It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the "how much," very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"
When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Altra Holdings (Nasdaq: AIMC ) .
Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.
Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)
Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Berr]
Multilevel marketing (MLM) groups such as Herbalife operate through independent sales representatives, who earn money both through the sales of product and by recruiting other people to join their team. This business model — which is used by scores of companies, including�Pampered Chef, which is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Tupperware (TUP) and Mary Kay Cosmetics — is legal provided that actual products are sold.
- [By Arie Goren]
After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: MoneyGram International Inc (MGI)
MoneyGram International, Inc. (MoneyGram) incorporated on December 18, 2003, is a global payment services company. The Company�� products include global money transfers, bill payment solutions and financial paper products. MoneyGram conducts its business through its wholly owned subsidiary MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc. (MPSI). The Company operates in two segments: Global Funds Transfer and Financial Paper Products. The Company�� global money transfer and bill payment services are its primary revenue drivers. The Company offers its money transfer services on the Internet via its MoneyGram Online service in the United States, United Kingdom and through agent Websites in Italy, Saudi Arabia and Japan. It also offers money transfer services via mobile phone, kiosks, ATM, receive cards and direct-to-bank account products in various markets worldwide. Effective July 8, 2013, MoneyGram International Inc acquired Latino Services, an Atlanta-based provider of money transfer services.
Global Funds Transfer
The Company�� Global Funds Transfer segment provides money transfer and bill payment services to consumers, who are often unbanked or underbanked. Unbanked consumers are those consumers who do not have a traditional relationship with a financial institution. Other consumers who use its services are convenience users and emergency users who may have a checking account with a financial institution, but prefer to use the Company�� services on the basis of convenience or to make emergency payments. MoneyGram offers services to consumers through third-party agents, including retail chains, independent retailers and financial institutions.
The Company provides Global Funds Transfer products and services utilizing a range of point-of-sale platforms. Its platforms include AgentConnect, which is integrated into an agent�� point-of-sale system, and DeltaWorks and Delta T3, which are separate software and stand-alone device platforms. Through its FormFree service, cust! omers may contact its call center and a representative will collect transaction information over the telephone, entering it directly into its central data processing system.
The Company offers money transfers to consumers in a choice of local currency, United States dollars or euros, in certain countries. MoneyGram�� bill payment services allow consumers to make urgent bill payments, pay routine bills, or load and reload prepaid debit cards. These industries include the credit card, mortgage, auto finance, telecommunications, corrections, satellite, property management, prepaid card and collections industries.
Financial Paper Products
The Company�� Financial Paper Products segment provides money orders to consumers through its retail and financial institution agent locations in the United States and Puerto Rico, and provides official check services for financial institutions in the United States. It sells money orders under the MoneyGram brand and on a private label or co-branded basis with certain of its retail and financial institution agents in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012, MoneyGram issued money orders through its network of 54,000 agent and financial institution locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. The Company generates revenue from its official check outsourcing services by charging per item and other fees, as well as from the investment of funds underlying outstanding official checks. As of December 31, 2012, the Company also provided official check outsourcing services at approximately 7,300 branch locations of more than 1,200 financial institutions.
The Company competes with The Western Union Company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Teresa Rivas]
As The Wall Street Journal reports, Wal-Mart�� prices do appear to undercut rivals. The market certainly seems to be nervous, sending Western Union (WU) 5% lower on Thursday, while MoneyGram International (MGI) suffered a 17.7% drop.
Top 5 US Companies To Invest In 2015: EnteroMedics Inc.(ETRM)
EnteroMedics Inc., a clinical development stage medical device company, focuses on the design and development of devices that use neuroblocking technology to treat obesity and associated co-morbidities, and other gastrointestinal disorders. The company?s proprietary neuroblocking technology is designed to intermittently block the vagus nerve using electrical impulses. Its product under development is the Maestro System, which is used to limit the expansion of the stomach, control hunger sensations between meals, reduce the frequency and intensity of stomach contractions, and produce a feeling of early and prolonged fullness. The company intends to market its products to potential referral source clinicians, including general practitioners, internists, endocrinologists, and nurses. It has collaboration agreement with Mayo Clinic and Australian Institute of Weight Control. The company was formerly known as Beta Medical, Inc. and changed its name to EnteroMedics Inc. in 2003 . EnteroMedics Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
EnteroMedics Inc. (NASDAQ: ETRM) may be a largely unknown microcap stock to most investors. The company is in the development stages of making medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity, metabolic diseases and other gastrointestinal disorders. A new research report has shares rising handily.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One under-$10 health care player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is EnteroMedics (ETRM), which is engaged in design and development of devices that use neuroblocking technology to treat obesity, its associated co-morbidities and other gastrointestinal disorders. This stock has been hit hard by the sellers so far in 2013, with shares off sharply by 59%.
If you take a look at the chart for EnteroMedics, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern $1 to $1.01 a share. Following that bottom, shares of ETRM have started to rip higher and trend back above its 50-day moving average at $1.08 a share with strong upside volume flows. This move is quickly pushing ETRM within range of triggering a big near-term breakout trade.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ETRM if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistances levels at $1.14 to $1.19 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 584,986 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ETRM will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.37 to $1.47 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give ETRM a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from February that started above $3 a share.
Traders can look to buy ETRM off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $1.08 a share, or below more key near-term support at $1 a share. One can also buy ETRM off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap biotech Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: ARNA) soared yesterday and last Friday on earnings as well as news that the company will expand its marketing and supply agreement with Japan based Eisai for its BELVIQ (lorcaserin HCl) obesity drug, meaning it might be time to take a closer look at other biotech stocks like Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc (NASDAQ: OREX), EnteroMedics Inc (NASDAQ: ETRM) and VIVUS, Inc (NASDAQ: VVUS) that are in the business of treating obesity. Specifically, Arena Pharmaceuticals announced an expanded agreement providing Eisai with exclusive commercialization rights for all countries worldwide (except for South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Israel and New Zealand) for BELVIQ where Arena will receive an upfront payment of $60 million and is eligible to receive up to a total of $176.5 million in regulatory and development milestone payments - an increase of $123 million from the amount remaining available under the previous agreement. BELVIQ was approved in June 2012, but didn't reach the market until June 2013 due to logistical concerns like classification by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Its also�approved for use in adults who are obese or who are overweight and who have at least one serious medical condition (e.g. diabetes or high cholesterol).
- [By John Udovich]
On Tuesday, small cap EnteroMedics Inc (NASDAQ: ETRM) soared 63.5% after reporting new clinical trial data for its Maestro system that is designed to control obesity, meaning it might be time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of other small cap obesity drug or treatment players like Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: ARNA), Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc (NASDAQ: OREX) and VIVUS, Inc (NASDAQ: VVUS).
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: St. Jude Medical Inc.(STJ)
St. Jude Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and distributes cardiovascular and implantable neurostimulation medical devices worldwide. It operates in four segments: Cardiac Rhythm Management, Cardiovascular, Atrial Fibrillation, and Neuromodulation. The Cardiac Rhythm Management segment offers products for cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heart beats. Its products include tachycardia implantable cardioverter defibrillator systems to provide therapy to patients suffering from lethal heart conditions, such as sudden cardiac arrest; cardiac resynchronization therapy devices to treat heart failure patients; pacemakers to help people whose hearts beat too slowly or who suffer from other cardiac arrhythmias; and leads, which connect devices to the heart and carry the electrical impulses to the heart and information from the heart to the device. The Cardiovascular segment offers mechanical and tissue replacement heart valves, as well as heart valve repair products. It also pr ovides disposable interventional devices, including vascular closure devices, compression assist devices, percutaneous catheter introducers, diagnostic guidewires, and temporary bipolar pacing catheters, as well as diagnostic coronary imaging technology. The Atrial Fibrillation segment offers a system of products for access, diagnosis, visualization, and ablation that assist physicians in diagnosing and treating various irregular heart rhythms used in the electrophysiology lab and cardiac surgery. It provides electrophysiology introducers and catheters, cardiac mapping, navigation and recording systems, and ablation systems. The Neuromodulation segment offers a range of neurostimulation systems, such as rechargeable implantable pulse generators, primary cell implantable pulse generators, and radio frequency powered systems. St. Jude Medical markets its products through a direct sales force and independent distributors. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Finally, implantable cardiovascular device maker St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ ) jumped 5.2% after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter results. Although second-quarter revenue fell by less than 1%, to $1.4 billion, from the year-ago period, it was enough to surpass the $1.36 billion analysts expected. Furthermore, St. Jude forecast EPS for the full-year of $3.70-$3.73, as compared to the Street's expectation of just $3.68. While I do see the benefits of owning a company like St. Jude as baby boomers age, I remain a bit concerned about the affect the medical device excise tax and Obamacare as a whole may have on a company like St. Jude in the near term.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Cardiovascular medical device designer and manufacturer St. Jude Medical (STJ) raised its quarterly dividend 8% to 27 cents per share, payable April 30 to shareholders of record as of March 31.
STJ Dividend Yield: 1.60% - [By John Udovich]
Small cap cardiac monitoring stock BioTelemetry Inc (NASDAQ: BEAT) has more than tripled in value since the start of the year���far outperforming large cap cardiac peers like Medtronic, Inc (NYSE: MDT) and St. Jude Medical, Inc (NYSE: STJ). We have also had BioTelemetry in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio since June 12 and even we have not been late to the party as we are sitting on a 96.67% gain since then. But will the beat go on for investors and what about the performance of large caps Medtronic and St. Jude Medical?
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Allied World Assurance Company Holdings AG (AWH)
Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG operates as a specialty insurance and reinsurance company in Bermuda, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It offers casualty insurance products that provide coverage for specialty type risks, such as professional liability, environmental liability, product liability, inland marine liability, healthcare liability risks, and commercial general liability products, as well as professional liability products, including policies covering directors and officers, employment practices, and fiduciary liability insurance. The company also provides a mix of errors and omissions liability coverages for various service providers comprising law firms, technology companies, insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, and municipalities; primary and excess liability, and other casualty coverages to the healthcare industry, including hospitals and hospital systems, managed care organization s, and medical facilities, such as home care providers, specialized surgery and rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics; and general casualty products for a range of industries consisting of construction, real estate, public entities, retailers, manufacturing, transportation, and finance and insurance services, as well as workers compensation insurance products. In addition, it offers property insurance products covering physical property and business interruption for commercial property risks; and general property products covering risks for retail chains, real estate, manufacturers, hotels and casinos, and municipalities. Further, the company provides the reinsurance of property, general casualty, professional liability, specialty lines, property catastrophe, accident and health, and marine and aviation coverages. Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Specialty insurance provider�Allied World Assurance (NYSE: AWH ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.50 per share, a 33% increase from the payout it made last quarter of $0.375 per share, as approved by shareholders at the annual meeting last month.
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Cynosure Inc.(CYNO)
Cynosure, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets aesthetic treatment systems to the dermatology, plastic surgery, and general medical markets. Its aesthetic treatment systems incorporate a range of laser and other light-based energy sources, including Alexandrite, pulse dye, Nd:Yag, and diode lasers, as well as intense pulsed light. The company?s aesthetic treatment systems comprise the Elite product line for hair removal, treatment of facial, and leg veins and pigmentations; the Smartlipo product line for LaserBodySculpting for the removal of unwanted fat; the Cellulaze, SmoothShapes XV, and TriActive product line for the temporary and long-term reduction in the appearance of cellulite; the Affirm/SmartSkin product line for anti-aging applications, such as treatments for wrinkles, skin texture, skin discoloration, and skin tightening; the Cynergy product line for the treatment of vascular lesions; and the Accolade product line for the removal of benign pigmented lesion s, as well as multi-colored tattoos. It sells its products through a direct sales force in North America, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, China, Japan, and Mexico; and through international distributors in 84 other countries. Cynosure, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Westford, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Aesthetic-laser maker Cynosure (NASDAQ: CYNO ) announced yesterday that it had completed the acquisition of rival laser specialist Palomar Medical Technologies for $146 million cash and 6 million shares for a total value of around $294 million.
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Utah Medical Products Inc.(UTMD)
Utah Medical Products, Inc. produces medical devices for the healthcare industry primarily in the United States and Europe. The company provides labor and delivery/obstetrics products, including fetal monitoring accessories, vacuum-assisted delivery systems, and other obstetrical tools, as well as neonatal intensive care products, such as DISPOSA-HOOD, an infant respiratory hood; DELTRAN PLUS, a blood pressure monitoring system; and GESCO, a biocompatible silicone catheter. It also offers umbilical vessel and artery, thermosensitive polyurethane, and peripherally inserted central venous catheters; enteral feeding devices; DIALY-NATE, a disposable peritoneal dialysis set; PALA-NATE, a silicone oral protection device; and MYELO-NATE for obtaining cerebral spinal fluid samples. In addition, the company provides gynecology/urology/electrosurgery products comprising LETZ System to excise cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; FINESSE electrosurgical generator; FILTRESSE evacuators ; EPITOME, an electrosurgical scalpel; PATHFINDER PLUS, an endoscopic irrigation device; LIBERTY system to treat and control urinary incontinence in women; ENDOCURETTE, a curette for uterine endometrial tissue sampling; TVUS/HSG-Cath to assess abnormal uterine bleeding; and LUMIN for manipulating the uterus. Further, it offers DELTRAN for blood pressure monitoring; and pressure monitoring accessories, components, and other molded parts. The company?s products are used in neonatal intensive care units, labor and delivery departments, and women?s health center in hospitals, as well as in outpatient clinics and physician's offices. It markets its products through direct sales representatives, independent manufacturers? representatives, specialty distributors, national hospital distribution companies, and other medical device manufacturers; and through other medical device companies and independent medical products distributors. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquar tered in Midvale, Utah.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
Utah Medical Products (UTMD)
There are some interesting stories on that list. Buffett watchers know The Washington Post. Ben Graham fans know National Presto. Anyone who follows net-nets is familiar with Micropac. If you��e a high ROC investor you��e probably come across Utah Medical Products (operating margins are over 30%). Atrion has one of the most interesting histories of value creation starting in the 1990s. And Arden is a grocer that earns a 15% return on equity in a bad year.
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch 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. �
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Omega Healthcare Investors Inc.(OHI)
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company invests in healthcare facilities, principally long-term healthcare facilities in the United States. It provides lease or mortgage financing to qualified operators of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), as well as to assisted living facilities (ALFs), independent living facilities (ILFs), and rehabilitation and acute care facilities. As of March 31, 2011, the company?s portfolio of real estate investments consisted of 400 healthcare facilities, including 370 SNFs, 10 ALFs, 5 specialty facilities, fixed rate mortgages on 13 SNFs, and 2 SNFs that are held-for-sale located in 35 states. Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. has been qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1992 and is bas ed in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) generates and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es - [By Eric Volkman]
For the fourth quarter in a row, Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI ) has elected to raise its dividend slightly. The company declared a payout of $0.47 per share, to be paid on August 15 to stockholders of record as of July 31.�That amount is $0.01, or 2%, higher than the previous distribution of $0.46 paid in mid-May. That dividend was also a raise of $0.01 from its predecessor, which, in turn, was higher than the previous quarter's disbursement by the same amount.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Healthcare facilities REIT Omega Healthcare (OHI) raised its quarterly dividend 2% to 49 cents per share, payable Feb. 14 to shareholders of record Jan. 31.
OHI Dividend Yield: 6.1% - [By Dan Caplinger]
Because of the requirement to pay out the vast majority of their income, REITs often have extremely high dividend payouts. Mortgage REITs ARMOUR Residential (NYSE: ARR ) and Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) use leveraged strategies to produce yields well in excess of 10%, while Omega Healthcare (NYSE: OHI ) and Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH ) , which specialize in long-term care facilities and other properties catering to older residents, both have yields between 5% and 6%.
10 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Middlesex Water Co (MSEX)
Middlesex Water Company (Middlesex), incorporated in 1897, is a water utility company. The Company owns and operates regulated water utility and wastewater systems in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Middlesex also operates water and wastewater systems under contract on behalf of municipal and private clients in New Jersey and Delaware. It operates in two segments: Regulated and Non-Regulated. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its Regulated segment contributed approximately 90% of total revenues. The Regulated segment consists of collecting, treating and distributing water on a retail and wholesale basis to residential, commercial, industrial and fire protection customers in parts of New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. This segment also includes regulated wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware. The Non-Regulated segment consists of non-regulated contract services for the operation and maintenance of municipal and private water and wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware.
The Company�� subsidiaries include Tidewater Utilities, Inc. (Tidewater) and Tidewater�� wholly owned subsidiaries, Southern Shores Water Company, LLC (Southern Shores) and White Marsh Environmental Systems, Inc. (White Marsh). Its other subsidiaries are Pinelands Water Company (Pinelands Water) and Pinelands Wastewater Company (Pinelands Wastewater) (collectively, Pinelands), Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA), Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) Inc., (USA-PA), Tidewater Environmental Services, Inc. (TESI) and Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (Twin Lakes).
Middlesex System
The Middlesex System in New Jersey provides water services to approximately 60,000 retail customers, primarily in eastern Middlesex County, New Jersey and provides water under wholesale contracts to the City of Rahway, Townships of Edison and Marlboro, the Boroughs of Highland Park and Sayreville and the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority. The Middlesex System treats, stores and dis! tributes water for residential, commercial, industrial and fire prevention purposes. The Middlesex System also provides water treatment and pumping services to the Township of East Brunswick under contract. The Middlesex System produced approximately 64% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
The Middlesex System�� retail customers are located in an area of approximately 55 square miles in Woodbridge Township, the City of South Amboy, the Boroughs of Metuchen and Carteret, portions of the Township of Edison and the Borough of South Plainfield in Middlesex County and, to a minor extent, a portion of the Township of Clark in Union County. Retail customers include a mix of residential customers, industrial concerns and commercial and light industrial facilities.
The contract customers of the Middlesex System comprise an area of approximately 146 square miles with a population of approximately 303,000. Contract sales to Edison, Sayreville, Old Bridge, Marlboro and Rahway are supplemental to the existing water systems of these customers. The Middlesex System provides treated surface water under long-term agreements to East Brunswick, Marlboro, Old Bridge and Sayreville. Middlesex provides water service to approximately 300 customers in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Its Middlesex System, which produced approximately 15.6 billion gallons in 2011, obtains water from surface sources and wells, or groundwater sources.
Tidewater System
Tidewater, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Southern Shores, provides water services to approximately 36,000 retail customers for domestic, commercial and fire protection purposes in over 300 separate community water systems in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties, Delaware. White Marsh is an additional wholly owned subsidiary that is unregulated as to rates and operates water and wastewater systems under contract for approximately 4,700 residential customers. White Marsh also owns the office buildings that Tid! ewater us! es as its central business office campus. The Tidewater System produced approximately 25% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Its Tidewater System produced approximately 2 billion gallons in 2011 from 159 wells.
Utility Service Affiliates-Perth Amboy
Utility Service Affiliates-Perth Amboy (USA-PA) operates the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey�� water and wastewater systems under a 20-year agreement, which expires in 2018. USA-PA serves approximately 11,000 homes and businesses, most of which are served by both the water and wastewater systems. USA-PA produced approximately 9% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
Pinelands System
Pinelands Water provides water services to approximately 2,500 residential customers in Burlington County, New Jersey. Pinelands Water produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Pinelands Water is not physically interconnected with the Middlesex System. Pinelands Wastewater provides wastewater services to approximately 2,400 residential customers. Under contract, it also services one municipal wastewater system in Burlington County, New Jersey with approximately 200 residential customers. Water supply to its Pinelands System is derived from four wells, which produced approximately 159.1 million gallons in 2011.
Utility Service Affiliates, Inc.
Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA) offers residential customers in New Jersey and Delaware water service line and sewer lateral maintenance programs (LineCare). USA produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
TESI System
TESI provides wastewater services to approximately 2,200 residential retail customers in Delaware. TESI produced approximately 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. The TESI System treated approximately 76.8 million gallons in 2011. The TESI System consists of seven wastewater treatment systems in Southern Delaware.
Twin Lakes Sys! tem
Twin Lakes provides water services to approximately 120 residential customers in Shohola, Pennsylvania. Twin Lakes produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Water supply to Twin Lakes��customers is derived from two wells, which delivered approximately 26.6 million gallons in 2011.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Utility operator Middlesex Water (MSEX) raised its quarterly dividend 1.3% to 18 cents per share, payable on Dec. 2 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 15. The increase marks the 41st consecutive annual dividend increase.
MSEX Dividend Yield:�3.53%
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