LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) ��If last week�� full lineup of economic news failed to break gold out of its trading range, there didn�� seem to be much hope for the Monday session. And sure enough, prices have barely budged ahead of a much more sparse slate of scheduled reports.
Gold for August delivery (GCQ4) �was up 20 cents to $1,252.70 an ounce in electronic trade, while July silver (SIN4) �rose 3 cents, or 0.2%, to $19.02 an ounce.
AFP/Getty ImagesGold ended the Friday session on a sour note but still managed to notch a modest gain for the week as the jobs numbers failed to surprise in either direction.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: Main Street Capital Corp (MAIN)
Main Street Capital Corporation (MSCC) is a principal investment firm primarily focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market (LMM) companies, which it generally define as companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $100 million that operate in diverse industries. Main Street's LMM portfolio investments principally consist of secured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately held LMM companies. Main Street's privately placed portfolio investments consist of primarily debt investments in middle market businesses that are generally larger in size than the portfolio companies within the LMM portfolio. Its LMM portfolio investments range in size from $5 million to $25 million. As of December 31, 2011, it had debt and equity investments in 54 LMM portfolio companies. On February 29, 2012, MSCC completed the exit of its debt investment and a portion of its equity investments in Drilling Info, Inc., (Drilling Info). Effective September 5, 2013, Main Street Capital Corp acquired TBT Holding Co Inc, a manufacturer of dump trailers, from Harbert Management Corp's Harbert Private Equity Fund II LLC subsidiary.
On January 5, 2012, Main Street fully exited its debt and equity investments in Currie Acquisitions, LLC (Currie). On February 17, 2012, MSCC acquired a total of approximately 8.5% of the total dollar value of the MSC II limited partnership interests not owned by MSCC. The Company has approximately 75% of its total LMM portfolio investments at cost were in the form of debt investments as of December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, it had equity ownership in approximately 94% of its LMM portfolio companies and the average fully diluted equity ownership in those portfolio companies was approximately 34%. Its portfolio investments are generally made through MSCC and the Funds.
Debt Investments
The Company�� LMM debt investments have terms of three to seven years, with limited required amortization p! rior to maturity, and provide for monthly or quarterly payment of interest at fixed interest rates generally between 12% and 14% per annum, payable in cash. The Company also provides floating interest rates for a portion of a single tranche debt security. In addition, certain LMM debt investments may have a form of interest that is not paid but is accrued and added to the loan balance and paid at maturity. As of December 31, 2011, 93% of its LMM debt investments at cost were secured by first priority liens on the assets of LMM portfolio companies. In addition to seeking a senior lien position in the capital structure of its LMM portfolio companies, it seeks to limit the downside of its LMM investments by negotiating covenants that are designed to protect its LMM investments while affording its portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as is reasonable.
Warrants
In connection with its LMM debt investments, the Company has received equity warrants to establish or increase its equity interest in the LMM portfolio company. Warrants it receives in connection with a LMM debt investment typically require only a nominal cost to exercise, and thus, as a LMM portfolio company appreciates in value, it may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest. The Company structures the warrants to provide provisions protecting the rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as secured or unsecured put rights, or rights to sell such securities back to the LMM portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events.
Direct Equity Investments
The Company usually makes its direct equity investments in connection with debt investments. In addition, the Company may have both equity warrants and direct equity positions in some of its LMM portfolio companies. The Company makes its direct equity investments in connection with debt investments. In addition, it may have both equity warrants and direct equity positions in some of its! LMM port! folio companies. It seeks to maintain fully diluted equity positions in its LMM portfolio companies of 5% to 50%, and may have controlling equity interests in some instances.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Private equity firm Main Street Capital� (NYSE: MAIN ) announced today third-quarter monthly dividends of $0.155 per share, the same rate it paid in the second quarter after it raised the payout a half penny from $0.15 per share.
- [By Grass Hopper]
Examples of the first class of publicly ��raded private equity firms include Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR), The Blackstone Group L.P. (BX), and Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (OAK). Examples of the second class are Wendel SA (MF FP), Exor SpA (EXO IM) and, to some extent, Reinet Investments SCA (REI SJ). Examples of the third class are American Capital, Ltd. (ACAS), Main Street Capital, Gladstone Capital Corp. (MAIN), and Prospect Capital Corp. (PSEC).
- [By Marc Bastow]
Customized debt and equity financing company Main Street Capital (MAIN) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 16.5 cents per share for January, February, and March. The payable, record and ex-dividend dates are as follows: payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 30; payable on Feb. 14 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 21; payable on Mar. 14 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 20.
MAIN Dividend Yield: 6.36%
- [By Rich Duprey]
Private equity firm�Main Street Capital (NYSE: MAIN ) announced today its fourth-quarter monthly dividend schedule of $0.16 per share, a 3% increase in the monthly payout to investors from the $0.155 per share paid last quarter.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (BBW)
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of plush animals and related products. The company�s merchandise comprises various styles of animals to be stuffed; clothing, shoes, and accessories for the stuffed animals; and other brand appropriate toy and accessory items. It also licenses its Build-A-Bear Workshop brand to third parties to manufacture and sell merchandise to other retailers. As of January 31, 2013, the company operated approximately 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including the company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, as well as franchised stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, and South America. The company also sells its products through a Web store. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
After four months of looking, Build-A-Bear (NYSE: BBW ) has found-a-CEO.
After close of trading Monday, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced it has chosen Sharon Price John to become its new Chief Executive Officer and Chief President Bear. She will replace outgoing Chief Executive Bear�(the cute titles are undergoing a bit of a change) Maxine Clark, company founder, who announced her own intention to retire back in February.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Toy & Hobby Stores: This industry moved down 1.34% by 10:50 am, with Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) moving down 1.2%. Build-A-Bear's trailing-twelve-month EPS is $0.16.
Hot Biotech Stocks To Watch For 2015: Arch Coal Inc. (ACI)
Arch Coal, Inc. produces and sells thermal and metallurgical coal from surface and underground mines located in the United States. As of December 31, 2013, it operated or contracted out the operation of 22 mines, and owned or controlled approximately 5.3 billion tons of proven and probable recoverable reserves. The company also owned or controlled primarily through long-term leases approximately 32,135 acres of coal land in Ohio; 22,417 acres of coal land in Maryland; 46,532 acres of coal land in Virginia; 425,038 acres of coal land in West Virginia; 107,668 acres of coal land in Wyoming; 267,024 acres of coal land in Illinois; 19,428 acres of coal land in Montana; 21,802 acres of coal land in New Mexico; and 20,166 acres of coal land in Colorado, as well as coal land in Kentucky. In addition, it owned or controlled through long-term leases smaller parcels of property in Alabama, Indiana, Washington, Arkansas, California, Utah, and Texas. The company sells coal to power pl ants, steel mills, and industrial facilities. Arch Coal, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
It sure has been an ugly few years for domestic coal stocks. An increasing focus on cutting emissions combined with our newfound ability to exploit our shale gas reserves in grand fashion has left coal producers like Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI ) in the dust. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy talks about the company's recent deal with Meritage Midstream and what it means to America's overall energy story.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Coal stocks sure could use a boost. The Market Vectors Coal ETF (KOL) has dropped 23% so far this year, while Peabody Energy�(BTU) has fallen 28%, Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) has declined 27% and Arch�Coal�(ACI)has plunged 38%. Even Consol Energy (CNX), one of the best performers in the sector thanks to some asset sales, has only managed to gain 20%, lagging the S&P 500′s 29% rise.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) is up another 8% to $4.64 against a 52-week range of $3.47 to $8.79. It is still worth under $1 billion and the consensus price target is $4.95. Its earnings were recently impacted by an impairment charge.
- [By Aimee Duffy]
Dollars for bills
Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU ) ��$5.5 million CONSOL Energy (NYSE: CNX ) ��$3.9 million Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR ) ��$2.6 million Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI ) ��$1.8 million Patriot Coal (NASDAQOTH: PCXCQ ) ��$1.1 million�
For the full-year 2012, the coal lobby had these big spenders to thank:Compared to the lobbying dollars its fossil fuel cousin big oil is spending, these numbers aren't that high. Given that the industry is in dire straits ��Patriot Coal has already gone bankrupt ��one would almost expect the numbers to be higher. But perhaps without these lobbying efforts, things would be far worse for coal. The coal lobby has risen steadily after a big uptick between 2004 and 2005, so let's see what issues are garnering the most cash these days.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: WEX Inc (WEX)
WEX Inc., formerly Wright Express Corporation, incorporated on June 18, 1999, is a provider of corporate card payment solutions. The Company operates in two segments: Fleet Payment Solutions and Other Payment Solutions. The Fleet Payment Solutions segment provides customers with fleet vehicle payment processing services specifically designed for the needs of commercial and government fleets. The Other Payment Solutions segment provides customers with payment processing solutions for their corporate purchasing and transaction monitoring needs through the Company's payment products. The Company's United States operations include WEX Inc., and the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Fleet One, WEX Bank, rapid! PayCard, and Pacific Pride. On October 4, 2012, the Company acquired Fleet One. On August 30, 2012, the Company acquired a 51 % controlling interest in UNIK S.A. On May 11, 2012, the Company acquired CorporatePay Limited.
The Company's virtual card is used for transactions where no card is presented, including, for example, transactions conducted over the telephone, by mail, by fax or on the Internet. The Company's virtual card also can be used for transactions that require pre-authorization, such as hotel reservations. The rapid! PayCard product, a pre-paid payroll card, provides a paycard benefit and ePayroll program designed for employers choosing to convert to electronic delivery of payroll in the United States, replacing paper employee payroll checks. The Company also has several other product offerings, including corporate purchase cards and pre-paid and gift cards.
Fleet Payment Solutions
The Company's closed-loop fuel networks afford the Company access to a higher level of fleet-specific information and control than is widely available on open-loop networks. This allows the Company to improve and refine the information reporting the Company provides to its fleet customers and strategic relationships. The Company offers a differentiated set of products ! and services, including security and purchases controls, to allow its customers and the customers of its strategic relationships to better manage their vehicle fleets. The Company provides customized analysis and reporting on the efficiency of fleet vehicles and the purchasing behavior of fleet vehicle drivers. The Company's software facilitates the collection of information and affords the Company a high level of control and flexibility in allowing fleets to restrict purchases and receive automated alerts.
Other Payment Solutions
The Company's virtual products offer corporate customers enhanced security and control for payment needs. The Company's strategic relationships include three of the United States based online travel agencies. The Company's operations in the United Kingdom provide corporate prepaid solutions to the travel industry. In addition, the Company offers virtual products in the insurance/warranty and healthcare markets in the United States. The Company offers paycard products in the United States and Brazil. These products include payroll cards which are used to replace paper payroll checks.
Advisors' Opinion:- [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 WEX (NYSE: WEX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Seth Jayson]
WEX (NYSE: WEX ) reported earnings on May 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), WEX met expectations on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: United Utilities Group PLC (UUGRY)
United Utilities Group PLC, incorporated on April 08, 2008, is the holding company of a group which owns and operates water and wastewater assets in the North West of England. The Company provides water and wastewater services to around seven million people and businesses in the North West of England, through its wholly owned subsidiary United Utilities Water PLC (UUW). UUW holds licenses to provide water and wastewater services to a population of approximately seven million people in the North West of England.
The Company had approximately 56,000 hectares of catchment land, approximately 189 reservoirs, approximately 94 water treatment works, over 42,000 kilometers of water pipes, over 77,000 kilometers of sewer pipes, and approximately 570 wastewater treatment works. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include United Utilities Water PLC and United Utilities Property Services Limited.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By G. A. Chester]
Imperial Tobacco (LSE: IMT ) (NASDAQOTH: ITYBY ) , British Sky Broadcasting (LSE: BSY ) , and United Utilities (LSE: UU ) (NASDAQOTH: UUGRY ) are three companies from the U.K.'s elite FTSE 100 index that have grown both their earnings and dividends faster than inflation -- and are forecast to continue doing so.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: Harsco Corp (HSC)
Harsco Corporation, incorporated on February 28, 1956, is a diversified, multinational provider of industrial services and engineered products serving global industries. The Company operates in four segments: Harsco Metals & Minerals, Harsco Infrastructure, Harsco Rail and Harsco Industrial. The Company's principal lines of business include outsourced, on-site services to steel mills and other metals producers; resource recovery technologies for the re-use of industrial waste stream by-products; industrial abrasives and roofing granules; engineered scaffolding, concrete forming and shoring, and other access-related services, rentals and sales; railway track maintenance services and equipment; industrial grating products; air-cooled heat exchangers, and heat transfer products. In January 2014, the Company acquired Hammco Corp.
Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment
The Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment is a provider of on-site, outsourced services to the global metals industries. The Metals business provides its services and solutions on a long-term contract basis, supporting each stage of the metal-making process from initial raw material handling to post-production slag processing and metal recovery. The Minerals business extracts metallic content from stainless steel by-products and also specializes in the development of minerals technologies for commercial applications, including agriculture fertilizers. The Minerals business also produces industrial abrasives and roofing granules from power-plant utility coal slag at a number of locations throughout the United States. Harsco Minerals' BLACK BEAUTY abrasives are used for industrial surface preparation, such as rust removal and cleaning of bridges, ship hulls and various structures. Roofing granules are sold to residential roofing shingle manufacturers, primarily for the replacement roofing market. As of December 31, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment operated in approximately 35 countries. During the year ended December 3! 1, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment generated 46% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Infrastructure Segment
The Harsco Infrastructure Segment is global organization for the rental and sale of engineered scaffolding, shoring, concrete forming and other access-related solutions for construction projects as well as industrial plant maintenance programs. The Segment operates from a network of branches throughout the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Gulf Region of the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The services include the provision of concrete shoring and forming systems; scaffolding for non-residential and infrastructure construction projects and industrial maintenance requirements, and a variety of other infrastructure services including project engineering and design, equipment erection and dismantling services, industrial insulation and painting services and equipment sales. During 2012, the Harsco Infrastructure Segment generated 31% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Rail Segment
The Harsco Rail Segment is a global provider of equipment and services for the maintenance, repair and construction of railway track. The Segment's equipment and services support private and government-owned railroads and urban transit systems worldwide. The Segment's rail products are produced in three countries and products and services are provided worldwide. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 11% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Industrial Segment
Harsco Industrial Segment includes the Harsco Industrial IKG, Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers and Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley businesses. Approximately 90% of this Segment's revenues originate in North America. Harsco Industrial IKG manufactures a line of industrial grating products at several plants in the United States and international plants located in Mexico and China. These products include a range of bar grating c! onfigurat! ions, which are used mainly in industrial flooring, as well as safety and security applications in the energy, paper, chemical, refining and processing industries.
Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers is a supplier of custom-designed and manufactured air-cooled heat exchangers for the natural gas industry from plants in the United States and Australia. Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers' heat exchangers are the primary apparatus used to condition natural gas during recovery, compression and transportation from underground reserves through the pipeline distribution channels. Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley is a manufacturer of heat transfer products, such as boilers and water heaters for commercial and institutional applications. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 12% of the Company�� total revenue.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Harsco (HSC) have gained today after BB&T Capital Markets upgraded its shares to Buy from Hold.
Analysts Robert Norfleet III and Basil Jones III explain the decision to raise their rating:
�We believe that the strategic transformation of HSC’s portfolio, as evidenced by the recently announced sale of its Infrastructure segment, as well as additional best practices and productivity enhancements (LEAN, etc.) should result in improved financial metrics, valuation, and, ultimately, a less complex business structure. While our non-consensus call is not primarily based on an expedited improvement in financial performance, it is a reflection of our confidence in the new management team and its ability to deliver value to shareholders through asset repositioning, improved ROICs and free cash flow generation. HSC remains a “turnaround story,” but we believe the market is underestimating out-year earnings growth, which will be driven by the Brand Energy JV, lower corporate expenses, improved margins in Metals & Minerals and the likelihood of an accretive acquisition.
Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: ProShares Short MSCI Emerging Markets (EUM)
ProShares Short MSCI Emerging Markets (the Fund) seeks daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index adjusts the market capitalization of index constituents for free float and targets for index inclusion 85% of free float-adjusted market capitalization in each industry group in global emerging markets countries. The Fund takes positions in securities and/or financial instruments that, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as -100% of the daily return of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a price return index. The Fund�� investment advisor is ProShare Advisors LLC. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anthony Mirhaydari]
Editor�� note: This column is part of our Best Stocks for 2014 contest. Anthony Mirhaydari’s pick for the contest is the�ProShares Short MSCI Emerging Markets ETF�(EUM).
Top Up And Coming Companies To Buy Right Now: PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (PBW)
PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (the Fund) is based on the WilderHill Clean Energy Index and seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund�� fees and expenses) of that equity index. The sectors covered by the Fund include Energy-Alternate Sources, Semiconductors, Electrical Components and Equipment, Chemicals, Electric, Electronics, Computers, Auto Parts and Equipment, Biotechnology and Agriculture. PowerShares Capital Management LLC is the Fund's investment adviser.
PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio�� top 10 holdings include SunPower Corp., Class A, Echelon Corp., Cypress Semiconductor Corp., Cree, Inc., First Solar, Inc., OM Group, Inc., Universal Display Corp., KYOCERA Corp. ADR (Japan), Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. ADR (Cayman Islands) and Applied Materials, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wall Street Sector Selector]
Another ETF which invests in the solar sector is the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). Although its holdings are not limited to the solar sector, its most significant holding is SunPower Corporation at 4.96% of the weight. Its number three holding is MEMC Electronic Materials at 3.42% of the weight. PBW's average trading volume is robust at over 400,000 shares per day. Its market cap is $135 million.
- [By Selena Maranjian]
Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some clean-energy-related stocks to your portfolio, the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio ETF (NYSEMKT: PBW ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.
The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The PowerShares ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is 0.70%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.
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