In the start of what may be a growing trend among food manufacturers, General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) announced that Original Cheerios will be produced GMO-free. While the actual amount of genetically modified seed used in the manufacture of Original Cheerios is small, the results of the move could be broad-reaching if other food manufacturers follow General Mills' move with efforts to remove GMOs from their own products.
There are some clear obstacles that will slow any massive GMO-free movement from occurring in the next year, but there are nonetheless other cereals produced by General Mills and its competitors like Kellogg� (NYSE: K ) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) , which make for strong candidates to undergo reformulations that enable the GMO-free label.
Why GMO-free may not catch on quickly
Regardless of the consumer demand for organic and GMO-free food products, major food producers are limited by simple supply chain logistics that make the sourcing of substantial non-GMO ingredients both difficult and costly. The amount of GMO-based products in Original Cheerios is limited to just small amounts of corn starch and sugar, whereas other cereals even under the Cheerios brand would make the necessary large-scale ingredient sourcing difficult.
10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy For 2015: Coherent Inc.(COHR)
Coherent, Inc. provides photonics-based solutions for a range of commercial and scientific research applications worldwide. The company engages in designing, manufacturing, servicing, and marketing lasers, laser tools, precision optics, and related accessories. Its products are used in a range of applications, including microelectronics, scientific research and government programs, original equipment manufacturer components and instrumentation, and materials processing markets. The company markets its products primarily through a direct sales force, as well as through independent representatives. Coherent, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of Coherent (NASDAQ: COHR ) ran higher by as much as 16% after the company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings.
So what: Revenue in the quarter added up to $200.1 million, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.84. Both headline figures were ahead of consensus forecasts, which were perched at $198.2 million in sales and an adjusted profit of $0.80 per share. CEO John Ambroseo said demand in Coherent's commercial end markets improved, resulting in record bookings for materials processing.
Best Logistics Companies To Buy For 2014: US Ecology Inc.(ECOL)
US Ecology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste treatment, disposal, recycling, and transportation services to commercial and government entities in the United States. The company offers treatment and disposal services for radioactive, hazardous, polychlorinated biphenyl, and non-hazardous industrial wastes. Its customers include oil refineries, chemical production facilities, manufacturers, electric utilities, steel mills, biotechnology companies, military installations, waste brokers/aggregators, and medical and academic institutions. The company was formerly known as American Ecology Corporation and changed its name to US Ecology, Inc. in February 2010. US Ecology, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the stocks to watch in Monday’s session are US Ecology Inc.(ECOL), Akamai, and Dow Chemical Co.(DOW)
US Ecology again raised its earnings guidance for the year, pointing to strong volumes and accelerated project shipments, but warned its results for next year may take a hit as a result. The company, which provides waste- management and recycling services, also outlined plans to offer about $100 million in stock. Shares dropped 10% to $34.51 premarket.
- [By Seth Jayson]
US Ecology (Nasdaq: ECOL ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on 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 US Ecology's revenues will increase 20.4% and EPS will grow 19.0%.
Best Logistics Companies To Buy For 2014: Acadia Healthcare Company Inc (ACHC)
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc., incorporated on October 24, 2005, is a provider of inpatient behavioral healthcare services in the United States. The Company's principal business is to develop and operate inpatient psychiatric facilities, residential treatment centers, group homes, substance abuse facilities and facilities providing outpatient behavioral health services in the United States. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of inpatient psychiatric facilities in Seattle, Washington, and Riverside, California.
In December 2011, the Company closed three outpatient facilities and a 24-bed substance abuse facility acquired from PHC on November 1, 2011. The Company's facilities and services consists of acute inpatient psychiatric facilities; residential treatment centers, group homes, therapeutic group homes and foster care; substance abuse centers; outpatient community-based services, and other behavioral services, including specialized educational services and call centers.
Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities
The Company�� acute inpatient psychiatric facilities provide a high level of care in order to stabilize patients that are either a threat to themselves or to others. The acute setting provides 24-hour observation, daily intervention and monitoring by psychiatrists. The Company's facilities, which offer acute care services provide evaluation and crisis stabilization of patients with severe psychiatric diagnoses through a medical delivery that incorporates structured and intensive medical and behavioral therapies with 24-hour monitoring by a psychiatrist, psychiatric trained nurses, therapists and other direct care staff. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 10 facilities that provided acute care services in addition to other services.
Residential Treatment Centers/Group Homes
The Company�� residential treatment centers treat patients with behavioral disorders in a non-hospit! al setting. The facilities balance therapy activities with social, academic and other activities. The Company provides residential treatment care through a medical model residential treatment facility, which offers intensive, medically-driven interventions and individualized treatment regimens designed to deal with moderate to high level patient acuity. Treatment is provided by an interdisciplinary team coordinating psychopharmacological, individual, group and family therapy, along with specialized accredited educational programs in both secure and unlocked environments. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 14 facilities that provided residential treatment care, in addition to other services.
The Company's group home programs provide family-style living for youths in a single house or apartment within residential communities where supervision and support are provided by 24-hour staff. The Company also operates therapeutic group homes that provide treatment services for seriously, emotionally disturbed adolescents. The Company also manages therapeutic foster care programs, which are considered the least restrictive form of therapeutic placement for children and adolescents with emotional disorders. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated three facilities that provided group home and therapeutic group home services.
Outpatient Community-Based Services
The Company's community-based services are provided for two age groups: children and adolescents (seven to 18 years of age) and young children (three months to six years of age). Community-based programs are designed to provide therapeutic treatment to children and adolescents who have a clinically-defined emotional, psychiatric or chemical dependency disorder while enabling the youth to remain at home and within their community. Community-based programs developed for these age groups provide an array of therapeutic services to children. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated eight facilities that! provided! community-based services.
Substance Abuse Centers
The Company�� Substance abuse centers (or SACs) provide a continuum of care for adults with addictive disorders and co-occurring mental disorders. The Company's detox, inpatient, partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment programs give patients access to the least restrictive level of care. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated two SACs.
Specialized Education Services and Other Behavioral Services
The Company's education programs provide an educational experience to children and adolescents having special education needs. In some states, the Company provides educational services on an extended school year basis. The Company also has charter schools that utilize teaching methods that address therapeutic needs particular to learning and behavioral deficits of the students. The Company's education services also include vocational education and training that may allow those residents to become employable in entry level positions in the communities in, which they reside. GED preparation courses are also offered for students who require assistance in developing test-taking skills and who would benefit from tutoring services. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 11 facilities that provided educational services.
The Company also offers a variety of other behavioral health services for specialized populations who need specific treatment methods. Programs include at risk infant and children clinics, sexually maladaptive behavior (SMB) programs, programs for adolescent females, programs for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled youth and programs for severe and persistently mentally ill youths.
Call Center Operations
The Company provides management , administrative and help lines services. The Company provides these servicesthrough contracts with railroads and a call center contract with Wayne County, Michigan.
The Company ! competes ! with UHS, Aurora Behavioral Health Care (Aurora) and Ascend Health Corporation (Ascend).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]
Acadia Healthcare Co.(ACHC) Inc. agreed to acquire U.K.-based independent behavioral-health services firm Partnerships in Care for roughly $660 million, providing a foothold in Britain.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) develops and operates a network of behavioral health facilities, providing premier psychiatric and chemical dependency services to its patients. This stock closed up 6.5% at $36.87 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 792,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 360,986
Volume % Change: 124%From a technical perspective, ACHC soared higher here right above its 50-day moving average at $34.12 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of ACHC into breakout territory, since the stock took out its former 52-week high at $36. Shares of ACHC have been uptrending strong over the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $24.93 to its intraday high of $37. During that move, shares of ACHC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ACHC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $34.12 and then once it sustains a move or close above Wednesday's high of $37 with volume that's near or above 360,986 shares. If we get that move soon, then ACHC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $45.
- [By Tom Lydon]
Top holdings based on the index include Acadia Healthcare Companies (ACHC), Amsurg Corporation (AMSG), Brookdale Senior Living (BKD), Clarcor (CLC) and Community Health Systems (CYH).
Best Logistics Companies To Buy For 2014: Monsanto Co (MON)
Monsanto Company (Monsanto), incorporated on February 9, 2000, along with its subsidiaries, is a provider of agricultural products for farmers. The Company's seeds, biotechnology trait products, and herbicides provide farmers with solutions that improve productivity, reduce the costs of farming, and produce better foods for consumers and better feed for animals. It manages business in two segments: Seeds and Genomics, and Agricultural Productivity. In April 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of a corn and soybean processing plant located in Paine, Chile from Anasac, a company that provides seed processing services. In October 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of Seminium, S.A. (Seminium), a corn seed company. In February 2011, the Company acquired Divergence, Inc. In September 2011, the Company acquired Beeologics. In June 2012, the Company purchased a planting technology developer, Precision Planting, Inc. In January 2013, it purchased select assets of Agradis, Inc. In June 2013, Monsanto Company acquired GrassRoots Biotechnology Inc. In November 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of The Climate Corporation.
Seeds and Genomics Segment
Through the Company's Seeds and Genomics segment, it produces seed brands, including DEKALB, Asgrow, Deltapine, Seminis and De Ruiter, and it develops biotechnology traits that assist farmers in controlling insects and weeds. It also provides other seed companies with genetic material and biotechnology traits for their seed brands. It has a global distribution and sales and marketing organization for its seeds and traits. It sells products under Monsanto brands and license technology and genetic material to others for sale under their own brands. Through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, agricultural cooperatives, plant raisers, and agents, it markets DEKALB, Asgrow and Deltapine branded germplasm to farmers globally. In the United States, it markets regional seed brands under it! s American Seeds, LLC and Channel Bio, LLC businesses to farmers directly, as well as through dealers, agricultural cooperatives and agents. It markets and sells trait technologies with branded germplasm, pursuant to license agreements with its farmer customers. In Brazil and Paraguay, its has implemented a point-of-delivery, grain-based payment system. It contracts with grain handlers to collect applicable trait fees when farmers deliver their grain. In addition to selling its products under its own brands, the Company licenses a range of germplasm and trait technologies to large and small seed companies in the United States and certain international markets. Those seed companies in turn market its trait technologies in their branded germplasm; they may also market its germplasm under its own brand name. Its vegetable seeds are marketed in more than 100 countries through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, agricultural cooperatives, plant raisers and agents, as well as directly to farmers.
The Company�� row crop seeds brands include DEKALB, Channel Bio, Asgrow and Deltapine. Its DEKALB and Channel Bio are corn hybrids and foundation seed. Its Asgrow are soybean varieties and foundation seed. Its Deltapine are cotton varieties, hybrids and foundation seed. Canola is its row crop variety and hybrid. Its vegetable seed brands are Seminis and De Ruiter. These are open field and protected-culture seed for tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, beans, broccoli, onions, and lettuce, among others. Its Biotechnology traits include SmartStax, YieldGard, YieldGard VT Triple, VT Triple PRO, VT Double PRO, Roundup Ready and Roundup Ready 2 Yield and Genuity. Its SmartStax, YieldGard, YieldGard VT Triple, VT Triple PRO and VT Double PRO have applications for corn, and Bollgard and Bollgard II have application for cotton. It enables crops to protect themselves from borers and rootworm in corn and leaf- and boll-feeding worms in cotton, reducing the need for application! s of inse! cticides. Its Roundup Ready and Roundup Ready 2 Yield have application for soybeans. The Company�� Genuity is a global umbrella trait brand. It enables crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola to be tolerant of Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides. Monsanto also offers farmers stacked-trait products, which are single-seed products in which two or more traits are combined.
Agricultural Productivity Segment
Through the Company's Agricultural Productivity segment, it manufactures Roundup brand herbicides and other herbicides and provide lawn-and-garden herbicide products for the residential market. Its products include Glyphosate-based herbicides, Selective herbicides and Lawn-and-garden herbicides. Its Glyphosate-based herbicides have applications in nonselective agricultural, industrial, ornamental and turf applications for weed control. Its Selective herbicides control preemergent annual grass and small seeded broadleaf weeds in corn and other crops. Its residential lawn-and-garden has applications for weed control. It uses the same distribution and sales and marketing organization for its crop protection products as for its seeds and traits. It also has separate distribution and sales and marketing organizations for its crop protection products. It sells crop protection products through distributors, independent retailers and dealers and agricultural cooperatives. In some cases outside the United States, it sells such products directly to farmers. It also sells certain of the chemical intermediates of its crop protection products to other agricultural chemical producers, who then market their own branded products to farmers. The Company markets its lawn-and-garden herbicide products through The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vanina Egea]
The battle on the field continues. Monsanto (MON) and Syngenta (SYT) are expected to enter the seed business with a strong bid. Both companies stand at the top of the agricultural inputs industry, and continue to look for ways to improve performance. Let us see what some gurus think about their future prospects, and if they see them fit for a long term investment.
- [By Mike Deane]
Before the opening bell on Wednesday, Monsanto Company (MON) reported its Q1 earnings, with sales and net income coming in higher than last year’s Q1 figures.
MON Earnings in Brief
-Monsanto reported Q1 revenue of $3.143 billion, which was up from last year’s Q1 revenue of $2.939 billion.
-The company’s net income came in at $368 million, or 69 cents per share, up from $339 million, or 63 cents per share, reported last year.
-MON’s diluted earnings per share from ongoing business came in at 67 cents, which was higher than last year’s same quarter figure of 62 cents.
-Monsanto beat analysts’ expectations of 64 cents EPS on revenue of $3.08 billion.
-Monsanto confirmed guidance for the year, and expects EPS in the range of $5 to $5.20.
CEO Commentary
Hugh Grant, Monsanto’s chairman and CEO, had the following comments about the company’s earnings report: ��he first quarter demonstrated that our business performance is squarely on track with several key milestones and that we have the right growth strategy in place. The strength in our business is also seen in the record number of research and development advancements this year. It�� the innovation in our pipeline that�� going to define what�� next for our industry and help deliver on our commitment to bring additional opportunity for farmers around the world.��/p>
No Change to Dividend
There was no change to Monsanto’s dividend payout mentioned in its quarterly report. This was to be expected as the company most recently raised its quarterly payout from 38 cents to 43 cents in October of 2013, and has a history of raising dividends for its October payout.
Stock Performance
Monsanto stock was inactive in Wednesday’s pre-market trading. The stock is currently 3.63% off of its 52-week high.
- [By DailyFinance Staff]
Alamy • BP got a rare piece of good news from a court Wednesday: A judge ruled that -- for now -- it doesn't have to pay out compensation to "victims" of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill who can't show they actually had losses or injuries linked to the disaster. Yes, you read that right: Up until now, according to BP, some people were getting money for "fictitious or wholly non-existent losses." • The news out of the Washington shutdown: Obama says he won't be blackmailed. No discussions of GOP demands will be heard while the government stays closed. "Negotiations now would lead to more demands, he said. "I have bent over backwards to deal with the Republican party." His direct message to Wall Street. Be afraid. Be very afraid. "When you have a situation in which a faction is willing to default on U.S. obligations, then we are in trouble," Obama said on CNBC. • And why is Congress fighting, anyway? State governments are already doing a fine job cutting the legs out from under Obamacare. The New York Times informs us that, thanks to 26 GOP-controlled state governments rejecting the Medicare expansion, two-thirds of single moms and poor African Americans will still lack health coverage after the ACA is in full effect, as will more than half of low-wage workers who are now uninsured. In essence, by refusing to cooperate, theses states will create a gap class: people who make too much to get Medicaid, but too little qualify for Obamacare subsidies. • The 21st century has featured a "lost decade" for young adults on the employment front: Those who have recently entered the job market are less likely to be employed and earn less than the young people of two decades ago, reveals a new study from Georgetown University. The employment rate for young adults fell from 84 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in 2012. • Because we're not farmers, we've been totally unaware that, a few years back, a couple of ex-Google engineers created a whole new kind
No comments:
Post a Comment