CSX (NYSE: CSX ) has undergone a huge transformation over the past decade, as the steep spike in energy prices sent railroads from being nearly obsolescent modes of transportation to being a key mover of goods during the commodity boom. Even after that boom paused during the 2008 financial crisis, CSX stock rebounded sharply from its declines and has recently approached all-time-record highs.
But CSX faces a major challenge: how to handle a struggling coal market. With its geographic proximity to major coal production areas like the Appalachian region, CSX has sought ways to make the most of a tough situation in coal while also branching out into other promising markets. Let's take a closer look at CSX to see why its stock has continued to pick up steam lately.
CSX is firing on all cylinders
The quarterly results that CSX reported back in April are indicative of the company's overall success lately. The company broke its own records for net income and earnings per share, with gains of more than 2% in earnings coming in well above expectations. Although revenue remained flat, CSX was able to boost its dividend by 7% and initiate a $1 billion buyback to take place over the next two years.
5 Best Oil Stocks To Invest In 2015: Sanofi(SNY)
sanofi-aventis engages in the discovery, development, and distribution of therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. The company offers a range of healthcare assets, including a broad-based product portfolio in prescription drugs, OTC/OTX, generics, vaccines, and animal health. It has a strategic alliance with Regulus Therapeutics Inc. to discover, develop, and commercialize micro-RNA therapeutics, initially in fibrosis. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Ahh ... ahh ... achoo!
For one thing, it bought a whole lot of flu drugs to treat flu bugs. On Monday, the DoD awarded twin contracts for flu vaccines to a pair of foreign Big Pharma producers. France's Sanofi (NYSE: SNY ) was awarded a $14 million contract for flu vaccines. Switzerland's Novartis (NYSE: NVS ) got a similar $14 million order.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (BBW)
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of plush animals and related products. The company�s merchandise comprises various styles of animals to be stuffed; clothing, shoes, and accessories for the stuffed animals; and other brand appropriate toy and accessory items. It also licenses its Build-A-Bear Workshop brand to third parties to manufacture and sell merchandise to other retailers. As of January 31, 2013, the company operated approximately 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including the company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, as well as franchised stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, and South America. The company also sells its products through a Web store. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
After four months of looking, Build-A-Bear (NYSE: BBW ) has found-a-CEO.
After close of trading Monday, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced it has chosen Sharon Price John to become its new Chief Executive Officer and Chief President Bear. She will replace outgoing Chief Executive Bear�(the cute titles are undergoing a bit of a change) Maxine Clark, company founder, who announced her own intention to retire back in February.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Toy & Hobby Stores: This industry moved up 1.99% by 10:40 am. The top performer in this industry was Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW), which gained 2%. Build-A-Bear's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $389.17 million.
- [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW).��Unlike traditional toy manufacturers that make toys and games and distribute them to retailers, Build-A-Bear has flipped the toy-making concept on its ear. The idea of making a stuffed animal from scratch has taken the toy market by storm, and has carved out a nice little niche market for the company.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Toy & Hobby Stores: This industry moved down 1.34% by 10:50 am, with Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) moving down 1.2%. Build-A-Bear's trailing-twelve-month EPS is $0.16.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Methanex Corporation (MEOH)
Methanex Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of methanol. The company also purchases and re-sells methanol produced by others. Its methanol is a clear liquid commodity chemical that is used to produce traditional chemical derivatives, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, and various other chemicals. The company�s methanol is also used in energy-related applications; for blending into gasoline, as a feedstock in the production of dimethyl ether, which can be blended with liquefied petroleum gas for use in household cooking and heating, and in the production of biodiesel; and used to produce methyl tertiary-butyl ether, a gasoline component, as well as used into olefins applications. The company supplies its methanol to petrochemical producers and distributors in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. Methanex Corporation was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3��old, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��eutral�� A Hold rating indicates that the stock, over the next 1 to 3 months, will perform at an annualized rate of 10.56%, very similar to the S&P 500. For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1��trong Buy, Methanex Corporation (MEOH) could be the option.
- [By Mani]
[Related -Methanex (MEOH) Downgraded To 'Sector Underperformer' By CIBC, PT Raised]
From a long-term perspective, a modest near-term softening in methanol prices is a net positive as elevated levels have left the market increasingly concerned over the potential impact on future energy derivative demand growth and the potential for elevated prices to continue to incentivize new capacity announcements.
- [By Holly LaFon]
His largest new buys in the first quarter are: Penn Virginia Group Holdings LP (PVG), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN), Methanex Corp. (MEOH), Solutia Inc. (SOA) and Georgia Gulf (GGC). Of his top eight stocks, five are from the chemicals industry.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Ferro Corporation (FOE)
Ferro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty materials and chemicals in the United States and internationally. It operates in six segments: Performance Coatings, Electronic Materials, Color and Glass Performance Materials, Polymer Additives, Specialty Plastics, and Pharmaceuticals. The company provides electronic, color, and glass materials, including conductive metal powders, polishing materials, glazes, enamels, pigments, decoration colors, and other performance materials. It also offers polymer and ceramic engineered materials, such as polymer additives, engineered plastic compounds, pigment dispersions, glazes, frits, porcelain enamel, pigments, inks, and high-potency pharmaceutical active ingredients. The company provides its products for a range of applications in various markets, such as appliances, automobiles, building and renovation, electronics, household furnishings, industrial products, packaging, and pharmaceuticals. The com pany sells its products to manufacturers of ceramic tile, major appliances, construction materials, automobile parts, glass, bottles, vinyl flooring and wall coverings, and pharmaceuticals directly, as well as through agents and distributors. Ferro Corporation was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones]
Up 385% over 12 months, Ferro Corp. (FOE) is an enameling company that provides manufacturers with specialty materials and chemicals to enhance product functionality, durability or beauty. The company reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013 with net sales at $408.1 million, almost flat with net sales of $408.9 million in the same quarter of 2012. Ferro Corp.�� gross profit was $84.2 million for the reporting quarter, up from $60.7 million in the same quarter one year ago. Ferro�� net income in the third quarter of 2013 was $12.7 million, bouncing from a net loss of ($316.1) million in the third quarter a year ago. Adjusted net income was $12.5 million, up from a net loss of ($1.9) in the third quarter of 2012. Adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.14 for the reporting quarter, up from a net loss of ($0.02) per share in the same quarter of 2012. Ferro expects adjusted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2013 to be around $0.04 to $0.07 per diluted share, resulting in adjusted earnings of $0.42 to $0.45 per diluted share, for the full year.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Ferro (NYSE: FOE ) now has a new man in its CEO office. The company's board has installed Peter Thomas as its chief executive and president, effective immediately. Since last November, he had served in an interim capacity in both positions.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Ferro (NYSE: FOE ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 25. 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 Ferro's revenues will wane -8.3% and EPS will grow 120.0%.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Hellenic Sugar Industry SA (HSI)
Hellenic Sugar Industry SA is a Greece-based company engaged in the production and trade of white crystal sugar and its by-products, such as molasses and sugar beet seed. Its principal activities include the manufacture of all types of sweetener products and general kneading products; the production and processing of sugar beet and other plants; the production of raw materials for sugar production; the establishment, equipping and exploitation of sugar producing factories; conducting scientific research in all fields of activity of the Company; the trade and standardization of sugar products, by-products, raw materials, multiple materials, agricultural products and machinery, and carrying out agro-industrial activities in Greece and abroad. The Company has five sugar factories and one seed processing factory in Greece. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adam Haigh]
New Zealand�� NZX 50 Index lost 0.4 percent and South Korea�� Kospi index retreated 0.5 percent. Singapore�� Straits Times Index added 0.1 percent. Hong Kong�� Hang Seng Index (HSI) declined 0.6 percent and China�� Shanghai Composite slid 0.3 percent. Taiwan�� Taiex index was little changed.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Gigamon Inc (GIMO)
Gigamon Inc., incorporated on January 2, 2009, has developed solution that delivers visibility and control of traffic across networks. Its solution, which it refers to as its traffic visibility fabric, consists of distributed network appliances that provide an advanced level of network traffic intelligence. Its fabric enables information technology (IT) organizations to forward traffic from network infrastructure to management, analysis, compliance and security tools in a manner that is optimized for specific uses or locations. Its flow mapping technology that identifies and directs incoming traffic to single or multiple tools based on user-defined rules implemented from a centralized management console. Its products consist of GigaVUE, GigaSECURE, GigaSMART and GigaTAP products. Its traffic visibility fabric is deployed by enterprises and service providers. Its traffic visibility fabric is built on the GigaVUE family of products.
The Company generates product revenue primarily from sales of perpetual software licenses installed on physical appliances for its traffic visibility fabric solutions to channel partners, including distributors and resellers, as well as directly to end user customers. The Company generates services revenue primarily from the sale of maintenance and support services for its products. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had sold products to over 825 end user customers across many vertical markets, including the United States retailers, United States banks and financial services companies, United States integrated telecommunication service providers, United States managed healthcare providers, United States cable and satellite providers and global securities and commodities exchanges. It offers purpose-built physical appliances that are integrated with its software and enable its end user customers to design traffic visibility fabric architectures optimized for a range of scale and performance requirements from one gigabit appliances to one terabit chassis-based solu! tions.
Its appliances range from a single rack unit appliance to a modular multi-slot chassis that accommodates a range of its line cards. The GigaVUE product family consists of G Series and H Series of products. The GigaVUE G Series consists of a range of purpose-built, small form-factor traffic visibility appliances. Its GigaSECURE products provide in-line packet distribution specifically designed for use with security-based tools, such as intrusion prevention systems (IPS). The GigaSECURE products are designed to support two-way traffic communications and provide bypass protection allowing packets to be distributed to multiple IPS devices where they are screened, and then aggregated back together for entry back to the network. The GigaVUE H Series utilizes a robust Linux-based operating platform enabling configurations. The series includes both large blade-based chassis configurations and a fixed configuration product specifically designed to aggregate 10 gigabit traffic links together.
The Company also offers ongoing technical support with its hardware and software products. Its primary support offering, SupportCARE, provides two-tiered support levels, including premium-level support coverage. It offers end user customers ongoing maintenance services for both hardware and software, which enables them to receive ongoing software updates, upgrades, bug fixes and repairs. It also offers DesignCARE in the North America region, which provides end user customers with professional services that range from the architectural design of a Traffic Visibility Fabric for their customized requirements to the complete implementation and configuration of GigaVUE appliances across multiple locations. Its support personnel are based in Milpitas, California and Reading, United Kingdom.
The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Inc. and Juniper Networks, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Gigamon (NYSE: GIMO) shares shot up 6.59 percent to $17.14 after the company announced Q1 results. Gigamon reported a Q1 loss of $0.07 per share on revenue of $31.80 million. Needham upgraded the stock from Buy to Strong Buy. - [By Mark Thompson]
Shares in Gigamon (GIMO) were down more than 2% before the open, after plunging a whopping 33% on Tuesday. The technology company had lowered its revenue guidance for the second quarter.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Gigamon (NYSE: GIMO) shares shot up 7.77 percent to $17.33 after the company announced Q1 results. Gigamon reported a Q1 loss of $0.07 per share on revenue of $31.80 million. Needham upgraded the stock from Buy to Strong Buy.
Top 10 Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Calpine Corp (CPN)
Calpine Corporation (Calpine) is an independent wholesale power producer in the United States. The Company owns and operates primarily natural gas-fired and geothermal power plants in North America and has presence in wholesale power markets in California, Texas and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The Company has invested in clean power generation. It is developing, constructing, owning and operating an environmentally responsible portfolio of power plants. Its portfolio is primarily consists of two types of power generation technologies: natural gas-fired combustion turbines, which are combined-cycle plants, and renewable geothermal conventional steam turbines. The Company is a owner and operator of industrial gas turbines, as well as cogeneration power plants. The Company sells wholesale power, steam, capacity, renewable energy credits and ancillary services to its customers, including utilities, independent electric system operators, industrial and agricultural companies, retail power providers, municipalities and power marketers. It purchases natural gas and fuel oil as fuel for its power plants and engage in related natural gas transportation and storage transactions. The Company also purchases electric transmission rights to deliver power to its customers. In February 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant located in Guadalupe County, 30 miles northeast of San Antonio, Texas.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 93 power plants, including two under construction, with an aggregate generation capacity of approximately 28,155 megawatts and 584 megawatts under construction. Its generation capacity includes 77 natural gas-fired power plants, 15 geothermal plants and one photovoltaic solar plant. The Company is a consumer of natural gas in North America. The Company sells a substantial portion of its power and other products under power purchase agreements (PPAs) with a duration greater than ! one year.. The contracted sale of power, steam and capacity from its cogeneration power plants, combustion turbine power plants and geothermal power plants, as well as the sale of renewable energy credits (RECs), from its geothermal and solar power plants, provide a stable source of revenue. The Company produces power for sale to utilities, municipalities, retail power providers, independent electric system operators, large end-use industrial or agricultural customers or power marketers. Its cogeneration power plants produce steam for sale to customers for use in industrial or heating, ventilation and air conditioning operations. The Company provides capacity for sale to retail power providers. It provides ancillary service products to wholesale power markets. It sells RECs from its Geysers Assets in northern California, as well as from its small solar power plant in New Jersey.
The Company�� natural gas-fired power plants primarily utilize two types of design: 3,515 megawatts of simple-cycle combustion turbines and 23,043 megawatts of combined-cycle combustion turbines and a small portion from natural gas-fired steam turbines. Its Geysers Assets are a 725 megawatts fleet of 15 operating power plants in northern California. It leases the geothermal steam fields from which it extracts steam for its Geysers Assets. The Company has leasehold mineral interests in 110 leases comprising approximately 29,019 acres of federal, state and private geothermal resource lands in The Geysers region of northern California. Its leases cover one contiguous area of property that comprises approximately 45 square miles in the northwest corner of Sonoma County and southeast corner of Lake County. Across the fleet, it also has a variety of technologies, including approximately 868 megawatts of capacity from its power plants acquired in the Conectiv Acquisition which have conventional steam turbine technology. The Company also has approximately four megawatts of capacity from solar power generation technology a! t its Vine! land Solar Energy Center in New Jersey.
The Company has 24 natural gas-fired power plants, including two under construction, with the capacity to generate a total of 6,194 megawatts in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region, which extends from the Rocky Mountains westward. In addition, it owns and operate 15 geothermal power plants located in northern California capable of producing a total of 725 megawatts. The majority of these power plants are located in California, in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) region; the Company also owns a power plant in Arizona and one in Oregon. The Company has 12 natural gas-fired power plants in the TRE NERC region with the capacity to generate a total of 7,239 megawatts, all of which are physically located in the ERCOT market. It has a total of 31 power plants with 7,914 megawatts of peaking capacity located in the RFC, Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) NERC regions. The Company has 19 operating power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 4,491 megawatts in Eastern PJM. In addition, it has one operating power plant, with the capacity to generate 503 megawatts, located in Western PJM. The company has a total of eight natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 1,439 megawatts in the NPCC NERC region. Five of these power plants are located in New York.
The Company has 50% ownership interests in two Canadian power plants, with the total capacity to generate 1,088 MW (544 megawatts net attributable to Calpine), located in the NPCC NERC region in Ontario, Canada. The Whitby cogeneration facility is a 50 megawatts facility located in Whitby, Ontario and the Greenfield Energy Centre is a 1,038 megawatts facility located in Courtright, Ontario. The Company has three natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 1,481 megawatts operating within the M! RO NERC r! egion. The Company has one operating natural gas-fired power plant with the capacity to generate 1,134 megawatts located in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) NERC region. SPP is an RTO approved by FERC that provides independent administration of the electric power grid. SPP manages an energy-only location based real-time wholesale energy market. The Company has 10 natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 4,949 megawatts operating within the Southeastern Electric Reliability Council (SERC) and the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) NERC regions.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
It’s not all bad news, however. Two utilities should benefit from this trend, Calpine (CPN) and Dominion Resources (D), although the advantage may already be priced into Dominion’s shares, Byrd says.
- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Tuesday, utilities shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.18 percent. Top decliners in the sector included Calpine (NYSE: CPN), down 1.41 percent, and Exelon (NYSE: EXC), off 2.19 percent.
- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap geothermal stock U.S. Geothermal Inc (NYSEMKT: HTM) produced a geyser of a return when it surged 26.79%, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock verses the performance of other geothermal stocks like small cap Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE: ORA) and mid cap Calpine Corporation (NYSE: CPN).�First of all, I should mention there are some other geothermal stocks out there like Alterra Power Corp (CVE: AXY) and Ram Power Corp (TSE: RPG) who have their primary listing on Canadian exchanges with secondary ones on the OTC���meaning they may not be a good deal for American investors or easy to invest in. Second, U.S. Geothermal Inc itself is a good geothermal proxy as its�focused on developing, owning, and operating clean, sustainable electric power from geothermal energy resources and its�operating geothermal power projects at Neal Hot Springs, Oregon; San Emidio, Nevada; and Raft River, Idaho plus El Ceibillo, an advanced stage, geothermal prospect located within a 24,710 acre energy rights concession area near Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America.
No comments:
Post a Comment