It's not often that you get to see, in real time, how some of the analysts you follow are performing. With our CAPS system, that's now possible. Even more rare is the ability to get real-time updates on what analysts are buying and selling -- all for free.
But that's exactly what we offer at The Motley Fool, through our Real-Money Stock Picking program. Ten of the Fool's in-house analysts are making real purchases with the Fool's money. I've highlighted three of those buys made in April, and the reasoning behind them. At the end, I'll offer up access to a special premium report on one of these three companies.
Vermillion Energy (NYSE: VET )
Source: Freedigitalphotos.com, Rosemary Ratcliff.�
Analyst Nathan Parmelee, having worked for years on The Motley Fool's Global Gains team, focuses on companies that have a big impact abroad. Usually, these are the types of plays that the average American investor might overlook.
Top Medical Companies For 2016: M/I Homes Inc. (MHO)
M/I Homes, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, primarily operates as a builder of single-family homes in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. The Homebuilding segment designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family homes, attached townhomes, and condominiums to first-time, move-up, empty-nester, and luxury buyers in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and southern regions. It markets its finished homes through company-employed sales consultants under the M/I Homes, Showcase Homes, and TriStone Homes trade names. This segment also purchases undeveloped land to develop into finished lots for the construction of single-family homes and for sale to others. As of December 31, 2011, it had 3,041 developed lots and 625 lots under development in inventory, as well as owned raw land expected to be developed into approximately 3,491 lots. The Financial Services segment is involved in originating and selling mortgages, and colle cting fees for title insurance and closing services. This segment serves as a title insurance agent by providing title insurance policies, and examination and closing services to purchasers of its homes. M/I Homes, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Homebuilder�M/I homes� (NYSE: MHO ) �announced yesterday�it will be paying�a second-quarter cash dividend of�$0.609375�per share on its outstanding depositary shares with each representing 1/1,000th of a Series A preferred share of M/I Homes. The dividend is not changing.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Given the bad news regarding new-home sales unveiled� this morning, it's no real surprise that homebuilder stocks like KB Home (NYSE:KBH) and M/I Homes Inc. (NYSE:MHO) are struggling. KBH is down 2.8% as of the last look, while MHO shares are off 4.1%. None of the major homebuilder names are underwater as much as Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) is today, though, with its 8.6% drubbing. Already struggling, today's stumble from MTH may well jump-start a more serious selloff that the bulls have thus far been able to stave off.
- [By George Putnam, Editor, New Generation Research, Inc.]
Steve Halpern: You have an exception to that rule, you look at a smaller home builder, M/I Homes (MHO), and you like that. Could you tell us why.
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Joe Raedle/Getty Images U.S. homebuilders' confidence in the housing market surged this month to the highest level since January, reflecting a pickup in sales of new homes and heightened expectations for sales the second half of the year. The brighter sales outlook suggests home construction could pick up in coming months after a sluggish start this year. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Wednesday rose this month to 53, up four points from a revised reading of 49 in June. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor. The latest reading is the first above 50 since January, when it was 56. Builders' view of current sales conditions for single-family homes, their outlook for sales over the next six months and traffic by prospective buyers each increased since June. Higher mortgage rates and the bad weather weighed on home sales in late 2013 and early this year. Harsh winter weather also contributed to a sluggish start to this year's spring home-selling season. But sales of new homes have picked up in recent months. New home sales jumped 18.6 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 504,000, the highest level in six years. That followed a 3.7 percent increase in April. The gains came after declines in February and March. Even with the big overall gain, sales of new homes are still running at just about half the pace of a healthy real estate market. Still, the recent pickup in sales suggests that the housing recovery may be regaining its footing after slowing earlier this year. Economists say there is significant pent-up demand for homes as many potential buyers put off purchases over the past few years because of concerns about the economy. Solid job gains this year also bode well for housing. Employers added 288,000 jobs last month, the fifth straight month of gains above 200,000. The national unemployment rate has slid to 6.1 percent, a
Top 5 Performing Companies To Invest In 2015: IFM Investments Ltd (CTC)
IFM Investments Limited, incorporated on November 30, 2005, is a real estate services provider with the network of real estate sales offices in People�� Republic of China. The Company is the exclusive franchisor in People�� Republic of China for the CENTURY 21 brand As of December 31, 2012, its CENTURY 21 China network covered 27 cities. The Company operates under four business lines: Company-owned brokerage services, Primary and commercial services, mortgage management services and franchise services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 321 Company-owned sales offices, representing approximately 34.7% of its CENTURY 21 China network. Its Company-owned brokerage services business owns and operates regional sub-franchisors and sales offices in the CENTURY 21 China network. The Company�� mortgage management services business provides mortgage advisory services to home buyers and home owners and interim guarantee services to commercial banks.
Company-owned Brokerage Services
As of December 31, 2012, the Company directly owns 318 CENTURY 21 sales offices located in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, cities in People�� Republic of China with a number of secondary market real estate transactions per year. Through its Company-owned brokerage services business, the Company participates in sales and leasing transactions primarily with respect to middle to high grade residential properties in the secondary real estate market. Its services include property listing, advisory services and transaction negotiation and documentation. The Company also promotes its mortgage management services to its customers to provide real estate brokerage services. It also participates in real estate sales and leasing transactions with respect to properties in the primary and commercial real estate markets. The Company operates its Company-owned brokerage services business under the CENTURY 21franchise network.
The Company competes with Centaline (China) Property Cons! ultants Limited Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu.
Primary and commercial services
The Company�� primary and commercial services business consists of two business units, one that provides agency services to primary residential real estate developers and one that provides planning, consulting and brokerage services to commercial property developers. The Company generates revenues from its primary services by earning sales commissions from primary residential property developer clients, and it generate revenues from its commercial services by collecting service fees for consultancy services provided to commercial property developers.
The Company competes with World Union Properties Consulting Co., Limited and Syswin Inc., E-House (China) Holdings Limited, CB Richard Ellis and Jones Lang Lasalle.
Mortgage Management Services
The Company operates its mortgage management services as a separate segment under the brand of Kaisheng. Its mortgage management services include advisory services in connection with the selection and procurement of mortgage products offered by commercial banks. Its mortgage consultants promote and introduce various mortgage products, and advise home buyers or home owners in the selection of the appropriate mortgage product based on each mortgagor�� individual needs. The Company also has a call center in Shanghai to promote its mortgage management services business directly to its customers. The Company also provides mortgage management services to customers outside of its CENTURY 21 China network.
The Company competes with Beijing Houze Investment, Guarantee Company Limited and Shanghai Haoyonghang Investment Management Company Limited.
Franchise Services
The Company�� franchise network consists of three levels of franchise rights. First, through IFM Company Limited (IFM Co.), its wholly owned subsidiary, the Company is the exclusive franchisor for the CENTURY 21 brand in China. ! IFM Co. i! n-turn grants the right to franchise the CENTURY 21 brand within specific geographical regions to sub-franchisors whom the Company refers to as regional sub-franchisors. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 25 regional sub-franchisors with franchise networks in 27 cities in People�� Republic of China with a total of 924 franchised sales offices. Second, each regional sub-franchisor pays the Company ongoing service fees based on its revenue from the sales offices within its respective region, subject to minimum service fee requirements. In addition to generating revenue from its regional sub-franchisors, the Company leverages the geographic breadth and local market expertise of its CENTURY 21 franchise network.
The Company competes with Coldwell Banker.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Lam]
With 12 REIT IPOs in Canada since the beginning of 2012 and at least another coming from retailer Canadian Tire Corp. (CTC) in the near future, Taylor said the market has become saturated.
Top 5 Performing Companies To Invest In 2015: Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc.(PRAA)
Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc., a financial and business service company, engages in the purchase, collection, and management of portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables. It detects, collects, and processes unpaid and normal-course accounts receivables owed primarily to credit grantors, governments, and retailers. The company also acquires receivables of Visa, MasterCard, and other credit cards; private label credit cards; installment loans; lines of credit; bankrupt accounts; deficiency balances of various types; legal judgments, and trade payables from various debt owners, including banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, telecommunication providers, retailers, utilities, insurance companies, medical groups, hospitals, auto finance companies, and other debt buyers. In addition, it provides fee-based services, including vehicle location, skip tracing, and collateral recovery services for auto lenders, governments, and law enforcement; revenue administra tion, audit, and debt discovery/recovery services for local government entities; and class action claims recovery services and related payment processing services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
For the first time since going public in 2002, consumer debt purchasing specialist Portfolio Recovery Associates (NASDAQ: PRAA ) announced today it is going to split its stock and will do so by a three-for-one ratio.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
The other good news is on pages 10, 11 and 15. Delinquencies are rising, as are collections. If debt balances increase, you would expect delinquencies to rise as well. That bodes well for the big-time players in debt collection, Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA) and Encore Capital Group (ECPG). Both just reported robust growth in collections, revenues, and net income. They’re also making large international acquisitions. I love both companies and think they’re are undervalued.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Shares of Portfolio Recovery Associates (NASDAQ: PRAA) got a boost, shooting up 13.47 percent to $57.28 after the company reported Q4 results and agreed to acquire Aktiv Kapital for $880 million.
- [By James Brumley]
As is so often the case, however, the market’s activity of late has been more random and coincidental than rational or calculated. Translation: Don’t read too much into the pullback from small-cap stocks. In fact, that pullback appears to have created some strong buying opportunities among the Russell 2000′s constituents. Here are four such small caps that bargain-hunters may want to consider first.
Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA)For better or worse, collecting bad debts is a business that will never go out of style. That’s why Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRAA) is a solid all-weather play, particularly after shares of PRAA stock sank nearly 25% between October and February. Shares have made a modest recovery effort since then, but most of the rebound meat is still left on the bone.
Top 5 Performing Companies To Invest In 2015: Albemarle Corp (ALB)
Albemarle Corporation (Albemarle), incorporated in 1993, is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals, which meet customer needs across a range of end markets, including the petroleum refining, consumer electronics, plastics/packaging, construction, automotive, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food-safety and custom chemistry services markets. As of December 31, 2011, the Company and its joint ventures operated 50 facilities, encompassing production, research and development facilities, and administrative and sales offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia. It serves approximately 3,000 customers in over 100 countries. It operates in three segments: Polymer Solutions, Catalysts and Fine Chemistry. On May 11, 2011, the Company acquired Catilin Inc. In October 2013, Albemarle Corp acquired Cambridge Chemical Co Ltd.
Polymer Solutions
The Company�� Polymer Solutions segment consists of two product market categories: flame retardants and stabilizers and curatives. Its products include plastic enclosures for consumer electronics, printed circuit boards, wire and cable, electrical connectors, textiles, foam insulation, and foam seating in furniture and automobiles. Its brominated flame retardants include products such as Saytex; its mineral-based flame retardants include products, such as Martinal and Magnifin, and its phosphorus-based flame retardants include products, such as Antiblaze and Ncendx.
The Company produces plastic additives, as well as other additives, such as curatives, antioxidants and stabilizers. Its additives products include curatives for polyurethane, polyurea, and epoxy system polymerization. This business also produces antioxidants and stabilizers. Its Ethacure curatives are used in cast elastomers, coatings, reaction injection molding (RIM) and specialty adhesives, which are incorporated into products, such as wheels, tires and rollers. Its line of Ethanox antioxi! dants is used by manufacturers of polyolefins to maintain physical properties during the manufacturing process, including the color of the final product. These antioxidants are found in applications, such as slit film, wire and cable, food packaging and pipes.
The Company produces antioxidants used in fuels and lubricants. Its line of Ethanox fuel and lubricant antioxidants is used by refiners and fuel marketers to extend fuel storage life and protect fuel systems, and by oil marketers and lubricant manufacturers to extend the useful life of lubricating oils, fluids and greases used in engines and various types of machinery. Its polymer solutions segment offers more than 80 products to a range of end-markets. It sells its products to chemical manufacturers and processors, such as polymer resin suppliers, lubricant manufacturers, refiners and other specialty chemical companies.
The Company competes with Chemtura Corporation, Israel Chemicals Ltd, Jiangsu Yoke Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Wansheng Chemical Co., Ltd., J.M. Huber Corporation, Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Nabaltec GmbH, BASF Corporation, Chemtura Corporation and Songwon Industrial Co., Ltd.,
Catalysts
The Company�� Catalysts segment includes its refinery catalysts and catalyst solutions businesses. Its main refinery catalysts product lines are hydroprocessing catalysts (HPC), and fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC), catalysts and additives. HPC catalysts are used to reduce the quantity of sulfur and other impurities in petroleum products, as well as to convert feedstock into lighter products. FCC catalysts assist in the cracking of petroleum streams into derivative, higher-value products, such as fuels and petrochemical feedstock. Its FCC additives are used to remove sulfur in gasoline and to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in FCC units. It offers approximately 130 different HPC catalysts products and approximately 40 different FCC catalysts and additives pro! ducts to ! its customers.
The Company has three business units in its performance catalyst solutions (PCS) division: polymer catalysts, chemical catalysts and electronic materials. It manufactures organometallic co-catalysts, as well as metallocene components and co-catalysts. It also offers finished Single-Site catalysts with or without its ActivCat technology and a range of Ziegler-Natta catalysts under the Advantage brand. Its co-catalysts and finished catalysts are used in its customers��production of polyolefin polymers. Such polymers are commodity (Ziegler Natta polymerization technology) and specialty (Single Site polymerization technology) plastics serving a range of end markets, including packaging, non-packaging, films and injection molding. Some of its organometallic products are also used in the manufacture of alpha-olefins (hexene, octane and decene). In electronic materials, it manufacture and sells metal organic products into electronic applications, such as the production of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for displays and general lighting, as well as other products used in the production of solar cells. Its chemical catalysts include a range of catalysts used in the chemical industry.
The Company competes with Criterion Catalysts and Technologies, W.R. Grace & Co./Advanced Refining Technologies, Haldor Topsoe, W.R. Grace & Co., BASF Corporation, AkzoNobel and Chemtura Corporation.
Fine Chemistry
The Company�� Fine Chemistry segment consists of two categories: performance chemicals, and fine chemistry services and intermediates. Performance chemicals include products, such as elemental bromine, alkyl bromides, inorganic bromides, brominated powdered activated carbon and a range of bromine fine chemicals. Its products are used in chemical synthesis, oil and gas well drilling and completion fluids, mercury control, paper manufacturing, water purification, beef and poultry processing and other industrial applications. Other performance chemicals, wh! ich it pr! oduces include tertiary amines for surfactants, biocides, disinfectants and sanitizers; potassium-based products used in industrial applications; alkenyl succinic anhydride used in paper-sizing formulations, and aluminum oxides used in a range of refractory, ceramic and polishing applications. It sells these products to customers globally for use in personal care products, automotive insulation, foundry bricks and other industrial products.
The Company�� fine chemistry services business offers custom manufacturing, research and chemical scale-up services for companies. Its pharmaceutical bulk active is ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is used to provide pain relief and fever reduction. Bulk ibuprofen is formulated by pharmaceutical companies, which sells in both the prescription and over-the-counter markets. The Company also produces a range of intermediates used in the manufacture of a range of over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
The Company�� agrichemicals are sold to agrichemical manufacturers and distributors, which produce and distribute finished agricultural herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and soil fumigants. Its products include orthoalkylated anilines used in the acetanilide family of pre-emergent herbicides used with corn, soybeans and other crops and methyl bromide, which is used as a soil fumigant. It also manufactures and supplies a range of custom chemical intermediates for the agricultural industry.
The Company competes with Chemtura Corporation, Israel Chemicals, BASF Corporation, Lonza, Clariant Ltd. and Cilag AG.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anna Prior]
Albemarle Corp.(ALB) will buy Rockwood Holdings Inc.(ROC) for a deal valued at about $6.2 billion in cash and stock, the specialty chemical companies said. The merger agreement values Rockwood at $85.53 a share, a 13% premium over its Monday closing price. Albemarle shares rose 4% to $75.50 premarket, while Rockwood shares climbed 13% to $85.43.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Specialty chemicals maker�Albemarle (NYSE: ALB ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.24 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 20% from $0.20 per share.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Albemarle (NYSE: ALB ) reported earnings on July 17. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Albemarle missed estimates on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.
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