Ltd. (AYR), an aircraft leasing company with a flexible business model and a rational capital allocation philosophy. We took advantage of an opportunity to purchase shares in the heavily capitalized Georgia bank State Bank Financial Corp. (STBZ) as the depressed stock price reflected investors��lack of patience with a slower than expected pace of capital deployment. We like State Bank�� management team led by Georgia banker Joe Evans. This management team has experience successfully building and selling other Georgia banks. We also received shares of transportation infrastructure company XPO Logistics, Inc. (XPO) as a result of its acquisition of holding Pacer International, Inc.
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Carbonite Inc (CARB)
Carbonite, Inc. (Carbonite), incorporated on February 10, 2005, focuses on the development and marketing of personal computer backup software that enables users to backup, access, and restore data files online. Carbonite is a provider of online backup solutions for consumers and small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). The Company provides secure online backup solutions with anytime, anywhere access to files stored on its servers, which it calls the Carbonite Personal Cloud. In November 2012, the Company acquired Zmanda, Inc.
The Company�� backup solutions works automatically uploading encrypted copies of its customers��files to the Carbonite servers. The Company's customers can browse and share their photos, videos, and documents anytime, anywhere using a Web browser or its free iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android apps. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had subscribers in more than 100 countries, with subscribers based in the United States representing 94% of its total revenue for 2012.
The Company competes with CrashPlan, Mozy, SOS Online Backup, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, DropBox, SugarSync, Box and others.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Carbonite (Nasdaq: CARB ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 12. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Carbonite's revenues will grow 27.5% and EPS will remain in the red.
Top 10 Forestry Companies To Own In Right Now: Canadian Mining Co Inc (CNG)
Canadian Mining Company Inc. (Canadian Mining) is engaged in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration, development and operation of mineral properties in British Columbia, Arizona, the United States and Sonora, Mexico. The Company�� projects include Bullard Pass Property, and Raquel 3 Concession. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company had interests in two mineral properties located in British Columbia: Sun Group and Bromley Creek. In British Columbia, the Company�� principal property interest is its Bromley Creek zeolite project, which consists of a total of one mineral lease and six mineral claims. The Company has contiguous claim, number 305975, located in the Similkameen Mining District of British Columbia. The total claim area includes 843.468 hectares. During fiscal 2012, Canadian Mining completed phase one of a drilling program in Bullard Pass Gold Property. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tyler Laundon]
It has a vision of building America's Natural Gas Highway. The project consists of a compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel-station network connecting 48 states.
Gene J. Puskar/AP WASHINGTON -- U.S. retail sales fell unexpectedly in January and the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, in the latest signs of slowing economic growth early in the first quarter. The Commerce Department said Thursday retail sales fell 0.4 percent last month, led by a drop in automobile sales. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales unchanged in January. Sales in December were revised to show a 0.1 percent fall instead of the previously reported 0.2 percent rise. The second month of declines in sales likely reflected frigid temperatures across many parts of the country. "The weakness we saw in retail sales is unfortunately weather-related and we are clearly seeing that the first quarter growth is slower than we anticipated," said Peter Cardillo, chief market strategist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. "But I still don't think this data is trend changing." Stocks opened lower following the retail sales figures. The dollar slipped and the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to session lows of 2.74 percent. Stripping out automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, so-called core sales fell 0.3 percent after rising 0.3 percent in December. Core sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. Economists had expected this category to advance 0.2 percent in January. In a separate report, the Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 339,000 in the week ended Feb. 8. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits slipping to 330,000. The reports added to data on factory activity and employment in suggesting a loss of steam in the economy this quarter, in part because of the unseasonably cold weather and payback after the brisk 3.7 percent annual growth pace in the second half of last year. Economists are yet to quantify the effect of the relentlessly freezing temperatures, which have left large parts of the country shivering since December. Last month, receipts at auto dealers fell 2.1 percent. It was the second consecutive month of decreases. Auto manufacturers complained last week that frigid temperatures had hurt sales. Retail sales excluding automobiles were flat. Sales of building materials and garden equipment rose 1.4 percent. There were also gains in receipts at electronics and appliance stores. However sales at clothing retailers and at sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores fell, as did receipts at furniture shops.
