The Street should applaud the Fed�� conservative wait ����see stance on when to taper off its $85 billion monthly bond purchase initiative. Nobody knows better than the Federal Open Market Committee and its platoon of economists that their record of forecasting GDP, inflation and unemployment numbers is dismal.
The Fed waxed too bullish on GDP recovery and personal consumption expenditures, but, its cautious POV on unemployment stats is on the money, pointing out that the quality of new hires is low-quality, namely part timers and healthcare jobs, low paying, unskilled labor categories.
Maybe, we��e on the eve of a recovery in manufacturing employment and capital goods spending, but what a long wait. The country operates at a capacity utilization rate of 78%, historically where it hangs out during recessionary cycles.
Industrial production on my charts just recovered to its previous cyclical peak in 2007. Meantime, industrial capacity is unchanged from a decade ago. All this suggests the recovery story in manufacturing operating profit margins is still not yesterday�� news.
Top 5 Services Stocks To Invest In 2015: The Charles Schwab Corporation(SCHW)
The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage, banking, and related financial services to individuals and institutional clients. It offers various brokerage products and services comprising brokerage accounts with check-writing features, debit card, and billpay; individual retirement accounts; retirement plans for small to large businesses; college savings accounts; designated brokerage accounts; equity incentive plan accounts; and margin loans, as well as access to fixed income securities, equity and debt offerings, options, and futures. The company also provides various banking products and services, including checking accounts linked to brokerage accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, demand deposit accounts, first mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and personal loans collateralized by securities. In addition, it offers trust custody services, personal trust reporting services, and administrative trustee servi ces; advisory services comprising separately managed accounts, customized personal advice for tailored portfolios, and planning and portfolio management; and third-party mutual funds, such as no-load mutual funds, proprietary mutual funds, and other third-party mutual funds, as well as mutual fund trading and clearing services to broker dealers. Further, the company offers third-party and proprietary exchange-traded funds; research, analytic tools, performance reports, market analysis, and educational materials; custodial, trading, technology, practice management, trust asset, and other support services to independent investment advisors; and retirement plan recordkeeping and related services, retirement plan trust and custody services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. It operates primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of E*Trade Financial have fallen 3.1% to $21.69 at 3:05 p.m.–and it’s not the only online broker getting hit today. Charles Schwab (SCHW) has declined 2.1% to $26.29, while TD Ameritrade (AMTD) has dropped 2.5% to $31.66 despite getting an upgrade from Bernstein Research. Interactive Brokers (IBKR), however, has gained 0.3% to $23.77.
Top 5 Gas Utility Companies To Watch For 2014: Southwestern Energy Company(SWN)
Southwestern Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas and crude oil in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream Services. The Exploration and Production segment involves in the development of an unconventional gas reservoir located on the Arkansas side of the Arkoma Basin, as well as exploration and production activities in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. This segment also conducts conventional drilling programs in the Arkoma Basin; and development drilling and exploration programs in the Oklahoma portion of the Arkoma Basin, as well as in Texas and Pennsylvania. In addition, it operates drilling rigs in the Fayetteville Shale play, as well as in other operating areas; and explores for natural gas and crude oil under 32 licenses in New Brunswick, Canada. The Midstream Services segment engages in gathering, marketing, and transportin g natural gas in Arkansas, Texas, and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s estimated proved natural gas and oil reserves were approximately 4,937 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. Southwestern Energy Company was founded in 1929 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Teresa Rivas]
Chesapeake Energy (CHK) was up 3.2% after it announced that the it is closing its asset sale to Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN) for nearly $5 billion, and its board has authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN) was started as Buy with a $50 price target at Canaccord Genuity.
Spirit Airlines Inc. (NASDAQ: SAVE) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James.
Top 5 Gas Utility Companies To Watch For 2014: Lear Corp (LEA)
Lear Corporation, incorporated in 1987, is a tier 1 supplier to the global automotive industry. The Company supplies its products to automotive manufacturers with automotive seat systems and related components, as well as electrical distribution systems and related components. The Company has two segments: seating and electrical power management systems (EPMS). The seating segment includes seat systems and related components, such as seat frames, recliner mechanisms, seat tracks, seat trim covers, headrests and seat foam. The EPMS segment includes electrical distribution systems for traditional powertrain vehicles, as well as for hybrid and electric vehicles. As of December 31, 2011, it had 20 joint ventures located throughout Asia, as well as five in North America, two in Europe and Africa and one with operations in all three regions.
Seating Segment
The Seating Segment consists of the design, manufacture, assembly and supply of vehicle seating requirements. It produces seat systems for automobiles and light trucks that are assembled and ready for installation. In all cases, seat systems are designed and engineered for specific vehicle models or platforms. It has developed modular seat architectures for both front and rear seats. It produces components for seat assemblies, such as seat frames, recliner mechanisms, seat tracks, seat trim covers, headrests and seat foam.
The Company competes with Johnson Controls, Inc., Faurecia S.A., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, TS Tech Co., Ltd. and Magna International Inc.
EPMS Segment
The EPMS segment consists of the design, manufacture, assembly and supply of electrical distribution systems and components for traditional powertrain vehicles, as well as for hybrid and electric vehicles. Electrical distribution systems are comprised primarily of wire harness assemblies, terminals and connectors and control modules, including junction boxes and fuse boxes. Wire harness assemblies consist of a collection! of wiring and terminals and connectors that connect all of the various electrical and electronic devices within the vehicle to each other and/or to a power source.
Electrical distribution systems are networks of wiring and associated control devices that route electrical signals and manage electrical power within a vehicle. Wire harness assemblies consist of raw, coiled wire, which is cut to length and terminated. Individual circuits are assembled together on a jig or table, inserted into connectors and wrapped or taped to form wire harness assemblies.
Wireless products send and receive signals using radio frequency technology. The Company�� wireless systems include passive entry systems and dual range/dual function remote keyless entry systems. Passive entry systems allow the vehicle operator to unlock the door without using a physically activating a remote keyless fob. Dual range/dual function remote keyless entry systems allow a single transmitter to perform multiple functions. The lighting control module integrates electronic control logic and diagnostics with the headlamp switch. Entertainment products include radio amplifiers, sound systems, in-vehicle television tuner modules and floor-, seat- or center console-mounted Media Console with a flip-up screen that provides digital video disc (DVD) and video game viewing for back-seat passengers.
The Company competes with Yazaki Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Delphi Automotive PLC, Leoni AG and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., TE Connectivity, Ltd., Continental AG, Hella, Inc., Robert Bosch LLC, Magna E-Car Systems GmbH & Co OG and Hitachi, Ltd.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Earnings reports expected on Friday include:
Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) is expected to report first quarter EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $21.09 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $20.74 billion. United Parcel Services (NYSE: UPS) is expected to report EPS of $1.15 on revenue of $13.60 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $13.07 billion. Moody�� Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.81 on revenue of $715.85 million, compared to last year�� EPS 0f $0.75 on revenue of $688.50 million billion. Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.33 on revenue of $3.84 billion, compared to last year�� EPS 0f $1.29 on revenue of $3.54 billion.Economics
- [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, we'll be looking at a pair of downgrades for both Lear (NYSE: LEA ) and Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM ) , followed by an improved price target at 3M (NYSE: MMM ) . Let's start with that one.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Lear (NYSE: LEA ) is expected to report Q1 earnings around April 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 Lear's revenues will grow 1.5% and EPS will decrease -19.6%. - [By Rich Smith]
Shares of auto-parts makers such as Lear (NYSE: LEA ) and Magna International (NYSE: MGA ) have rocketed this past year, outperforming the S&P 500 with 46% and 56% returns, respectively. Yet Johnson Controls stock has lagged the market average by more than five points. Why?
Top 5 Gas Utility Companies To Watch For 2014: Primeserv Group Ltd (PMV)
Primeserv Group Limited (Primeserv) is an investment holding company. The Company focuses on delivering human resources (HR) products, services and solutions through its operating pillar, Primeserv HR Services. The Company�� products and services are provided through its HR Solutions, Colleges and Outsourcing divisions. These incorporate human resources (HR) solutions, consulting, skills training centers, corporate and vocational training programmes, as well as resourcing and flexible staffing services, including skills, labor, wage bureau and HR logistics outsourcing operations. The Company operates in two segments: Human Capital Outsourcing, Human Capital Development and Central Services. The Human Capital Outsourcing segment provides flexible staffing solutions. The Human Capital Development segment provides vocational skills training, a range of corporate and technical training services and HR Consulting solutions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
As always, in volatile times, our process remains unchanged. We conduct bottom-up research on companies and industries in order to uncover undervalued businesses we would be happy to own for many years. Our Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst��stock selection process identifies potential acquisition targets and likely candidates for financial engineering. Should volatility return and ��r. Market��provide us with an opportunity, we remain prepared to increase our ownership of businesses that fit these characteristics, as well as invest in new opportunities as they become available.
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