Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, regional freight railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming (NYSE: GWR ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Genesee & Wyoming, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Genesee & Wyoming facts
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| Headquarters (founded) | Greenwich, Conn. (1899) |
| Market Cap Best Freight Companies To Own For 2014: Beacon Federal Bancorp Inc.(BFED)Beacon Federal Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Beacon Federal that provides various banking services. The company?s deposit products include savings accounts, health savings accounts, certificates of deposit, interest and noninterest-bearing checking accounts accounts, money market accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan products portfolio comprises one-to four-family residential mortgage loans, consumer loans, home equity loans, commercial real estate loans, multi-family mortgage loans, and commercial business loans. The company also sells tax preparation services, as well as investment and insurance products on an agency basis. It operates from its corporate office located in East Syracuse, New York; and from eight full-service branches located in Syracuse, Marcy, and Rome, New York; Smartt and Smyrna, Tennessee; Tyler, Texas; and Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in East Syracuse, New Y ork. Best Freight Companies To Own For 2014: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)Rent-A-Center, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in leasing household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. The company?s stores offer durable products, such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, and furniture and accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements that allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. It also provides merchandise on an installment sales basis in its stores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,008 company-owned stores in the United States, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, including 42 retail installment sales stores under the names ?Get It Now? and ?Home Choice?; and 18 rent-to-own stores located in Canada under the ?Rent-A-Centre? name. It also operates 209 franchised rent-to-own stores in 32 states under the ColorTyme trade name; and 384 kiosk locations under the ?RAC Acceptance? model. In addition, the company, th rough its ColorTyme?s franchised stores, offers custom rims and tires for sale or rental under the trade names ?RimTyme? or ?ColorTyme Custom Wheels?. Rent-A-Center, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG)InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG), incorporated on May 21, 2004, is a global hotel company, operating seven brands internationally. IHG is the holding company. The principal activities of the Company are in hotels and resorts, with franchising, management, ownership and leasehold interests in over 4,400 establishments, with more than 658,000 guest rooms in over 100 countries and territories worldwide. IHG�� hotels brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Priority Club Rewards. It has four geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Greater China. As of December 31, 2011, the pipeline totalled 1,144 hotels (180,484 rooms). In March 2012, the Company announced the launch of HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts in China. During the year ended 31 December 2011, it sold four hotels, three in the Americas region and one in the AMEA region. IHG also manages the hotel loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has 3,832 hotels operate under franchise agreements; managed 637 hotels worldwide and owned 11 hotels. During 2011, the Company opened 241hotels (44,265rooms) and removed 98 hotels (33,078 rooms). IHG is focused on the three segments that together generate over 90% of branded hotel revenues: midscale (broadly 3-star hotels), upscale (4-star), and luxury (5-star). InterContinental Hotels & Resorts InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG�� 5-star brand located in cities and resort destinations across more than 60 countries worldwide. Hotels under InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand are principally managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 169 hotels and 57,598 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 51 hotels in development pipeline. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is the IHG�� upscale 4-star segment, specializes in offering modern business and meeting facilities with a service style to provide productive and energising experiences to guests. The majority of hotels under Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand are principally operated under franchise agreements in the United States and Europe, and are managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 387 hotels and 105,104 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 108 hotels in development pipeline. Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo provides guests with the refreshing design and service experience with a boutique hotel. The Hotels Indigo brand is principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 39 hotels and 4,564 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 59 hotels in development pipeline Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations The Holiday Inn brand family consists of Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations is the midscale hotel brand. Focused on creating an atmosphere where guests can relax, the brand is designed to support both business and leisure travellers. The brand family operates under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 1,240 hotels and 228,256 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 267 hotels in development pipeline. Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express offers convenience and comfort. As of December 31, 2011, there were 2,114 hotels and 196,666 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 470 hotels in development pipeline. Staybridge Suites Staybridge Suites is the Company�� upscale extended stay brand for guests on longer trips, offering studios and suites complete with full kitchens and separate sleeping and work areas in a sociable, family-like atmosphere. Properties under Staybridge Suites brand are operated under a mixture of franchise and management agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 179 hotels and 19,567 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 95 hotels in development pipeline. Candlewood Suites Candlewood Suites is the Company�� midscale extended stay brand that gives its guests all the essentials they need for a home-like stay. Properties under Candlewood Suites brand are principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 285 hotels and 27,500 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 94 hotels in development pipeline. The Company competes with Accor, Choice Hotels International, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation.Best Freight Companies To Own For 2014: Southern Missouri Bancorp Inc.(SMBC)Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for the Southern Missouri Savings Bank that provides community banking services in Missouri. It offers various deposit instruments, including demand deposit accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market deposit accounts, saving accounts, certificates of deposit, and retirement savings plans. The company?s lending activities consist of origination of loans for the acquisition or refinance of one- to four-family residences, as well as loans secured by commercial real estate, including improved and unimproved land, strip shopping centers, retail establishments, and other businesses. It also originates commercial real estate loans secured by property or land. In addition, the company provides various secured consumer loans comprising home equity, direct and indirect automobile loans, second mortgages, mobile homes, and loans secured by deposits. Further, it offers commercial business lendin g loans, including loans to finance accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, and operating lines of credit. Additionally, the company provides commercial and agricultural real estate, and commercial and agricultural business loans. It operates 15 full service branch facilities, and loan production offices in Missouri and Arkansas. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Best Freight Companies To Own For 2014: Lottvision Limited (M22.SI)LottVision Limited, an investment holding company, provides technology enabling solutions, video hosting, and Web-casting services in the license-restricted Web-television market in the People�s Republic of China. It installs and provides technical support services for digital video surveillance monitoring; provides liaison and Internet related support services; and develops and sells digital video surveillance products and solutions. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong. Why These Popular Dividend-Payers Slashed Their PayoutsDividend stocks have gotten increasingly popular in recent years, as alternatives have stopped producing as much income as they once did. Some of the most popular dividend payers in the market were real estate investment trusts specializing in mortgage-backed securities, which produced double-digit dividend yields thanks to their highly leveraged business models. But recently, some popular mortgage REITs have cut their dividends. In the following video, Fool contributor Dan Caplinger goes through some of the recent dividend cuts among the most popular mortgage REITs, discussing the reasons the dividend favorites are feeling pressure on profits and whether the trend is likely to continue. Dan also points out that some mortgage REITs have managed not to cut dividends, and concludes with a closer look at some of the factors that will affect mortgage REITs in the future. If you're an investor who prefers returns to rhetoric, you'll want to read The Motley Fool's new free report "5 Dividend Myths ... Busted!" In it, you'll learn which stocks provide premium growth and whether bigger dividends are better. 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But from its vast catalog of characters to its monster collection of media networks, much of Disney's allure for investors lies in its diversity, and The Motley Fool's premium research report lays out the case for investing in Disney today. This report includes the key items investors must watch as well as the opportunities and threats the company faces going forward. So don't miss out -- simply click here now to claim your copy today. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Rupert Resources Ltd. (RUP.V)Rupert Resources Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural resource properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. It holds a 100% interest in the Surf Inlet Gold property in northern British Columbia. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Team Health Holdings Inc.(TMH)Team Health Holdings, Inc. provides outsourced healthcare professional staffing and administrative services to hospitals and other healthcare providers in the United States. It recruits and contracts with healthcare professionals who then provide professional services within third-party healthcare facilities. The company offers a range of services, including recruiting, scheduling, and credential coordinating for clinical and non-clinical medical professionals; coding, billing, and collecting fees for services provided by medical professionals; providing experienced medical directors; administrative support services, such as payroll, professional liability insurance coverage, continuing medical education services, and management training; claims and risk management services; and standardized procedures. It provides outsourced physician staffing and administrative services in emergency medicine, inpatient services, anesthesiology, pediatrics, temporary staffing, primary car e clinics and occupational medicine, and other hospital-based functions. The company also offers healthcare management physician-related services within a military treatment facility setting; and non-physician staffing services to military treatment facilities, including services, such as para-professional providers, nursing, specialty technicians, and administrative staffing. In addition, it provides medical call center services comprising physician after-hours call coverage, community nurse lines, emergency department advice calls, physician referral, class scheduling, appointment scheduling, and Web response. The company serves approximately 730 civilian and military hospitals, clinics, and physician groups in 47 states with a team of approximately 7,100 healthcare professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses. Team Health Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Top 10 Clean Energy Companies To Buy Right Now: Ryder System Inc.(R)Ryder System, Inc. provides transportation and supply chain management solutions. It operates in three segments: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC). The FMS segment offers leasing, contract maintenance, contract-related maintenance, and commercial rental of trucks, tractors, and trailers primarily in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It also offers fleet support services, such as fuel, insurance, safety, administration, environmental management, and information technology services. In addition, this segment sells its used vehicles through 55 company owned retail sales centers, as well as through its Web site, Usedtrucks.Ryder.com. Its customers include small businesses and enterprises operating in transportation, grocery, lumber and wood products, food service, and home furnishings industries. The SCS segment provides supply chain consulting solutions in North America and Asia. It offers di stribution management, transportation management, and professional services, as well as various support services, such as information technology and engineering solutions. This segment primarily serves automotive, electronics, high-tech, telecommunications, industrial, consumer goods, consumer packaged goods, paper and paper products, office equipment, food and beverage, and general retail industries. The DCC segment offers vehicles and drivers as part of a transportation solution in the United States. It combines the equipment, maintenance, and administrative services of a service lease with drivers and additional services, such as routing and scheduling, fleet sizing, safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, technology and communication systems support, and other technical support. This segment serves energy and utility, metals and mining, retail, construction, healthcare products, and food and beverage industries. The company was founded in 1933 and is based in Mia mi, Florida. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: 21Vianet Group Inc.(VNET)21Vianet Group, Inc. provides carrier-neutral Internet data center services in China. It provides hosting and related services, managed network services, and cloud computing infrastructure, enhancing the reliability, security, and speed of its customers' Internet connections through 21Vianet's Internet infrastructure. The company?s customers locate their servers and networking equipment in 21Vianet's data centers and connect to China's Internet backbone through 21Vianet's fiber optic network. In addition, its managed network services enable customers to deliver data across the Internet in a faster and reliable manner through its data transmission network and proprietary BroadEx smart routing technology. The company operates 51 data centers located in 33 cities in China with approximately 6,600 cabinets under management. 21Vianet serves a diversified base of approximately 1,400 customers that span various industries ranging from Internet companies to government entities an d blue-chip enterprises to small- to mid-sized enterprises. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Enseco Energy Services Corp (ENS.V)Enseco Energy Services Corp., together with its subsidiaries, provides energy related services and rentals to the upstream oil and gas industry in the United States and Canada. It offers directional drilling services and equipment, including performance drilling motors; electromagnetic measurement while drilling (MWD) tools; negative and positive pulse MWD tools; well planning services; directional modeling services, including torque and drag, bottom hole assembly design, and anti-collision analysis; vertical monitoring services; un-manned MWD; and LWD-gamma ray, annular pressure, and resistivity measurements. Its directional drilling services and equipment allow customers to deviate a well from the vertical. The company also offers production testing/well testing services and equipment comprising P-tanks, frac flowback testing for oil and gas wells, in-line testing, bleed offs, stimulation recovery, sour service capability, wheeled flare stacks and office trailers, flow l ines rated to 10,000 psi, vessels rated from 200 to 1,440 psi, portable and skid mounted packages, separator working pressures to 2,000 psi, zero ground disturbance flare systems, material balance metering of gas and liquids, sand traps and junk catchers, electronic and Web based report posting, and rental equipment. As of December 31, 2011, it had 31 active testing units and related equipment in Canada; and 12 MWD systems. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Calgary, Canada. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Petroleum Resources Corporation(PEO)Petroleum & Resources Corporation operates as a nondiversified investment company. 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In addition, it offers a range of golf bags, hats, and other accessories. The company sells its products to on- and off- course golf shops, sporting goods retailers, and mass merchants, as well as to international distributors. Adams Golf, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Plano, Texas. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Saba Software Inc.(SABA)Saba Software, Inc. provides a class of people systems that combine people learning, people performance, and people collaboration solutions. People-driven enterprises use the company?s solutions to mobilize and engage people around new strategies and initiatives, as well as cultivate, capture, and share individual and collective knowhow. Its principal customer base includes organizations in financial services, life sciences and healthcare, high tech, automotive and manufacturing, retail, energy and utilities, and packaged goods sectors, as well as public sector organizations. The company?s solutions are available in the cloud and on-premise. Saba Software, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Smith & Wesson), incorporated on June 17, 1991, is a manufacturer of firearms. The Company manufactures a range of handguns, modern sporting rifles, hunting rifles, black powder firearms, handcuffs, and firearm-related products and accessories for sale to a range of customers, including gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and globally. It sell its products under the Smith & Wesson brand, the M&P brand, the Thompson/Center brand, and the Walther brand. The Company manufactures its firearm products at its facilities in Springfield, Massachusetts and Houlton, Maine. On July 26, 2012, it sold all of the assets of Smith & Wesson Security Solutions, Inc. Firearms During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced multiple new handgun and modern sporting rifle models, and one new bolt action rifle platform. The Company's rifle introductions included the addition of the M&P15 300 Whisper to the Company's line of modern sporting rifles. As of April 30, 2012, the Company participated in three categories of the long-gun market and both core categories of the handgun market. Handguns The Company manufactures an variety of handgun models that include revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. The Company's small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens. The Company's revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and personal markets. The Company�� M! &P15 Series of modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These rifles are also popular as sporting target rifles and are sold to consumers through the Company's sporting good distributors, retailers, and dealers. The Company has a range of product portfolio of modern sporting rifles, which includes a lower price-point, sport model, a .22 caliber model, and a fully automatic model designed for the exclusive use of military and law enforcement agencies throughout the world. Hunting Firearms The Company manufactures three lines of bolt-action rifles under its Thompson/Center brand consisting of several models in each line. The Company's hunting rifles are offered in 16 different calibers. Bolt-action rifles operate by the cycling of a bolt handle that allows for both the loading and unloading of rounds through a magazine fed system. During fiscal 2012, the Company introduced the Dimension bolt action rifle platform. Under the Company's Thompson/Center brand, the Company also offers seven models of American-made single shot black powder, or muzzle loader, firearms. The Company offers eight models of interchangeable, single shot firearm systems that deliver numerous gun, barrel, caliber configurations, and finishes. These systems can be configured as a center-fire rifle, rim-fire rifle, shotgun, black powder firearm, or single-shot handgun for use across the entire range of big- and small-game hunting. Handcuffs The Company manufactures handcuffs and restraints in the United States. The Company fabricates these products from the carbon or stainless steel. Smith & Wesson Academy Through the Smith & Wesson Academy, the Company offers instruction designed to meet the training needs of law enforcement and security customers worldwide. Classes are conducted at the Company's facility in Springfield, Massachusetts or o! n locatio! n around the world. Specialty Services The Company's services include forging, heat treating, finishing, and plating. It provides services to third-party customers. The Company competes with Ruger,Taurus, Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag Arms, DPMS, Browning, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Weatherby, CVA, Traditions, and Winchester. 10 Best Net Payout Yield Stocks To Buy Right Now: Alliance Capital Management Holding L.P. (AB)AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. provides investment management and related services in the United States and internationally. It offers institutional services, including separately-managed accounts, sub-advisory relationships, structured products, collective investment trusts, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment vehicles to unaffiliated corporate and public employee pension funds, endowment funds, domestic and foreign institutions, and governments. The company also provides retail services comprising retail mutual funds, sub-advisory relationships with mutual funds sponsored by third parties, and separately managed account programs sponsored by various financial intermediaries and other investment vehicles. In addition, it provides separately managed accounts, hedge funds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for private clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, charitable foundations, partnerships, and private and family corporat ions. Further, AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. offers research services to institutional investors through research, portfolio analysis, and brokerage-related services; and equity capital markets services to issuers of publicly-traded securities. Additionally, it provides distribution, shareholder servicing, and administrative services to its sponsored mutual funds. AllianceBernstein Corporation serves as the general partner of the company. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. was founded in 1987 and is based in New York, New York. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. operates as a subsidiary of AXA. Saturday, June 29, 2013Top Shipping Stocks To Buy Right NowPepsi stock hit an all-time high last month, but there's a new cola war brewing.� SodaStream's (NASDAQ: SODA ) enlisting bigger appliances in its battle against�Coca-Cola� (NYSE: KO ) and�PepsiCo� (NYSE: PEP ) , and the soda giants better be paying attention. SodaStream's partnership with Samsung has delivered the first refrigerator that uses SodaStream technology (and CO2 refills) to deliver carbonated water from the dispenser. This isn't science fiction. The refrigerator is shipping now, and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ) is already stocking the state-of-the-art kitchen appliance.� Now, it isn't cheap. Samsung's suggested retail price is $3,900. Best Buy is selling it for $3.700. However, as the technology gets cheaper, and other makers hop on the home-based carbonation bandwagon, it could mean a dent in sales for the soda giants. This could naturally hurt Pepsi stock as it leans more on its salty snacks business if the fizzing fridges take off.� Top Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: Seagate Technology.(STX)Seagate Technology Public Limited Company designs, manufactures, markets, and sells hard disk drives for enterprise, client compute, and client non-compute market applications worldwide. The company?s products are used in enterprise servers, mainframes, and workstations; desktop and notebook computers; digital video recorders; personal data backup systems; portable external storage systems; and digital media systems. It also provides data storage services for small to medium-sized businesses, including online backup, data protection, and recovery solutions; and ships external backup storage solutions under its Free Agent Go and Free Agent Go Flex product lines. The company sells its products primarily to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Seagate Technology Public Limited Company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Advisors' Opinion:
Top Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cater Allen Hdg(CTA.L)Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It offers backhoe, skid steer, multi-terrain, track-type, and wheel loaders; track, wheel, and mini excavators; select work tools; track-type tractors; motor graders; pipelayers; and related parts for the heavy construction, general construction, mining and quarry, and aggregates markets. The company also provides electric rope and hydraulic shovels, mining trucks, wheel dozers, draglines, electric drive mining trucks, compactors, tunnel boring and underground mining equipment, drills, forestry products, highwall miners, off-highway and articulated trucks, paving products, wheel tractor scrapers, electronics and control systems, and machinery components for mine, quarry, forestry, paving, and tunneling applications. In addition, it offers reciprocating engine powered generator sets; integrated systems for the electric power generation industry; reciprocating engines and integrated systems and solutions for the marine and petroleum industries, and industrial applications; turbines and turbine-related services; and diesel-electric locomotives and components, and other rail-related products and services. Further, the company provides retail financing for its equipment, machinery, and engines, as well as for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels that incorporate its products; wholesale financing to its dealers and customers; and insurance services. Additionally, it offers component manufacturing, remanufacturing, and logistics services, as well as distributes other companies? products. Caterpillar Inc. markets its products through its sales force, distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. The company was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquart ered in Peoria, Illinois. Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Bcgold Corp (BCG.V)BCGold Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold, and other precious and base metal properties in Canada. It primarily holds a 75% interest in the Engineer Mine property comprising 2,200 hectares situated to the west of Atlin, British Columbia; and a 100% interest in the Minto/Carmacks copper-gold properties covering 15,925 hectares located to the northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon. BCGold Corp. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Top Shipping Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund Inc(UTF)Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc. operates as a closed-end, nondiversified management investment company. It invests primarily in a portfolio of common stocks, preferred stocks, and other equity securities issued by utility companies; and in preferred securities and other fixed income securities of other companies. The fund?s investment portfolio primarily includes investments in various companies operating in utilities, agricultural chemicals, financials media real estate, specialty, food products, insurance, oil exploration and production, automotive, telecommunications sectors. Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. serves as the investment manager of the fund. The fund, formerly known as Cohen & Steers Select Utility Fund, Inc., was founded in 2004 and is based in the New York City. A Fool Looks BackAfter 34 years, Carnival (NYSE: CCL ) CEO Micky Arison is stepping down as CEO of the world's largest cruise-ship operator. Carnival's new CEO is Arnold Donald. He's a longtime board member, so he naturally knows the company and its present challenges well. He lives in St. Louis, ironically enough, far removed from the coastal ports that Carnival relies on for most of its sailings. This may be a peculiar time to step down. Carnival has had its shares of mishaps at sea since early last year, but the cruise line was starting to sail past floating blunders. Even the maligned Carnival Triumph resumed sailing earlier this months after months of repairs and updates. So is this really the right time for Carnival to be letting someone else steer the ship? Arison's Miami Heat won another NBA title a week earlier, so at least he's going out a winner on one front. Briefly in the news Now secure your future Daniel Kahneman on Challenging Economic AssumptionsDr. Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics, joins us to discuss his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. In this video segment, Daniel recalls his work with Richard Thaler, an important figure in the study of behavioral economics, and how the field of economics initially reacted to the idea of considering psychological factors in what was generally considered a rational and dispassionate discipline. The full version of the interview can be seen here. A transcript follows the video.
Morgan Housel: When you first started publishing the work, what was the response from different economists? What was their pushback? Daniel Kahneman: The first response was real contempt. They just didn't take it seriously. They didn't take psychology seriously at all. Economists know mathematics, more mathematics than other social scientists. If you know mathematics, you have a special attitude to the rest of the world, or to people who don't understand the formulas you have, so it took quite a while, actually. Housel: When psychology was brought into economics, was it fine-tuning around the edges, or was this taking existing theories and turning them upside down? Kahneman: Well, it was brought as a series of challenges. The person who really created behavioral economics is Richard Thaler, who is an economist. He happened -- not "happened"; it's not an accident -- he sought us out because he was a very unusual economist who was interested in what we were doing, as a graduate student. He is the next president of the American Economic Association, so you are talking of a development in 30 years in his career. In the 1980s he had a column in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, which was sort of the professional journal of the Economics Association. His column was called "Anomalies," and it was just facts in the world that look strange from the point of view of economic theory. These columns were read by everybody because he writes very well and he's very witty, and everybody was exposed to it. I think that, more than almost anything else -- well, I don't want to exaggerate -- but that had a big effect on making behavioral economics respectable. We didn't challenge the whole edifice, except that prospect theory was really saying that people cannot be quite as rational as they have been described. Dick Thaler and I did work on fairness, which showed that people are not as selfish as they've been described. He has done a lot of work on self-control because, although that was not mentioned, self-control is viewed as part of rationality but Dick Thaler has shown, and many others have, that people have "bounded self-control," as he describes it. They have procrastination problems. They don't make themselves think seriously about things that matter, and they spend a lot of time dithering and thinking about things that don't matter. The assumptions have been challenged, but economics is still pretty much the same discipline it was. More from The Motley Fool Great News! GDP's in the PitsMarkets jumped today in response to a surprising downward revision in Q1 GDP from 2.4% to 1.8%, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) gaining 150 points, or 1%, as a result. You read that right. In the backwards logic of the current financial zeitgeist, bad economic news is being construed as advantageous for stocks, as traders believe it will help dissuade the Federal Reserve from tapering its bond-buying program. Long-term investors should be aware that rallies such as today's are purely trader-driven. While it may be reasonable that negative data would influence the Fed, the best outcome for long-term investors would be to see strong GDP and job growth, as an economy returning to full health is the best medicine for stocks. On an up day on the market and a session where only three blue chips fell, Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) was actually the Dow's biggest mover, falling 2.2% as metal prices continue to decline. Gold has a hit a three-year low amid uncertainty from central banks around the world, and base metals have also declined recently on the Chinese credit crisis, since China is a major buyer of commodity metals. Alcoa has been the Dow's worst performer this year, as its dependence on aluminum prices has prevented it from taking advantage of the overall bull market. Back on the plus side, Boeing (NYSE: BA ) gained 2.1% on a couple of items. First, the aircraft maker said it will lease additional 717 jets to QantasLink and Volotea, a small European carrier, later this year. Boeing also made its first 787 Dreamliner delivery to British Airways, with the long-haul carrier having 23 more on order. The delivery is a reminder that the aerospace giant could see significant sales growth from the new composite jet now that it's put the battery-fire issues behind it. Another big mover was Home Depot (NYSE: HD ) , gaining 2.1%. There was no specific news surrounding the home-improvement retailer, but investors were likely pleased to see Treasury yields falling for the first time in eight sessions, easing concerns about rising mortgage rates, which could affect the housing recovery and, consequently, the housing-focused retailer. Shares may have also gotten a boost by reports yesterday that showed new-home sales increasing faster than expected, and a 12.1% increase in home prices in April, also topping projections. Interested in natural resources? Then you owe it to yourself to discover the most precious resource in the history of the world. It's not gold. Or even oil. But it's more valuable than both of them. Combined. And here's the crazy part: One emerging company already has the market cornered -- and stands to make in-the-know investors boatloads of cash. We reveal all in our special 100% free report "The 21st Century's Most Precious Natural Resource." Just click here for instant access! Friday, June 28, 2013Where to Go for the Most Valuable Investment NewsWhen it comes to learning more about your favorite businesses, the best source for information isn't likely to be The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, or even here at Fool.com. The best sources of investment news are more likely to be industry-specific blogs and expert social media feeds, says Fool contributor Tim Beyers in the following video. Incentives call for LinkedIn to pay out up to 480 million shares to Pulse team members, according to the company's latest 10-Q quarterly report. The deal sends a clear message: Scuttlebutt is more difficult to find in a noisy world, which makes tools for gathering it all the more valuable. This incredible tech stock is growing 2x as fast as Google and Facebook, and more than 3x 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! Schnitzer Earnings Smelt-Down Bodes Ill for Other SteelmakersIf you want to know what the future holds for global steel giants like Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT ) , U.S. Steel (NYSE: X ) , and Nucor (NYSE: NUE ) , one of the best ways you can spend your time, I suspect, is by reviewing the earnings reports of another company entirely -- Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN ) . A major recycler of metal scrap, Schnitzer today does more than 68% of its business outside of U.S. borders, exporting steel to countries abroad, which resmelt the stuff and use it to manufacture goods later imported to U.S. shores. Which countries abroad? Well, to give one hint, in years past, Schnitzer has been known to get as much as 40% of its total revenues from just one region -- Asia. And the biggest country in that region is China... Earnings upon us Earnings for the company's fiscal third quarter came to just $0.03 per share, down more than 90% sequentially from last quarter's $0.32. True, Schnitzer's results were affected by a restructuring charge in Q3. Also true, Q2 earnings benefited from an opposite tax "benefit" to earnings. But even so, the clear implication of a 90% drop in net profits cannot be ignored. So what went wrong? Schnitzer explains: "Ferrous export selling prices declined steadily throughout the third quarter, with market prices at the end of May approximately $50 per ton lower than at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2013." And in case you missed the word "export" the first time Schnitzer said it, management drove the point home with a second observation that weak pricing was "driven primarily by lower export demand". Suffice it to say, this doesn't bode well for the globe's manufacturing engine -- China -- continuing to grow and support global demand for commodities such as steel... and iron ore, coal, copper, and so on. It suggests a significant fall-off in demand, and reinforces reports that the Chinese manufacturing sector is now in its second month of recession. Foolish takeaway As for the other steel companies, USX and Nucor investors probably hope that analysts are right that their stocks, at least, can eke out 7% annual growth rates. But now, Schnitzer's news suggests these estimates, too, could be at risk. And Arcelor's projected 32% profits growth rate? Not going to happen. China is already the world's largest auto market -- and if China can turn things around, it could get even bigger in coming years. A recent Motley Fool report, "2 Automakers to Buy for a Surging Chinese Market", names two global giants poised to reap big gains that could drive big rewards for investors. You can read this report right now for free -- just click here for instant access. The Longest Bear Market BeginsOn this day in economic and business history... The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) began its existence in the swelling optimism of a post-panic bull market. That growth continued for five years, with a brief interruption at the turn of the century, before peaking on June 17, 1901. That day marked the start of the longest secular bear market in Dow history. Trading that day was light, and reports offered little indication of the long-term weakness to come. The export of $4 million worth of gold -- approximately 6.6 tons' worth at prevailing exchange rates -- to cover various debts was the only unpleasant news to be found, as lower gold stores could become a problem in the event of widespread withdrawals. A railroad price war in the American Northwest drew to a close. The damage wrought on the railroad industry by the Panic of 1893 finally seemed to be a thing of the past, and newly instituted railroad dividends and higher earnings appeared everywhere. However, the optimism wouldn't last. Labor unrest in the steel industry and a national corn shortage contributed to the early market slide into the first of several standard bear markets that wracked the Dow during its secular bearish period. President William McKinley's assassination in September of 1901 exacerbated the problem, as Wall Street began to freak out once it no longer had a steadfastly pro-business president on its side. The Dow would spend 20 years trying and failing to climb out of this extended secular bear. Inflation hammered Wall Street hard during this period: The real losses came to 63% from 1901 to 1921, compared to the 22% in nominal losses one can calculate from the Dow's closing prices on the first and last days of the secular bear. Want to learn more about secular bear markets? Click here for an in-depth explanation. A funny name for an awful piece of legislation Although it was designed to protect American jobs and goods from foreign competition during the early days of a historic economic downturn, the severity of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff caused a retaliatory wave of tariffs to rise against American goods elsewhere in the world, while many of America's key trading partners simply avoided U.S. trade altogether when they could. Global trade plunged throughout the remainder of the Hoover administration, bottoming at a level roughly two-thirds lower than its 1929 peak by 1934. Where the rubber meets the road As with many revolutionary products, his patent was largely ignored, forcing him to spend lots of money on expensive litigation. When Goodyear died, on July 1, 1860, he was $200,000 in debt. In 1898, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT ) was founded, with Frank Seiberling naming it after Goodyear. ... Goodyear's story is a sad one in that he would not realize the fruits of his ingenuity. But we should not weep for him, for he did not weep for himself. He supposedly said, in this regard, "Life should not be estimated exclusively by the standard of dollars and cents. I am not disposed to complain that I have planted and others have gathered the fruits. A man has cause for regret only when he sows and no one reaps." The War on Drugs is declared America's public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. ... If we are going to have a successful offensive, we need more money. Consequently, I am asking the Congress for $155 million in new funds, which will bring the total amount this year in the budget for drug abuse, both in enforcement and treatment, to over $350 million. ... I very much hesitate always to bring some new responsibility into the White House, because there are so many here, and I believe in delegating those responsibilities to the departments. But I consider this problem so urgent -- I also found that it was scattered so much throughout the Government, with so much conflict, without coordination -- that it had to be brought into the White House. His earlier proclamations to Congress were, if anything, far more dire. Nixon claimed: "If we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely in time destroy us. I am not prepared to accept this alternative." This publicity led to the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration two years later to further consolidate federal power over drug offenses. That department now employs nearly 10,000 people and controls a budget of nearly $3 billion per year -- but this is only a fraction of the amount spent on the War on Drugs each year. The federal government alone spent more than $15 billion prosecuting the War on Drugs in 2010 -- equal to nearly $50 for every man, woman, and child in the country. State-level spending rose to nearly double that amount. Nearly 1.6 million arrests are made for drug-abuse violations each year, and since 1996 a quarter of all new prison inmates are imprisoned for drug offenses. More than $1 trillion has been spent on prosecuting the War on Drugs since 1971, and more than 40 million people have been arrested for drug-related violations. That's undeniably a tremendous long-term drag on the U.S. economy, and for what benefit? Drugs have not been destroyed in the U.S., nor have they destroyed us. Nixon was wrong. What macro trend was Warren Buffett referring to when he said, "This is the tapeworm that's eating at American competitiveness"? Find out in our free report "What's Really Eating At America's Competitiveness." You'll also discover an idea to profit as companies work to eradicate this efficiency-sucking tapeworm. Just click here for free, immediate access. Thursday, June 27, 2013Hot Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) is apparently taking DISH Network's (NASDAQ: DISH ) $25.5 billion buyout proposal seriously. The wireless carrier's board of directors has formed a "special committee" of independent directors to evaluate DISH's unsolicited bid, the company announced today. The committee will review DISH's bid with financial and legal advisors to determine whether it will be a superior offer to the one previously proposed by Japanese telecom SoftBank. The merger offer from DISH is equal to $4.76 cash per share -- which it labels as an 18% premium over the implied $4.03-per-share offer of Softbank for 70% of Sprint -- and 0.05953 DISH shares for each outstanding share of Sprint stock. DISH's bid for Sprint came last week in a surprise announcement by the company and its chairman, Charlie Ergen. DISH had been attempting to purchase Sprint's longtime network provider Clearwire with a counteroffer to Sprint's own proposal. Hot 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. Hot Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: M&T Bank Corporation (MTB)M&T Bank Corporation operates as the holding company for M&T Bank and M&T Bank, National Association that provide commercial and retail banking services to individuals, corporations and other businesses, and institutions. It offers business loans and leases; business credit cards; deposit products, such as demand, savings, and time accounts; and financial services, including cash management, payroll and direct deposit, merchant credit card, and letters of credit. The company also provides residential real estate loans; multifamily commercial real estate loans; commercial real estate loans; one-to-four family residential mortgage loans; investment and trading securities; short-term and long-term borrowed funds; brokered certificates of deposit and interest rate swap agreements related thereto; and branch deposits. In addition, it offers foreign exchange, as well as asset management services. Further, the company provides consumer loans, and commercial loans and leases; cred it life, and accident and health reinsurance; and securities brokerage, investment advisory, and insurance agency services. As of December 31, 2009, it had 738 banking offices in New York State, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; a commercial banking office in Ontario, Canada; and an office in George Town, Cayman Islands. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Top 5 Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Comerica Inc (CMA)Comerica Incorporated (Comerica) is a financial services company. Comercia operates in four segments: the Business Bank, the Retail Bank, Wealth Management and the Finance Division. As of December 31, 2011, Comerica owned two active banking and 49 non-banking subsidiaries. The Company's Business Bank meets the needs of middle market businesses, multinational corporations and governmental entities by offering products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services and loan syndication services. On July 28, 2011, Comerica acquired Sterling Bancshares, Inc. (Sterling), a bank holding company. The Company's Retail Bank includes small business banking and personal financial services, consisting of consumer lending, consumer deposit gathering and mortgage loan origination. In addition to a range of financial services provided to small business customers, this business segment offers a range of consumer products, including deposit accounts, installment loans, credit cards, student loans, home equity lines of credit and residential mortgage loans. Wealth Management offers products and services consisting of fiduciary services, private banking, retirement services, investment management and advisory services, investment banking and brokerage services. This business segment also offers the sale of annuity products, as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance products. The Finance segment includes Comerica�� securities portfolio and asset and liability management activities. This segment is engaged in managing Comerica�� funding, liquidity and capital needs, performing interest sensitivity analysis and executing strategies to manage Comerica�� exposure to liquidity, interest rate risk and foreign exchange risk. The Other category includes discontinued operations, the income and expense impact of equity an! d cash, tax benefits not assigned to specific business segments and miscellaneous other expenses of a corporate nature. In addition, Comerica delivers financial services in its four markets: Midwest, Western, Texas and Florida. The Midwest market consists of Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. The Western market consists of the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Washington. California operations represent the the Western market. The Texas and Florida markets consist of the states of Texas and Florida, respectively. Other Markets include businesses with a national perspective, Comerica�� investment management and trust alliance businesses, as well as activities in all other markets, in which Comerica has operations, except for the International market. The International market represents the activities of Comerica�� international finance division, which provides banking services to foreign-owned, North American-based companies and to international operations of North American-based companies. Advisors' Opinion:
Hot Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014: Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by the United States Congress to support liquidity and stability in the secondary mortgage market, where mortgage-related assets are purchased and sold. The Company�� activities include providing market liquidity by securitizing mortgage loans originated by lenders in the primary mortgage market into Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities (Fannie Mae MBS), and purchasing mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities in the secondary market for its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae operates in three business segments: Single-Family business, Multifamily Business (formerly Housing and Community Development (HCD)) and Capital Markets group. Its Single-Family Credit Guaranty and Multifamily businesses work with its lender customers to purchase and securitize mortgage loans customers deliver to the Company into Fannie Mae MBS. The Company obtains funds to support its business activities by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Fannie Mae acquires funds to purchase mortgage-related assets for its mortgage portfolio by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. It also makes other investments. Fannie Mae conducts its business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. It conducts business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� Single-Family Business Single-Family business includes mortgage securitizations, mortgage acquisitions, credit risk management and credit loss management. Single-Family business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing single-family mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Its Single-Family business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the pu! rchase of single-family mortgage loans for the Company�� mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business prices and manages the credit risk on its single-family guaranty book of business, which consists of single-family mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and single-family loans held in its mortgage portfolio. Single-Family business and Capital Markets group securitize and purchase primarily single-family fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, first lien mortgage loans, or mortgage-related securities backed by these types of loans. The Company securitizes or purchases loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA), loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and loans guaranteed by the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program of the Department of Agriculture, manufactured housing loans, reverse mortgage loans, multifamily mortgage loans, subordinate lien mortgage loans and other mortgage-related securities. Its Single-Family business securitizes single-family mortgage loans and issues single-class Fannie Mae MBS. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business securitizes loans solely in lender swap transactions, in which lenders deliver pools of mortgage loans to the Company, which are placed immediately in a trust, in exchange for Fannie Mae MBS backed by these loans. Generally, the servicing of the mortgage loans held in its mortgage portfolio or that backs its Fannie Mae MBS is performed by mortgage servicers on the Company�� behalf. Lenders who sell single-family mortgage loans to Fannie Mae service these loans for the Company. For loans it owns or guarantees, the lender or servicer must obtain its approval before selling servicing rights to another servicer. Fannie Mae�� mortgage servicers collect and deliver principal and interest payments, administer escrow accounts, monitor and report delinquencies, perform default prevention activities, evaluate transfers of ownership interests, respond to requests for partial releases of s! ecurity, ! and handle proceeds from casualty and condemnation losses. Its mortgage servicers are the primary point of contact for borrowers and perform implementation of its homeownership assistance initiatives, negotiation of workouts of troubled loans, and loss mitigation activities. Mortgage servicers also inspect and preserve properties and process foreclosures and bankruptcies. Multifamily Mortgage Business Multifamily business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing multifamily mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Through its Multifamily business, Fannie Mae provides liquidity and support to the United States multifamily housing market principally by purchasing or securitizing loans that finance multifamily rental housing properties. It also provides some limited debt financing for other acquisition, development, construction and rehabilitation activity related to projects that complement this business. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the purchase and securitization of multifamily mortgage loans and securities for Fannie Mae�� portfolio, as well as to facilitate portfolio securitization and resecuritization activities. The Company�� multifamily guaranty book of business consists of multifamily mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and multifamily loans and securities held in Fannie Mae�� mortgage portfolio. Revenues for Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business are derived from a variety of sources, including guaranty fees received as compensation for assuming the credit risk on the mortgage loans underlying multifamily Fannie Mae MBS and on the multifamily mortgage loans held in its portfolio and on other mortgage-related securities; transaction fees associated with the multifamily business, and other bond credit enhancement related fees. As with the servicing of single-family mortgages, multifamily mortgage servicing is performed by the lenders who! sell the! mortgages to the Company. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business is organized and operated as an integrated commercial real estate finance business. Capital Markets Capital Markets group's primary business activities include mortgage and other investments, mortgage securitizations, structured mortgage securitizations and other customer services, and interest rate risk management. Capital Markets group manages the Company�� investment activity in mortgage-related assets and other interest-earning, non-mortgage investments. It funds its investments primarily through proceeds the Company receives from the issuance of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Its business activity is focused on making short-term use of its balance sheet rather than long-term investments. Activities Fannie Mae is undertaking to provide liquidity to the mortgage market include whole loan conduit, early funding, real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMICs) and other structured securitizations and dollar roll transactions. Whole loan conduit activities include its purchase of both single-family and multifamily loans principally for the purpose of securitizing them. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it was engaged in dollar roll activity. A dollar roll transaction is a commitment to purchase a mortgage-related security with a concurrent agreement to re-sell a similar security at a later date or vice versa. Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group is engaged in issuing both single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS through both portfolio securitizations and structured securitizations involving third party assets. Its Capital Markets group creates single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS from mortgage-related assets held in its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group may sell these Fannie Mae MBS into the secondary market or may retain the Fannie Mae MBS in its investment portfolio. The Company�� Capital Markets group creates single-clas! s and mul! ti-class structured Fannie Mae MBS, for its lender customers or securities dealer customers, in exchange for a transaction fee. The Company�� Capital Markets group provides its lender customers and their affiliates with services that include offering to purchase a range of mortgage assets, including non-standard mortgage loan products; segregating customer portfolios to obtain optimal pricing for their mortgage loans, and assisting customers with hedging their mortgage business. Although the Company�� Capital Markets group�� business activities are focused on short-term financing and investing, revenue from its Capital Markets group is derived primarily from the difference, or spread, between the interests it earns on its mortgage and non-mortgage investments and the interest it incurs on the debt the Company issues to fund these assets. Its Capital Markets revenues are primarily derived from the Company�� mortgage asset portfolio. Capital Markets group funds its investments primarily through the issuance of a variety of debt securities in a range of maturities in the domestic and international capital markets. Investors in the Company�� debt securities include commercial bank portfolios and trust departments, investment fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, state and local governments, and central banks. The Company competes with Freddie Mac, FHA and Ginnie Mae. Wednesday, June 26, 2013My Property Burned Down Last WednesdayIn June 2012, Colorado experienced the worst wildfire on record. This year, we topped it. I say "we" because I'm a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and last week, I, along with hundreds of others, watched our property burn. There's nothing quite like watching your home burn -- whether it's your personal residence, or the area surrounding where you live -- the desperation that grips you, knowing there's nothing you can do but watch, is beyond words. But even in the midst of this tragedy, there's a silver lining: When things look bleak, the generosity of others will surprise you. It begins
From Tuesday through Thursday, firefighters tried desperately to slow Black Forest Fire's growth. The military and aircraft were brought in, and the fire was upgraded to a Type 1 Incident -- the most severe type of wildfire -- but despite everyone's best effort, Black Forest Fire grew to 14,280 acres, killed two, and destroyed 509 homes. As of today, more than a week after the fire started, Black Forest Fire is at 95% containment, and is officially the worst Colorado wildfire on record. The light in the darkness During the fire, thousands of people donated food and beverages to help firefighters fighting on the front lines. In fact, when organizations like Care and Share mentioned a need, donations would flood the center. Additionally, thousands of people volunteered to help in whatever capacity was needed -- animal rescue, call center manning, you name it. Local businesses also stepped up. Last year, Tucker Wannamaker, a business owner with Magneti Marketing, helped start Wild Fire Tees where 100% of profits go to help victims. When I asked him about this effort, he said, "Wild Fire Tees launched on a Wednesday, the day after the Waldo Canyon fire moved through a big neighborhood in Colorado Springs. We thought we'd sell a couple hundred tees. That was way off. By the end of Thursday, we'd sold $170,000 worth of tees." Tucker credits this success to a combination of social media, people's deep love for Colorado Springs, and an overall desire to help. Now, Wild Fire Tees is at it again and selling tees to raise money for victims of Black Forest Fire. Tucker said Wild Fire Tees' goal is to raise $500,000 for victims, and considering they've already raised $400,000, their goal is not far off. When I asked him what makes Colorado Springs so special, and what drove him to help, he said, "We're a community that bands together. I think the whole state is really that way. There's something magical about this state of ours." Wild Fire Tees isn't the only local business to help fire victims. Poor Richards Restaurant offered complimentary pizza for fire victims and firefighters, Tucanos, another local restaurant, offered free lunch on Sundays to evacuees, and The Sky Sox, a local sports stadium, offered free upper reserved seat vouchers to people donating food, and other needed goods -- that's just a few of the hundreds of business that stepped in to help. And that's not all. As a writer for The Motley Fool, it's easy for me to be critical of companies -- that's my job. But watching million and billion dollar companies look past their bottom-line to help fire victims reaffirmed why there's more to evaluating a company than just finances. CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) offered free call forwarding to fire victims. Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) provided a $10,000 grant to The American Red Cross, 1-1 matching of employee donations, and set up a system where Verizon wireless customers could donate $10 by texting STORM or REDCROSS -- Verizon waved text-messaging fees for this. And unlike DIRECTV's initial response to a fire victim that resulted in widespread social media outrage , DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) proactively issued a statement saying all equipment damage fees would be waved, fire victims could pause service, and reinstallation fees would be waved. Even defense heavyweight, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), is helping fire victims. For employees that want to help victims by making donations to 501c3 organizations, Northrop will match donations up to $5000 per employee. Additionally, the Northrop Grumman Foundation provided a $25,000 grant to the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross following the Waldo Canyon Fire. That grant was used to buy medical cots, dividers, and a new disaster trailer. Mark Root, Northrop's Corporate Director of Media Relations, said, "During the Black Forest Fire, that disaster trailer was immediately put into service. The Executive Director of the local Red Cross has repeatedly thanked us and communicated how important the equipment/supplies were in supporting Red Cross operations during this blaze. In one case, enabled them to offer emergent care to a fire evacuee." Through their responses to the Black Forest Fire, the above companies demonstrated that there's more to them than just profits. And when I evaluate a company's potential long-term stability and growth, the importance a company places on its reputation and how it treats people, plays a large factor. We will rebuild
Now more than ever, it's essential to take control of your investments if you want to have a financially secure retirement. The Fool wants to help you retire, so we've put together a research report with three promising stocks specifically chosen with long-term retirement investors in mind. Don't miss out on this absolutely free report; click here and get your copy today! 2 Headwinds You Must Understand Before Investing in a BankThe recent and very rapid rise in bond yields is changing the playing field for banks. As second-quarter earnings announcements rapidly approach, expect them to have an impact on both revenue and profit margins. Every bank will be affected, from the trillion-dollar megabanks like JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC ) , to the community bank headquartered in your home town (or an index of community banks, like the SPDR S&P Regional Banking Index). In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Jay Jenkins explains these critical issues and what they mean heading into the second-quarter earnings season. Many investors are scared about investing in big banking stocks after the crash, but the sector has one notable stand-out. In a sea of mismanaged and dangerous peers, it rises above as "The Only Big Bank Built to Last." You can uncover the top pick that Warren Buffett loves in The Motley Fool's new report. It's free, so click here to access it now. The Hartford Raises Dividend 50%, Increases Buyback PlanProperty and casualty insurance provider The Hartford (NYSE: HIG ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, 50% higher than the payout it made to investors last quarter of $0.10 per share. The board of directors said the quarterly dividend will be paid on Oct. 1 when it declares the next payout. The insurance provider has made quarterly payouts to investors since 1996. The board also announced it is increasing the company's share repurchase plan by $750 million, bringing the total authorization, which expires Dec. 31, 2014, to $1.25 billion. Noting that to date the insurer has bought back only $166 million on the current program, it suggests Hartford may be preparing to repurchase a large slug of stock. The Hartford Chairman, President, and CEO Liam E. McGee said: "... the next phase of The Hartford's capital management plan ... reflects our commitment to use excess capital for capital management actions and reinvestment in the businesses." The regular dividend payment equates to a $0.60-per-share annual dividend, yielding 2.1% based on the closing price of The Hartford's stock on June 25.
HIG Dividend data by YCharts. Chart does not reflect new, higher dividend announcement. link Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014Unless you��e in the industry, understanding the business behind ServiceNow (NOW) is likely to be a little challenging. It calls itself ��he Enterprise IT Cloud Company,��but decoding that jargon is tricky. Its goals include, ��ransform enterprise IT,����utomate and standardize business procedures��and ��onsolidate global IT to a single system of record.��But what does that mean? Here�� the way I see it. All over the world, information technology (IT) departments are overwhelmed by complexity, just as many of us individual users are overwhelmed by complexity. Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: Oxford Resource Partners LP(OXF)Oxford Resource Partners, LP, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production of steam coal and surface mined coal in the United States. It holds interests in approximately 21 active surface mines that are managed as 8 mining complexes located in Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin to serve its primary market area of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company sells its coal primarily to utilities with coal-fired, base-load scrubbed power plants under long-term coal sales contracts, as well as to municipalities, cooperatives, and industrial customers. Oxford Resource Partners, LP was founded in 1985 and is based in Columbus, Ohio. Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Lim (XOP.V)Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited, an oil and gas company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas offshore reserves in offshore West Africa and in the United Kingdom North Sea. The company was formerly known as Velo Energy Inc. and changed its name to Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited in July 2010. Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. 10 Best Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Ross Stores Inc.(ROST)Ross Stores, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home accessories stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its Ross Dress for Less brand stores sell brand and designer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20 to 60 percent off department and specialty store regular prices; and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores sell apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20 to 70 percent off moderate department and discount store regular prices. As of January 29, 2011, the company operated 1,055 stores, of which 988 were Ross Dress for Less brand stores in 27 states and Guam, and 67 were dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores in 6 states. Its Ross Dress for Less brand stores primarily target middle income households and dd?s DISCOUNTS brand stores target moderate income households. Ross Stores, Inc. was found ed in 1957 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: MAKO Surgical Corp.(MAKO)MAKO Surgical Corp., a medical device company, markets its advanced robotic arm solution and orthopedic implants for orthopedic procedures in the United States and internationally. The company offers MAKOplasty, a restorative surgical solution that enables orthopedic surgeons to treat patient specific osteoarthritic disease. It also provides robotic arm interactive orthopedic system (RIO) consisting of a tactile robotic arm utilizing an integrated bone cutting instrument; and a patient specific visualization component, which offers pre-operative and intra-operative guidance to the orthopedic surgeon, enabling tissue sparing bone removal, and accurate implant insertion and alignment. The company?s MAKOplasty partial knee arthroplasty solution enables resurfacing of one or two specific diseased compartments of the joint, preserving more soft tissue and healthy bone of the knee; and MAKOplasty Total Hip Arthroplasty, a surgical solution that enables orthopedic surgeons to pe rform total hip arthroplasty. In addition, it offers tactile guidance system, which allows orthopedic surgeons to treat degenerative knee osteoarthritis from early-stage unicompartmental degeneration through mid-stage multicompartmental degeneration with a modular knee implant system; and RESTORIS family of implants for use in single and bicompartmental knee resurfacing procedures. The company markets its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent orthopedic product agents and distributors. MAKO Surgical Corp. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Advisors' Opinion:
Top 5 Information Technology Companies For 2014: LaCrosse Footwear Inc.(BOOT)LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of footwear for the work and outdoor markets. The company offers its products under the DANNER and LACROSSE brand names. Its Danner?s product offerings include product categories, such as uniform, hunting, work, hiking, and related accessories; and LaCrosse?s product offerings comprise product categories, such as hunting, work, cold weather, and related accessories. The company markets its products through employee field sales staff, independent distributors, sporting goods and outdoor retailers, general merchandise and independent shoe stores, wholesalers, industrial distributors, independent distributor and dealer networks outside the United States, Internet Websites, and a factory store in Portland, Oregon, as well as through federal, state, and other government agencies. LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Tuesday, June 25, 2013Zillow Launches Platform to Help Agents, Buyers CommunicateOnline real estate marketplace Zillow (NASDAQ: Z ) has launched a new web and mobile co-shopping platform, Agentfolio, for direct communication among agents and homebuyers, the company announced today. The platform is the result of Zillow's October 2012 buyout of collaborative shopping company Buyfolio, which is now called Agentfolio. Zillow says Agentfolio is the only platform for real estate that provides collaborative search options for multiple people. Zillow is offering the service for free among members of its Premier Agent program, and $25 a month for agents who are not subscribers. Zillow launched Agentfolio in Chicago and plans to roll it out in New York City, Boston, and other markets across the country. Susan Daimler, Zillow's director of Agentfolio, said she believes the service will allow for more efficient communication in the processes of searching for and selling homes. "The home search has gotten too complicated for the inbox," she was quoted as saying. "Agentfolio provides a mobile and online workspace where agents and their clients can search, share, organize and discuss listings all in one place." link 10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right NowTelecom industry services provider�CSG Systems (NASDAQ: CSGS ) announced today�that it would initiate the payment of a quarterly dividend to investors, marking the first time in company history it has done so. The board of directors said the quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share is payable on July 25 to the holders of record at the close of business on July 10. Going forward, it expects to pay dividends each year in September, December, March, and June.� CSG Systems President and CEO Peter Kalan said: "Since our inception, we have demonstrated that we can grow revenues at or above the market, make important investments to help us get broader and deeper in our clients' operations, and generate strong, predictable cash flows. These characteristics have provided us with a strong balance sheet and the flexibility to continue to invest in our business while at the same time, return capital to our shareholders." 10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: Corning Incorporated(GLW)Corning Incorporated manufactures and processes specialty glass and ceramics products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials, and Life Sciences. The Display Technologies segment manufactures liquid crystal display (LCD) glass for flat panel displays used primarily in notebook computers, flat panel desktop monitors, and LCD televisions. The Telecommunications segment produces optical fiber and cable, and hardware and equipment products, such as cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware, fiber optic connectors, optical components and couplers, closures and pedestals, splice and test equipment, and other accessories for optical connectivity to the telecommunications industry. This segment also offers optical fiber technology products for various applications, such as premises, fiber-to-the-home access, metropolitan, long-haul, and submarine networks. The Environmental Technologies segment manufactures ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile and stationary applications. The Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide approximately 150 material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, and fluoride crystals used in commercial and industrial markets. The Life Sciences segment provides scientific laboratory products, such as general labware and equipment, as well as tools for cell culture and bioprocess, genomics and proteomics, and high-throughput screening. This segment also develops and produces various technologies, such as the Corning HYPERFlask Cell Culture Vessel for increased cell yields; and other novel surfaces, which include the Corning CellBIND Surface and the Corning Osteo-Assay surface. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is based in Corning, New York. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: Harris Corporation (HRS)Harris Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a communications and information technology company that serves government and commercial markets worldwide. It operates in three segments: RF Communications, Government Communications Systems, and Broadcast Communications. The RF Communications segment designs, develops, and manufactures secure radio communications products and systems for manpack, handheld, soldier-worn, vehicular, strategic fixed-site, and shipboard applications that operate in various radio frequency bands. It also offers products and solutions ranging from wireless network infrastructure solutions to portable and mobile single-band and multiband radios, and public safety-grade broadband video and data solutions for the public safety, federal, utility, commercial, and transportation markets. The Government Communications Systems segment develops, supplies, and integrates communications and information processing products, systems, and netw orks for aerospace, terrestrial, and maritime applications supporting department of defense missions. This segment also provides mission-critical communications and information processing systems for the U.S. civilian Federal market, as well as offers IT transformation, managed, and information assurance solutions. The Broadcast Communications segment provides workflow, infrastructure, and networking solutions that enable media companies to streamline workflow from production through transmission; media solutions to manage digital media workflow through software solutions for advertising, media management, digital signage, broadband, digital asset management, and play-out automation; and transmission systems for delivery of media over wireless broadcast terrestrial networks. The company also offers healthcare IT solutions, IT compliance solutions, and mission-critical managed satellite communications services. Harris Corporation was founded in 1895 and is based in Melbourne, Florida. Hot Shipping Companies To Buy Right Now: Partner Communications Company Ltd.(PTNR)Partner Communications Company Ltd. provides various telecommunications services in Israel. It offers cellular telephony services on GSM/GPRS and UMTS/HSDPA networks. The company also provides basic services, including domestic mobile calls, international dialing, roaming, voice mail, short message services, intelligent network services, content based on its cellular portal, data and fax transmission, and other services. In addition, it offers Internet services provider services that provides access to the Internet, as well as home WiFi networks; value added services, such as anti-virus and anti-spam filtering; and transmission services; and Web video on demand services, music tracks, and games. Further, the company provides voice over broadband and primary rate interface fixed-line telephone services; and data capacity services. Additionally, it offers content services comprising voice mail, text, and multimedia messaging, as well as downloadable wireless data application s, including ring tones, music, games, and other informational content; and sells handsets, phones, routers, and related equipment. The company markets its products through its sales centers, business sales representatives, traditional networks of specialized dealers, and non-traditional networks of retail chains and stores under the Orange brand name. Partner Communications Company Ltd. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Rosh Ha-ayin, Israel. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: DTE Energy Company(DTE)DTE Energy Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in Michigan. It also involves in non-utility operations. The company?s Energy Utility segment engages in the generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity from various fuels, including coal, as well as from nuclear and hydro facilitates. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned and operated approximately 674 distribution substations and approximately 412,100 line transformers; and supplied electricity to 2.1 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. The company?s Gas Utility segment engages in the purchase, storage, transmission, distribution, and sale of natural gas in Michigan. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s distribution system included approximately 19,000 miles of distribution mains, 1,036,000 service lines, and 1,319,000 active meters. It also o wned approximately 2,000 miles of transmission lines that deliver natural gas; and supplied natural gas to approximately 1.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Michigan, as well as to approximately 17,000 customers in Adrian, Michigan. The company?s non-utility operations include natural gas pipelines and storage; unconventional gas exploration, development, and production; power and industrial projects, and coal transportation and marketing; and energy marketing and trading operations. Its customers include electric utilities, merchant power producers, integrated steel mills, and industrial companies. DTE Energy Company was founded in 1995 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sprint Nextel Corp (S.C)Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint), incorporated on November 15, 1938, is a holding company, with its operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries. The Company operates in two segments: Wireless and Wireline. Sprint is a communications company offering a range of wireless and wireline communications products and services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. Its operations are organized to meet the needs of its targeted subscriber groups through focused communications solutions that incorporate the capabilities of its wireless and wireline services. Its services are provided through its ownership of extensive wireless networks, an all-digital global long distance network. The Company offers wireless and wireline voice and data transmission services to subscribers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands under the Sprint corporate brand, which includes its retail brands of Sprint, Nextel, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless on networks that utilize third generation (3G) code division multiple access (CDMA), integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), or Internet protocol (IP) technologies. The Company also offers fourth generation (4G) services utilizing Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology through its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale relationship with Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC (together Clearwire) and, in October 2011, it announced its focus to deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as part of its network modernization plan, Network Vision. As of October 19, 2012, the Company controls 50.8% interest in Clearwire Corp. Wireless The Company offers wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale and affiliate basis, which includes the sale of wireless services that utilize the Sprint network but are sold under! the wholesaler's brand. The Company supports the open development of applications, content, and devices on its network platforms through products and services, such as Google Voice, which allows for functionality, such as one phone number for all devices (home, wireless and office), routing calls between devices, and in-call options to switch between devices during a call and Google Wallet, which provides the ability to store loyalty, gift and credit cards, and to tap and pay while the customer shop using their wireless device. The Company has also launched multiple Sprint ID packs that download applications, widgets and other content related to a person's interest at the push of a button. In addition, it enables a variety of business and consumer third-party relationships, through its portfolio of machine-to-machine solutions, which it offers on a retail postpaid and wholesale basis. Its machine-to-machine solutions portfolio provides a secure, real-time and reliable wireless two-way data connection across a range of connected devices, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and after-market in-vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle charging stations, point-of-sale systems, kiosks and vending machines, asset tracking, digital signage, security, smartgrid utilities, medical equipment and a variety of other consumer electronics and appliances. The Company offers price plans tailored to business subscribers, such as Business Advantage, which allows for the mix and match plans that include voice, voice and messaging, or voice, messaging and data to meet individual business needs and which also includes its Any Mobile Anytime feature with certain plans. Its prepaid portfolio includes multiple brands, each designed to appeal to specific subscriber segments. Virgin Mobile serves subscribers who are device and data-oriented with Beyond Talk plans and its broadband plan, Broadband2Go, that offer subscribers control and connectivity through various communication vehicles. Assuran! ce Wirele! ss provides eligible subscribers, who meet income requirements or are receiving government assistance, with a free wireless phone and 250 free minutes of local and long distance monthly service. Wireless data communications services include mobile productivity applications, such as Internet access, messaging and email services; wireless photo and video offerings; location-based capabilities, including asset and fleet management, dispatch services and navigation tools, and mobile entertainment applications, including the ability to view live television, listen to satellite radio, download and listen to music, and game play with full-color graphics and polyphonic and real-music sounds from a wireless handset. Wireless voice communications services include basic local and long distance wireless voice services throughout the United States, as well as voicemail, call waiting, three-way calling, caller identification, directory assistance and call forwarding. It also provides voice and data services to areas in numerous countries outside of the United States through roaming arrangements. It offers customized design, development, implementation and support for wireless services provided to companies and government agencies. Its services are provided using a variety of multi-functional devices, including smartphones, mobile broadband devices, such as air cards and hotspots, and embedded tablets and laptops manufactured by various suppliers for use with its voice and data services. It sells accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, batteries, battery chargers and other items to subscribers, and it sells devices and accessories to agents and other third-party distributors for resale. The Company delivers wireless services to subscribers primarily through its existing networks or as a reseller of 4G services through its MVNO wholesale relationship with Clearwire. Its Sprint platform, an all-digital wireless network with spectrum licenses that allows the Company to provide! service ! in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, uses a single frequency band and a digital spread-spectrum wireless technology, code division multiple access (CDMA), that allows a number of users to access the band by assigning a code to all voice and data bits, sending a scrambled transmission of the encoded bits over the air and reassembling the voice and data into its original format. It provides nationwide service through a combination of operating its own digital network in United States metropolitan areas and rural connecting routes, affiliations under commercial arrangements with third-party affiliates (Affiliates) and roaming on other providers' networks. The Company markets its postpaid services under the Sprint and Nextel brands. It offers these services on a contract basis typically for one or two-year periods, with services billed on a monthly basis according to the applicable pricing plan. As it deploy Network Vision, it will continue to focus on the Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base, including the migration of existing Nextel platform subscribers to other offerings on its Sprint platform, which includes future offerings on its multi-mode network, such as Sprint Direct Connect. It markets its prepaid services under the Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Assurance Wireless brands as a means to provide value-driven prepaid service plans to particular markets. Its wholesale customers are resellers of its wireless services rather than end-use subscribers and market their products and services using their brands. The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Wireless (Verizon), T-Mobile, Metro PCS Communications, Inc., Leap Wireless International, Inc. and TracFone Wireless. Wireline The Company provides a suite of wireline voice and data communications services to other communications companies and targeted business and consumer subscribers. In addition, it provides voice, data and IP communication services to its Wireles! s segment! , and IP and other services to cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs). Cable MSOs resell its local and long distance services and use its back office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities primarily to residential end-user subscribers. The Company is a provider of long distance services and operate all-digital global long distance and Tier 1 IP networks. The Company�� services and products include domestic and international data communications using various protocols such as multiprotocol label switching technologies (MPLS), IP, managed network services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) and traditional voice services. Its IP services can also be combined with wireless services. Such services include its Sprint Mobile Integration service, which enables a wireless handset to operate as part of a subscriber's wireline voice network, and its DataLinkSM service, which uses its wireless networks to connect a subscriber location into their primarily wireline wide-area IP/MPLS data network. The Company also provides wholesale voice local and long distance services to cable MSOs, which they offer as part of their bundled service offerings, as well as traditional voice and data services for their enterprise use. The Company also continues to provide voice services to residential consumers. Its Wireline segment markets and sells its services primarily through direct sales representatives. It offers VoIP-based services to business subscribers and transport VoIP-originated traffic for various cable companies. The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications, Inc. 10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation. Wireless DataCom The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world. The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities. MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces. The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo. Satellite The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network. The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture. The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom. 10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: NII Holdings Inc.(NIHD)NII Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides wireless communication services under the Nextel brand name to businesses and individuals in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Its services include mobile telephone service; Nextel Direct Connect service, which allows subscribers to talk to each other on a push-to-talk basis for private one-to-one calls or on group calls. The company also provides value-added services, including text messaging services; mobile Internet services; e-mail services; location-based services, such as the use of global positioning system technologies; digital media services; and a set of applications available via its content management system and the Android open application market. In addition, it offers business solutions, such as security, work force management, logistics support, and other applications to improve productivity; and international roaming services. NII Holdings, Inc. sells its products and services through direct sales representatives, indirect sales agents, retail stores, kiosks, and Website. The company was formerly known as Nextel International, Inc. and changed its name to NII Holdings, Inc. in December 2001. NII Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Reston, Virginia. 10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: Verizon Communications Inc.(VZ)Verizon Communications Inc. provides communication services. The company operates through two segments, Domestic Wireless and Wireline. The Domestic Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data services; and sells equipment in the United States. The Wireline segment provides voice, Internet access, broadband video and data, Internet protocol network, network access, long distance, and other services in the United States and internationally. The company serves consumer, business, and government customers, as well as carriers. As of December 31, 2010, its network covered a population of approximately 292 million and provided service to a customer base of approximately 94.1 million. The company was formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation and changed its name to Verizon Communications Inc. in June 2000. Verizon Communications Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in New York, New York. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: Level 3 Communications Inc.(LVLT)Level 3 Communications, Inc. engages in the communications business in North America and Europe. It offers network and Internet services, including transport services, high speed Internet protocol services, dedicated Internet access, virtual private network services, and dark fiber services, as well as managed modem, an outsourced, turn-key infrastructure solution; and colocation services. The company also provides various media services, comprising Vyvx services that provide audio and video feeds over fiber or satellite; content delivery network services; media delivery services to customers seeking to manage, protect, and monetize content delivered over the Internet; a range of local and long distance voice services, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and traditional circuit-switch based services; and VoIP Enhanced Local, a VoIP service that enables broadband cable operators, IXCs, VoIP providers, and other companies operating their own switching infrastructure to launch IP-based local and long-distance voice services through a broadband connection. Level 3 Communications? media services also consist of SIP Trunking, a VoIP-based local phone service; Local Inbound service that terminates traditional telephone network originated calls to Internet Protocol termination points; Primary Rate Interface, a TDM local phone service that could be configured in various ways; Long Distance services portfolio comprising local and long distance transport and termination services; and Toll Free services portfolio, which terminate toll free calls that are originated on the traditional telephone network. As of December 31, 2010, its network encompassed approximately 68,000 intercity route miles in North America and an intercity network covering approximately 13,000 miles across Europe. Further, it sells coal primarily through long-term contracts with public utilities. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. Advisors' Opinion:
10 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP.O)CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation. < p>Wireless DataCom The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world. The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personne l or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Util! it! ies, oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities. MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enter prises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces. The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo. Satellite The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV ) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold prim! arily ! t! o EchoSt! ar, an affiliate of Dish Network. The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture. The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.
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Source: Christopher DeWitt, Wikimedia Commons. 
Thank-you sign hanging at the entrance to my neighborhood in Black Forest.
My property before ...
And after.