Will the price of oil collapse this year? Investors are worried they will and that could push refiners like�Phillips 66 (PSX) and PBF Energy (PBF) higher.
Bloomberg NewsHoward Weil’s Blake Fernandez and Richard Roberts explain:
We are witnessing a rotation from U.S. centric Independent E&P�� toward Independent Refiners in an effort to hedge the risk of collapsing domestic crude prices. From a global perspective, macro [refining & marketing] dynamics are improving into ��4 with significant crude supply growth placing a theoretical ceiling on oil prices / feedstock costs while underlying demand growth remains intact thereby supporting product prices…
That said we are recommending a slight tactical shift toward more defensive posturing with a focus on lower beta names and companies that screen at a discount from a valuation perspective. As a result, we are
downgrading [Delek US Holdings (DK)] and [Tesoro (TSO)] to Sector Perform and upgrading [Phillips 66] and [PBF Energy] to Sector Outperform.
Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2015: Actuate Corp (BIRT)
Actuate Corporation (Actuate), incorporated in November 1993, provides software and services to develop and deploy custom Business Intelligence and information applications. Actuate offers ActuateOne to develop and deploy Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT)-based custom Business Intelligence and information applications focusing on browsers and mobile devices that deliver content hosted in cloud, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and on premises deployments. Its products and services are used by its customers to develop and deploy applications across a range of business functions, including financial management, sales management, account management, and customer self-service. Xenos solutions, based on Xenos Enterprise Server, loads, transforms and presents high volumes of data and documents across multiple channels. Actuate�� BIRT Spreadsheet products are Excel-based. In February 2014, Actuate Corporation announced the acquisition of legodo ag.
ActuateOne-Business Intelligence, Analytics and Reporting
Actuate offers a range of BIRT-based Business Intelligence (BI), analytics and reporting features within the integrated ActuateOne platform, providing 64-bit, in-memory analytics, user configurable dashboards, ad-hoc query, interactive mobile and Web content, brochure-quality reporting, and spreadsheet analysis. ActuateOne provides a platform upon which Global 9000 and packaged application software vendors develop and deploy BI and information applications. Such applications retrieve business information from databases, as well as print streams and deliver it as dashboards, interactive Web pages, spreadsheets, mobile content and analytic cubes to customers, partners and employees worldwide.
Xenos Enterprise Server Framework
Xenos Enterprise Server (ES) is an application that captures, identifies, routes, stores and retrieves structured and unstructured documents and data. Xenos ES supports the processing, extraction, transformation, repurposi! ng and personalization of structured and unstructured data in both legacy and SOA environments. Xenos ES distributes documents across multiple channels, such as Web, mobile and tablet devices in addition to providing interactivity and document analytics through its integration with ActuateOne.
Performance Analytics
Actuate BIRT Performance Analytics provides interactive dashboards, analytics, and scorecards. With Web interface, users across the enterprise can monitor operations, identify and analyze performance issues and enact initiatives.
BIRT Spreadsheet
Actuate�� BIRT Spreadsheet products deliver Excel-like reporting, formatting and calculation functionality within Java applications. Actuate BIRT Spreadsheet products can also leverage all the Actuate deployment options-embedded in applications or deployed cloud or on-premise enterprise environments.
The Company competes with Information Builders, Qlik Tech, Pentaho, Jaspersoft, MicroStrategy, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap business intelligence stock MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR) surged 18.44%�after reporting better-than-expected third quarter earnings ��meaning it might be a good idea to take a closer look at it�along with�small cap peers Actuate Corporation (NASDAQ: BIRT) and Qlik Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: QLIK) to see what they might offer small cap investors. After all, everyone is being inundated with huge amounts of data from multiple sources, but its the following small cap stocks that provide software platforms to help customers try to make sense of it all:�
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Actuate (BIRT) provides software solutions and services to corporate and government customers worldwide. This stock closed up 1.7% to $4.54 in Tuesday's trading session.
Tuesday's Range: $4.43-$4.57
52-Week Range: $3.41-$8.23
Tuesday's Volume: 213,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 319,262From a technical perspective, BIRT trended modestly higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $4.51 with lighter-than-average volume. This move to the upside on Tuesday is starting to push shares of BIRT within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit trigger if BIRT manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $4.60 to $4.75 and then above more resistance at $4.85 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BIRT as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $4.30 to $4.25 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 319,262 shares. If that breakout starts soon, then BIRT will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from May that started near $6.
Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: California Republic Bancorp (CRPB)
California Republic Bank (the Bank) provides an integrated banking solution to its customers. The Company provides a range of products and services, such as deposit and cash management, loans and private banking. The deposit and cash management include real time, online Internet banking, business analyzed checking, IOLTA accounts, NOW Accounts, nationwide network of cash vault centers, remote Deposit capture, fully automated domestic and international wire transfers, lockbox processing services, free worldwide automated teller machines (ATM) and debit cards, credit cards and purchase card services, customized merchant banking services, fraud prevention products including positive-pay, secure online applications, including token device with internal control access, and contractor Retention Escrow Accounts.
The loan services include unsecured lines of credit, secured revolving lines of credit, working capital loans, equipment financing, asset based credit lines, commercial owner occupied real estate loans, investor real estate loans and construction loans. Its private banking includes full array of private banking loans and lines of credit, Bill pay services, and stock secured credit lines and loans.
The Bank provides banking services to commercial entities, their owners, high net-worth individuals and active investors. It provides commercial banking, lending services, deposit services, contractor retention escrow accounts, cash management, remote deposit capture, private banking, online banking and auto finance.
The commercial banking includes online banking services, cash management products and services, remote deposit capture, contractor retention escrow accounts, domestic and international wire transfers, checking accounts, NOW accounts, money market accounts (MMA), savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), corporate credit card, analyzed accounts and IOLTA accounts. The Bank offer lines of credit to provide working capital for day-to-day operations, term loan! s for equipment, and commercial real estate loans for facilities and for investment portfolio.
The cash management includes Account Analysis, Master Agreement Accounts, Account Reconciliation, Remote Deposit Capture (RDC), Online Cash Management, Automated Clearing House (ACH) Services, Bill Pay, Lockbox Services, Positive Pay, Zero Balancing Accounts, Merchant Card, Reverse Wires, Statements on CD Rom, Corporate Credit Card, Courier Service and Bank by Mail.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, CRPB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $19.00 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:�� 11:35AM EDT July 29, 2013).
California Republic Bancorp previously reported its results for the second-quarter 2013, reporting quarterly net income of $2.8 million, record net interest margin of 6.41%, record assets of $737.1 million and record deposits of $669.7 million.
CEO Jon Wilcox stated, ��n the second-quarter we not only experienced strong deposit and loan growth, but also continued to invest in our people and infrastructure both in California as well as nationally, while increasing our bottom line and maintaining solid credit quality.��/p>
Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Solarwinds Inc.(SWI)
SolarWinds, Inc. designs, develops, markets, sells, and supports enterprise information technology (IT) infrastructure management software for IT professionals in various organizations in the United States and internationally. The company offers enterprise-class IT management products, including Network Performance Monitor, a server-based fault and performance management platform to minimize network downtime; Network Performance Monitor modules, a series of add-ons; network configuration manager to automate the processes of network device discovery, network inventory management, and network change management; user device tracker, a server-based switch port management tool; scalability engines to increase the scale of a number of the products; and enterprise operations console to provide web-based views of various instances of Network Performance Monitor modules and Application Performance Monitor. Its enterprise-class network and IT management products also comprise Applic ation Performance Monitor, a server-based availability and performance management system for applications and server infrastructure; patch manager to automate the process of deploying, managing, and reporting on patches and configuration settings; and synthetic end user monitor to capture the user steps of any web application and monitor the end-user experience; storage manager that combines reporting, monitoring, and notification on the performance of storage resources; backup profiler to provide a consolidated view of the status of backup operations; virtualization manager to manage various aspects of virtual server infrastructure; and log and event manager to automate the collection and interpretation of logs. In addition, the company provides free tools, such as desktop, laptop, server-based, or internet-based applications; and tools and toolsets for specific solutions of routine and complicated tasks. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas .
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI ) dropped 14% today as investors reacted to the company's acquisition plans.
So what: Yesterday, the company announced it will buy N-able, a cloud-based IT infrastructure company, for $120 million. This is expected to reduce 2013 earnings and there's no guarantee the acquisition will pay off, so investors sold off shares today. �
- [By Hilary Kramer]
Next Page
Tech Stocks That’ll Survive: SolarWinds (SWI)SolarWinds (SWI), contrary to what you might think from its name, is not a solar company. It is a software company with a presence in both virtualization and security, and offers solid profit potential thanks to dedicated customers and a growth rate that is already outpacing the overall industry.
Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: ALLETE Inc (ALE)
ALLETE, Inc. (ALLETE) is an energy company. Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.( Minnesota Power) is an operating division of the Company. ALLETE operates in two business segments: Regulated Operations and Investments and Other. Regulated Operations includes its regulated utilities, Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power Company (SWL&P), as well as its investment in American Transmission Company LLC (ATC), a Wisconsin-based regulated utility that owns and maintains electric transmission assets in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Investments and Other is comprised primarily of BNI Coal, Ltd (BNI Coal), its coal mining operations in North Dakota; ALLETE Properties, LLC and its subsidiaries (ALLETE Properties), its Florida real estate investment, and ALLETE Clean Energy. In July 2011, the Company incorporated new company, ALLETE Clean Energy.
Regulated Operations
Minnesota Power provides regulated utility electric service in northeastern Minnesota to approximately 144,000 retail customers. Minnesota Power's non-affiliated municipal customers consist of 16 municipalities in Minnesota and one private utility in Wisconsin. SWL&P, a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, is also a private utility in Wisconsin and a customer of Minnesota Power. SWL&P provides regulated electric, natural gas and water service in northwestern Wisconsin to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 12,000 natural gas customers and 10,000 water customers. Its industrial customers are primarily in the taconite, paper, pulp and wood products and pipeline industries. The customers consist of five taconite producing facilities (two of which are owned by one company and are served under a single contract), one iron nugget plant, and four paper and pulp mills. During the year ended December 2011, its residential and commercial customers represented 20% of total regulated utility kilowatt-hour sales. In 2011, its municipal customers represented 7% of total regulated utility kilowatt-hou! r sales. The Company also enters into off-system sales with Other Power Suppliers.
The Company�� generation is primarily coal-fired, but also includes approximately 102 megawatts of hydro generation from ten hydro stations in Minnesota, approximately 107 megawatts of wind generation, and 73 megawatts of biomass co-fired generation. Purchased power is made up of long-term coal, wind and hydro power purchase agreements and market purchases. As of December 31, 2011, Minnesota Power had a coal inventory of 0.9 million tons. Minnesota Power entered into two long-term wind Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with an affiliate of NextEra Energy, Inc. to purchase the output from Oliver Wind I (50 megawatts) and Oliver Wind II (48 megawatts), wind facilities located near Center, North Dakota. Each agreement is for 25 years and provides for the purchase of all output from the facilities at fixed prices. The Company has a PPA with Manitoba Hydro that expires in April 2015. Under this agreement, Minnesota Power is purchasing 50 megawatts of capacity and the energy associated with that capacity. Minnesota Power has a separate PPA with Manitoba Hydro to purchase surplus energy from May 2011 through April 2022.
On May 19, 2011, Minnesota Power and Manitoba Hydro signed a long-term PPA. The PPA calls for Manitoba Hydro to sell 250 megawatts of capacity and energy to Minnesota Power for 15 years beginning in 2020 and requires construction of additional transmission capacity between Manitoba and the United States. On January 26, 2012, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) approved this PPA with Manitoba Hydro. The Company has electric transmission and distribution lines of 500 kilovolts (eight miles), 345 kilovolts (29 miles), 250 kilovolts (465 miles), 230 kilovolts (632 miles), 161 kilovolts (43 miles), 138 kilovolts (128 miles), 115 kilovolts (1,221 miles) and less than 115 kilovolts (6,216 miles). Thye Company owns and operates 164substations with a total capacity of 11,132 megav! oltampere! s. Some of its transmission and distribution lines interconnect with other utilities. Rainy River Energy, its wholly owned subsidiary, owns approximately 8% of American Transmission Company LLC (ATC), a Wisconsin-based utility that owns and maintains electric transmission assets in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Hibbard is a 51 megttsa biomass/coal/natural gas facility located in Duluth, Minnesota. Minnesota Power holds franchises to construct and maintain an electric distribution and transmission system in 94 cities and towns located within its electric service territory. SWL&P holds 17 similar franchises for electric, natural gas and/or water systems in one city and 16 villages and towns within its service territory.
Investments and Other
BNI Coal is a supplier of lignite in North Dakota, producing about four million tons annually. Two electric generating cooperatives, Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. (Minnkota Power) and Square Butte Electric Cooperative (Square Butte), consumes virtually all of BNI Coal�� production of lignite under cost-plus, fixed fee coal supply agreements extending through 2026. The mining process disturbs and reclaims between 200 and 250 acres per year. ALLETE Properties represents its Florida real estate investment. Its two major development projects are Town Center and Palm Coast Park. Another major project, Ormond Crossings is in the design and permitting stage. ALLETE Properties occasionally provides seller financing to certain qualified buyers. In June 2011, the Company ALLETE Clean Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE. ALLETE Clean Energy intends to market to electric utilities, cooperatives, municipalities, independent power marketers and end-users across North America through long-term PPAs. ALLETE Clean Energy focuses on developing or acquiring capital projects that create energy solutions through wind, solar, biomass, hydro, natural gas/liquids, shale resources, clean coal and other clean energy. As of Decembe! r 31, 201! 1, non-rate base generation consists of 31 megawatts of generation at Rapids Energy Center. In 2011, it sold 0.1 million Megawatt-hours of non-rate base generation. The Company has approximately 5,500 acres of land available-for-sale in Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Utility holding company Allete (ALE) raised its quarterly dividend 3.2% to 49 cents per share, payable on Mar. 1 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
ALE Dividend Yield: 3.94% - [By Eric Volkman]
ALLETE (NYSE: ALE ) is continuing to be all in with its dividend. The company has declared its latest common stock distribution, which is to be $0.475 per share paid on Sept. 1 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 15. That amount matches the company's previous two payouts, the most recent of which was dispensed at the beginning of June. Before that, the company was less generous by a cent and a half, handing out $0.46 per share.
Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Starz (STRZA)
Starz, formerly Liberty Media Corporation, incorporated on May 7, 2007, is an integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide subscription video programming on domestic United States pay television channels (Starz Channels), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation). As of January 14, 2013, the Company�� network included Starz, Encore, and Movieplex, Retroplex, Indieplex. Starz includes contemporary hit movies, original series and documentaries on six premium channels, available in high definition (HD) and hundreds On Demand. Encore includes favorite movies across eight themed movie channels, ENCORE HD, and an On Demand channel. Movieplex, Retroplex and Indieplex involves featuring a variety of movies packaged to match a mood or an attitude. As of January 14, 2013, the Company�� businesses included Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Worldwide Distribution, and Starz Digital Media. On January 11, 2013, Liberty Media Corporation (Liberty) and Starz announced the completion of the spin-off of Liberty from Starz. In connection with the spin-off, Starz changed its name from Liberty Media Corporation to Starz.
Starz Channels is a provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ and ENCORE pay television (TV) networks, which showcase original programming and movies to United States multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of September 30, 2012, STARZ and ENCORE served a combined 55 million subscribers, including 21 million online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on digital versatile disk (DVD), digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution's home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute! original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.
Starz Digital Media is a distributor of digital and on-demand content. Starz Digital Media distributes original programming content (Starz and AMC), feature films (The Weinstein Company, Anchor Bay Films, RADiUS-TWC), anime (Manga Entertainment) and other filmed entertainment utilizing various business models, including download-to-own/electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, subscription video-on-demand and ad-supported streaming. Starz Digital Media also programs and supports numerous ad-supported broadband channels and develops games, applications and other related content from many of its properties for distribution worldwide.
Anchor Bay Films is a division of Anchor Bay Entertainment and provides quality movie distribution with operations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and offers distribution capabilities in other key territories. Anchor Bay Films offers the creative community an integrated distribution capability on all platforms and an international solution extending beyond the United States.
Starz Worldwide Distribution is a distributor of movies, televisions series, documentaries, children's programming, and other video content. Starz Worldwide Distribution licenses and syndicates Starz original series and other owned and licensed third party programming on a worldwide basis.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael Lewis]
Industry juggernaut Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA ) is a busy, busy organization -- acquiring and spinning off companies at an impressive clip. While it has recently taken the reins over satellite-radio company Sirius XM (NASDAQ: SIRI ) , it has also spun out the largest premium cable company available, Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA ) . Liberty gives investors plenty of options (no pun intended) to evaluate with its myriad of subsidiaries, not to mention the parent company itself. And still, the company has a sizable cash hoard and the ability to tap capital markets for another substantial acquisition. Though at this point it is mere speculation, where could Liberty be heading next?
- [By Tim Beyers]
Outlander
Episodes ordered: 16
Starring: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan
Network: Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA )Premise: Based on the hit book series from author Diana Gabaldon, the show tells the tale of a married former WWII combat nurse transported in time to feudal Scotland, where she proceeds to fall in love with a young warrior.
Hot Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Noble Corp (NE)
Noble Corporation is an offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company performs contract drilling services with its fleet of 79 mobile offshore drilling units and one floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) located globally. As of December 31, 2011, its fleet consisted of 14 semisubmersibles, 14 drillships, 49 jackups and two submersibles. Its fleet includes 11 units under construction, which include five ultra-deepwater drillships, and six jackup rigs. As of February 15, 2012, approximately 84% of its fleet was located outside the United States in areas, which included Mexico, Brazil, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Middle East, India and the Asian Pacific. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it completed construction on the Noble Bully I, a drillship, owned through a joint venture with a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc; completed construction on the Noble Bully II, a drillship, and it completed construction of Globetrotter-class drillship. As of February 15, 2012, it had 10 rigs under contract in Mexico with Pemex Exploracion y Produccion (Pemex).
During 2011, the Company conducted offshore contract drilling operations, which accounted for over 98% of its operating revenues. It conducts its contract drilling operations in the United States Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Brazil, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Middle East, India and the Asian Pacific. During 2011, revenues from Shell and its affiliates accounted for approximately 24% of its total operating revenues. During 2011, revenues from Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) accounted for approximately 18% and 19% of its total operating revenues. Revenues from Pemex accounted for approximately 15%, 20% and 23% of its total operating revenues.
Semisubmersibles
Semisubmersibles are floating platforms which, by means of a water ballasting system, can be submerged to a predetermined depth so that a substantial portion of the hull is b! elow the water surface during drilling operations. As of December 31, 2011, the semisubmersible fleet consisted of 14 units, including five Noble EVA-4000 semisubmersibles; three Friede & Goldman 9500 Enhanced Pacesetter semisubmersibles; two Pentagone 85 semisubmersibles; two Bingo 9000 design unit submersibles; one Aker H-3 Twin Hull S1289 Column semisubmersible, and one Offshore Co. SCP III Mark 2 semisubmersible.
Drillships
The Company�� drillships are self-propelled vessels. These units maintain their position over the well through the use of either a fixed mooring system or a computer controlled dynamic positioning system. Its drillships are capable of drilling in water depths from 1,000 to 12,000 feet. The maximum drilling depth of its drillships ranges from 20,000 feet to 40,000 feet. As of December 31, 2011, the drillship fleet consisted of 14 units, including four drillships under construction with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI); three Gusto Engineering Pelican Class drillships; two Bully-class drillships to be operated by it through a 50% joint venture with a subsidiary of Shell; one dynamically positioned Globetrotter-class drillship that left the shipyard during the fourth quarter of 2011; one Globetrotter-class drillship under construction; one moored Sonat Discoverer Class drillship capable of drilling in Arctic environments; one NAM Nedlloyd-C drillship, and one moored conversion class drillship.
Jackups
As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 49 jackups in its fleet, including six jackups under construction. The rig hull includes the drilling rig, jacking system, crew quarters, loading and unloading facilities, storage areas for bulk and liquid materials, helicopter landing deck and other related equipment. All of its jackups are independent leg and cantilevered. Its jackups are capable of drilling to a maximum depth of 30,000 feet in water depths up to 400 feet.
Submersibles
The Company has two su! bmersible! s in the fleet, which are cold-stacked. Submersibles are mobile drilling platforms, which are towed to the drill site and submerged to drilling position by flooding the lower hull until it rests on the sea floor, with the upper deck above the water surface. Its submersibles are capable of drilling to a depth of 25,000 feet in water depths up to 70 feet.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By J. Royden Ward]
Noble (NE), founded in 1921 and based in Switzerland since July 2009, is one of the world's leading offshore drilling contractors. The company now operates a fleet of 68 offshore drilling rigs.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Noble (NE), Transocean (RIG), Ensco (ESV), and Diamond Offshore (DO) are asking themselves that question. While�Transocean has 8 floaters stacked, they have not stacked a rig in over a year (sort of) ��that may soon change. More recently both Diamond Offshore (Q3) and Ensco (Q2) have taken write downs and starting the stacking/scrapping process.
