Buying Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) always has seemed like a leap of faith–you either believed in Warren Buffett’s omnipotence or you didn’t–that having an analyst cover the company always seemed beside the point. But analysts do cover Berkshire Hathaway, and one of them even had something to say about the company today.
AFPThat would Barclays’ Jay Gelb, who released a big report on Berkshire Hathaway today. And wouldn’t you know it, not only does he like Warren Buffett’s baby, he thinks now would be a good time to buy. Gelb explains why:
Berkshire�� insurance businesses generates substantial no-cost float ($77bn at YE13) available for investing and will benefit from the Heinz acquisition. Importantly, Berkshire has significant cash available for additional acquisitions (we estimate ~$25bn) to supplement organic growth…
Top 5 Supermarket Companies To Watch In Right Now: Athersys Inc.(ATHX)
Athersys, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of therapeutic products in various disease areas in the United States. Its clinical development programs are focused on treating cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions, inflammatory and immune disorders, and other conditions. Its product pipeline includes MultiStem, a novel allogeneic approach to stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine for treating a range of diseases. The company is also involved in the development of novel small molecule compounds for applications in indications, such as obesity and other areas, including the treatment of neurological conditions, and for the modulation of stem cells or related applications in the regenerative medicine area. It has product co-development collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to develop and commercialize MultiStem to treat inflammatory bowel disease for the worldwide market; Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop and commerciali ze MultiStem to treat certain cardiovascular diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction; and RTI Biologics, Inc. to develop and commercialize biologic implants for certain orthopedic applications in the bone graft substitutes market. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Athersys (NASDAQ: ATHX ) , a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine, advanced as much as 10% after announcing that it had been granted three new patents for its stem cell and regenerative technologies in Japan.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Trius Therapeutics Inc.(TSRX)
Trius Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of antibiotics for serious, life-threatening infections in the United States. Its lead product includes Torezolid Phosphate, which is in Phase-III clinical trials for the treatment of serious gram-positive bacterial infections, initially for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. The company is also developing antibiotics for gram-negative infections using its proprietary discovery platform under two contracts funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Defense Threat Reduction Agency. It has a cooperative research and development agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC for the research and development of gram-negative biodefense pathogens; and a license agreement with Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to develop and sell Torezolid Phosphate outside of Korea. The company was formerly known as Rx3 Pharmac euticals, Inc. and changed its name to Trius Therapeutics, Inc. in February 2007. Trius Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bob's Stocks]
Back on February 4th, I wrote an article regarding another antibiotic stock named Trius Therapeutics (TSRX). It was trading at $5.00 per share at the time, and I put a price per share prediction of $13.00. I also stated it was a takeover target. Yesterday, Cubist Pharmaceuticals bought Trius Therapeutics for $13.50 a share. You can read that article here.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Callon Petroleum Co (CPE)
Callon Petroleum Company (Callon), incorporated on March 29, 1994, is an independent oil and natural gas company. It is focused on growing production and reserves from its oil-weighted multi-play assets in the Permian Basin. In 2013, the Company shifted its operations from the offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico to the onshore, Permian Basin region in Texas.
The Company operates 100% of its Permian acreage. As of December 31, 2013, the Company�� proved reserves were 14.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (80% oil and 50% proved developed).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $26.83 million.
Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) is expected to post a Q4 loss at $0.55 per share on revenue of $7.78 million.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Navistar International Corporation (NAV)
Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial and military trucks, buses, diesel engines, and recreational vehicles, as well as provides service parts for trucks and trailers worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Truck, Engine, Parts, and Financial Services. The Truck segment manufactures and distributes trucks and buses for the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, military vehicles, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; assembles components; and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs. This segment markets its products through its independent dealer network, and distribution and service network retail outlets comprising 784 in the United States and Canada, 86 in Mexico, and 292 internationally, as well as markets reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of us ed truck centers. The Engine segment designs, manufactures, and sells diesel engines under the MaxxForce brand for use in the medium trucks, heavy trucks, and military vehicles, as well as for its IC branded school buses and other applications. The Parts segment provides customers with products required to support the company�s brands, as well as offers other truck, trailer, and engine service parts. The Financial Services segment provides and manages retail, wholesale, and lease financing services for products sold by the Truck and Parts segments and their dealers. It also operates as a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van, and sport utility vehicle markets. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By RHPanalysts]
Nevertheless, Cummins is now producing more of the National Standard 4 products based on the emission regulation and standard suggested by the from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology or MIIT. Further, the company expects around 50% to 60% of the total production for heavy and medium-duty truck in the second half of the year will be compliant with the NS4 products that will certainly keep them ahead from its peers such as Caterpillar (CAT) and Navistar International Corporation (NAV).
- [By Holly LaFon]
The IVA Worldwide Fund Class A (NAV) ("the Fund") ended the quarter on March 31, 2014 with a return of 2.41% compared to the MSCI All Country World Index ("Index") return of 1.08%. Since inception on October 1, 2008, on an annualized basis, the Fund returned 11.85% versus the Index return of 8.59% for the same period.
- [By Peter Graham]
The Q2 2014 earnings report for Navistar International Corp (NYSE: NAV), a potential peer of light, medium- and heavy-duty truck or engine makers PACCAR Inc (NASDAQ: PCAR) and Cummins Inc (NYSE: CMI), is scheduled to report earnings after the market closes on Thursday.�Aside from the Navistar International Corp earnings report, it should be said that PACCAR Inc and Cummins Inc both�reported Q1 2014 earnings on April 29th (PCAR reported higher revenues and net income�while CMI hit a�52-week high after a beat and raised guidance). However, Navistar International Corp�has lost market share since 2012 when�US regulators denied approval of a redesigned diesel engine that failed to reduce green house gas levels���forcing the company to turn to�rival Cummins Inc to supply engines as it develops its own catalytic reduction engines to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.��
- [By Nathalie Tadena]
Activist investor Carl Icahn reported an increased holding in Navistar International Corp.(NAV) as of Sept. 30, according to a regulatory filing Thursday.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: CMS Energy Corp (CMS)
CMS Energy Corporation (CMS Energy) is an energy company operating primarily in Michigan. CMS Energy is the parent holding company of several subsidiaries, including Consumers Energy Company (Consumers) and CMS Enterprises Company (CMS Enterprises). Consumers is an electric and gas utility, and CMS Enterprises, primarily a domestic independent power producer. Consumers serves individuals and businesses operating in the alternative energy, automotive, chemical, metal, and food products industries, as well as a diversified group of other industries. CMS Enterprises, through its subsidiaries and equity investments, is engaged primarily in independent power production and owns power generation facilities fueled mostly by natural gas and biomass. CMS Energy operates in three business segments: electric utility, gas utility and enterprises, its non-utility operations and investments. EnerBank USA (EnerBank), a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy, which provides unsecured consumer installment loans for financing home improvements.
CONSUMERS ELECTRIC UTILITY
Consumers��electric utility operations include the generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Consumers��electric deliveries were 38 billion kilowatt hour, which included Retail Open Access (ROA) deliveries of four billion kilowatt hour. Consumers��distribution system includes 413 miles of high-voltage distribution radial lines operating at 120 kilovolts or above; ,244 miles of high-voltage distribution overhead lines operating at 23 kilovolts and 46 kilovolts; 17 miles of high-voltage distribution underground lines operating at 23 kilovolts and 46 kilovolts; 55,953 miles of electric distribution overhead lines; 10,112 miles of underground distribution lines, and substations with an aggregate transformer capacity of 24 million thousand volt-amperes.
At December 31, 2011, Consumers��electric generating system consisted of coal generation, oil/gas/st! eam generation, hydroelectric and gas/oil combustion turbine. At December 31, 2011, Consumers had contracts to purchase coal through 2014. At December 31, 2011, Consumers had 86% of its 2012 expected coal requirements under contract, as well as a 41-day supply of coal on hand. During 2011, Consumers purchased 53% of the electricity it provided to customers through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), seasonal purchases, and the Midwest Energy Market. Consumers offers its generation into the Midwest Energy Market on a day-ahead and real-time basis and bids for power in the market to serve the demand of its customers. Consumers is a net purchaser of power and supplements its generation capability with purchases from the Midwest Energy Market to meet its customers��needs during peak demand periods.
CONSUMERS GAS UTILITY
Consumers��gas utility operations include the purchase, transmission, storage, distribution, and sale of natural gas. Consumers��gas utility customer base consists of a mix of residential, commercial, and diversified industrial customers in Michigan�� Lower Peninsula. In 2011, deliveries of natural gas, including off-system transportation deliveries, through Consumers��pipeline and distribution network, totaled 337 billion cubic feet of gas, which included Gas Customer Choice (GCC) deliveries of 48 billion cubic feet of gas. Consumers��gas utility operations are seasonal. During 2011, 46% of the natural gas supplied to all customers during the winter months was supplied from storage.
Consumers��gas distribution and transmission system located in Michigan�� Lower Peninsula consists of 26,623 miles of distribution mains; 666 miles of transmission lines; seven compressor stations with a total of 150,635 installed and available horsepower, and 15 gas storage fields with an aggregate storage capacity of 307 billion cubic feet of gas and a working storage capacity of 142 billion cubic feet of gas. In 2011, Consumers purchased 70% of ! the gas i! t delivered from United States producers and 10% from Canadian producers. The remaining 20% was purchased from authorized GCC suppliers and delivered by Consumers to customers in the GCC program.
ENTERPRISES SEGMENT
CMS Energy�� enterprises segment, through various subsidiaries and certain equity investments, is engaged primarily in domestic independent power production and the marketing of independent power production. At December 31, 2011, CMS Energy had ownership interests in independent power plants totaling 1,135 gross megawatts or 1,034 net megawatts. CMS Energy Resource Management (ERM) purchases and sells energy commodities in support of CMS Energy�� generating facilities and continues to focus on optimizing CMS Energy�� independent power production portfolio. In 2011, CMS ERM marketed 17 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 2,417 gigawatt-hour of electricity.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
Most investors, analysts, media, and government officials say this should always be the goal, and they are right. However, UoP's typical students are not the eighteen year olds grad uating from high school figuring out whether they should attend a private or public university. UoP's typical student is single, twenty - eight years old, a minority single - mother, first in her family to attend college, and someone who is 3 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via WellCare Health Plans, Inc. 2012 Annual Report on Form 10 - K trying to improve h er career skills and compete in today's fierce labor market. Among the biggest obstacles for this cohort is keeping their child, or children, healthy and in school so they can finish school themselves.
- [By Richard Stavros]
Michigan-based ITC Holdings Corp (NYSE: ITC) is the largest electric transmission company in the US. The company is in charge of the electric transmission system formerly owned by DTE Energy Holding Co (NYSE: DTE) and CMS Energy Corp (NYSE: CMS).
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Richard Stavros]
Meanwhile, the companies that are projected to be spending more in 2015 than they are presently include The AES Corp (NYSE: AES), Ameren Corp (NYSE: AEE), American Electric Power Co Inc (NYSE: AEP), CMS Energy Corp (NYSE: CMS), and Northeast Utilities (NYSE: NU).
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Greif Inc (GEF)
Greif, Inc., incorporated on January 25, 1926, is a producer of industrial packaging products and services with manufacturing facilities located in over 50 countries. The Company offers a line of industrial packaging products, such as steel, fiber and plastic drums, rigid intermediate bulk containers, closure systems for industrial packaging products, transit protection products, water bottles and reconditioned containers, and services such as container lifecycle management, blending, filling and other packaging services, logistics and warehousing. It also produces containerboard and corrugated products for niche markets in North America. It sells timber to third parties from its timberland in the south-eastern United States. It has four segments: Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services, Flexible Products & Services, Paper Packaging and Land Management.
Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services
In the Rigid Industrial Packaging and Services, the Company is a provider of rigid industrial packaging products, including steel, fiber and plastic drums, rigid intermediate bulk containers, closure systems for industrial packaging products, transit protection products, water bottles and reconditioned containers, and services, such as container lifecycle management, blending, filling and other packaging services, logistics and warehousing. It sells industrial packaging products to customers in industries, such as chemicals, paints and pigments, food and beverage, petroleum, industrial coatings, agricultural, pharmaceutical and mineral, among others.
Flexible Products and Services segment
In the Flexible Products and Services segment, the Company is a producer of flexible intermediate bulk containers and a North American provider of industrial and consumer multiwall bag products. Its flexible intermediate bulk containers consist of a polypropylene-based woven fabric that is partly produced at its production sites, as well as sourced from strategic regional sup! pliers. Its industrial and consumer multiwall bag products are used to ship a range of industrial and consumer products, such as seed, fertilizers, chemicals, concrete, flour, sugar, feed, pet foods, popcorn, charcoal and salt, primarily for the agricultural, chemical, building products and food industries.
Paper Packaging segment
In the Paper Packaging segment, the Company sells containerboard, corrugated sheets and other corrugated products to customers in North America in industries such as packaging, automotive, food and building products. Its corrugated container products are used to ship such products as home appliances, small machinery, grocery products, building products, automotive components, books and furniture, as well as numerous other applications. Operations related to industrial and consumer multiwall bag products have been reclassified to Flexible Products and Services segment.
Land Management segment
In the Land Management segment, the Company is focused on the active harvesting and regeneration of the United States timber properties to achieve long-term yields. It also sells, from time to time, timberland and special use land, which consists of surplus land, HBU land and development land. As of October 31, 2013, it owned approximately 252,475 acres of timber property in the southeastern United States and approximately 10,300 acres of timber property in Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
For those of you wondering if Greif Brothers Cooperage has any relation to Greif (GEF) ��yes. It has every relation. It�� the same exact company. And it�� still in pretty much the same business. They used to just make barrels. Now they make all kinds of different drums, containers, etc. That�� not a very big change for a company to make over 60 years or so.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: Anglo American PLC (AAUKY.PK)
Anglo American plc (Anglo American), incorporated on May 14, 1998, is a mining company. The Company�� portfolio include Bulk commodities which consists of iron and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal; base metals, which consists of copper, nickel and niobium; Precious metals and minerals, which include platinum and diamonds and Other Mining and Industrial. The Company operates in Africa, Brazil, Chile, North and South America, Australia, China, India, Japan, other Asia and Europe. In November 2013, Anglo American PLC announced the completion of its sale of the Amapa iron ore operation in Brazil (Amapa) to Zamin Ferrous Ltd. In January 2014, Anglo American completed the acquisition of Mineral Technology Exploration Production SA (MINTEP) and Societe Miniere d'Alumine SA.
Iron and Manganese
The Company�� Iron Ore portfolio consist a 69.7% holding in Kumba Iron Ore Limited (Kumba), a supplier of seaborne iron ore, and Iron Ore Brazil�� 100% interest in Anglo Ferrous Minas-Rio, a 49% shareholding in LLX Minas-Rio, which owns the port of Acu, and a 70% interest in the Amapa iron ore system. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Kumba operated three mines: Sishen Mine in the Northern Cape, which produced 33.7 million tons (MT) of iron ore, Thabazimbi Mine in Limpopo, with an output of 0.8 MT and Kolomela mine, also in the Northern Cape and produced 1.5 MT. During 2011, Kumba exported more than 85% of its total iron ore sales volumes of 44.4 million tons, with 69% of these exports destined for the People�� Republic of China and the remainder to Europe, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. Its Minas-Rio iron ore project is located in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
The Company�� Manganese interests consist of a 40% holding in Samancor Holdings, which owns Hotazel Manganese Mines and Metalloys, both in South Africa, and a 40% holding in each of the Australian-based operations Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) and Tasmanian Electro ! Metallurgical Company (TEMCO), with BHP Billiton owning 60% and having management control. It is producer of seaborne manganese ore and is top three global producers of manganese alloy. Its operations produce a combination of ores, alloys and metal from sites in South Africa and Australia.
Metallurgical Coal
The Company�� coal operations in Australia are based on the east coast, from where Metallurgical Coal serves a range of customers throughout Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and Europe and South America. Its metallurgical coal operation in Canada, Peace River Coal, mainly serves customers in Europe, Japan and South America. Metallurgical Coal operated six mines, one wholly owned and five in which it has a controlling interest. Five of the mines are located in Queensland�� Bowen Basin: Moranbah North (metallurgical coal), Capcoal (metallurgical and thermal coal), Foxleigh (metallurgical coal), Dawson (metallurgical and thermal coal) and Callide (thermal coal). Drayton mine (thermal coal) is in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Moranbah North is an underground longwall mining operation with a mining lease covering 100 square kilometers.
Capcoal operates two longwall underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produce around 5.0 MT annually of hard coking coal, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coal. Capcoal also supplies methane-rich seam gas to Energy Developments Limited�� power station. Foxleigh is an open cut operation with an annual output exceeding 1.4 million tons of PCI coal. During 2012, Dawson, which is an open cut operation, produced 4.6 MT total of coking and thermal coal. During 2012, Capcoal operates two underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produced around 6.0 Mt of hard coking, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coals. During 2012, Foxleigh is an open cut operation which produced 1.9 Mt of high quality PCI coal.
Thermal Coal
Thermal Coal operates in South Africa a! nd and is! a joint partner in Cerrejon, Colombia. In South Africa, Thermal Coal wholly owns and operates nine mines and has a 50% interest in the Mafube colliery and Phola washing plant. During 2012, six of the mines supplied 23 million tons per annum of thermal coal to both export and local markets. New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries are domestic product operations supplying 29 million tons per annum of thermal coal to Eskom, the state-owned power utility. During 2012, Isibonelo mine produced five million tons per annum of thermal coal for Sasol Synthetic Fuels, the coal to liquids producer, under a 20 year supply contract. Thermal Coal�� South African operations route all export thermal coal through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), in which it has a 24.2% shareholding, to customers throughout the Med-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions. Within South Africa, 62% of total sales tons are made to the Eskom power utility.
Copper
The Company has interests in six copper operations in Chile. The wholly owned operations consists of the Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde mines, and it hold a 50.1% interest in Anglo American Sur (AA Sur), which includes the Los Bronces and El Soldado mines and the Chagres smelter. It has a 44% interest in the Collahuasi mine. The mines also produce associated by-products, such as molybdenum and silver. In addition, it has interests in Quellaveco and Michiquillay projects in Peru and a 50% interest in the Pebble project in Alaska.
Nickel
Nickel has three ferronickel operations: Codemin and Barro Alto in Brazil and Loma de Niquel in Venezuela. Within the
business unit�� portfolio there are also two projects, Jacare and Morro Sem Bone, both in Brazil, and exploration projects in Finland, Canada and Australia.
Platinum
The Company�� Platinum business, based in South Africa, is the producer of platinum. Platinum mines, processes and refines the entire range of platinum group metals (PGMs): platin! um, palla! dium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Base metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt sulphate are secondary products and are contributors to earnings. Platinum�� operations exploit reserve of PGMs, known as the Bushveld Complex, which contains PGMbearing Merensky, UG2 and Platreef ores. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Platinum wholly owns 10 mining operations in production, a tailings re-treatment facility, three smelters, a base metals refinery and a precious metals refinery. Concentrating, smelting and refining of the output are undertaken at Rustenburg Platinum Mines��(RPM) metallurgical facilities. During 2012, Platinum�� 100% owned mining operations consists of the five mines at Rustenburg Section: Khomanani, Bathopele, Siphumelele, Thembelani and Khuseleka; Amandelbult Section�� two mines, Tumela and Dishaba, as well as Mogalakwena and Twickenham mines. Union Mine is 85% held with a black economic empowerment (BEE) partner, the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela traditional community, holding the remainder. The Unki mine in Zimbabwe is wholly owned.
Diamonds
The Company�� diamond interests are represented by its 40% holding in De Beers. The other shareholders in De Beers are Central Holdings Ltd, which owns 40%, and the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) with 15%. De Beers is a diamond company producing diamonds from its mines in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As of December 31, 2012, De Beers held a 50% interest in Debswana Diamond Company and in Namdeb Diamond Corporation. In addition, De Beers has a 74% holding in South African based De Beers Mines Limited. De%Beers owns 100% of De%Beers Canada. De%Beers owns 100% of The Diamond Trading Company (DTC). De Beers, through Element Six Technologies, is a supplier of industrial supermaterials. Element Six operates internationally, with 10 manufacturing sites globally and a global sales network.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Kramer-Miller]
The Pebble Project is an enormous potential mine in Alaska containing mostly copper, and some gold and molybdenum. The project is owned by the Pebble Partnership, of which Northern Dynasty Minerals owns half, while Anglo American (AAUKY.PK) owns the other half.
