BERLIN (AP) -- Germany is setting up a loan program for struggling small and medium-sized firms in Spain to boost growth and jobs in the crisis-hit southern European economy, according to a document obtained Monday.
Germany's state-owned KfW bank will provide about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) at low interest rates to its Spanish counterpart, which will be probably able to lend out several times that amount in cheap loans to local firms.
The move is aimed at easing a credit crunch that is afflicting much of southern Europe, where small and medium-sized firms in particular are struggling to access affordable loans that would allow them to expand their business.
Top ECB officials and several EU leaders have described the lack of access to credit in heavily indebted countries as one of the most pressing issues to deal with as the continent tries to emerge from recession.
Germany, on the other hand, enjoys a top-notch AAA rating that investors see as a safe haven. It can therefore borrow money at rock-bottom interest rates.
Top China Stocks To Own For 2015: The Travelers Companies Inc.(TRV)
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Business Insurance; Financial, Professional, and International Insurance; and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers property and casualty products and services, such as commercial multi-peril, property, general liability, commercial auto, and workers? compensation insurance. It operates in six groups: Select Accounts, which serves small businesses; Commercial Accounts that serves mid-sized businesses; National Accounts, which serves large companies; Industry-Focused Underwriting that serves targeted industries; Target Risk Underwriting, which serves commercial businesses requiring specialized product underwriting, claims handling, and risk management services; and Special ized Distribution that offers products to customers through licensed wholesale, general, and program agents. The Financial, Professional, and International Insurance segment provides surety and financial liability coverage, which uses a credit-based underwriting process; and property and casualty products primarily in the United States., the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals. It distributes its products through independent agents, sponsoring organizations, joint marketing arrangements with other insurers, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jessica Alling]
Reason to Love No. 3: Improved combined ratio
In the insurance world, a combined ratio is the tally of losses and costs per $100 of written premiums. Allstate reported an 0.4 improvement in its underlying combined ratio, dropping it from 88.1 to 87.7. So for every $100 in premiums that Allstate brings in, it keeps $12.30. Competitor Traveler's Companies (NYSE: TRV ) reported improvement with its combined ratio, though its 3.7 point drop keeps it behind Allstate, netting it $11.50 per $100 in premiums. - [By Matt Thalman]
Another big loser today, on very little news, was Travelers (NYSE: TRV ) , which lost 1.71% of its value. The insurance provider was likely pulled lower along with the other financial related stocks due to the earnings report release from Bank of America, in which the company missed analysts' expectations on per-share earnings. A number of the financial institutions that hardly relate to B of A's operations, or even those that do such as JPMorgan Chase but have recently announced their own results, were pulled lower by the whirlpool effect that Bank of America caused this morning. To read more about what happened to B of A and JPMorgan today, click here.
- [By John Divine]
Property and casualty insurance giant Travelers (NYSE: TRV ) ended as the second-biggest Dow gainer, tacking on 1.5%. There wasn't any major catalyst behind today's gains, but shares sure don't look too bad at these levels. The stock seems cheap: It trades at just over 10 times forward earnings, and pays a 2.5% dividend -- the same yield as 10-year Treasury notes.
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
It would be difficult to find a significant negative for Travelers. One could argue that competition is increasing, but competition seems to be increasing in every industry due to unusual economic conditions. It’s difficult�to see the real long-term winners when times are good because everyone is winning. When times are more challenging, the true winners will remain strong. Travelers is likely to fit into that category.
Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Progress Software Corporation(PRGS)
Progress Software Corporation operates as an enterprise software company worldwide. Its products include Progress OpenEdge platform, which offers development tools, application servers, application management tools, and an embedded database; Progress Orbix to address enterprise integration problems with standards-based solutions; and Progress ObjectStore, an object data management system to store data faster than relational database management system or file-based storage system. The company?s products also comprise Progress Responsiveness Process Management suite for business users; Progress Control Tower, an interactive business control panel; Progress Sonic, which comprises an enterprise messaging system and the enterprise service buses; Progress Actional that provides operational and business visibility, root cause analysis, and policy-based security and control of services; Progress Apama, which offers tools for creating, testing, and deploying strategies for applicat ions, including algorithmic trading, market aggregation, smart order routing, market surveillance and monitoring, and risk management; Progress Savvion BusinessManager, a business process management software; and Fuse products that provide customers with access to professional open source integration and messaging software. In addition, it offers Progress DataDirect Connect products, which provide data connectivity components; Progress DataDirect Shadow to provide foundation architecture for standards-based mainframe integration; and Progress Data Services product set that offers data integration for distributed applications. Further, the company provides maintenance, consulting, training, and customer support services. Progress Software Corporation sells its products to independent software vendors, original equipment manufacturers, and system integrators through direct sales force and independent distributors. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in Bedford, Massac husetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Friday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.31 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Aware (NASDAQ: AWRE), up 15.4 percent, and Progress Software (NASDAQ: PRGS), up 7.7 percent.
- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Friday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.31 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Aware (NASDAQ: AWRE), up 15.4 percent, and Progress Software (NASDAQ: PRGS), up 7.7 percent.
Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Advance Auto Parts Inc(AAP)
Advance Auto Parts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items. It operates in two segments, Advance Auto Parts (AAP) and Autopart International (AI). The AAP segment operates stores, which primarily offer auto parts, including alternators, batteries, chassis parts, clutches, engines and engine parts, radiators, starters, transmissions, and water pumps; accessories comprising floor mats, mirrors, vent shades, MP3 and cell phone accessories, and seat and steering wheel covers; chemicals consisting of antifreeze, freon, fuel additives, and car washes and waxes; and oil and other automotive petroleum products. This segment also provides battery and wiper installation, battery charging, check engine light reading, electrical system testing, video clinics and project brochures, loaner tool programs, and oil and battery recycling services; and sells its products through online. The AI segm ent operates stores that offer replacement parts for domestic and imported cars, and light trucks to customers in northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, as well as to warehouse distributors and jobbers in North America. As of January 1, 2011, the company operated 3,369 AAP stores, including 3,343 stores located in the northeastern, southeastern, and Midwestern regions of the United States under the Advance Auto Parts and Advance Discount Auto Parts trade names; 26 stores situated in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the Advance Auto Parts and Western Auto trade names; and 194 stores under the Autopart International trade name in the United States. It serves do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, or commercial customers. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Roanoke, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By kcpl]
Monro Muffler Brake (MNRO) is a popular name in the DIFM & Services segment, while Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack (PBY) is a hybrid of DIFM-DIY. The present perspective seems bright for such aftermarket service providers. However, these two are entirely different from aftermarket retailers such as Advance Auto Parts (AAP). Let us take a look at the present aftermarket scenario and its prospects.
Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: MEDIWARE Information Systems Inc.(MEDW)
Mediware Information Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, and marketing of software solutions targeting specific processes within healthcare institutions. The company offers software systems consisting of company's proprietary application software, and third-party licensed software and hardware. It licenses, implements, and supports clinical and performance management, blood donor, and blood and biologic management products in the United States; and medication management solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa. The company?s blood and biologics management solutions include HCLL Transfusion and HCLL Donor, which address blood donor recruitment, blood processing, and transfusion activities for hospitals and medical centers; BloodSafe suite of hardware and software that enable healthcare facilities to store, monitor, distribute, and track blood products; LifeTrak software for blood centers; a nd BiologiCare, a bone, tissue, and cellular product tracking software. Its medication management products comprise WORx, a pharmacy information system to manage inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations; MediCOE, a physician order entry module; MediMAR, a nurse point-of-care administration and bedside documentation module; MediREC, which assists in achieving compliance with a Joint Commission mandate; and pharmacy management and electronic prescribing systems. The company?s performance management products include InSight software that tracks performance metrics to assist healthcare managers to manage performance. It also provides software installation and maintenance services, as well as billing and collection services to home infusion and home/durable medical equipment markets. The company markets its products primarily through its direct sales force. Mediware Information Systems, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Mediware Information Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:MEDW) plans to acquire the assets of Indianapolis-based Strategic Healthcare Group LLC (SHG), a leading provider of blood management consulting, education and informatics solutions.
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