States struggling with unfunded pension liabilities could come up with tens of billions fairly quickly by simply cutting Wall Street out of their fat pension management contracts.
That is the oft-stated conclusion of a new study by the Maryland Public Policy Institute which, though filled with unflattering statistical comparisons between actively managed portfolios and passively managed index funds, reads at times like a personal feud with Wall Street professionals.
The paper’s authors, affiliated with the free-enterprise-oriented state policy nonprofit and also the Maryland Tax Education Foundation, bemoan their state’s “opportunity cost” of $2 billion to $3 billion as a result of Maryland pension system’s 10-year underperformance despite their previous written reports and public testimony.
“The response of the system to these facts has been to 'shoot the messenger' rather than to acknowledge the problem, admit a mistake and institute reforms," write report authors Jeff Hooke and John J. Walters. "The response of the governor and Legislature has been to do nothing. This ‘head in the sand’ tactic is mirrored by Maryland’s underperforming peers despite the huge dollars involved.”
Top 5 Prefered Companies To Watch In Right Now: Costco Wholesale Corporation(COST)
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses that offer a selection of branded and private label products in a range of merchandise categories in no-frills, self-service warehouse facilities. The company's product categories include candy, snack foods, tobacco, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and cleaning and institutional supplies; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, office supplies, garden and patio, sporting goods, toys, seasonal items, and automotive supplies; dry and institutionally packaged foods; apparel, domestics, jewelry, house wares, media, home furnishings, cameras, and small appliances; meat, bakery, deli, and produce; and gas stations, pharmacy, food court, optical, one-hour photo, hearing aid, and travel. It also provides business and gold star (individual) membership services. As of April 26, 2011, the company operated 581 warehouses, including 425 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 80 in Canada, 22 in the Uni ted Kingdom, 7 in Korea, 6 in Taiwan, 8 in Japan, 1 in Australia, and 32 in Mexico. It also has Costco Online, an electronic commerce Web site, at costco.com in the United States and at costco.ca in Canada. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jason Moser]
Membership has its privileges
Here's the thing: When you find a great business that provides a valuable service, that's lovely. When that business can charge an annual membership fee that provides so much value that customers can't justify not renewing, that's living the dream. There aren't many businesses like that out there. Costco (NASDAQ: COST ) is one of them, and Costco's focus on low prices and a great experience for their members has helped it ring up close to 27 million Gold Star memberships. And I think this is a nice comparable to Amazon Prime's opportunity.�
Top Heal Care Companies For 2014: Vanguard Industrials Etf (VIS)
Vanguard Industrials ETF (the Fund), formerly known as Vanguard Industrials VIPERs, is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Industrials Index Fund. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) US Investable Market Industrials Index (the Index). The Index is an index of stocks of large, medium and small United States companies in the industrials sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). This GICS sector is made up of companies whose businesses are dominated by activities, such as the manufacture and distribution of capital goods (including aerospace and defense, construction, engineering and building products, electrical equipment, and industrial machinery); the provision of commercial services and supplies (including printing, employment, environmental and office services), or the provision of transportation services (including airlines, couriers, marine, road and rail, and transportation infrastructure).
The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index. It also may sample its target Index by holding stocks that, in the aggregate, are intended to approximate the Index in terms of key characteristics, such as price/earnings ratio, earnings growth and dividend yield.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]
Unusual volume (at least 5X ADV): iShares Utilities ETF (NYSE: IDU), First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: FXU), iShares MSCI Germany Small Cap ETF (NYSE: EWGS), iShares MSCI USA ETF (NYSE: EUSA), SPDR S&P Emerging Europe ETF (NYSE: GUR), PowerShares Water Resources (NYSE: PHO) and the Vanguard Industrials ETF (NYSE: VIS).
- [By Sofia Horta e Costa]
Viscofan SA (VIS) fell 9.6 percent, its largest weekly drop in more than five years, after saying it may miss its targets for 2013 because of weak currencies. The Spanish maker of sausage casings in July predicted annual net income of 107 million euros to 108 million euros and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of as much as 195 million euros.
Top Heal Care Companies For 2014: Le Gaga Holdings Limited (GAGA)
Le Gaga Holdings Limited engages in cultivating, processing, and distributing vegetables, fruits, and tea leaves in the People�s Republic of China and Hong Kong. The company is also involved in cultivating and selling fir trees. It offers solanaceous vegetables, including sweet peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, and cucumbers; leafy vegetables comprising flowering Chinese cabbage, baby bok choy, and baby Chinese cabbage; and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and Chinese cabbage. As of March 31, 2012, the company operated 11 farms with an aggregate area of 1,671 hectares in Fujian, Guangdong, and Hebei provinces. It sells approximately 50 varieties of vegetables primarily to wholesalers, institutional customers, and supermarket chains. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Le Gaga Holdings (NASDAQ: GAGA) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings.
Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.34 per share on revenue of $1.01 billion.
Top Heal Care Companies For 2014: DAQQ New Energy Corp.(DQ)
Daqo New Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells polysilicon in China. The company sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. It also produces and sells mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline modules to photovoltaic system integrators and distributors in China and internationally under its Daqo brand. The company was formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited and changed its name to Daqo New Energy Corp. in August 2009. Daqo New Energy Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered Wanzhou, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ali Berri]
In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.42 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), up 9.4 percent, and Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP), up 6.2 percent.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).
- [By Garrett Cook]
Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).
- [By Lisa Levin]
Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ) shares gained 12.78% to $33.58 on quarterly results.
SINA (NASDAQ: SINA) rose 7.26% to $51.29 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.
Top Heal Care Companies For 2014: Macy’s Inc (M)
Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
But just to make sure you understand why I feel this way, let’s take a look at the major points I covered for JCP earnings previews in both the fourth quarter and this quarter, and how they’ve shaped up. There are seven points overall, and each encourages continued faith in JCPenney:
Online Sales. JCPenney�� online sales in Q1 2013 were $217 million, a 19.9% decrease year-over-year. This year it increased online sales by 25.7% to $273 million, or 9.7% of overall revenue. While it didn�� quite hit my target of 10%, it�� close enough. I expect it do push into double digits in Q2. Private Label. As Ullman stated in its conference call, it�� almost back to where it used to be at 50% of revenue. St. John�� Bay is back as if it never left and Liz Claiborne is getting the attention it deserves. With private label boosting gross margins by several hundred basis points, you can expect that to help JCP stock in the future. Liquidity. This is the one that Jeff Macke and company are most concerned about and so they should be. You can�� run a company if you don�� have enough cash to meet your obligations. This past year, liquidity never went below $1 billion and this year CFO Ed Record believes it won�� go below $1.5 billion — evidence it�� making progress. More importantly, suppliers continue to be supportive of its turnaround efforts, and that�� key to maintaining liquidity. Gross Margins. I specifically stated in my Q4 JCP earnings preview, ��s long as they can move above 30% in the next two to three quarters, JCP�� survival is less in doubt.��JCP delivered gross margins of 33.1% in Q1, 230 basis points better than a year earlier, and it expects to go even higher in Q2. Sears. Both Kohl�� (KSS) and Macy�� (M) experienced negative same-store sales growth in the first quarter. Sears (SHLD) doesn�� report until May 22, but we can assume that its earnings going to be dismal as usual. JCP is taking back some of the market s - [By Dan Moskowitz]
When it comes to investing in department stores, most people would opt for Macy's (NYSE: M ) or Kohl's (NYSE: KSS ) over J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP ) or Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ) .
Top Heal Care Companies For 2014: Saia Inc.(SAIA)
Saia, Inc., an asset-based trucking company, provides transportation and supply chain solutions primarily to the retail, chemical, and manufacturing industries in the United States. The company, through it subsidiary, Saia Motor Freight Line, LLC, offers regional and interregional less than truckload (LTL) services, selected national LTL, and time-definite services. It was formerly known as SCS Transportation, Inc. Saia, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Despite what can best be described as a�soft economy, small cap trucking stocks YRC Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: YRCW), Arkansas Best Corporation (NASDAQ: ABFS), Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FFEX), Saia Inc (NASDAQ: SAIA) and USA Truck, Inc (NASDAQ: USAK) have been trucking some pretty impressive returns since the start of the year. In fact, these small cap trucking stocks are up anywhere from 72% to 150% or so since the start of the year despite the slow economy. Certainly trucking stocks provide a good indicator of how the economy is doing, but might investors be�jumping the gun by pushing up these trucking stocks?
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Wunderlich’s Nicholas Bender thinks FedEx’s results bode well for Old Dominion (ODFL), Con-way (CNW) and Saia (SAIA):
We expect all less-than-truckload carriers to benefit in 2Q14 from the same trends that carried FedEx Freight to a banner 4Q14. This includes Hold-rated Old Dominion, which will continue to grow at well above market rates, and Buy-rated Con-way, which we believe can leverage a strong 2Q14 to prime the pump on margin enhancement efforts. Our favorite name in the space remains Saia (SAIA-$42.92, Buy), which will once again see accelerating tonnage growth in 2Q14. Though tonnage growth will moderate in� 2H14 due to steeper comps, there remains considerable potential for the company to boost yield and continue winning incremental business with new accounts.
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