i House Insurance 2013: November 2013

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Can Tesla Motors Continue to Move Higher?

With shares of Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) trading around $139, is TSLA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Tesla Motors designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and electric vehicle powertrain components. The company also provides services for the development of electric powertrain systems and components, and sells electric powertrain components to other automotive manufacturers. It markets and sells its vehicles through Tesla stores as well as over the Internet. Consumers and companies are looking to save at the pump, and what better way to do so than with electric vehicles?

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk responded to concerns over the three Tesla Model S fires that have occurred in recent months at The New York Times Dealbook conference, according to CNN. Despite the three battery fires, Musk says there will be no Model S recall. "We have never had a serious injury or death in any of our cars. Maybe there is a car as safe as the Model S, but there is certainly not a car that is safer," Musk said. He also noted that the Model S drivers who experienced the fires asked for new Tesla vehicles, instead of switching to a different car.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Tesla Motors stock has has been exploding higher in the past several months. The stock is currently trading at highs for the year. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Tesla Motors is trading between its rising key averages, which signals neutral price action in the near-term.

Source: Thinkorswim

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Tesla Motors options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Tesla Motors Options	60.03%	3%	0%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very small amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
December Options	Average	Average
January Options	Average	Average

As of Wednesday, there is average demand from call and put buyers or sellers, all neutral over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Tesla Motors’ stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Tesla Motors look like and, more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	-86.96%	105.62%	113.95%	-1.27%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	1102.65%	1420.08%	1762.78%	677.88%
Earnings Reaction	-14.5%	14.34%	24.39%	-8.77%

Tesla Motors has seen mixed earnings and rising revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have had conflicting feelings about Tesla Motors’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Tesla Motors stock done relative to its peers – General Motors (NYSE:GM), Toyota (NYSE:TM), and Ford (NYSE:F) — and sector?

	Tesla Motors	General Motors	Toyota	Ford	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	309.70%	33.33%	36.91%	32.05%	35.09%

Tesla Motors has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Tesla Motors offers electric vehicles that consumers and companies are opting for over other luxury vehicles. The company’s CEO responded to concerns over the three Tesla Model S fires that have occurred in recent months at The New York Times Dealbook conference. The stock has been exploding higher recently and is now trading near highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising, which has left investors with conflicting feelings about the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Tesla Motors has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Tesla Motors to continue to OUTPERFORM.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Today’s After Hours Earnings: Metlife Inc, The Allstate Corporation, Hanesbrands Inc., More (ALL, MET, MAR, More)

After the closing bell on Wednesday, many big name dividend-paying companies announced their quarterly earnings. Below, we break down all of the earnings information that dividend investors need to know.

Allstate Insurance Beats EPS Views, Misses on Revenue

Allstate (ALL) announced Q3 consolidated revenues of $8.47 billion, which were up 4.1% from last year’s Q3 revenues. The company posted net income for the quarter of $713 million, or $1.53 per share, compared to last year’s Q3 net income of $717 million, or $1.46 per share. Allstate beat analysts’ $1.44 EPS

Thursday, November 28, 2013

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014

On Thursday, General Motors (NYSE: GM ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

GM has come a long way from the financial defeat investors suffered when it filed for bankruptcy. Yet after enduring years of massive government intervention, GM has finally seen success, and its share price has responded by moving to new two-year highs recently. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with General Motors over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on General Motors

Analyst EPS Estimate

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ.AX)

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Company conducts its operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also operates in a range of other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The Company operates on a divisional structure with Australia, International and Institutional Banking (IIB), New Zealand, and Global Wealth and Private Banking. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had 1,337 branches and other points of representation worldwide, excluding automatic teller machines (ATMs). In September 2012, it sold its remaining shareholding in Visa Inc.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Access National Corp (ANCX.W)

Access National Corporation (ANC) operates as a bank holding company. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Access National Bank (the Bank) and Access National Capital Trust II. The Bank is the operating business of the Company. The Bank provides credit, deposit, and mortgage services to middle market commercial businesses and associated professionals, primarily in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The Bank offers a range of financial services and products and specializes in providing customized financial services to small and medium sized businesses, professionals, and associated individuals. The Bank provides its customers with personal customized service utilizing the latest technology and delivery channels. The Bank�� business is serving the credit, depository and cash management needs of businesses and associated professionals. The products and services offered by the Bank include accounts receivable lines of credit, accounts receivable col lection accounts, growth capital term loans, business acquisition financing, online banking, checking accounts, money market accounts, sweep accounts, personal checking accounts, savings /money market accounts and certificates of deposit.

The Bank�� revenues are derived from interest and fees received in connection with loans, deposits, and investments. The Bank operates from five banking centers located in Chantilly, Tysons Corner, Reston, Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia and online at wwwaccessnationalbank.com. The Mortgage Corporation specializes in the origination of conforming and government insured residential mortgages to individuals in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, the surrounding areas of its branch locations, outside of its local markets through direct mail solicitation, and otherwise. The Mortgage Corporation has offices throughout Virginia, in Fairfax, Reston, Roanoke, and McLean.

Lending Activities

The Bank�� lending activities involve commercial real estate ! ! loans, residential mortgage loans, commercial loans, commercial and residential real estate construction loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans. These lending activities provide access to credit to small to medium sized businesses, professionals, and consumers in the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Loans originated by the Bank are classified as loans held for investment. At December 31, 2011 loans held for investment totaled $569.4 million. At December 31, 2011 unsecured loans were comprised of $2.9 million in commercial loans and approximately $124 thousand in consumer loans and collectively equal approximately 0.5% of the loans held for investment portfolio.

The Bank�� commercial real estate loans-wner Occupied represented 30.14% of our loan portfolio held for investment, as of December 31, 2011. Its commercial real estate loans-non-owner occupied loans represent ed18.44% of its loan portfolio held for investment, as of December 31, 2011. The Bank�� residential real estate loans represented 22.56% of the loan portfolio, as of December 31, 2011.

These loans fall into one of three situations: loans supporting an owner occupied commercial property; properties used by non-profit organizations, such as churches or schools where repayment is dependent upon the cash flow of the non-profit organizations, and loans supporting a commercial property leased to third parties for investment. Its residential real estate loans category includes loans secured by first or second mortgages on one to four family residential properties, extended to the Bank clients.

As of December 31, 2011, commercial loans represented 23.15% of the Bank�� loan portfolio held for investment. These loans are to businesses or individuals within its market for business purposes. As of December 31, 2011, real estate construction loans consisted of 5.22% of loans held for investment loan portfolio. These loans in clude loans to construct owner occupied commercial buildi! ngs! ; lo! ans t! o individuals; loans to builders for the purpose of acquiring property and constructing homes for sale to consumers, and loans to developers for the purpose of acquiring land, which is developed into finished lots for the ultimate construction of residential or commercial buildings. As of December 31, 2011, consumer loans made up approximately 0.49% of its loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Company�� investment securities portfolio is consisted of the United States Treasury securities, the United States Government Agency securities, municipal securities, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mutual fund, and mortgage backed securities issued by the United States Government sponsored agencies and corporate bonds. At December 31, 2011, securities totaled $85.8 million. . The securities portfolio is comprised of $45.8 million in securities classified as available-for-sale and $40.0 million in securities classified as held-to-maturity.

Sources of Funds

As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $645.0 million. As of December 31, 2011, deposits consisted of noninterest-bearing demand deposits in the amount of $113.9 million, savings and interest-bearing deposits in the amount of $182.0 million, and time deposits in the amount of $349.1 million. The Bank also uses wholesale funding or brokered deposits to supplement traditional customer deposits for liquidity. It participates in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS). Through CDARS its depositors are able to obtain FDIC insurance of up to $50 million. As of December 31, 2011, brokered deposits totaled $223,554,000, which includes $192,326,000 in reciprocal CDARS deposits. It also maintains lines of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). At December 31, 2011 there was $284.9 million available under these lines of credit. Borrowed funds consist of advances from the FHLB, senior unsecured term note, FHLB long-term borrowings, subordinated d! ebenture!! s (trust ! preferred), securities sold under agreement to repurchase, United States Treasury demand notes, federal funds purchased, and commercial paper. As of December 31, 2011 borrowed funds totaled $123.6 million. At December 31, 2011 borrowed funds totaled $70.9 million.

Hot Clean Energy Companies To Watch In Right Now: Bank Of Montreal (BMO)

Bank of Montreal, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of retail banking, wealth management, and investment banking products and solutions in North America and internationally. It offers personal banking products and services to consumers and small businesses, including deposit and investment services, mortgages, consumer credit, small business lending, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services to small business, medium-sized enterprise, and mid-market banking clients comprising lending, deposits, treasury management, and risk management services. The company also offers cards and payments services; investment and wealth advisory services; self-directed investing services; private banking services to high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients; investment fund solutions across a range of channels; pension plans; investment management services; and creditor insurance, and life insurance and annuity products and services. In add ition, it provides capital markets products and services, including equity and debt underwriting, corporate lending and project financing, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and recapitalizations, balance sheet management, liquidity management, merchant banking, securitization, foreign exchange, derivatives, debt and equity research, and institutional sales and trading to corporate, institutional, and government clients. As of October 31, 2010, Bank of Montreal operated and maintained approximately 1,230 bank branches in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Alyssa Oursler]
Head north of the border and you’ll come across Bank of Montreal (BMO), our final safe income pick. If you were impressed by Chevron’s century of dividend payments, consider this: BMO has been rewarding loyal shareholders since 1829. For perspective, remember that the U.S. was just over 50 years old at that time.
[By Rich Duprey]
Bank of Montreal� (NYSE: BMO ) �announced yesterday�its third-quarter dividend of $0.74 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter.
[By Dan Caplinger]
U.S. investors first became aware of the relative strength of Canadian banks during the U.S. financial crisis, but since then, they've realized the benefits of looking north of the border. Canada does have its own systemically important banks, which include not only Scotiabank but also Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY ) , Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO ) , and three other large financial institutions, but high capital requirements have demonstrated their creditworthiness and relative safety.
[By Dan Caplinger]
On Wednesday, Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO ) will release its latest quarterly results. With a solid reputation as a strong Canadian financial institution, the bank has benefited from superior conditions in the Canadian economy over the past several years, avoiding much of the trouble that U.S. banks suffered during the financial crisis in 2008.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: First Horizon National Corp (FHN)

First Horizon National Corporation (FHN), incorporated in 1968, is a bank holding company. The Company provides financial services through its subsidiary, First Tennessee Bank National Association (the Bank), and its subsidiaries. The Company�� two brands First Tennessee and FTN Financial provide customers with a range of products and services. First Tennessee provides retail and commercial banking services throughout Tennessee. FTN Financial (FTNF) is engaged in fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad. FHN has four operating business segments: regional banking, capital markets, corporate, and non-strategic. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had $16.4 billion in total deposits and $16 billion in total net loans. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiaries had over 200 business locations in 17 the United States states, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, excluding off-premises automated teller machines (ATMs). As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 183 branch locations in four states, which include 172 branches in metropolitan areas of Tennessee; two branches in northwestern Georgia; seven branches in northwestern Mississippi, and two branches in North Carolina. As of December 31, 2011, FTN Financial products and services were offered through 18 offices in total, including 16 offices in 14 states plus an office in each of Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The regional banking segment offers financial products and services, including traditional lending and deposit taking, to retail and commercial customers in Tennessee and surrounding markets. Regional banking provides investments, financial planning, trust services and asset management, credit card, cash management, and first lien mortgage originations within the Tennessee footprint. In addition, the regional banking segment includes correspondent banking, which provides credit, depository, and other banking related services to other financial institutions.

The capital markets se! gment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad, as well as loan sales, portfolio advisory, and derivative sales. The corporate segment consists of gains on the extinguishment of debt, unallocated corporate expenses, expense on subordinated debt issuances and preferred stock, bank-owned life insurance, unallocated interest income associated with excess equity, net impact of raising incremental capital, revenue and expense associated with deferred compensation plans, funds management, low income housing investment activities, and charges related to restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency. The non-strategic segment consists of the wind-down national consumer lending activities, legacy mortgage banking elements, including servicing fees, and the associated ancillary revenues and expenses related to these businesses. Non-strategic also includes the wind-down trust preferred loan portfolio and exited businesses along with the associated restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency charges.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company provided services through its subsidiaries, which include general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments; through FTN Financial fixed income sales and trading, underwriting of bank, loan sales, advisory services and derivative sales; discount brokerage and full-service brokerage; correspondent banking; transaction processing, such as nationwide check clearing services and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency services; credit card products; equipment finance; investment and financial advisory services; mutual fund sales as agent; retail insurance sales as agent, and mortgage banking services.

As of December 31, 2011, the commercial, financial, and industrial (C&I) portfolio was eight billion dollars, and is consisted of loans used for general business purposes, and consisted of relationship customers in Tennessee and certain n! eighborin! g states, which are managed within the regional bank. Products include working capital lines of credit, term loan financing of owner-occupied real estate and fixed assets, and trade credit enhancement through letters of credit. As of December 31, 2011, the unpaid principal balance (UPB) of trust preferred loans totaled $447.2 million with the UPB of other bank-related loans totaling approximately $161.8 million. The commercial real estate portfolio includes both financings for commercial construction and non-construction loans. This portfolio is segregated between income commercial real estate (CRE) loans which contain loans, lines, and letters of credit to commercial real estate developers for the construction and mini- permanent financing of income-producing real estate, and residential CRE loans. The residential CRE portfolio includes loans to residential builders and developers for the purpose of constructing single-family detached homes, condominiums, and town homes. As of December 31, 2011, the residential CRE portfolio was $.1 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the consumer real estate portfolio was $5.3 billion, and is composed of home equity lines and installment loans. As of December 31, 2011, the credit card and other portfolios were $.3 billion, and primarily include credit card receivables, automobile loans, and over-the-counter (OTC) construction loans and other consumer related credits.

FHN�� investment portfolio consists of debt securities, including government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and government agency issued collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO). During the year ended December 31, 2011, Government agency issued MBS and CMO, and other agencies averaged $2.9 billion. During 2011, the United States treasury securities and municipal bonds averaged $79.5 million. During 2011, investments in equity securities averaged $222.3 million.

During 2011, short-term funds (certificates of deposit greater than $100,000, federal funds purchased (! FFP), sec! urities sold under agreements to repurchase, trading liabilities, and other short-term borrowings) averaged $3.6 billion. During 2011, other borrowings increased to $.3 billion. Term borrowings include senior and subordinated borrowings and advances with original maturities greater than one year. During 2011, average term borrowings averaged $2.6 billion.

The Company competes with Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Bank of America N.A., and Pinnacle National Bank.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Monica Gerson]
First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $307.14 million.

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.80 per share on revenue of $1.45 billion.
[By John Maxfield]
Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about First Horizon stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.
[By Eric Volkman]
After the close of trading Friday, the S&P 500 will include Pfizer spinoff Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS ) . The stock replaces First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN ) , which is to find a new home on the S&P MidCap 400.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Bank of America Corporation(BAC)

Bank of America Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and nonbanking financial services and products to individuals, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, and governments in the United States and internationally. The company?s Deposits segment generates savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificate of deposits, and checking accounts; and Global Card Services segment provides the U.S. consumer and business card, consumer lending, international card and debit card services. Its Home Loans & Insurance segment offers consumer real estate products and services, including mortgage loans, reverse mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and home equity loans. It also provides property, disability, and credit insurance. The company?s Global Commercial Banking segment offers lending products, including commercial loans and commitment facilities, real estate lending, leasing, trade finance, short-term credit, asset-based lending, and indirect consumer loans; and capital management and treasury solutions, such as treasury management, foreign exchange, and short-term investing options. Its Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial products, advisory services, settlement, and custody services; debt and equity underwriting and distribution, merger-related advisory services, and risk management products; and integrated working capital management and treasury solutions. The company?s Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and brokerage services, estate management, financial planning services, fiduciary management, credit and banking expertise, and asset management products. Bank of America Corporation serves customers through a network of approximately 5,900 banking centers and 18,000 automated teller machines. It was formerly known as NationsBank Corporation and changed its name on October 1, 1998. Bank of America Corporation was founded in 1874 and is based in Charlott e, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jessica Alling]
Back in court
Much like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , Citi is revisiting old business that it thought was resolved. Back in court to fight allegations from a private equity firm, Terra Firma, Citi is facing an $8.3 billion price tag if it loses this second round. Similar in size to B of A's costs if it wins the second round of its settlement fight with investors, Citi's loss would be a big hit to the bank's recovery, not to mention its bottom line.
[By Holly LaFon]
His second-quarter 2011 filings revealed that he had greatly reduced his market exposure, particularly to financial stocks. In the third quarter he sold completely out of Bank of America (BAC) and Wells Fargo (WFC) and reduced Citigroup (C). The value of his portfolio at the third quarter was $1.5 billion, a mere third of its value six months prior.
[By John Grgurich]
After opening up 0.41%, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) is already trading down 0.38% an hour and a half after the opening bell. Excepting Wells Fargo, each of its Big Four peers is suffering the same fate, as are all three major indices -- so far at least decisively spiking the market's two-day rally.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: EverBank Financial Corp (EVER)

EverBank Financial Corp, incorporated in 2004, is an unitary savings and loan holding company. The Company provides a range of financial products and services directly to customers through multiple business channels. Its operating subsidiary is EverBank. As of December 31, 2011, EverBank had $ 10.3 billion deposits. EverBank offers a range of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses. EverBank provides services to customers through Websites, over the phone, through the mail and at 14 Florida-based Financial Centers. The Company operates in two operating business segments: Banking and Wealth Management, and Mortgage Banking. Its Banking and Wealth Management segment includes earnings generated by and activities related to deposit and investment products and services and portfolio lending and leasing activities. Its Mortgage Banking segment consists of activities related to the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. In April 2012, the Company acquired MetLife Bank�� warehouse finance business. In October 2012, it acquired Business Property Lending, Inc.

Asset Origination and Fee Income Businesses

The Company has a range of asset origination and fee income businesses. The Company generates generate fee income from its mortgage banking activities, which consist of originating and servicing one-to-four family residential mortgage loans. It originates prime residential mortgage loans using a centrally controlled underwriting, processing and fulfillment infrastructure through financial intermediaries (including community banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers), consumer direct channels and financial centers. Its mortgage origination activities include originating, underwriting, closing, warehousing and selling to investors prime conforming and jumbo residential mortgage loans. From its mortgage origination activities, it earns fee-based income on fees charged to borrowers and other noninterest income from gains on sales from ! mortgage loans and servicing rights. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated six billion dollars of residential loans. It generates mortgage servicing business through the retention of servicing from its origination activities, acquisition of bulk mortgage servicing rights (MSR) and related servicing activities.

The Company�� mortgage servicing business includes collecting loan payments, remitting principal and interest payments to investors, managing escrow funds for the payment of mortgage-related expenses, such as taxes and insurance, responding to customer inquiries, counseling delinquent mortgagors, supervising foreclosures and liquidations of foreclosure properties and otherwise administering its mortgage loan servicing portfolio. It earns mortgage servicing fees and other ancillary fee-based income in connection with these activities. It services a portfolio by both product and investor, including agency and private pools of mortgages secured by properties throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2011, its mortgage servicing business, which services mortgage loans for itself and others, managed loan servicing administrative functions for loans with unpaid principal balance (UPB) of $54.8 billion.

The Company originates originate equipment leases nationwide through relationships with approximately 280 equipment vendors with networks of creditworthy borrowers and provide asset-backed loan facilities to other leasing companies. Its equipment leases and loans finance essential-use health care, office product, technology and other equipment. Its commercial financings range from approximately $25,000 to $1.0 million per transaction, with typical lease terms ranging from 36 to 60 months. Its commercial finance activities provide it with access to approximately 25,000 small business customers nationwide, which creates opportunities to cross-sell its deposit, lending and wealth management products. It focuses to offer warehouse loans, which are short-ter! m revolvi! ng facilities, primarily securitized by agency and government collateral. It provides financial advisory, planning, brokerage, trust and other wealth management services to its mass-affluent and high-net-worth customers through its registered broker dealer and recently-formed registered investment advisor subsidiaries.

Interest-Earning Asset Portfolio

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� interest-earning assets were $11.7 billion. As of December 31, 2011, its loan and lease held for investment portfolio was $6.5 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the carrying values of its interest-earning assets are: residential, government-insured (residential), securities, commercial and commercial real estate, Bank of Florida (covered), lease financing receivables, and other.

Residential includes primarily prime loans originated and retained from its mortgage banking activities, acquired from third parties or held for sale to other investors. government-insured (residential) includes Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) pool buyouts with government insurance, sourced from its mortgage banking segment and third-party sources. Securities include non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) purchased at significant discounts. This portfolio includes protection against credit losses from purchase discounts, subordination in the securities structures and borrower equity. Commercial and commercial real estate includes a range of commercial loans, including owner-occupied commercial real estate, commercial investment property and small business commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, Bank of Florida (Covered) includes commercial, multi-family and commercial real estate loans with $71.3 million of purchase discounts. Lease financing receivables include covered lease financing receivables. As of December 31, 2011, the lease portfolio had $64.7 million of total discounts. Other includes home equity loans and lines ! of credit! , consumer and credit card loans and other investments.

Deposit Generation

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately $10.3 billion in deposits. Its market-based deposit products, consisting of its WorldCurrency, MarketSafe and EverBank Metals Select products, provide investment capabilities for customers seeking portfolio diversification with respect to foreign currencies, commodities and other indices. Its financial portal includes online bill-pay, account aggregation, direct deposit, single sign-on for all customer accounts and other features. Its Website and mobile device applications provide information on its product offerings, financial tools and calculators, newsletters, financial reporting services and other applications for customers to interact with it and manages all of their EverBank accounts on a single integrated platform. Its new mobile applications allow customers using iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices to view account balances, conduct real time balance transfers between EverBank accounts, administer billpay, review account activity detail and remotely deposit checks.

The Company generates deposit customer relationships through its consumer direct, financial center and financial intermediary distribution channels. Its consumer direct channel includes Internet, e-mail, telephone and mobile device access to product and customer support offerings. Its direct distribution with a network of 14 financial centers in Florida metropolitan areas, include Jacksonville, Naples, Ft. Myers, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa Bay and Clearwater. As of December 31, 2011, its financial centers had average deposits of $130.5 million, which is approximately double the industry average. In addition, it generates noninterest-bearing escrow deposits from its mortgage servicing business.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Nicole Seghetti]
3. Build your savings account
Take this opportunity to bolster your savings such that you have at least three months' worth of living expenses socked away. Money market or savings accounts will provide you with the best rates. For example, American Express' (NYSE: AXP ) high-yield savings account pays 0.85%, and Capital One Financial's (NYSE: COF ) Capital One 360 offers a 0.75% APY. Both accounts boast no minimum balances and no fees. Meanwhile, EverBank Financial (NYSE: EVER ) pays an attractive 1.01% money market rate but requires a $1,500 minimum opening balance. �

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: New York Community Bancorp Inc (NYCB)

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and a producer of multi-family mortgage loans in New York City, with an emphasis on apartment buildings that feature below-market rents. It has two bank subsidiaries: New York Community Bank (the Community Bank),New York Commercial Bank (the Commercial Bank. The Community Bank has 241 branches and operates through seven divisional banks. The Commercial Bank has 34 branches in Manhattan and operates 17 of its branches under the divisional name Atlantic Bank.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, all of the one-to-four family loans the Company originated was sold to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). In New York, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through Roslyn Savings Bank, with 55 branches on Long Island; Queens County Savings Bank, with 34 branches in the New York City borough of Queens; Richmond County Savings Bank, with 22 branches in the borough of Staten Island, and Roosevelt Savings Bank, with eight branches in the borough of Brooklyn. As of December 31, 2011, in the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County, the Company had four branches that operated directly under the name New York Community Bank.

In New Jersey, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 51 branches that operate under the name Garden State Community Bank. In Florida and Arizona, where it has 25 and 14 branches, respectively, the Company serves its customers through the AmTrust Bank (AmTrust) division of the Community Bank. In Ohio, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 28 branches of Ohio Savings Bank. Customers of the Community Bank and the Commercial Bank have access to their accounts through 261 of its 285 automatic teller machines (ATMs) locations in five states. The Company also serves its customers through three Websites, which include www.myNYCB.com, www.NewYorkCommercialBank.com and www.NYCBfamily.com.

Lending Activities

The Company�� principal asset is l! oans. Its loan portfolio consists of three components: covered loans, non-covered loans held for sale and non-covered loans held for investment. As of December 31, 2011, the balance of covered loans was $3.8 billion, of which $3.4 billion were one-to-four family loans. Non-covered loans held for sale consists of the one-to-four family loans that are originated for sale, primarily to GSEs. At December 31, 2011, the held-for-sale loan portfolio totaled $1.0 billion

As of December 31, 2011, loans held for investment consisted of loans that it originates for its own portfolio, and totaled $ 25.5 billion.

In addition to multi-family loans, loans held for investment include commercial real estate loans (CRE); acquisition, development and construction (ADC) loans; commercial and industrial loans (C&I), and one-to-four family loans. As of December 31, 2011, its multi-family loans represented $17.4 billion, or 68.3%, of total loans held for investment, and represented $5.8 billion, or 64.1%, of the total loans that it originated for investment. The multi-family loans it originates are typically secured by non-luxury apartment buildings in New York City. It also makes multi-family loans to property owners who are seeking to expand their real estate holdings by purchasing additional properties.

As of December 31, 2011, CRE loans represented $6.9 billion, or 26.9%, of total held for investment; ADC loans represented $445.7 million, or 1.7%, of total loans held for investment. Its ADC loan portfolio consists of loans that were originated for land acquisition, development, and construction of multi-family and residential tract projects in New York City and Long Island.

C&I loans represented $600.0 million, or 2.4%, of total held for investment. It also offers a range of loans to small and mid-size businesses for working capital (including inventory and receivables), business expansion, and the purchase of equipment and machinery. Non-covered one-to-four family loans totaled $127! .4 millio! n at December 31, 2011.

Investment Activities

The Company�� securities portfolio primarily consists of mortgage-related securities, and debt and equity (other) securities. Its investments include GSE certificates, GSE collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and GSE debentures. The Community Bank and the Commercial Bank are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLB-NY), one of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) consisting of the FHLB system. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� securities represented $4.5 billion, or 10.8%, of total assets. As of December 31, 2011, 93.7% of its securities portfolio consisted of GSE obligations; held-to-maturity securities represented $3.8 billion, or 84.0%, of total securities, and its investment in bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) was $769.0 million.

Source of Funds

The Company has four primary funding sources. These include the deposits that it added through its acquisitions or gathered through its branch network, and brokered deposits; wholesale borrowings, primarily in the form of FHLB advances and repurchase agreements with the FHLB and various brokerage firms; cash flows produced by the repayment and sale of loans, and cash flows produced by securities repayments and sales. As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $ 22.3 billion, which included certificates of deposit (CDs) of $7.4 billion; negotiable order withdrawal (NOW) and money market accounts of $8.8 billion; savings accounts of $ 4.0 billion, and non-interest-bearing accounts of $2.2 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� borrowed funds totaled $14.0 billion, loan repayments and sales generated cash flows of $15.0 billion, and securities sales and repayments generated cash flows of $4.2 billion.

Subsidiary Activities

As of December 31, 2011, Community Bank had 34 subsidiary corporations. Of these, 22 are direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank and 12 are subsidiaries of Community Bank! -owned en! tities. The 22 direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank include DHB Real Estate, LLC, Mt. Sinai Ventures, LLC, NYCB Community Development Corp., NYCB Mortgage Company, LLC, Eagle Rock Investment Corp., Pacific Urban Renewal, Inc., Somerset Manor Holding Corp., Synergy Capital Investments, Inc., 1400 Corp., BSR 1400 Corp., Bellingham Corp., Blizzard Realty Corp., CFS Investments, Inc., Main Omni Realty Corp., NYB Realty Holding Company, LLC, O.B. Ventures, LLC, RCBK Mortgage Corp., RCSB Corporation, RSB Agency, Inc., Richmond Enterprises, Inc. and Roslyn National Mortgage Corporation.

The 12 subsidiaries of Community Bank-owned entities include Bronx Realty Funding Company, LLC, Columbia Preferred Capital Corporation, Ferry Development Holding Company, Peter B. Cannell & Co., Inc., Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp., Walnut Realty Funding Company, LLC, Woodhaven Investments Inc, Your New REO, LLC, Ironbound Investment Company, Inc.,The Hamlet at Olde Oyster Bay, LLC, The Hamlet at Willow Creek, LLC and Richmond County Capital Corporation.

The two direct subsidiaries of the Commercial Bank include Beta Investments, Inc., and Gramercy Leasing Services, Inc. The two subsidiaries of Commercial Bank-owned entities include Omega Commercial Mortgage Corp. and Long Island Commercial Capital Corp.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Maxfield]
Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYCB ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about NYCB stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Popular Inc.(BPOP)

Popular, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services primarily to corporate clients, small and middle size businesses, and retail clients in Puerto Rico and Mainland United States. It offers deposit products; commercial, consumer, and mortgage loans, as well as lease finance; and finance and advisory services. The company also offers trust and asset management, brokerage and investment banking, and insurance and reinsurance services. As of December 31, 2010, it owned and occupied approximately 94 branch premises and other facilities in Puerto Rico; and 119 offices, including 20 owned and 99 leased in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Texas. Popular, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Popular (NASDAQ: BPOP) shares tumbled 5.54 percent to $27.48 after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from Equal-weight to Underweight.

Pacific Coast Oil Trust (NYSE: ROYT) down, falling 7.13 percent to $16.70 after the company priced a public offering by Pacific Coast Energy Company LP and other selling unitholders of 13,500,000 trust units at a price of $17.10 per unit.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: EverBank Financial Corp (EVER.N)

EverBank Financial Corp, incorporated in 2004, is an unitary savings and loan holding company. The Company provides a range of financial products and services directly to customers through multiple business channels. Its operating subsidiary is EverBank. As of December 31, 2011, EverBank had $ 10.3 billion deposits. EverBank offers a range of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses. EverBank provides services to customers through Websites, over the phone, through the mail and at 14 Florida-based Financial Centers. The Company operates in two operating business segments: Banking and Wealth Management, and Mortgage Banking. Its Banking and Wealth Management segment includes earnings generated by and activities related to deposit and investment products and services and portfolio lending and leasing activities. Its Mortgage Banking segment consists of activities related to the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. In April 201 2, the Company acquired MetLife Bank�� warehouse finance business. In October 2012, it acquired Business Property Lending, Inc.

Asset Origination and Fee Income Businesses

The Company has a range of asset origination and fee income businesses. The Company generates generate fee income from its mortgage banking activities, which consist of originating and servicing one-to-four family residential mortgage loans. It originates prime residential mortgage loans using a centrally controlled underwriting, processing and fulfillment infrastructure through financial intermediaries (including community banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers), consumer direct channels and financial centers. Its mortgage origination activities include originating, underwriting, closing, warehousing and selling to investors prime conforming and jumbo residential mortgage loans. From its mortgage origination activities, it earns fee-based income on fees charged to b orrowers and other noninterest income from gains on sales ! fr! om mortgage loans and servicing rights. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated six billion dollars of residential loans. It generates mortgage servicing business through the retention of servicing from its origination activities, acquisition of bulk mortgage servicing rights (MSR) and related servicing activities.

The Company originates originate equipment leases nationwide through relationships with approximately 280 equipment vendors with networks of creditworthy borrowers and provide asset-backed loan facilities to other leasing companies. Its equipment leases and loans finance essential-use health care, office product, technology and other equipment. Its commercial financings range from approximately $25,000 to $1.0 million per transaction, with typical lease terms ranging from 36 to 60 months. Its commercial finance activities provide it with access to approximately 25,000 small business customers nationwide, which creates opportunities to cross-sell its deposit, lending and wealth management pro ducts. It focuses to offer warehouse loans, which are s! hort-! te! rm revo! lving facilities, primarily securitized by agency and government collateral. It provides financial advisory, planning, brokerage, trust and other wealth management services to its mass-affluent and high-net-worth customers through its registered broker dealer and recently-formed registered investment advisor subsidiaries.

Interest-Earning Asset Portfolio

Residential includes primarily prime loans originated and retained from its mortgage banking activities, acquired from third parties or held for sale to other investors. government-insured (residential) includes Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) pool buyouts with government insurance, sourced from its mortgage banking segment and third-party sources. Securities include non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) purchased at significant discounts. This portfolio includes protection against credit losses from purchase discounts, subordination in the securities structures and borrower equity. Commercial and commercial real estate includes a range of commercial loans, including owner-occupied commercial real estate, commercial investment property and small business commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, Bank of Florida (Covered) includes commercial, multi-family and commercial real estate loans with $71.3 million of purchase discounts. Lease financing receivables include covered lease financing receivables. As of December 31, 2011, the lease portfolio had $64.7 million of total discounts. Other includes home equity loan! s and lin! ! es of cre! dit, consumer and credit card loans and other investments.

Deposit Generation

10 Best Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ)

[By Adam Haigh]
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. (ANZ) sank 3 percent after Australia�� third-largest bank by market value forecast interest margins will keep dropping. Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. jumped 6.9 percent in Seoul after North Korea and South Korea agreed to reopen the Gaeseong industrial complex. Chinese stock exchange officials are investigating a spike in the Shanghai Composite Index, which soared from a loss of as much as 1 percent to a gain of 5.6 percent in two minutes. Everbright Securities Co. said it experienced a trading error.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Market Primer: Tuesday, October 22: Nonfarm Payrolls Likely To Show US Was On A Roll Ahead Of The Shutdown

Nonfarm payrolls data for September is due out on Tuesday, almost two months late due to the US government shutdown.

The data is expected to show that US job growth increased in September before the political squabbling halted some of the nation’s momentum. Analysts are expecting that employers added 180,000 jobs and that the unemployment rate will remain at 7.3 percent.

The report would make a good case for the Federal Reserve to begin tapering its $85 billion per month bond buying plan, however the recent government shutdown likely dragged on the US economy. The bank will have to wait for October’s data for a clearer picture of the damage done by the shutdown.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Rieder: Snowden reporter leaving the Guardian

Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who broke so many of the stories about government surveillance leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, has been a nightmare for the Obama administrations.

Now he's leaving the Guardian, the British newspaper where he published those articles, to pursue what he calls a "once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity."

News of Greenwald's departure was broken by the website BuzzFeed. The journalist, who is also a lawyer, says he's not ready to provide specifics. "Because this news leaked before we were prepared to announce it, I'm not yet able to provide any details of this momentous new venture, but it will be unveiled very shortly," he said in a statement.

But whatever the particulars, it's probably safe to anticipate that his new news operation will specialize in hard-edged, investigative reporting fueled by a liberal agenda.

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Greenwald indicated he didn't plan to be playing small ball. He said his new organization would be "a very well-funded… very substantial new media outlet." He won't say where the money is coming from until the official announcement.

And he will clearly be the man, building the operation from scratch. "My role, aside from reporting and writing for it, is to create the entire journalism unit from the ground up by recruiting the journalists and editors who share the same journalistic ethos and shaping the whole thing — but especially the political journalism part — in the image of the journalism I respect most," he said.

Greenwald, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, says he'll continue to do so. But while some of the staff will be based there as well, he says the news outlet's main outposts would be in New York City, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.

Greenwald, known for his crusading liberal approach, had nothing but good things to say about the Guardian. The two seemed a perfect fit, since the British news outlet is also known for its activist, le! ft-leaning approach.

"My partnership with the Guardian has been extremely fruitful and fulfilling: I have high regard for the editors and journalists with whom I worked and am incredibly proud of what we achieved," Greenwald said.

Right back atya, the Guardian responded. "Glenn Greenwald is a remarkable journalist and it has been fantastic working with him," spokeswoman Jennifer Lindenauer said. "Our work together over the last year has demonstrated the crucial role that responsible investigative journalism can play in holding those in power to account. We are of course disappointed by Glenn's decision to move on, but can appreciate the attraction of the new role he has been offered. We wish him all the best."

Greenwald, who began his journalism career with the pioneering online magazine Salon, has had an enormous impact on the political climate in the United States. His stunning disclosures of massive government collection of email and phone data of ordinary Americans with absolutely no connection to terrorism shook lawmakers and ordinary citizens alike.

RIEDER: Time to rein in NSA surveillance

At first the conventional wisdom in Washington was that this was no huge deal. Much of the initial outrage focused on leaker Snowden rather than the stunning information he had leaked.

But that soon changed as new details continued to emerge. In July, the House came close to passing a measure to block the NSA's wholesale collection of telephone records. Before Snowden and Greenwald, such a close vote, or even a vote at all, would have been unimaginable.

In September, four senators introduced legislation to rein in the NSA. And even staunch defenders of the snooping like Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, say that reforms are in order.

Greenwald is aggressive, passionate and fearless. It will be fascinating to watch his new venture take shape.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

3 Key Takeaways From Pandoraâ€™s Earnings

Internet radio upstart Pandora Media (NYSE: P ) is doing everything in its power to justify its massive valuation and fend of increased competition from a myriad of competitors including Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and Google.

But can it actually cash in on its disruptive potential, especially among such fierce and growing competition?

That, it turns out, is the $5.7 billion dollar question. And unfortunately for Pandora investors, Thursday's third-quarter earnings report didn't necessarily go a long way in clearing the matter up.

In that spirit, let's take a look at three of the most important items from Pandora's earnings report.

1 – User growth is slowing
Unfortunately for Pandora, user growth reached an inflection point in Q3. The number of people using the service actually declined for the first time on record on a quarter-over-quarter basis in Q3.

Source: Pandora

Users will quickly point out that Apple's recently launched iTunes Radio service, basically a Pandora clone with iTunes integration, rolled out during the quarter. Apple certainly took a pot shot at Pandora when it announced that 11 million listeners tried iTunes Radio its first weekend on the market.

However, the general consensus is still that Pandora's service enjoys an edge in terms of selecting songs users really want to hear, thanks to its 13-year old Music Genome project. The hope is that by having superior algorithms powering Pandora's service, Pandora will be able to fend off the competition like Apple. Although with the massive trove of listener data that a company like Apple enjoys, it's understandable how this advantage could erode over time for Pandora.

No matter what, slowing user growth raises a serious red flag for a company still working toward profitability like Pandora.

However, there is also room for optimism here as well because even despite slowing user growth...

2 – Pandora's business model is still gaining steam
Regardless the number of people actually using the service, Pandora is undeniably doing a better job making money off its users. Two metrics are particularly helpful in understand this trend. The first is Pandora's revenue per user, which has been consistently gaining steam over the last several years.

Source: Pandora

Pretty hard to argue with the progress Pandora's made on the monetization front. Over the last 11 quarters, Pandora's increased revenue per user by nearly 60%. That's impressive no matter how you slice it.

The progress Pandora's made here though is largely a reflection of perhaps the most important single metric an investors needs to monitor in order to gauge the success of Pandora's overall business model – Revenue Per 1000 Ad impressions, or simply RPMs.

Source: Pandora

Pandora hasn't been as forthcoming about breaking these figures out in the past, which is why the data set doesn't reach as far back as the above charts.

For a company who's long-term strategy is predicated on advertising, this is really the holy grail in gauging Pandora's overall health. Thankfully for Pandora investors, the company has been aggressive in expanding its advertising capabilities in both national and local markets. This has given Pandora a nice lift, and helped edge the company further toward what it claims will be eventual profitability. If this number can continue to rise, Pandora will be well on track to realize that vision.

However, as my third point highlights, that isn't necessarily a sure thing, especially in the short term.

3 – Pandora offered soft guidance for the coming quarter
Although not missing analysts' expectations by much, Pandora reiterated that it sees its financials coming in slightly lower than expected in the upcoming three months.

For the coming quarter, Pandora said it expects to generate sales between $185 million and $190 million, right in line with the $187.5 million estimates. However EPS should be roughly between $0.02 and $0.04, down slightly from the $0.04 estimated.

More importantly than playing the analyst game, Pandora's guidance does represent a slight slowing of growth from the same period last year. If Pandora meets the mid-point of its guidance, it will increase sales 49%, down from 54% in Q4 last year.

Again, this is still strong growth for Pandora. However, as with the user figures, it hints that Pandora's growth engine might be slowing, which should certainly give investors pause.

Overall, Pandora's most recently reported quarter should be viewed as a success. However sadly, the future remains just about as uncertain as it always has for the streaming upstart.

A better growth play than Pandora?
This incredible tech stock is growing twice as fast as Google and Facebook, and more than three times as fast as Amazon.com and Apple. Watch our jaw-dropping investor alert video today to find out why The Motley Fool's chief technology officer is putting $117,238 of his own money on the table, and why he's so confident this will be a huge winner in 2013 and beyond. Just click here to watch!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Nike Kicks Up a Dividend: 11 Companies Increasing Dividends

Popular Posts: ADP Delivers Again: 10 Companies Increasing DividendsRethinking the 4% ‘Golden Rule’BBY: Could We See a Quadrupler in Best Buy Stock? Recent Posts: Nike Kicks Up a Dividend: 11 Companies Increasing Dividends ADP Delivers Again: 10 Companies Increasing Dividends Rethinking the 4% ‘Golden Rule’ View All Posts

The week before the Thanksgiving Holiday generally marks a slowdown in activity, but not this week. Ahead of the holiday, athletic apparel giant Nike (NKE) rewarded shareholders with a 12th consecutive annual dividend increase, while paint and coatings king Valspar (VAL) provided a 36th consecutive annual dividend increase for its shareholders.

In total, 11 companies made it on to our Companies Increasing Dividends list. (Note: All dividend yields are as of 11/22.)

Bio-analytical and measurement company Agilent Technologies (A) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 13.20 cents per share, payable on Jan. 22 to shareholders of record Dec. 31.
A Dividend Yield: 1%

Alcohol manufacturer and distributor Brown-Forman (BF.B) raised its quarterly dividend 13.7% to 29 cents per share, payable on Dec. 27 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 4.
BF.B Dividend Yield: 1.54%

Financial services holding company Chemical Financial (CHFC) raised its quarterly dividend 4.5% to 23 cents per share, payable on Dec. 20 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 6.
CHFC Dividend Yield: 2.98%

Reinsurance and insurance underwriters Everest Re Group (RE) raised its dividend 56% to 75 cents per share, payable on Dec. 18 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 4.
RE Dividend Yield: 1.92%

Automatic temperature control device manufacturer Johnson Controls (JCI) raised its quarterly dividend 16% to 22 cents per share, payable on Jan. 6 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 16.
JCI Dividend Yield: 1.75%

Fine paper manufacturer and distributor Neenah Paper (NP) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 24 cents per share, payable on Mar. 4 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
NP Dividend Yield: 2.41%

Worldwide athletic apparel and products manufacturer Nike (NKE) raised its quarterly dividend 14% to 24 cents per share, payable on Jan. 6 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 16. The increase marks the 12th consecutive annual dividend increase for NKE.
NKE Dividend Yield: 1.22%

Branded food products distributor Pinnacle Foods (PF) raised its dividend 16.7% to 21 cents per share, payable on Jan. 10 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 2.
PF Dividend Yield: 2.95%

Louisville-based bank holding company S.Y. Bancorp (SYBT) raised its quarterly dividend 5% to 21 cents per share, payable on Dec. 31 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 9.
SYBT Dividend Yield: 2.71%

Coatings and paint manufacturer Valspar (VAL) increased its dividend 13% to 26 cents per share, payable on Dec. 13 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 2. The increase marks the 36th consecutive year the company has raised its annual dividend.
VAL Dividend Yield: 1.45%

Energy infrastructure operator Williams Companies (WMB) raised its quarterly dividend 17% to 38 cents per share, payable on Dec. 30 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 13.
WMB Dividend Yield: 4.29%

Marc Bastow is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. For more payout winners, see previous weeks' lists of Companies Increasing Dividends.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Next Tuesday, AT&T (NYSE: T ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to have an uninformed, knee-jerk reaction that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

AT&T has transformed itself countless times, going from the revolutionary technology that its nationwide landline network once represented to the voice and data wireless network that has enabled an entire category of mobile devices to rise to near-ubiquity across the nation. But given new competitive threats, is AT&T prepared to deal with its next challenge? Let's take an early look at what's been happening with AT&T over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on AT&T

Analyst EPS Estimate

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Jack Henry & Associates Inc.(JKHY)

Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (JHA) provides integrated computer systems and services for in-house and outsourced data processing to commercial banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions primarily in the United States. It engages in processing transactions, automating business processes, and managing information services. The company?s Jack Henry Banking brand provides integrated data processing systems to de novo or start-up institutions and mid-tier banks, as well as markets three core banking software systems, such as SilverLake, a robust IBM i-based system designed for commercial-focused banks; CIF 20/20, a parameter-driven and easy-to-use system; and Core Director, a Windows-based and client/server system that offers intuitive point-and-click operation. Its Symitar brand supports credit unions with information and transaction processing platforms that provide enterprise-wide automation. This brand?s solutions include Episys, a robust IBM p-based system p rimarily designed for credit unions; and Cruise, a Windows-based and client/server system for credit unions. The company?s ProfitStars brand provides specialized products and services that enhance the performance of financial service organizations and corporate entities. Its iPay Technologies brand operates as an electronic bill pay for banks and credit unions with turnkey, and configurable retail and small business electronic payment platforms. JHA also offers complementary solutions comprising business intelligence and bank management, retail and business banking, member and member business services, Internet banking and electronic funds transfer, risk management and protection, and item and document imaging solutions. In addition, it provides data conversion, software implementation, training, and support services, as well as sells hardware systems. The company has strategic relationship with IBM Corporation. JHA was founded in 1969 and is based in Monett, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jay Jenkins]
For U.S. Bancorp, a fine of this magnitude is nothing more than a slap on the wrist. However, it is a harbinger for change in how regulators view third-party relationships. Banks will now have to think long and hard about outsourcing, even to reputable companies like Jack Henry and Associates (NASDAQ: JKHY ) and Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV ) .�
[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 Jack Henry & Associates (Nasdaq: JKHY ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
[By Jay Jenkins]
It doesn't matter if the bank is a mega bank like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , a regional player like BB&T (NYSE: BBT ) , or a third-party software provider like Jack Henry and Associates (NASDAQ: JKHY ) , the capabilities and usability of online banking services are noticeably stuck in the mud.�

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: American Superconductor Corporation(AMSC)

American Superconductor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wind and power grid products and services primarily in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company?s Wind segment designs, develops, and licenses engineered wind turbine designs to wind turbine manufactures; provides engineering and customer support services; supplies power electronics and software-based control systems to wind turbine manufactures to regulate voltage, control power flows, and maximize wind turbine efficiency; offers consulting services to the wind industry; and provides products that enhance power quality for industrial operations. This segment serves the transmission and distribution, wind power, and manufacturing industries. Its Grid segment manufactures high-temperature superconductor wire and coils; designs and develops superconductor products, such as power cables, fault current limiters, electric motors, generators, and synchronous condensers; manages large-s cale superconductor projects; and provides transmission planning services that identify power grid congestion, poor power quality, and other risks. This segment?s products enable electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit, and distribute power. Its products include D-VAR systems that provide the reactive power needed to stabilize voltage on the grid, and are used to connect wind farms and solar power plants to the power grid; SolarTie Grid Interconnection Systems, which provide the inversion and reactive compensation necessary to connect megawatt-scale solar photovoltaic power plants to the power grid; superconductor wires for various applications, including motors, generators, fault current limiters, and power cables; and power cable systems that are manufactured by third parties, as well as turnkey project management services to electric utilities. American Superconductor Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Devens, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Dan Caplinger]
On Friday, American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC ) will release its latest quarterly results. After the loss of its largest customer two years ago, the company has had to make a massive readjustment in its business model, and investors still aren't sure whether it can bounce back from that major setback.
[By Travis Hoium]
To make matters even more contentious, China has been stealing trade secrets and other intellectual property for years, and that may finally be coming to a head now that it's the second largest economy in the world. Last week, American Superconductor's (NASDAQ: AMSC ) trade dispute with China was taken to another level when the Department of Justice indicted former AMSC partner Sinovel for stealing trade secrets. All indications are that this should have been an open-and-shut case in China, but the Chinese court system has thrown out the case, or dragged its feet for two years.�

Hot Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014: Google Inc.(GOOG)

Google Inc. maintains an index of Web sites and other online content for users, advertisers, and Google network members and other content providers. It offers AdWords, an auction-based advertising program; AdSense program, which enables Web sites that are part of the Google Network to deliver ads from its AdWords advertisers; Google Display, a display advertising network that comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space; and YouTube that provides video, interactive, and other ad formats for advertisers. The company also provides Google Mobile that optimizes Google?s applications for mobile devices in browser and downloadable form; and enables advertisers to run search ad campaigns on mobile devices, as well as Google Local that provides local information on the Web; and Google Boost for small businesses to participate in the ads auction. In addition, it offers And roid, an open source mobile software platform; Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system; Google Chrome, a Web browser; Google TV, a platform for the consumers to use the television and the Internet on a single screen; and Google Books platform to discover, search, and consume content from printed books online. Further, the company provides Google Apps, a cloud computing suite of message and collaboration tools, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Sites; Google Search Appliance that offers real-time search of business and intranet applications, and public Web sites; Google Site Search, a custom search engine; Google Commerce Search for online retail enterprises; Google Checkout to make online shopping and payments streamlined and secure; Google Maps Application Programming Interface; and Google Earth Enterprise, a firewall software solution for imagery and data visualization. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Chris Neiger]
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) just released its latest data today on content removal requests it receives from governments -- and it doesn't look good. It said that such requests have increased from 1,811 requests for 18,070 pieces of content in the first half of 2012 to 2,285 requests on 24,179 pieces of content from July to Dec. 2012.
[By John Udovich]
Its been about three weeks since�Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NYSE: AMD) reported earnings where good just wasn�� good enough plus there was some bad timing as there were a slew of earnings reports�around that time where major�tech stocks like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)�and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) missed Wall Street expectations. After the earnings report came out, our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio position in Advanced Micro Devices went from a handsome profit to being down�about 6% and we are still down about 4%. Nevertheless and while it�� the height of summer where there is not going to be much news, there is the following both good and some not so good news about Advanced Micro Devices to keep investors and traders alike interested in the stock:

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Socket Mobile Inc.(SCKT)

Socket Mobile, Inc. produces and sells mobile handheld computers and data collection products for the business mobility market. The company offers products to run mobile applications that enable the accessing, collection, and processing of data by using Bluetooth and wireless local area network (LAN) connection technologies. Its product line includes a family of handheld computer products for business enterprise uses; wearable cordless ring scanners for industrial applications; and a range of data collection products, including two dimensional (2D) and linear (1D) bar code scanners, plug-in radio frequency identification reader/writer products, and plug-in magnetic stripe readers that work with the company?s handheld computers, as well as 2D and 1D cordless hand scanners, which work with third-party mobile handheld devices, such as Smartphones, tablet computers, ultra-mobile personal computers, notebooks, and desktop systems. The company also offers original equipment man ufacturer (OEM) embedded products consisting of Bluetooth and wireless LAN plug-in cards that are used primarily by OEMs of electronic products to build wireless connection functions into their products using the Bluetooth and wireless LAN standards for wireless connectivity; and provides extended warranty and accidental breakage coverage services for products, including handheld computers, and ring and cordless hand scanners. It markets its products through a network of distributors and resellers, as well as through OEMs and value added resellers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company was formerly known as Socket Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Socket Mobile, Inc. in April 2008. Socket Mobile, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Newark, California.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: EMCORE Corporation(EMKR)

EMCORE Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides compound semiconductor-based products for the broadband, fiber optics, satellite, and solar power markets. The company operates in two segments, Fiber Optics and Photovoltaics. The Fiber Optics segment offers broadband products, including cable television, fiber-to-the-premises, satellite communication, video transport, and defense and homeland security products; and digital products comprising telecom optical, enterprise, laser/photodetector component, parallel optical transceiver and cable, and fiber channel transceiver products. This segment?s products enable information that is encoded on light signals to be transmitted, routed, and received in communication systems and networks. The Photovoltaics segment provides gallium arsenide (GaAs) multi-junction solar cells, covered interconnected cells, and solar panels for satellite applications; and concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) power systems for commercial and utility scale solar applications, as well as GaAs solar cells and integrated CPV components for use in other solar power concentrator systems. The company markets its products through its direct sales force, external sales representatives and distributors, and application engineers worldwide. EMCORE Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By CRWE]
EMCORE Corporation (Nasdaq:EMKR), a leading provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets, reported that it is ramping production and shipping the Opticomm-EMCORE NEXTGEN OTP-1DVI2A1SU insert cards for the Optiva platform.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Youku.com Inc.(YOKU)

Youku.com Inc. operates as an Internet television company in the People?s Republic of China. Its Internet television platform enables consumers to search, view, and share video content across various devices. The company?s services for users comprise video content library consisting primarily of professionally produced content, including television serial dramas, movies, event reports, variety shows, and music videos under the Youku brand. It also provides user-generated content through Youku Paike and Youku Niuren programs; and produces a range of content, such as sponsored Web serial dramas, reality shows, interviews, and variety shows under Youku Originals brand. The company?s other services for users comprise online video search and discovery, online community, video space, real time commenting, and searchable community message board, as well as wireless video, iPhone channels and iPad, and P2P downloadable software client services. In addition, it offers online advert ising services to various advertising companies operating in fast moving consumer goods, information technology services, automobile manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, financial services, e-commerce, and online game industries. The company?s products and services for advertisers and customers include online advertising services, such as in-video, display, sponsorship, and other forms of advertisements; targeting solutions; viral video advertisements; product placements; subscription-based services that enables users to watch advertisement-free premium content, such as high-definition movies; and sub-licensing content. It sells its advertising services through third-party advertising agencies comprising members of American Association of Advertising Agencies and Chinese advertising agencies. The company was formerly known as 1Verge Inc. and changed its name to Youku.com Inc. in June 2008. Youku.com Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Beijing, the Peo ple?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is up 8.7% at $54.94. Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) is down 0.3% at $17.51 on a weak forecast. Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) is down 1% at $62.81. Youku Tudou Inc. (NYSE: YOKU) is up 11.2% at $29.30. InterCloud Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ICLD) is up 265.9% at $9.33 on solid results and higher hopes.
[By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Shares of Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU) got a boost, shooting up 11.08 percent to $29.28 after the company reported a Q3 gross profit of RMB82.3 million (US$13.4 million).
[By Kevin Chen]
Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU ) plans to kick off a new partnership with Korea's YG Entertainment by being the exclusive China host of the webcast of the April 13 concert of Psy, whose wildly popular Gangnam Style video became the first YouTube video to have more than a billion views. It has more than 1.5 billion views as of today.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: DSP Group Inc.(DSPG)

DSP Group, Inc. provides wireless chipset solutions for converged communications at home. It enables consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers to develop new applications through system solutions that combine semiconductors and software with reference designs. The company offers solutions supporting various major digital cordless technologies with a primary share in the wireless home telephony market. It provides a portfolio of wireless chipsets integrating digital enhanced cordless telecommunications, Wi-Fi, public switched telephone network, and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)/communications over Internet Protocol technologies with application and multimedia processors. The company?s products enables converged voice, audio, video, and data connectivity across various consumer products, including cordless and VoIP phones, home gateways and broadband multimedia terminals, and home automation and wireless audio to fixed mobile convergence offerings, as well as partners w ith CE manufacturers to provide converged communications at home. It markets its products through direct sales and marketing offices, as well as through a network of distributors to CE brands, original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, telecommunications operators, and service providers primarily in the United States, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong, and Korea. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in San Jose, California.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Analog Devices Inc (ADI.O)

Analog Devices, Inc. (Analog Devices), incorporated on January 18, 1965, is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of a range of analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits (ICs). The Company produces a range of products, including data converters, amplifiers and linear products, radio frequency (RF) ICs, power management products, sensors based on micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and other sensors, and processing products, including DSP and other processors, which are designed to meet the needs of a base of customers. The Company's products are embedded inside many different types of electronic equipment, including industrial process control systems; instrumentation and measurement systems; wireless infrastructure equipment, and aerospace and defense electronics. The Company designs , manufactures and markets a range of ICs, which incorporate analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing technologies. The Comp any's product portfolio includes both general-purpose products used by a range of customers and applications, as well as application-specific products. On March 30, 2012, the Company acquired Multigig, Inc.

Analog Products

The Company's product portfolio includes several thousand analog ICs. The Company's analog IC customers include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and customers who build electronic subsystems for integration into larger systems. The Company is a supplier of data converter products. Data converters translate real-world analog signals into digital data and also translate digital data into analog signals. The Company is also a supplier of amplifiers. Amplifiers are used to condition analog signals. The Company provides precision, instrumentation, intermediate frequency/radio frequency (RF), broadband, and other amplifiers. The Company also offers a range of precision voltage references, which are used in a range of application s. The Company's analog product line also includes a range! p! ortfolio of RF ICs covering the RF signal chain, from RF function blocks, such as phase locked loops, frequency synthesizers, mixers, modulators, demodulators, and power detectors, to broadband and short-range single chip transceiver solutions.

The Company's RF ICs support the requirements of cellular infrastructure and a range of applications in the Company's target markets. Also within the Company's analog technology portfolio are products, which are based on MEMS technology. This technology enables the Company to build small sensors, which incorporate an electromechanical structure and the supporting analog circuitry for conditioning signals obtained from the sensing element. The Company's MEMS product portfolio includes accelerometers used to sense acceleration, gyroscopes used to sense rotation, inertial measurement units used to sense multiple degrees of freedom combining multiple sensing types along multiple axis, and MEMS microphones used to sense audio . The Company's current revenue from MEMS products is derived from the automotive end market. In addition to the Company's MEMS products, its other analog product category includes isolators. The Company's isolators have been designed for applications, such as universal serial bus isolation in patient monitors, where it allows hospitals and physicians to adopt the advances in computer technology to supervise patient health and wirelessly transmit medical records. In smart metering applications, the Company's isolators provide electrostatic discharge performance. In satellites, where any malfunction can be catastrophic, the Company's isolators help protect the power system while enabling designers to achieve small form factors. Power management & reference products make up the balance of the Company's analog sales. Those products, which include functions such as power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing and energy management, are developed to complement analog signal ch ain components across core market segments from micro ! power,! e! nergy-s! ensitive battery applications to power systems in infrastructure and industrial applications.

Digital Signal Processing Products

Digital Signal Processing products (DSPs) complete the Company's product portfolio. DSPs are optimized for numeric calculations, which are essential for instantaneous, or real-time, processing of digital data generated, from analog to digital signal conversion. The Company's DSPs are designed to be fully programmable and to execute specialized software programs, or algorithms, associated with processing digitized real-time, real-world data. Programmable DSPs are designed to provide the flexibility to modify the device's function using software. The Company's DSP IC customers write their own algorithms using software development tools provided by the Company and third-party suppliers. The Company's DSPs are designed in families of products, which share common architectures and therefore can execute the same software across a range of products. The Company's customers use the Company's products to solve a range of signal processing challenges across its core market and segment focus areas within the industrial, automotive, consumer and communications end markets. As an integrated part of the Company's customers' signal chain, there are other Analog Devices products connected to its processors, including converters, audio and video codecs and power management solutions.

The Company competes with Broadcom Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., Cirrus Logic, Inc., Microchip Technology, Inc., Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, ST Microelectronics, Intersil Corporation, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Knowles Electronics, Texas Instruments, Inc. and Linear Technology Corporation.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: TeleCommunication Systems Inc.(TSYS)

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. develops and delivers wireless communication technology in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Commercial and Government. The Commercial segment provides commercial services and systems that enable wireless carriers to deliver location-based information, Internet content, and short text messages to and from wireless phones. Its hosted and managed services include mobile location-based applications, comprising turn-by-turn navigation, E9-1-1 call routing; and wireless applications comprise navigation, people finder, and asset tracking. This segment?s customers use the company?s software functionality through connections to and from network operations centers. It serves wireless carrier network operators, voice over internet protocol service providers, state and local governments deploying 9-1-1 technology, and automotive industry suppliers. The Government segment designs, furnishes, installs, and ope rates wireless and data network communication systems, including its SwiftLink deployable systems, which integrate high speed, satellite, and Internet protocol technology with secure Government-approved cryptologic devices. It also owns and operates secure satellite teleport facilities; resells access to satellite airtime; and provides professional services, including field support of its systems, and cyber security training and services to the U.S. Department of Defense and government agencies. In addition, this segment offers engineering and electronics solutions for the space and defense markets. The company sells its products and services through direct sales force and indirect channels, as well as relationships with original equipment manufacturers. TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc.(TYPE)

Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides end-user and embedded text imaging solutions for use in print, Web, and mobile environments that enable people to create and consume content on various devices worldwide. It offers a collection of approximately 14,000 typefaces consisting of owned and licensed fonts; monotype, linotype, and ITC typeface libraries; custom font design services for corporate branding and identity purposes; and PCL 6 and Postscript 3 font collections. The company also provides font scaling, compression, and rasterizing technologies; text layout engines that enable consumer electronic devices to display multilingual text; printer driver kits, which enable printer manufacturers to create customized laser printer drivers; ColorSet imaging tools that give printer manufacturers control over color reproduction; and printer description languages. In addition, it offers Fontwise, a font license management solution that allows creative and business professionals to audit, manage, and purchase font licenses; FontExplorer, an X-font management software for managing and accessing fonts; and SpectraWorks, a graphical user interface development suite that consists a set of tools for developing embedded graphical user interfaces. Further, the company licenses its typefaces through various e-commerce Websites, including fonts.com, linotype.com, ascenderfonts.com, itcfonts.com, fontmarketplace.com, and webfonts.fonts.com. Its software technologies are deployed in a range of consumer electronics, including laser printers, digital copiers, mobile phones, navigation devices, digital cameras, e-book readers, digital televisions, set-top boxes, and consumer appliances, as well as in various software applications and operating systems. The company?s customers include consumer electronic device manufacturers, independent software vendors, and content creators. Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. is headquartered in Woburn, M assachusetts.