Beverly Cabellon, 61, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., was taken aback by the $38 price for two steaks at Costco recently, up from the $27 she paid last September. "I will be grilling more vegetables and shrimp this summer," she says, adding that she and her husband will likely eat beef once a month instead of weekly. "And I may switch to pork and chicken."
Food prices increased 0.4% after posting a similar jump in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday. That's the largest monthly increase since September 2011. Beef, pork, poultry, eggs and milk have had the most dramatic price hikes as drought, a virus outbreak and rising exports have thinned U.S. supplies.
Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: Arcadis NV (ARCAD)
Arcadis NV is a Netherlands-based international engineering and consultancy firm, providing consultancy, design, engineering and management services in infrastructure, water, environment and buildings. The Company develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. The Company divides its business into four business lines: Infrastructure, which encompasses services for transportations, land development, energy and mining; Water, focused on water planning, wastewater and water management and consulting services; Environment, focused on activities that protect the environment and enhance sustainability, and Buildings, related to homebuilding as well as commercial and industrial buildings and facilities construction. Additionally, it works in partnership with UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sofia Horta e Costa]
Companies like Expedia Inc. (EXPE), which provides online travel booking services, and Arcadis NV (ARCAD), a Dutch designer of bridges and dikes, are likely to increase profit at a faster pace than larger firms during an improving economy, Duret said. Smaller companies are also less leveraged, with U.S. mid-caps holding 46 percent less debt per share than firms listed on the S&P 500, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Oliver Pursche]
Overnight central-bank intervention by the People's Bank of China helped reverse a spike in yields, easing market concerns and reversing some early trading losses in Asian markets. U.S. equity futures are pointing to a higher open, as investors await key earnings reports from the likes of Verizon (VZ) , IBM (IBM) , Lockheed Martin (LMT) and McDonald�� (MCD) �this week. Market participants will also be focused on key economic data being released later this week, including Thursday's existing-home sales and home-prices reports, and PMI data.
- [By Paul Ausick]
On Monday, the McResource�website for employees of McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) suggested that employees avoid eating too much fast food, and showed a photo of something that looks very much like a McDonald’s meal labeled as an “unhealthy choice.” By Thursday, the website had been taken down. Spending on advertising promoting fast food likely will�continue.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
The Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) set their 13th record of the year on Wednesday, posting a 20-point advance that brought the average to within 24 points of the 17,000 level. Even as second-quarter earnings season looms large in the near future, investors are still paying close attention to economic data, and tomorrow's key report on the jobless rate and nonfarm-payroll jobs creation has the potential to move the Dow. Let's look at what investors are expecting tomorrow and how the results could affect Dow components Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) in particular.
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Ply Gem Holdings Inc (PGEM)
Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. (Ply Gem Holdings), incorporated on January 23, 2004, is a manufacturer of residential exterior building products in North America. The Company operates in two segments: Siding, Fencing, and Stone and Windows and Doors. These two segments produce a product line of vinyl siding, designer accents, cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trim, vinyl fencing, vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. It also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors, enabling it to bundle complementary and color-matched products and accessories with its core products. The Company�� subsidiaries includes including Ply Gem Industries, MWM Holding, AWC Holding Company, MHE, and Pacific Windows. On July 30, 2012, Ply Gem acquired substantially all of the assets of Greendeck Products, LLC.
Siding, Fencing, and Stone Segment
In the Siding, Fencing, and Stone segment, its principal products include vinyl siding and skirting, vinyl and aluminum soffit, aluminum trim coil, J-channels, wide crown molding, window and door trim, F-channels, H-molds, fascia, undersill trims, outside/inside corner posts, rain removal systems, injection molded designer accents, such as shakes, shingles, scallops, shutters, vents and mounts, vinyl fence, vinyl and composite railing, and stone veneer. It sells its siding and accessories under its Variform, Napco, Mastic Home Exteriors, and Cellwood brand names and under the Georgia-Pacific brand name through a private label program. It also sells its Providence line of vinyl siding and accessories to Lowe�� under its Durabuilt private label brand name. Its vinyl and vinyl-composite fencing and railing products are sold under its Kroy and Kroy Express brand names. Ply Gem Holdings stone veneer produ! cts are sold under its United Stone Veneer brand name.
The Company sells the siding and accessories to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) and to wholesale distributors (two-step distribution). Its specialty distributors sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders. Its wholesale distributors sell to retail home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers. In the specialty channel, it has developed a network of approximately 800 independent distributors, serving over 22,000 contractors and builders nationwide.
Windows and Doors Segment
In the Windows and Doors segment, its principal products include vinyl, aluminum, wood and clad-wood windows and patio doors, and steel, wood, and fiberglass entry doors that serve both the new home construction and the repair and remodeling sectors in the United States and Western Canada. Its products in its Windows and Doors segment are sold under the Ply Gem Windows, Great Lakes Mastic by Ply Gem, and Ply Gem Canada brands.
The Company competes with Alsco, Gentek, U.S. Fence, Homeland, Westech, Bufftech, Royal, Azek., Eldorado Stone, Coronado Stone, Jeld-Wen, Simonton, Pella and Andersen, MI Home Products, Atrium, Weathershield, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, Gienow, All Weather and Loewen.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Ply Gem Holdings (NYSE: PGEM) shares reached a new 52-week low of $11.48 after the company reported wider-than-expected Q4 loss and issued a weak Q1 revenue forecast.
- [By Matt Jarzemsky]
Installed Building Products��debut follows mixed performance from shares of some newly public building-products companies. Through Tuesday, siding manufacturer Ply Gem Holdings Inc.(PGEM)�� shares were down 39% from the offer price in its $381 May debut. Wood-products maker Boise Cascade Co.(BCC) was up 46% from its $284 million February IPO.
- [By Traders Reserve]
There hasn�� been a January effect rally in shares of Ply Gem (PGEM). In fact, it has been quite the opposite. Shares are down a whopping 25% during the month. For a stock I rated as on of the Top 10 Sizzling Stocks, such a move is painful, but not disastrous. Sizzling Stocks are meant to be held for the duration of the year and we have 11 months to go. Small-cap stocks like Ply Gem can move sharply one direction or the other.
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Willis Group Holdings Limited(WSH)
Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company provides a range of insurance brokerage, reinsurance, and risk management consulting services to its clients worldwide. The company offers various insurance brokerage services, including property damage, offshore construction, liability, and control of well and pollution insurance to the energy industry; and marine insurance and reinsurance brokerage services consisting of hull, cargo, and general marine liabilities. It also provides its services to aerospace clients, including aircraft manufacturers, air cargo handlers and shippers, airport managers, and other general aviation companies; and advisory services comprising claims recovery, contract and leasing risk management, market information, and safety services. In addition, the company offers risk management advice and brokerage services to the construction industry; brokerage for directors' and officers' insurance, as well as professional indemnity insurance for corporation s and professional firms; and specialist risk management and insurance services to fine art, diamond, and jewelry businesses, and operators of armored cars. Further, it provides special contingencies packages; services for horse racing and breeding industry, and agriculture/crop sector; and advice to companies involved in the insurance and reinsurance industry on capital markets products. Additionally, the company offers health, welfare, and human resources consulting and brokerage services to small, medium, and large corporations, as well as the employee benefits practice. It serves clients located in approximately 190 countries, including multinational and middle-market companies operating in various industries, as well as public institutions and individual clients. The company was formerly known as Willis Group Holdings Limited and changed its name to Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company in January 2010. The company was founded in 1828 and is headquartered in Lond on, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Insurance brokerage and risk management consultant Willis Group (WSH) raised its quarterly dividend 7.1% to 30 cents per share, payable April 15 to shareholders of record as of March 31.
WSH Dividend Yield: 2.89% - [By Jonas Elmerraji]
$11 billion UK insurer Willis Group Holdings (WSH) is another uptrending channel. The big difference with Willis is that this name is actually at its trendline support level this week. Better still, shares are bouncing higher -- and it makes sense to buy the bounce here.
Buying off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring WSH can actually still catch a bid along that line.
The 50-day moving average has been a good proxy for support on the way up, so it's a solid place to put a protective stop if you decide to be a buyer at this point.
- [By Vera Yuan]
We bought relatively small new positions in Willis Group Holdings and Avon Products in the third quarter. Willis (WSH) is a leading global insurance broker. We have followed this attractive industry for many years through investments in Aon, Brown & Brown and others (including Willis under prior management). Organic revenue growth has been solid, and Willis has a near-term opportunity to expand margins through expense initiatives and restructuring savings that are likely to kick in next year. We think the stock should be revalued higher once management follows through on its pledged cost discipline and drives operating leverage. Avon (AVP) is a direct selling, branded beauty business undergoing a turnaround in the U.S. market. The overwhelming majority of Avon�� business value comes from its stronger positions in Latin America and other emerging markets. Our investment thesis is that well-run direct selling can be a decent business with solid margins and high returns, that the Avon brand is not fundamentally broken, and that the U.S. business is bottoming as evidenced by break-even results in the most recent quarter. Avon has a wider range of potential outcomes than our typical investment and is sized accordingly.
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Imperial Oil Limited(IMO)
Imperial Oil Limited engages in the exploration, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration and production of conventional crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen primarily in the Western Provinces, the Canada Lands, and the Atlantic Offshore. Its primary conventional oil producing asset includes the Norman Wells oil field in the Northwest Territories. The Downstream segment engages in the transportation and refining of crude oil, as well as blending, distribution, and marketing of refined products. It owns and operates crude oil, and natural gas liquids and products pipelines in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. The Chemical segment engages in the manufacture and marketing of various petrochemicals, including ethylene, benzene, aromatic and aliphatic solvents, plasticizer intermediates, and polyethylene resin. As of De cember 31, 2010, Imperial Oil Limited had 1,204 million oil-equivalent barrels of proved undeveloped reserves; maintained a nation-wide distribution system, including 24 primary terminals, to handle bulk and packaged petroleum products moving from refineries to market by pipeline, tanker, rail, and road transport; and sold petroleum products through 1,850 Esso retail service stations, of which approximately 510 were company owned or leased. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Imperial Oil Limited operates as a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aaron Levitt]
Ten of Exxon�� major projects are expected to begin pumping energy throughout this year. These include expansions of Imperial Oil�� (IMO) oil sands production in Canada, new deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico as well as finally seeing production from its partnership in Russia. XOM �will start producing oil from the largest offshore oil and gas platform in that nation within a few months. These projects will add about 300,000 barrels per oil equivalent per day to Exxon�� production.
- [By Arjun Sreekumar]
Cost overruns and abandoned projects
As a result of these factors, cost overruns have become quite common in Alberta. For instance, Imperial Oil (NYSEMKT: IMO ) said it exceeded its cost estimates for the first phase of its Kearl bitumen mining facility by about C$2 billion.�And some companies have even decided to abandon expensive projects altogether. - [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
Imperial Oil Ltd. (NYSEMKT: IMO) is a $44 billion, integrated Oil and Gas Company engaged in the exploration, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: upstream, downstream, and chemical. The downstream segment is engaged in refining of crude oil and represents about 37% of firm's net income.
- [By Stephan Dube]
Cold Lake's most notable producers:
Husky Energy (HUSK.PK), see article here.Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH), see article here.Southern Pacific Resource (STPJF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), see article here.Devon Energy (DVN), see article here.Imperial Oil (IMO), see article here.Baytex, see article here.Bonavista Energy (BNPUF.PK), see article here.Athabasca's most notable producers:
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: AK Steel Holding Corp (AKS)
AK Steel Holding Corporation (AK Holding), incorporated on December 20, 1993, is an integrated producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steels and tubular products through its wholly-owned subsidiary, AK Steel Corporation (AK Steel and, together with AK Holding, the Company). The Company�� operations consist primarily of nine steelmaking and finishing plants and tubular production facilities located in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Company�� operations produce flat-rolled value-added carbon steels, including coated, cold-rolled and hot-rolled carbon steel products, and specialty stainless and electrical steels that are sold in sheet and strip form, as well as carbon and stainless steel that is finished into welded steel tubing. In addition, the Company�� operations include European trading companies that buy and sell steel and steel products and other materials, AK Coal Resources, Inc. (AK Coal), which controls and is developing metallurgical coal reserves in Pennsylvania, and a 49.9% equity interest in Magnetation LLC (Magnetation), a joint venture that produces iron ore concentrate from previously-mined ore reserves.
The Company�� flat-rolled carbon steel products are sold primarily to automotive manufacturers and to customers in the infrastructure and manufacturing market. The infrastructure and manufacturing market includes electrical transmission, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, and appliances. The Company also sells coated, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled carbon steel products to distributors, service centers and converters who may further process these products prior to reselling them. The Company sells its stainless steel products to manufacturers and their suppliers in the automotive industry, to manufacturers of food handling, chemical processing, pollution control, medical and health equipment, and to distributors and service centers.
The Company sells its electrical steel products in the infrastructure and m! anufacturing market. These products are sold primarily to manufacturers of power transmission and distribution transformers, both for new and replacement installation. The principal driver in the demand for new transformers is housing starts, while the demand for replacement transformers is driven more by age and obsolescence. The Company also sells electrical steel products for use in the manufacture of electrical motors and generators.
The Company owns its research building located in Middletown, Ohio. Steelmaking, finishing and tubing operations are conducted at nine facilities located in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All of these facilities are owned by the Company, either directly or through wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Ashland Works is located in Ashland, Kentucky, and consists of a blast furnace, basic oxygen furnaces and continuous caster for the production of carbon steel. A coating line at Ashland also helps to complete the finishing operation of material processed at the Middletown plant.Butler Works is situated in Butler, Pennsylvania, and produces stainless, electrical and carbon steel. Melting takes place in a new, electric arc furnace that feeds an argon-oxygen decarburization unit for the specialty steels. A new ladle metallurgy furnace feeds two double-strand continuous casters. The Butler Works also includes a hot rolling mill, annealing and pickling units and two fully automated tandem cold rolling mills. It also has various intermediate and finishing operations for both stainless and electrical steels.
Coshocton Works is located in Coshocton, Ohio, and consists of a stainless steel finishing plant containing two Sendzimer mills and two Z-high mills for cold reduction, four annealing and pickling lines, nine bell annealing furnaces, four hydrogen annealing furnaces, two bright annealing lines and other processing equipment, including temper rolling, slitting and packaging facilities.Mansfield Works is located in Mansfield, Ohio, and pro! duces sta! inless steel. Operations include a melt shop with two electric arc furnaces, an argon-oxygen decarburization unit, a thin-slab continuous caster and a six-stand hot rolling mill.
Middletown Works is located in Middletown, Ohio, and consists of a coke facility, blast furnace, basic oxygen furnaces and continuous caster for the production of carbon steel. Also located at the Middletown site are a hot rolling mill, cold rolling mill, two pickling lines, four annealing facilities, two temper mills and three coating lines for finishing the product.Rockport Works is located near Rockport, Indiana, and consists of a continuous cold rolling mill, a continuous hot-dip galvanizing and galvannealing line, a continuous carbon and stainless steel pickling line, a continuous stainless steel annealing and pickling line, hydrogen annealing facilities and a temper mill.
Zanesville Works is located in Zanesville, Ohio, and consists of a finishing plant for some of the stainless and electrical steel produced at Butler Works and Mansfield Works and has a Sendzimer cold rolling mill, annealing and pickling lines, high temperature box anneal and other decarburization and coating units.AK Tube LLC (AK Tube), a Company subsidiary, has a plant in Walbridge, Ohio, which operates six electric resistance weld tube mills and a slitter. AK Tube also has a plant in Columbus, Indiana, which operates eight electric resistance weld and two laser weld tube mills.
The Company�� operations consist primarily of nine steelmaking and finishing plants and tubular production facilities located in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Company sells its carbon products principally to domestic customers. The Company�� electrical and stainless steel products are sold both domestically and internationally. The Company also produces carbon and stainless steel that is finished into welded steel tubing used in the automotive, truck, industrial and construction markets.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
United States Steel (X) has gained 3.1% to $19.39 today, while AK Steel (AKS) has gained 4.6% to $3.73 and Steel Dynamics (STLD) has jumped 3.2% to $16.33. The odd man out: Nucor (NUE), which has dropped 1% to $48.71.
- [By Luke Jacobi]
Shares of AK Steel Holding (NYSE: AKS) were down 7.66 percent to $4.10 after the company projected a wider loss for the third quarter.
Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) shares tumbled 7.14 percent to $45.78 after the company reported a drop in its first-quarter profit.
Top 10 Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: InterDigital Inc.(IDCC)
Interdigital, Inc. engages in the design and development of digital wireless technology solutions. The company offers technology solutions for use in digital cellular and wireless products and networks, including 2G, 3G, 4G, and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It holds patents related to the fundamental technologies that enable wireless communications. The company licenses its patents to equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular and IEEE 802-related products; and licenses or sells mobile broadband modem solutions, including modem IP, know-how, and reference platforms to mobile device manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and other equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular products. InterDigital?s solutions are incorporated in various products comprising mobile devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, notebook computers, and wireless personal digital assistants; wireless infrastructure equipment, such as base stations; and components, dongles, and modules for wireless devices. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC) shares climbed 5.45% to $30.29. The volume of InterDigital shares traded was 195% higher than normal. InterDigital and Huawei reached a settlement pact.
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