Every year, I read dozens of books on investing, finance, economics and related topics.
At last count, my Kindle contained well over 100 books about these subjects, and that doesn't count the scores of paperbacks and hardbacks overflowing from my bookshelf and piled up in the corner of my office, threatening to collapse upon some hapless visitor.
The sad truth is that among all these books, less than a dozen were truly memorable. Some were entertaining to read on a long-haul flight, but memory of those titles often faded before I jumped into a taxi at my destination.
But there are a handful of books that make wading through all those forgettable titles worthwhile. These must-read titles contain truly useful information and analysis that prompt me to think about investing in a new way or develop new strategies and themes.
Top Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: CIENA Corporation(CIEN)
Ciena Corporation provides equipment, software, and service solutions that support the transport, switching, aggregation, and management of voice, video, and data traffic on communications networks worldwide. Its product portfolio consists of packet-optical transport that includes optical transport solutions to increase network capacity and enable delivery of a broader mix of high-bandwidth services; and packet-optical switching, which comprise optical switching platforms incorporating multiservice and multi-protocol switching systems that enable automated optical infrastructures for the delivery of various enterprise and consumer-oriented network services. The company also offers carrier Ethernet solutions, including service delivery switches and service aggregation switches to support the access and aggregation tiers of communications networks, as well as to support wireless backhaul infrastructures and business data services; and software solutions to track individual s ervices across multiple product suites, facilitating planned network maintenance, outage detection, and identification of customers or services affected by network troubles. In addition, Ciena Corporation provides consulting and support services, such as project management, deployment, maintenance support, consulting, and training services, as well as network analysis, planning, design, optimization, and tuning. Its packet-optical transport, packet-optical switching, and carrier Ethernet solutions products are used individually or as part of an integrated solution in communications networks operated by communications service providers, cable operators, governments, enterprises, and other network operators. The company sells its communications networking solutions directly, as well as through strategic channel relationships. Ciena Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Linthicum, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
My first earnings short-squeeze trade idea is communications networking equipment provider Ciena (CIEN), which is set to release numbers on Wednesday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Ciena to report revenue of $532.99 million on earnings of 16 cents per share.
Just recently, FBR Capital said that Ciena is benefiting from an optical upgrade cycle and it expects the company to report stronger than expected results for its July quarter. That said, the firm expects Ciena's guidance for its October quarter to be in-line with expectations, and warns that its revenue recognition can be lumpy. The firm has an outperform rating on the stock.
The current short interest as a percentage of the float Ciena is extremely high at 20.8%. That means that out of the 92.18 million shares in the tradable float, 20.77 million shares are sold short by the bears. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of CIEN could easily experience a large short-squeeze post-earnings.
From a technical perspective, CIEN is currently trending below its 50-day moving average and above its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been downtrending over the last month, with shares falling from its high of $23.63 to its low of $19.78 a share. During that move, shares of CIEN have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of CIEN have started to bounce off that $19.78 low and it's quickly moving within range of a near-term breakout trade.
If you're bullish on CIEN, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 50-day moving average at $21.32 a share and then once it takes out more near-term resistance levels at $21.57 to $22 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 3.54 million shares. I
- [By Lee Jackson]
Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) reported solid earnings yesterday morning as expected. The company benefited from the strong optical upgrade cycle and is on track for a very good year. Deutsche Bank has a $22 price target for the stock. The Thomson/First call estimate is at $22.50.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday’s session are Lululemon Athletica Inc.(LULU), Ciena Corp.(CIEN) and Facebook Inc.(FB)
- [By Rick Munarriz]
We can start with Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN ) .�The optical networking solutions provider was supposed to post a small loss in its latest quarter, but the shares closed out the week hitting a fresh 52-week high after surprising investors with a modest profit of $0.02 a share. With revenue growing and gross margins widening, Ciena is sneaking up on naysayers who figured that optical networking wasn't anywhere close to staging a turnaround. Ciena's rosy near-term outlook is also encouraging, with its revenue target for the current quarter perched well above what analysts were forecasting.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: 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 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
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: Family Dollar Stores Inc.(FDO)
Family Dollar Stores, Inc. operates a chain of self-service retail discount stores primarily for low and middle income consumers in the United States. The company offers consumables, including household chemicals, paper products, candy and snack products, health and beauty aids, hardware and automotive supplies, and pet food products and supplies; and home products, which comprise domestics, housewares, giftware products, and home decor products. It also provides apparel products and accessories consisting of men?s and women?s clothing products, boys? and girls? clothing products, infants? clothing products, shoes, and fashion accessories; and seasonal products and electronics, such as toys, stationery and school supplies, seasonal goods, and personal electronics. As of August 11, 2011, the company operated approximately 7,000 stores in rural and urban settings across 44 states. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina .
Advisors' Opinion:- [By The Part-time Investor]
The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:
Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.
- [By Mani]
Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE: FDO) could face more headwinds in fiscal 2014 after a disappointing fourth quarter, which saw weaker-than-expected sales and made the company guide for a low-single digits drop in percentage terms in the current first quarter.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: CACI International Inc. (CACI)
CACI International Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides information solutions and services to the U.S. federal government and commercial markets in North America and internationally. The company offers enterprise information technology (IT) solutions and services for the design, development, integration, deployment, operations and management, sustainment, and security of clients� infrastructure; information solutions and services that automate the knowledge management lifecycle; and enterprise-level system solutions in the domain of procurement, financial, human capital, logistics, and supply chain management. It also offers intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions; command and control solutions to support military, homeland security, law enforcement, border security, emergency response, and disaster relief missions; and develops and manages logistics information systems, and simulation and modeling toolsets, as well as provides logistics engineering se rvices. In addition, the company offers cyber security services that support preparing for, protecting against, detecting, reacting, and responding to the cyber threats; integrated security solutions and services for mitigating and countering the effects of natural, technological, and man-made hazards; geospatial solutions relating to defense, intelligence, homeland security, and commercial applications; and government investigation and litigation support solutions. Further, it provides healthcare IT solutions; identity management solutions; program management, and system engineering and technical assistance services to government program offices; mobility solutions and services; and planning, design, implementation, and management solutions that resolve technical or business needs for commercial and government clients in the telecommunications, education, financial services, healthcare services, and transportation sectors. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartere d in Arlington, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
The Department of Defense awarded a dozen separate contracts Thursday, worth more than $225 million in aggregate. Notable winners (among publicly traded companies) included:
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: First Horizon National Corp (FHN)
First Horizon National Corporation (FHN), incorporated in 1968, is a bank holding company. The Company provides financial services through its subsidiary, First Tennessee Bank National Association (the Bank), and its subsidiaries. The Company�� two brands First Tennessee and FTN Financial provide customers with a range of products and services. First Tennessee provides retail and commercial banking services throughout Tennessee. FTN Financial (FTNF) is engaged in fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad. FHN has four operating business segments: regional banking, capital markets, corporate, and non-strategic. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had $16.4 billion in total deposits and $16 billion in total net loans. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiaries had over 200 business locations in 17 the United States states, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, excluding off-premises automated teller machines (ATMs). As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 183 branch locations in four states, which include 172 branches in metropolitan areas of Tennessee; two branches in northwestern Georgia; seven branches in northwestern Mississippi, and two branches in North Carolina. As of December 31, 2011, FTN Financial products and services were offered through 18 offices in total, including 16 offices in 14 states plus an office in each of Hong Kong and Tokyo.
The regional banking segment offers financial products and services, including traditional lending and deposit taking, to retail and commercial customers in Tennessee and surrounding markets. Regional banking provides investments, financial planning, trust services and asset management, credit card, cash management, and first lien mortgage originations within the Tennessee footprint. In addition, the regional banking segment includes correspondent banking, which provides credit, depository, and other banking related services to other financial institutions.
The capital markets se! gment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad, as well as loan sales, portfolio advisory, and derivative sales. The corporate segment consists of gains on the extinguishment of debt, unallocated corporate expenses, expense on subordinated debt issuances and preferred stock, bank-owned life insurance, unallocated interest income associated with excess equity, net impact of raising incremental capital, revenue and expense associated with deferred compensation plans, funds management, low income housing investment activities, and charges related to restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency. The non-strategic segment consists of the wind-down national consumer lending activities, legacy mortgage banking elements, including servicing fees, and the associated ancillary revenues and expenses related to these businesses. Non-strategic also includes the wind-down trust preferred loan portfolio and exited businesses along with the associated restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency charges.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company provided services through its subsidiaries, which include general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments; through FTN Financial fixed income sales and trading, underwriting of bank, loan sales, advisory services and derivative sales; discount brokerage and full-service brokerage; correspondent banking; transaction processing, such as nationwide check clearing services and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency services; credit card products; equipment finance; investment and financial advisory services; mutual fund sales as agent; retail insurance sales as agent, and mortgage banking services.
As of December 31, 2011, the commercial, financial, and industrial (C&I) portfolio was eight billion dollars, and is consisted of loans used for general business purposes, and consisted of relationship customers in Tennessee and certain n! eighborin! g states, which are managed within the regional bank. Products include working capital lines of credit, term loan financing of owner-occupied real estate and fixed assets, and trade credit enhancement through letters of credit. As of December 31, 2011, the unpaid principal balance (UPB) of trust preferred loans totaled $447.2 million with the UPB of other bank-related loans totaling approximately $161.8 million. The commercial real estate portfolio includes both financings for commercial construction and non-construction loans. This portfolio is segregated between income commercial real estate (CRE) loans which contain loans, lines, and letters of credit to commercial real estate developers for the construction and mini- permanent financing of income-producing real estate, and residential CRE loans. The residential CRE portfolio includes loans to residential builders and developers for the purpose of constructing single-family detached homes, condominiums, and town homes. As of December 31, 2011, the residential CRE portfolio was $.1 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the consumer real estate portfolio was $5.3 billion, and is composed of home equity lines and installment loans. As of December 31, 2011, the credit card and other portfolios were $.3 billion, and primarily include credit card receivables, automobile loans, and over-the-counter (OTC) construction loans and other consumer related credits.
FHN�� investment portfolio consists of debt securities, including government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and government agency issued collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO). During the year ended December 31, 2011, Government agency issued MBS and CMO, and other agencies averaged $2.9 billion. During 2011, the United States treasury securities and municipal bonds averaged $79.5 million. During 2011, investments in equity securities averaged $222.3 million.
During 2011, short-term funds (certificates of deposit greater than $100,000, federal funds purchased (! FFP), sec! urities sold under agreements to repurchase, trading liabilities, and other short-term borrowings) averaged $3.6 billion. During 2011, other borrowings increased to $.3 billion. Term borrowings include senior and subordinated borrowings and advances with original maturities greater than one year. During 2011, average term borrowings averaged $2.6 billion.
The Company competes with Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Bank of America N.A., and Pinnacle National Bank.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $286.98 million.
Synacor (NASDAQ: SYNC) is estimated to post a Q1 loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $24.53 million.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: HMS Holdings Corp (HMSY)
HMS Holdings Corp. provides cost containment, coordination of benefits, and program integrity services. The company?s services enable clients to recover amounts due from liable third parties, reduce fraud, and ensure regulatory compliance. Its coordination of benefits services route claims paid by a government program to the liable third party, which reimburses the government payor; cost avoidance services provide validated insurance coverage information that is used by government payors to reject claims that are the responsibility of a third party; and program integrity services are designed to identify payment errors and recover the erroneous payments. The company also offers audit programs, program design, benefit management, and general and pharmacy systems consulting services. It serves state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid and Medicare managed care plans, government and private self-funded employers, pharmacy benefit managers, child support agencies, the Veterans Health Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, commercial plans, healthcare payors and sponsors, business outsourcing and technology firms, and government. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
HMS Holdings (Nasdaq: HMSY ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 26. 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 HMS Holdings's revenues will increase 3.0% and EPS will shrink -8.7%.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: Memorial Production Partners LP (MEMP)
Memorial Production Partners LP incorporated on April 4, 2011, is a limited partnership formed by Memorial Resource to own, acquire and exploit oil natural gas properties in North America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� total estimated proved reserves were approximately 609 Billions of Cubic Feet Equivalent (Bcfe), of which approximately 62% were natural gas and 59% were classified as proved developed reserves. As of December 31, 2012, the Company produced from 1,671 gross (731 net) producing wells across its properties, with an average working interest of 44%. On April 1, 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In May 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas and North Louisiana. Effective April 1, 2012, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In October 2012, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation. On December 12, 2012, the Company acquired oil and gas producing properties offshore Southern California from Rise Energy Partners, LP. In March 2013, the Company announced that it has closed its acquisition of certain oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas and North Louisiana from its sponsor, Memorial Resource Development LLC. In September 2013, Memorial Production Partners LP closed two separate transactions to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties from third parties in East Texas and in the Rockies. In October 2013, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin, East Texas, and the Rockies.
The Company�� properties are located in South and East Texas and consist of mature, legacy onshore oil and natural gas reservoirs. The Partnership Properties consist of operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage and in identified producing wells in South and East Texas, and non-ope! rated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 58% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 53% of its average daily net production were located in the East Texas/North Louisiana region. Its East Texas/Louisiana properties include wells and properties located in Navarro, Anderson, Wood, Upshur, Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Panola, Leon, Polk, Smith, Tyler and Shelby Counties, Texas and De Soto and Lincoln Parishes, Louisiana. Its East Texas/North Louisiana properties include properties in the Joaquin and Carthage fields in Panola and Shelby Counties, the Willow Springs field located in Gregg County, the East Henderson field located in Rusk County, and the Terryville field located in Lincoln Parish.
As of December 31, 2012, approximately 27% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 35% of average daily net production were located in the South Texas region. Its South Texas properties include wells and properties in numerous natural gas weighted fields located in McMullen, Live Oak, Duval, Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata Counties, Texas, including the NE Thompsonville, Laredo and East Seven Sisters fields. The Company�� South Texas properties contained 167 Bcfe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2012. The Company�� Beta properties, consist of a 51.75% working interest and a 35.03% average net revenue interest in three Pacific Outer Continental Shelf blocks (P-0300, P-0301 and P-0306); a 4.575% overriding royalty interest in the Beta unit; a 51.75% undivided interest in two wellbore production platforms with permanent drilling equipment systems and one production handling and processing platform, and a 51.75% controlling equity interest in a 17.5-mile pipeline and an onshore tankage and metering facility. The Company�� Beta properties include a 51.75% undivided interest in Ellen and Eureka platforms. The Beta properties include a controlling interest in the San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, which owns a! nd operat! es a 16-inch diameter oil pipeline.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Memorial Production Partners LP (Nasdaq:MEMP) reported that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, for a purchase price of $95 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.
- [By Aimee Duffy]
Distributions are incredibly important to master limited partnerships -- they are the reason many investors buy in, and ultimately what drive the market performance for this asset class. As news of distribution increases trickle in for the third quarter, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy takes a look at the payouts from Genesis Energy (NYSE: GEL ) , Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA ) , and Memorial Production Partners (NASDAQ: MEMP ) , as all three MLPs are leading the way with the biggest distribution increases.
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