It seems hard to believe after years of decline, but bad news out of Greece has changed to “less-bad” and then to almost good news. We previously saw that the Greek budget may have a surplus. Now we have news out that one of the credit ratings agencies is upgrading five Greek banks now that the nation’s rating was raised.
Moody’s raised the rating of Greece’s government bonds to Caa3�with a “stable” outlook. Now we have five Greek banks being given credit rating upgrades as well. The one upgrade that ADR investors will want to watch is the rating on the National Bank of Greece S.A. (NYSE: NBG). Moody’s signaled that the upgrade reflects NBG’s more favorable asset-quality, funding profile and earnings than local peers. It also is based upon an expectation of further capital enhancements to address its weaker capital base.
Other identical upgrades were made in Piraeus Bank and Alpha Bank. The ratings went up by one notch to Caa1�with a stable outlook for NBG�and the other two. This is up from Caa2�with a negative outlook. Moody’s also raised the baseline credit assessments of each to Caa2�from Caa3, within the bank financial strength rating range of E.
Top 5 Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kulicke and Soffa Industries Inc.(KLIC)
Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and expendable tools used to assemble semiconductor devices, including integrated circuits, high and low powered discrete devices, light-emitting diodes, and power modules. It also services, maintains, repairs, and upgrades its equipment. The company operates in two segments, Equipment and Expendable Tools. The Equipment segment manufactures and sells a line of ball bonders, heavy wire wedge bonders, stud bumpers, and die bonders. Its Ball bonders are used to connect very fine wires, primarily made of gold or copper, between the bond pads of the semiconductor device or die, and the leads on its package; Heavy wire wedge bonders are used in the power semiconductor and automotive power module markets; and Die bonders are used to attach a die to the substrate or lead frame, which will house the semiconductor device. This segment?s Stud bumpers mechanically apply bumps to die, while still in the wafer format, for some variants of the flip chip assembly process. The Expendable Tools segment manufactures and sells various expendable tools for a range of semiconductor packaging applications. Its products include capillaries, bonding wedges, and saw blades. The company?s customers primarily comprise semiconductor device manufacturers, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers, other electronics manufacturers, and automotive electronics suppliers in the United States and the Asia/Pacific region. Kulicke and Soffa Industries sells its products through manufacturers? representatives and distributors. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Singapore.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, chip equipment maker Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ: KLIC ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ: KLIC) shares shot up 8.95 percent to $13.76 after the company reported upbeat Q2 earnings and issued a strong Q3 revenue forecast.
Top Quality Companies To Own For 2014: Warren Resources Inc.(WRES)
Warren Resources, Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of onshore crude oil and gas reserves in the United States. It primarily explores for oil reserves in the Wilmington field in California; and natural gas in the Washakie Basin in Wyoming. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By gurujx]
Warren Resources, Inc. (WRES): Vice President & CFO Stewart P Skelly Sold 54,000 Shares
Vice President & CFO Stewart P Skelly sold 54,000 shares of WRES stock on 09/19/2013 at the average price of $2.91. Stewart P Skelly owns at least 116,545 shares after this. The price of the stock has increased by 1.37% since.
- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.13 percent. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Warren Resources (NASDAQ: WRES), down 5.2 percent, and SeaDrill (NYSE: SDRL), off 4.8 percent.
- [By Rich Smith]
New York City-based Warren Resources (NASDAQ: WRES ) has a new CFO.
On Monday, the independent oil and gas company announced that it has promoted current Chief Financial Officer Timothy A. Larkin to the position of executive vice president for mergers�and acquisitions, after 18 years' service in the former capacity. Taking his place will be Corporate Controller Stewart P. Skelly, now promoted to the CFO's post.
Top Quality Companies To Own For 2014: Chevron Corp (CHV)
Chevron Corporation (Chevron), incorporated on January 27, 1926, manages its investments in subsidiaries and affiliates and provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and international subsidiaries that engage in fully integrated petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining activities, power generation and energy services. Upstream operations consist primarily of exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transporting crude oil by international oil export pipelines; transporting, storage and marketing of natural gas, and a gas-to-liquids project. Downstream operations consist primarily of refining crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products; transporting crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car, and manufacturing and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses and fuel and lubricant additives.
Upstream
At December 31, 2012, Chevron owned or had under lease or similar agreements undeveloped and developed crude oil and natural gas properties worldwide. Upstream activities in the United States are concentrated in California, the Gulf of Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. During the year ended December 31, 2012, average net oil-equivalent production in the United States was 655,000 barrels per day. In 2012, net daily production averaged 163,000 barrels of crude oil, 70 million cubic feet of natural gas and 4,000 barrels of natural gas liquids (NGLs). During 2012, net daily production for the Company�� combined interests in the Gulf of Mexico shelf and deepwater areas, and the onshore fields in the region, were 153,000 barrels of crude oil, 395 million cubic feet of natural gas and 16,000 barrels of NGL.
The! Company was engaged in various exploration and development activities in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico during 2012. As of December 31, 2012, it had a 50% working interest in Jack and a 51% working interest in St. Malo Field. During 2013, the Company had 42.9% non-operated working interest in the Tubular Bells Field; 20.3% non-operated working interest in the Caesar and Tonga area, and 15.6% non-operated working interest in the Mad Dog II Project. The Company activities in the mid-continental United States include operated and non-operated interests in properties primarily in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. The Company holds leases in the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, primarily located in southwestern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, and in the Antrim Shale in Michigan. Other Americas is consistd of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Net oil-equivalent production from these countries averaged 230,000 barrels per day during 2012, including the Company�� share of synthetic oil production.
Chevron�� interests in oil sands projects and shale acreage in Alberta, shale acreage and an LNG project in British Columbia, exploration, development and production projects offshore in the Atlantic region, and exploration and discovered resource interests in the Beaufort Sea region of the Northwest Territories. Average net oil-equivalent production during 2012, was 69,000 barrels per day, consisted of 25,000 barrels of crude oil, four million cubic feet of natural gas and 43,000 barrels of synthetic oil from oil sands. During 2012, the Company held a 20% non-operated working interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP). In February 2013, Chevron acquired a 50%-owned and operated interest in the Kitimat LNG project and proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline, and a 50% non-operated working interest in 644,000 total acres in the Horn River and Liard shale gas basins in British Colombia; 26.9% non-operated working interest in the Hib! ernia Fie! ld and a 23.6 non-operated working interest in the unitized Hibernia Southern Extension (HSE) offshore Atlantic Canada, and 26.6% non-operated working interest in the heavy-oil Hebron Field, also offshore Atlantic Canada.
In December 2012, Chevron relinquished its 29.2% non-operated working interest in Exploration License 2007/26, which includes Block 4 offshore West Greenland. The Company holds operated interests in four concessions in the Neuquen Basin. Working interests range from 18.8% to 100%. In 2012, the net oil-equivalent production averaged 22,000 barrels per day, consisted of 21,000 barrels of crude oil and four million cubic feet of natural gas. During 2012, two exploratory wells targeting shale gas and tight oil resources were drilled in the Vaca Muerta formation in the El Trapial concession. Chevron holds working interests in three deepwater fields in the Campos Basin: Frade (51.7%-owned and operated), Papa-Terra and Maromba (37.5% and 30% non-operated working interests, respectively). Net oil-equivalent production in 2012 averaged 6,000 barrels per day, consisted of 6,000 barrels of crude oil and two million cubic feet of natural gas.
In Africa, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Net oil-equivalent production in Africa averaged 451,000 barrels per day during 2012. In Asia, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Myanmar, the Partitioned Zone located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. During 2012, net oil-equivalent production averaged 1,061,000 barrels per day. In Australia, the Company�� upstream efforts are concentrated off the northwest coast. During 2012, the average net oil-equivalent production from Australia was 99,000 barrels per day. In Europe, the Company is engag! ed in ups! tream activities in Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Net oil-equivalent production in Europe averaged 114,000 barrels per day during 2012.
Downstream
The Company markets petroleum products under the principal brands of Chevron, Texaco and Caltex worldwide. In the United States, the Company markets under the Chevron and Texaco brands. During 2012, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,060 Chevron- and Texaco-branded motor vehicle service stations, primarily in the southern and western states. Approximately 470 of these outlets are company-owned or -leased stations. Outside the United States, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,700 branded service stations, including affiliates. In British Columbia, Canada, the Company markets under the Chevron brand. The Company markets in Latin America and the Caribbean using the Texaco brand. In the Asia-Pacific region, southern Africa, Egypt and Pakistan, the Company uses the Caltex brand. The Company also operates through affiliates under various brand names. In South Korea, the Company operates through its 50%-owned affiliate, GS Caltex, and in Australia through its 50%-owned affiliate, Caltex Australia Limited.
The Company owns a 50% interest in its Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) affiliate. During 2012, CPChem owned or had joint-venture interests in 36 manufacturing facilities and two research development centers worldwide. The Company�� Oronite brand lubricant and fuel additives business is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of performance additives for lubricating oils and fuels. The Company owns and operates facilities in Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States and has interests in facilities in India and Mexico. Oronite lubricant additives are blended into refined base oil to produce finished lubricant packages us! ed primar! ily in engine applications, such as passenger car, heavy-duty diesel, marine, locomotive and motorcycle engines.
Transportation
The Company owns and operates a network of crude oil, refined product, chemical, natural gas liquid and natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure assets in the United States. The Company also has direct and indirect interests in other the United States and international pipelines. All tankers in the Company�� controlled seagoing fleet were utilized during 2012. During 2012, the Company had 51 deep-sea vessels chartered on a voyage basis, or for a period of less than one year. The Company�� the United States-flagged fleet is engaged primarily in transporting refined products between the Gulf Coast and the East Coast and from California refineries to terminals on the West Coast and in Alaska and Hawaii. The foreign-flagged vessels are engaged primarily in transporting crude oil from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Black Sea, South America, Mexico and West Africa to ports in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. The Company�� foreign-flagged vessels also transport refined products to and from various locations worldwide.
Other Businesses
During 2012, the Company completed the sale of its Kemmerer, Wyoming, surface coal mine and the sale of its 50% interest in Youngs Creek Mining Company, LLC, which was formed to develop a coal mine in northern Wyoming.Chevron also owns and operates the Questa molybdenum mine in New Mexico. During 2012, it had 160 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in the United States, including reserves of low-sulfur coal. The Company�� Global Power Company manages interests in 11 power assets with a total operating capacity of more than 2,200 megawatts, primarily through joint ventures in the United States and Asia. Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) completed several public sector programs, including a microgrid at the Santa Rita jail in Alameda County, and renewable and e! fficiency! programs for Huntington Beach City School District, South San Francisco Unified School District and Union City, all in California, plus Rootstown Local School District in Ohio. The Company�� energy technology organization supports Chevron�� upstream and downstream businesses by providing technology, services and competency development in earth sciences; reservoir and production engineering; drilling and completions; facilities engineering; manufacturing; process technology; catalysis; technical computing, and health, environment and safety disciplines.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chris Ciovacco]
The Energy Select Sector Spider provides exposure to a diversified basket of energy stocks, including Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CHV) and ConocoPhillips (COP). As the chart shows below, XLE has established a bullish weekly trend relative to the broader S&P 500 Index (SPY).
Top Quality Companies To Own For 2014: 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 Quality Companies To Own For 2014: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.(PHG)
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. engages in the healthcare, consumer lifestyle, and lighting product businesses worldwide. The company offers screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and health management services in cardio-pulmonary, oncology, and women?s health areas. Its healthcare products and solutions include X-rays, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound imaging equipment; and cardiology informatics and diagnostic electrocardiography, radiology information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, patient monitoring and clinical informatics, perinatal care, and therapeutic care systems. The company?s healthcare products and solutions also consist of sleep management and respiratory care, medical alert, remote cardiac, and remote patient management services. In addition, it offers consultancy, site planning and project management, clinical, education, equipment financing, asset management, and equipment mainten ance and repair services. The company?s consumer lifestyle products and solutions comprise mother and childcare, oral healthcare, male grooming, skincare, and beauty products; coffee, floor and garment care, kitchen, water and air, and beverage appliances; and communication and control, audio and multimedia, speech processing, headphones and accessories, and home cinema and video products. Its lighting solutions include lamps, including incandescent, halogens, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and LED lamps; consumer luminaires for functional, decorative, lifestyle, and scene-setting applications; professional luminaires for city beautification, and road, sports, shop/hospitality, and industry lighting applications; systems and controls, that include electronic and electromagnetic gears, controls, modules, and drivers; automotive lighting, such as car headlights, car signaling, and interior; and packaged LEDs. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Ams terdam, the Netherlands.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mike Deane]
Netherlands-based Koninklijke Philips NV (PHG) announced on Monday morning that it plans to spin off Lumiled Lightning, which will be combined�with the company’s�automotive lighting business.
The combined businesses to be spun off contributed 17% of Philips’ total lighting sales in 2013, according to MarketWatch. Philips is�looking for outside investors for the Lumiled spin-off, while the company will continue to focus on activities with higher margins.
The spun-off businesses will focus on manufacturing LED components that are used in traffic lights, TVs, and smartphones, while Philips Lighting will�“focus on selling integrated lighting systems and services and the software needed to operate those systems.”
PHG stock was up 83 cents, or 2.72%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is down 16.86%.
PHG Dividend SnapshotAs of Market Close on June 27, 2014
Click here to see the complete history of PHG dividends.
- [By Rich Smith]
The Department of Defense awarded Philips (NYSE: PHG ) Healthcare Informatics an $88.5 million-ceiling value, firm-fixed-price contract for the supply of a digital imaging network-picture archive�system. In so doing, it made progress on a project that's been in the works for 16 years.
Top Quality Companies To Own For 2014: OmniVision Technologies Inc.(OVTI)
OmniVision Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets semiconductor image-sensor devices. The company offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics. It also provides companion chips used to connect its image sensors to various interfaces, including the universal serial bus and other industry standard interfaces; and companion digital signal processors that perform compression in standardized still photo and digital video formats. In addition, the company designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Blackberry OS, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile. Its products are used in mobile phones, notebooks, Webcams, digital still and video cameras, commercial and security and surveillance, and automotive and medical applications, as well as in entertainment devices. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and value added resellers, as well as indirectly through distributors worldwide. OmniVision Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Santa Clara, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) shares tumbled 6.32 percent to $14.98 after the company issued downbeat third-quarter forecast.
Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) was down, falling 7.90 percent to $51.16 after the company's CEO Edward Lampert cut his stake in the company to 48.4% from 55.4%.
- [By Anders Bylund]
Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI ) jumped as much as 23% overnight, driven by a rock-solid fourth quarter report. The stock set a fresh 52-week high, but remains far below the $36 high-water mark that was set in 2011 when OmniVision's back side illumination, or BSI, camera chips seemed set to rule the smartphone world.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) got a boost, shooting up 7.22 percent to $17.38 after the company posted better-than-expected Q3 results.
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