Recently, ACE USA has taken a step to expand its web-based desktop portal, ACE Worldview. We expect the extension of the technology to ARM business to help the company augment its primary casualty line of business, thereby strengthening its competitive position in the market.
Earlier, ACE USA introduced new services through its risk management services company, ESIS Inc. pertaining to the healthcare industry construction projects. This launch was an augmentation to the company�� Contractors Pollution Liability (CPL) coverage named Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) launched in Jun 2013.
Last month, ACE Limited formed a new specialty casualty division within its excess and surplus lines insurance company, ACE Westchester. The formation of the new division is aimed at expanding the Specialty Casualty business of ACE Limited in the U.S. The division will cater to industries like construction, auto and railroad transportation, energy and public entities.
Top Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Precision Drilling Corp (PDS)
Precision Drilling Corporation (Precision) is a provider of contract drilling and completion and production services primarily to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in Canada and the United States. The Company operates in two segments: Contract Drilling Services, and Completion and Production Services. In Canada, the Contract Drilling Services segment includes land drilling services, directional drilling services, procurement and distribution of oilfield supplies and the manufacture and refurbishment of drilling and service rig equipment, and the Completion and Production Services segment includes service rigs for well completion and workover services, snubbing services, camp and catering services, wastewater treatment services and the rental of oilfield surface equipment, tubulars, well control equipment and wellsite accommodations. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lee Jackson]
Precision Drilling Corp. (NYSE: PDS) is Canada’s leading oilfield services firm, which provides contract drilling, well servicing and strategic support services to its customers. The company was formed as a private drilling contractor in the early 1950s and has grown on the back of fleet expansion and acquisitions, most notably the $2 billion purchase of Grey Wolf in 2008. The company pays investors a 2.1% dividend. The Jefferies price objective goes from $11 to $13. The consensus stands at $12.78. The stock closed Friday at $10.39.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: Ingles Markets Incorporated(IMKTA)
Ingles Markets, Incorporated operates a supermarket chain in the southeast United States. Its supermarkets offer food products, including grocery, meat and dairy products, produce, frozen foods, and other perishables; and non-food products, such as fuel, pharmacy products, health and beauty care products, and general merchandise, as well as provides private label items. The company?s stores also offer products and services, such as home meal replacement items, delicatessens, bakeries, floral departments, video rental departments, and greeting cards, as well as a selection of organic, beverage, and health-related items. In addition, it engages in the fluid dairy processing and shopping center rental businesses. The company operates 203 supermarkets, including 74 in Georgia, 69 in North Carolina, 36 in South Carolina, 21 in Tennessee, 2 in Virginia, and 1 in Alabama. As of September 24, 2011, it operated 74 in-store pharmacies and 70 fuel centers; owned and operated 70 shop ping centers of which 58 contain an Ingles supermarket; and owned 94 additional properties that contain a free-standing Ingles store; and owned 13 undeveloped sites. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
To understand a grocer ��any grocer ��it helps to have an understanding of the industry. Of all the real life ways different species of grocers differ. It helps to be able to look at Arden and Village and Ingles (IMKTA). It helps to see three different approaches. And see which elements of each work and which don��.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Ingles Markets (NASDAQ: IMKTA ) will release its quarterly report on Monday, and investors have been pleased to see shares of the regional grocery-store chain rise to levels not seen since before the financial crisis. Yet from its vantage in the Southeastern U.S., Ingles Markets has to be concerned about the impact that Kroger's (NYSE: KR ) proposed buyout of Harris Teeter (NYSE: HTSI ) might have on the competitive landscape in the region, with a potential threat to Ingles' future prospects looming over the company's stock.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: American States Water Co (AWR)
American States Water Company (AWR), incorporated on February 25, 1998, is the parent company of Golden State Water Company (GSWC) and American States Utility Services, Inc. (ASUS) and its subsidiaries (Fort Bliss Water Services Company (FBWS), Terrapin Utility Services, Inc. (TUS), Old Dominion Utility Services, Inc. (ODUS), Palmetto State Utility Services, Inc. (PSUS) and Old North Utility Services, Inc. (ONUS)). AWR operates in three segments: water, electric and contracted services. Within the segments, AWR has two principal business units, water and electric service utility operations, conducted through GSWC, and contracted services conducted through ASUS and its subsidiaries.
GSWC is a California public utility company engaged principally in the purchase, production and distribution of water in 75 communities in 10 counties in the State of California. GSWC also provides electric service to the City of Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas in San Bernardino County, California through its Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES) division. GSWC served 255,657 water customers and 23,379 electric customers as of December 31, 2012. ASUS, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, has contracted with the United States government to provide water and/or wastewater services at various military installations, including the operation, maintenance, renewal and replacement of the water and/or wastewater systems, pursuant to 50-year firm, fixed-price contracts. As of December 31, 2012, GSWC�� physical properties consisted of water transmission and distribution systems which included 2,786 miles of pipeline together with services, meters and fire hydrants and approximately 425 parcels of land.
As of December 31, 2012, GSWC owned 244 wells, of which 188 are active operable wells equipped with pumps with an aggregate production capacity of approximately 202.7 million gallons per day. GSWC has 63 connections to the water distribution facilities of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali! fornia (MWD), and other municipal water agencies. GSWC�� storage reservoirs and tanks have an aggregate capacity of approximately 111 million gallons. GSWC owns no dams. GSWC�� electric properties are located in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California. As of December 31, 2012, GSWC owned and operated 29.6 miles of overhead 34.5 kilovolt transmission lines, 1.4 mile of underground 34.5 kilovolt transmission lines, 179.6 miles of 4.16 kilovolt or 2.4 kilovolt distribution lines, 53.2 miles of underground cable, 13 sub-stations and a natural gas-fueled 8.4 megawatt peaking generation facility. GSWC also has franchises, easements and other rights of way for the purpose of constructing and using poles, wires and other appurtenances for transmitting electricity.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Insider Monkey]
American States Water (AWR), meanwhile, is another dividend giant that has seen bullish insider activity of late. The Western US-focused water utilities company has raised dividends in 59 straight years and currently offers a yield of 2.9%. Somewhat astoundingly, American's payout ratio (47%) is still below its industry's average (59%), so the dividend growth doesn't look set to end anytime soon.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: Radioshack Corporation(RSH)
RadioShack Corporation engages in the retail sale of consumer electronic goods and services through its RadioShack store chain and kiosk operations. Its products include postpaid and prepaid wireless handsets and communication devices, such as scanners and global positioning system (GPS) products; home entertainment, wireless, music, computer, video game, and GPS accessories; media storage, power adapters, digital imaging products, and headphones; home audio and video end-products, personal computing products, residential telephones, and voice over Internet protocol products; digital cameras, digital music players, toys, satellite radios, video gaming hardware, camcorders, and general radios; general and special purpose batteries and battery chargers; and wires and cables, connectivity products, components and tools, and hobby products. The company also provides consumers access to third-party services, such as prepaid wireless airtime and extended service plans in its ser vice platform. In addition, it manufactures various products, including telephones, antennas, wires, and cable products, as well as various hard-to-find parts and accessories for consumer electronics products; and provides repair services. As of March 31, 2011, the company operated 4,467 company-operated retail stores under the RadioShack brand name in the United States; and 1,304 kiosks located in Target and Sam?s Club stores. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 211 company-operated stores under the RadioShack brand, 9 dealers, and 1 distribution center in Mexico; a network of 1,207 RadioShack dealer outlets, including 34 located outside of North America; and 4 distribution centers in the United States. Further, the company sells its products through its Website, radioshack.com. RadioShack Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Fort Worth, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is down 9% at $322.99 after a stellar report and some cautionary comments from the CEO. VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) is up 2.9% at $85.01 after a very positive report. Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is up 3.3% at $25.51 after a solid quarter. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE: FCX) is up 3.7% at $36.35 on an earnings boost from its recent oil and gas acquisitions. RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) is down 17.9% at $2.89 after a reporting dismal results.
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
www.hasbro.com There were plenty of winners and losers this week, including a major airline doing something that it hasn't done in 34 years and more toymakers cutting play time short. Here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders. American Apparel (APP) -- Loser Some retailers are struggling more than others. American Apparel is shaking up its board to try to get a new lease on life, and one of the appointments announced this week was adding RadioShack (RSH) CEO Joseph Magnacca. Really? RadioShack is one of the few publicly traded retailers with a lower stock price than American Apparel. It's losing gobs of money and closing down stores. Is that really the kind of vision that American Apparel needs in the boardroom? Perhaps more importantly, should RadioShack's CEO be spreading himself thin this way at a time when his own company is struggling just to survive? American Airlines Group (AAL) -- Winner There were a lot of milestones achieved by the parent company of American Airlines and US Airways on Thursday. The biggest takeaway from its report is that the adjusted profit of $1.5 billion that it reported for its latest quarter is an all-time record for the once-struggling air carrier. The acquisition of US Airways last year and improving industry fundamentals have gone a long way to improving its fiscal viability. However, American Airlines Group also initiated a quarterly dividend of 10 cents a share. That may not seem like much, but it's the first time that the airline has offered a cash distribution since 1980. Wow. That was back when folks could still smoke in the back of the plane, and it didn't cost extra to check your luggage. It's not the only way that American Airlines Group is returning its money to its shareholders. Backed by its healthy profitability, its board cleared the way for a $1 billion stock buyback. Airlines have historically been a wealth destroyer. The cyclical swings in the business can get fierce. However, se
- [By Steve Symington]
Shares of RadioShack� (NYSE: RSH ) fell by more than 20% during Thursday's intra-day trading, after reports surfaced saying the electronics retailer is considering hiring a financial advisor to help fix its balance sheet. By the end of the day, however, the stock did manage to recoup the majority of its losses to close down just 7%.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: AECOM Technology Corp (ACM)
AECOM Technology Corporation (AECOM) is a provider of professional technical and management support services for commercial and government clients around the world. The Company provides planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services for a range of projects, including highways, airports, bridges, mass transit systems, government and commercial buildings, water and wastewater facilities, and power transmission and distribution. It also provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics and other support services, for agencies of the United States government. It offers services in two segments: Professional Technical Services and Management Support Services. In June 2011, the Company acquired Spectral Services Consultants Pte. Ltd.
Professional Technical Services (PTS)
The PTS segment delivers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services to commercial and government clients worldwide in end markets, such as transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government markets. It provides program management services through a joint venture for the Second Avenue subway line in New York City, design and contract administration services for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities and engineering and environmental management services to support global energy infrastructure development for a number of petroleum and mining companies.
PTS segment contributed 86% of the Company�� revenue during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011).
Transit and rail projects include light rail, heavy rail (including high speed, commuter and freight) and multimodal transit projects. The Company provided engineering design services for the new World Trade Center Terminal for PATH and the Second Avenue Subway (8.5-mile rail route and 16 stations) in New York City, the Ma O! n Shan Rail (seven-mile elevated railway) in Hong Kong, and Crossrail (74-mile railway) in the United Kingdom. Marine, Ports and Harbors Projects include wharf facilities and container port facilities for private and public port operators. The Company provided marine design and engineering services for container facilities in Hong Kong, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey. Highways, Bridges and Tunnels Projects include interstate, primary and secondary urban and rural highway systems and bridge projects. Aviation Projects include landside terminal and airside facilities and runways as well as taxiways.
Government Projects include the Company�� emergency response services for the Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and engineering and program management services for agencies of the Department of Defense. It also provides architectural and engineering services for national laboratories, including the laboratories at Hanford, Washington and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Industrial Projects include industrial facilities for a variety of end markets, including manufacturing, distribution, aviation, aerospace, communications, media, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, chemical, and food and beverage facilities. Urban Master Planning/Design Projects include design services, landscape architecture, general policy consulting and environmental planning projects for a variety of government, institutional and private sector clients. It provides strategic planning and master planning services for new cities and mixed use developments in the People�� republic of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Commercial and Leisure Facilities Projects include corporate headquarters, high-rise office towers, historic buildings, hotels, leisure, sports and entertainment facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities and corporate campuses. Institutional Projects include engin! eering se! rvices for college and university campuses, including the new Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Illinois. It has also undertaken assignments for Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Pomona College and Loyola Marymount University in California. Healthcare Projects include design services for the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building in Rochester, Minnesota, University Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City and the Samsung Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea. It has also undertaken assignments for the new Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Orlando, Florida, and the Minneapolis campus of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Correctional Projects include the planning, design, and construction of detention and correction facilities throughout the world.
Water and Wastewater Projects include treatment facilities as well as supply, distribution and collection systems, stormwater management, desalinization, and other water re-use technologies for metropolitan governments. Environmental Management Projects include remediation, waste handling, testing and monitoring of environmental conditions and environmental construction management for private sector clients. Water Resources Projects include regional-scale floodplain mapping and analysis for public agencies, along with the analysis and development of protected groundwater resources for companies in the bottled water industry.
Demand Side Management Projects include energy efficient systems for public K-12 schools and universities, health care facilities, and courthouses and other public buildings, as well as energy conservation systems for utilities. Transmission and Distribution Projects include power stations and electric transmissions and distribution and co-generation systems, including enhanced electrical power generation in Stung Treng, Cambodia. These projects utilize a range of services that include consulting, forecasting and surveying to detailed engineering design and construction management. Alternative/Renewable Energy Projects ! include p! roduction facilities, such as ethanol plants, wind farms and micro hydropower and geothermal subsections of regional power grids. It provides site selection and permitting, engineering, procurement and construction management and related services. Hydropower/Dams Projects include hydroelectric power stations, dams, spillways, and flood control systems including the Song Ba Ha Hydropower Project in Vietnam, the Pine Brook Dam in Boulder County, Colorado and the Peribonka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Quebec, Canada. Solar Projects include performing environmental work for the solar photovoltaic Brockton Brightfield project in New England, and environmental permitting services for the California Energy Commission to permit the development of a 250 mega watts (MW) solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert of California.
Management Support Services (MSS).
The MSS segment provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics, consulting, technical assistance and systems integration services, for agencies of the United States government. It also provides organizational and limited direct support services for equipment sent to the United States Army's Corpus Christi Depot in Texas. The MSS segment contributed 14% of the Company�� fiscal 2011 revenue.
Installation, Operations and Maintenance Projects include Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations where the Company provides services for the operation and maintenance of complex government installations, including military bases, test ranges and equipment. It also provides services for the operations and maintenance of the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Logistics and Field Services Projects include logistics support services for a number of Department of Defense agencies and defense contractors focused on developing and managing integrated supply and distribution networks. Training Projects include training applications in live, virtual and simulation training! environm! ents. Systems Support Projects cover a set of operational and support systems for the maintenance, operation and modernization of Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations. Its services in this area range from information technology and communications to life cycle optimization and engineering, including environmental management services.
Technical Personnel Placement Projects include the placement of personnel in functional areas of military and other government agencies, as these entities continue to outsource critical services to commercial entities. It provides systems, processes and personnel in support of the Department of Justice's management of forfeited assets recovered by law enforcement agencies. It also supports the Department of State in its enforcement programs by recruiting, training and supporting police officers for international and homeland security missions. Field Services Projects include maintaining, modifying and overhauling ground vehicles, armored carriers and associated support equipment both within and outside of the United States under contracts with the Department of Defense. It also maintains and repairs telecommunications systems for military and civilian entities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jayson Derrick]
Aecom Technology (NYSE: ACM) has acquired Hunt Construction for an undisclosed sum. This marks Aecom's second large acquisition in the span of two weeks. Shares lost 0.32 percent, closing at $34.72.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: Resources Connection Inc.(RECN)
Resources Connection, Inc. provides professional services in the areas of finance, accounting, risk management and internal audit, corporate advisory, strategic communications and restructuring, information management, human capital, supply chain management, actuarial, and legal and regulatory services to support client-led projects and initiatives. It offers finance and accounting services, including financial analyses, budgeting and forecasting, audit preparation, public-entity reporting, tax-related projects, merger and acquisition due diligence, initial public offering assistance, and assistance in the preparation or restatement of financial statements; information management services, such as financial system/enterprise resource planning implementation, and post implementation optimization services; and corporate advisory, strategic communications, and restructuring services. The company also provides risk management and internal audit services comprising compliance r eviews, internal audit co-sourcing, and assistance services; supply chain management services, including strategic sourcing efforts, contract negotiations, and purchasing strategy services; and actuarial support services for pension and life insurance companies. In addition, it offers human capital services, such as change management, and compensation program design and implementation services; and legal and regulatory services comprising providing attorneys, paralegals, and contract managers to assist clients, such as law firms with project-based or peak period needs. Further, the company provides policyIQ, a Web-based content management product for documenting, managing, and communicating various types of business information, including policies and procedures, Sarbanes documentation, training documentation, and other business content. It operates in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
On May 28, Irvine, Calif.-based Resources Connection (NASDAQ: RECN ) will be losing one chief executive officer, and gaining a new one.
Top 10 Railroad Companies To Buy Right Now: Northwest Bancshares Inc.(NWBI)
Northwest Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Northwest Savings Bank that offers various banking and consumer finance services. The company offers consumer and commercial deposits, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, term certificate accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises one- to four-family residential real estate loans, multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, and commercial business loans, as well as consumer loans, including automobile loans, sales finance loans, unsecured personal loans, credit card loans, and loans secured by deposit accounts. It also offers trust, investment management, actuarial and benefit plan administration, brokerage services, title insurance, and municipal bonds, as well as involves in the ownership and operation of properties. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 171 community-banking of fices in northwest, southwest, and central Pennsylvania; western New York; eastern Ohio; Maryland; and southeastern Florida. It also operated 51 consumer finance offices in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Northwest Bancshares (NASDAQ: NWBI ) announced today that it will be paying a special dividend of $0.12 per share in May to�supplement the regular dividend for the first quarter of 2013, which it prepaid back in December in a bid to�accelerate the distribution of cash�to help shareholders offset some of the risk of higher taxes.
- [By Tim Melvin]
The financial crisis bought an end to the takeover activity, but as the industry has recovered and valuations have stabilized we should once again see the former thrifts become too tempting for growth-starved larger banks to ignore. It is a worthwhile exercise to look at some older thrift conversions that may be beyond their “sell by” dates.
Northwest Bancshares�(NWBI)Northwest Bancshares (NWBI) did its conversion offering back in 2009, right near the bottom of the financial crisis. The bank has 65 community banking offices in central and western Pennsylvania, western New York, eastern Ohio, and Maryland as well as 52 consumer finance offices in Pennsylvania. The bank has an above-average equity-to-assets ratio of 13.42, and nonperforming assets are just 1.59% of total assets. That puts NWBI in solid financial shape.
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