By Charles Carlson
The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently moved to its highest level ever and is up 18% year to date. The Dow also had a makeover that saw three new stocks join the index��ike (NKE), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Visa Visa (V). These stocks replaced Alcoa Alcoa (AA), Bank of America Bank of America (BAC), and Hewlett- Packard (HPQ) in the index.
From a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) perspective, the Dow is a fertile hunting ground for DRIP investors:
��All 30 Dow stocks pay a dividend, and 23 of the Dow stocks have yields of 2% or greater.
�� 22 Dow stocks offer direct-purchase plans whereby any investor may buy the first share and every share of stock directly. Dow stocks with direct-purchase plans are highlighted in the table.
��Five Dow stocks��oeing (BA), DuPont (DD), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), 3M (MMM), and Travelers (TRV)��ffer traditional DRIPs whereby investors must already be a shareholder of record in order to enroll in the plan.
Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. underwrites specialty lines of personal and commercial property and casualty insurance and reinsurance worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment provides agriculture insurance covering traditional multi-peril crop insurance, crop hail, livestock risk protection, and other agriculture risk management products; and professional lines of insurance products, including directors� and officers� liability, errors and omissions, employment practices liability, environmental liability, and pension trust liability insurance. This segment also offers casualty and other specialty insurance products for third party liability; hospital medical professional liability; contract and commercial surety; and workers� compensation, as well as property insurance primarily for earthquake and flood coverage. The Reinsurance segment provides catastrophe reinsurance for catastrophic perils primarily for pro perty and workers� compensation business; property reinsurance for property insurance policies; and casualty reinsurance for third party liability exposures, such as automobile, professional, directors� and officers�, and umbrella liabilities, as well as for workers� compensation. This segment also offers aerospace reinsurance covering hull, aircraft liability, and aircraft products; marine reinsurance of bluewater and brownwater hull, and cargo risks; surety reinsurance for contract and commercial surety, and fidelity insurers; agriculture reinsurance for risks associated with the production of food and fiber; and personal accident and terrorism reinsurance products. The company distributes its products through independent agents, and insurance and reinsurance brokers. Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion: Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Flow International Corporation(FLOW)
Flow International Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a technology-based company providing waterjet cutting, surface preparation, and cleaning solutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company?s products include ultrahigh-pressure water pumps and power waterjet systems used to cut and clean materials. It also offers ultrahigh-pressure surface preparation and industrial cleaning systems used in waterjet cleaning for coating removal; and consumable parts used by the pump and cutting heads during operations, such as seals and orifices, as well as provides related services. The company sells its consumable parts online through flowparts.com in the United States and floweuropeparts.com in Europe. It offers its products to various end-user applications and industries, including automotive, aerospace, paper, job shop, and stone and tile industries. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion: Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Noah Holdings Ltd (NOAH)
Noah Holdings Limited, incorporated on June 29, 2007, through its subsidiaries is a service provider focusing on distributing wealth management products to the high net worth population in the People�� Republic of China (PRC). The Company provides direct access to China�� high net worth population. Noah Holdings Limited is a holding company and it operates its business through its PRC subsidiary, Shanghai Noah Rongyao Investment Consulting Co., Ltd (Noah Rongyao), its variable interest entity, Shanghai Noah Investment Management Co., Ltd (Noah Investment), and their respective subsidiaries in China. While Noah Rongyao conducts most of the Company�� businesses, it conducts its insurance brokerage business through Noah Investment and its subsidiaries. Its products choices consist of over-the-counter (OTC) products originated in China and designed to cater to the needs of high net worth population.
With over 300 relationship managers in 28 branch offices, the Company�� coverage network encompasses China�� economically developed regions where high net worth population is concentrated, including the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Bohai Rim. Through this coverage network, it serves high net worth individuals, enterprises affiliated with high net worth individuals and wholesale clients, primarily local commercial banks or branches of national commercial banks, which distribute wealth management products to their own clients. Its registered clients were 12,353 as of June 30, 2010. The number of its active clients was 779 as of June 30, 2010. Noah Holdings Limited distributes OTC, wealth management products originated in China. Its product choices primarily include fixed income products, private equity funds and securities investment funds.
Noah Holdings Limited markets and distributes various categories of products supplied by third party product providers, which include fixed income products, mainly including collateralized fixed income products sponso! red by trust companies and other products that provide investors with fixed rates of return; private equity funds products, including investments in private equity funds sponsored by domestic and internal fund management firms; securities investment funds, which are privately raised funds investing in publicly traded stocks, and investment-linked insurance products. It generates revenues primarily from one-time commissions and recurring service fees paid by third-party product providers or, for the majority of fixed income products, by the underlying corporate borrowers. Its one-time commissions accounted for 78.6% of its net revenues during the year ended December 31, 2009, and its recurring service fees accounted for 21.4% of its net revenues in 2009.
The Company competes with China Merchants Bank, China Minsheng Bank and China Everbright Bank.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the move: Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) is up 5.6% at $123.52 after accepting a $10.4 billion buyout offer from Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN). Chinese wealth management firm Noah Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NOAH) is down 16.6% at $13.76 following an analyst downgrade on worries about the company�� recurring revenues.
- [By Belinda Cao]
Noah Holdings Ltd. (NOAH), a Chinese wealth-management company, jumped to the highest level in more than two years in New York after raising its 2013 profit estimate.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Noah (NOAH) is a service provider focusing on distributing wealth management products to the high-net-worth population in the People's Republic of China. This stock closed up 7.7% to $12.64 in Friday's trading session
Friday's Volume: 357,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 207,430
Volume % Change: 120%
From a technical perspective, NOAH ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $11.37 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of NOAH within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if NOAH manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $12.77 to $12.98 with high volume. At last check, NOAH hit an intraday high on Friday of $12.98 and volume was well above its three-month average action of 207,430 shares.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NOAH as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $11.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 207,430 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NOAH will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $14.64. Any high-volume move above $14.64 will then push NOAH into new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $18 to $20.
- [By John Udovich]
While America�� middle class appears to be shrinking with little upward mobility, small cap wealth management stocks Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH) and A.F.P Provida SA (NYSE: PVD)�plus larger cap Affiliated Managers Group, Inc (NYSE: AMG) are managing money in places where the ranks of the middle class and the wealthy are still growing strong. Specifically, Noah Holdings Limited is based in China, Chile based A.F.P Provida SA is spreading its footprint into other Latin American countries and the�Affiliated Managers Group is growing�a global footprint. For those reasons, you have probably not heard of these wealth management stocks, but here are some reasons why you might want to consider investing in one:
Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI)
Amira Nature Foods Ltd., incorporated on February 20, 2012, is a provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, with sales in over 40 countries. It generates the majority of its revenue through the sale of Basmati rice, a long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent. The Company sells its products, primarily in emerging markets, through a distribution network. It sells its Amira brand in more than 25 countries. The Company sells its Amira branded products to Indian retailers such as Bharti Wal-Mart, Big Bazaar, Metro Cash & Carry, Spar, Spencer's Retail, Star Bazaar (Tesco in India) and Total and retailers, such as Carrefour, Costco, Jetro Restaurant Depot, Lulu's and Smart & Final, and through the foodservice channel. It participates across the entire rice supply chain from the procurement of paddy to its storage, aging, processing into rice, packaging, distribution and marketing. In June 2013, the Company announced that it has launched Amira branded products in the United Kingdom. In January 2014, Amira Nature Foods Ltd acquired Basmati Rice GmbH.
The Company operates an automated and integrated processing and milling facility that is located in the vicinity of the key Basmati rice paddy producing regions of northern India. The facility spans a covered area of 310,221 square feet, with a processing capacity of 24 metric tons of paddy per hour. During the year ended March 31, 2012, 34% of its revenue was derived from sales in India, and 50.3% was derived from sales in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, or EMEA, 14.3% was derived from sales in the Asia Pacific region, and 1.4% was derived from sales in North America.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Garrett Cook]
Amira Nature Foods (NYSE: ANFI) shares shot up 12.76 percent to $14.67 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
Shares of Global Eagle Entertainment (NASDAQ: ENT) got a boost, shooting up 10.38 percent to $12.12 after the company and Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced a satellite connectivity partnership.
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
What:�Shares of�Amira Nature Foods� (NYSE: ANFI ) were looking healthier today, gaining as much as 11% after the company named a new chief financial officer last night.
- [By Tom Bishop]
Steve Halpern: One of your recent recommendations is a company that, really, was probably unknown to most investors. It's called Amira Nature Foods (ANFI) , which is a maker of premium rice. Can you tell us briefly about that?
Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: NRG Yield Inc (NYLD)
NRG Yield, Inc., incorporated on December 20, 2012, serves as the primary vehicle, through which NRG Energy, Inc. will own, operate and acquire contracted renewable and conventional generation and thermal infrastructure assets. The Company owns a diversified portfolio of contracted renewable and conventional generation and thermal infrastructure assets in the United States. The Company�� contracted generation portfolio includes three natural gas or dual-fired facilities, eight utility-scale solar and wind generation facilities and two portfolios of distributed solar facilities that collectively represent 1,324 net megawatt. The Company also own thermal infrastructure assets with an aggregate steam and chilled water capacity of 1,098 net megawatt and electric generation capacity of 123 net megawatt. In December 2013, it acquired the assets of privately held Energy Systems Company.
The Company�� thermal infrastructure assets provide steam, hot water and/or chilled water, and in some instances electricity, to commercial businesses, universities, hospitals and governmental units in ten locations, principally through long-term contracts or pursuant to rates regulated by state utility commissions. The Company�� conventional operations consist of 910 net megawatt of natural gas and dual-fired generation assets, Marsh Landing and GenConn, located in the West and Northeast regions of the United States, respectively. The Company�� seven utility-scale solar generation assets generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic panels, with each facility equal to or exceeding 20 megawatt and collectively totaling 303 net megawatt of capacity. These facilities are located in Arizona, California and New Mexico, all states with attractive solar resources. The Company�� distributed solar generation facilities, which it generally define as facilities of less than 20 megawatt in operating capacity, each generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic panels.
The Company�� wind! operations are consists of the 101 megawatt South Trent wind farm located near Sweetwater, Texas. It consists of 44 Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbines capable, at rated capacity, of powering approximately 80,000 homes. The Company�� thermal operations are consists of district energy systems and combined heat and power plants (Energy Centers) that utilize an energy-efficient, environmentally sound method of heating and cooling buildings. These Energy Centers produce steam, hot water and/or chilled water and in some instances, electricity at a central plant.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Marc Bastow]
Thermal energy asset provider NRG Yield (NYLD) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 33 cents per share, payable on Mar. 17 to shareholders of record as of Mar. 3.
NYLD Dividend Yield: 3.32%
- [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]
NRG Yield Inc.(NYLD) confirmed it has agreed to pay $870 million to acquire the Alta Wind Energy Center, the largest wind farm in North America.
Rentrak Corp.'s(RENT) revenue rose 40% with help from its television business revenue, but the box-office tracking and TV-ratings firm posted a slightly wider loss for its fiscal fourth quarter.
- [By Richard Stavros]
The launch of these investment vehicles has been a source of excitement in the power industry, particularly with NRG Energy Inc’s (NYSE: NRG) successful initial public offering (IPO) of NRG Yield Inc (NYSE: NYLD), the firm’s YieldCo. That’s prompted a number of utilities to announce similar plans. The question is whether these new securities offer enduring value, similar to what’s happened in the traditional MLP space, or whether they’re just another way for firms to raise cash by making a cynical play for yield-starved income investors.
- [By John Udovich]
On Thursday, NRG Yield Inc (NYSE: NYLD), a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc (NYSE: NRG),�debuted in an IPO priced at $22 a share and closed the day at $27.25 a share. The offering of 19.575 million shares raised more than $430 million plus the IPO underwriters�have an option to buy 2.9 million more shares if demand is strong enough.
Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Comcast Corp (CCV)
Comcast Corporation (Comcast), incorporated on December 12, 2001, is a provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. The Company has developed, managed and operated cable systems. The Company operates in five segments: Cable Communications, Cable Networks, Broadcast Television, Filmed Entertainment and Theme Parks. Cable Communications provides video, high-speed Internet and voice services (cable services) to residential and business customers in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Cable Networks consists primarily of its national cable television networks, its regional sports and news networks, its international cable networks, its cable television production studio, and its related digital media properties. Broadcast Television consists primarily of its NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, its NBC and Telemundo owned local television stations, its broadcast television production operations, and its related digital media properties. Filmed Entertainment consists of the operations of Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide. Theme Parks consists primarily of its Universal theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood. Its other business interests are included in Corporate and Other and primarily include Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, a multipurpose arena in Philadelphia. Comcast Spectacor also owns Global Spectrum, which provides facilities management, and Ovations Food Services, which provides food services, for sporting events, concerts and other events. In July 2012, Comcast acquired Microsoft Corporation's 50% stake in MSNBC.com. Effective March 19, 2013, it acquired a 49% interest in NBCUniversal Media LLC.
On January 28, 2011, the Company closed its transaction with General Electric Company (GE) to form a new company named NBCUniversal, LLC (NBCUniversal Holdings). The Company controls and owns 51% of NBCUniversal Holdings, and! GE owns the remaining 49%.As part of the NBCUniversal transaction, GE contributed the businesses of NBCUniversal, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of NBCUniversal Holdings. The NBCUniversal businesses that were contributed included its national cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks and its NBC and Telemundo owned local television stations, Universal Pictures, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, and other related assets. The Company contributed its national cable networks, its regional sports and news networks, certain of its Internet businesses, including DailyCandy and Fandango, and other related assets (the Comcast Content Business), all of which are part of its Cable Networks segment.
Cable Services
The Company offers a variety of cable services over its cable distribution system to residential and business customers. Subscription rates and related charges vary according to the services and features the customer receives and the type of equipment they use, and customers typically pay the Company on a monthly basis. Residential customers may generally discontinue service at any time, while business customers may only discontinue service in accordance with the terms of their contracts, which typically have 1 to 3 year terms. As of December 31, 2011, its cable systems served 22.3 million video customers, 18.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 9.3 million voice customers and passed more than 52 million homes and businesses in 39 states and the District of Columbia.
The Company offers a variety of video services with access to hundreds of channels depending on the level of service selected. Its levels of service typically range from a limited basic service with access to between 20 and 40 channels of video programming to a digital service with access to over 300 channels. Its video services generally include programming provided by national and local broadcast networks and by national and regional cable networks, as well as gov! ernmental! and public access programming. Its digital video services generally include access to over 40 music channels, its On Demand service and an interactive, on-screen program guide. The Company also offers packages that include extensive amounts of foreign-language programming, and it offers other specialty tiers of programming with sports, family and international themes. Its video customers may also subscribe to premium network programming. Premium networks include cable networks, such as HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax, which generally offer, without commercial interruption, movies, original programming, live and taped sporting events, concerts and other special features.
The Company�� On Demand service provides its digital video customers with more than 30,000 standard-definition and high-definition programming choices. A substantial portion of its On Demand content is available to its digital video customers at no additional charge. Digital video customers subscribing to a premium network have access to the premium network�� On Demand content without additional fees. Its On Demand service includes fee-based selections that allow its video customers to order individual new release and library movies and special-event programs, such as professional boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling and concerts.
The Company�� high-definition television (HDTV) service includes a selection of high-definition programming choices, including broadcast networks, national cable networks, premium networks and regional sports networks. In addition, its On Demand service provides HDTV video customers with a selection of up to 6,000 high-definition programming choices in select markets over the course of a month. Its digital video recorder (DVR) service allow digital video customers to select, record and store programs on their set-top box and play them at whatever time is convenient. Its DVR service also provides the ability to pause and rewind live television. The Company also offers select ! programmi! ng in three dimensional (3D) format on the channels it distributes and On Demand to its HDTV customers who have 3D capable television (TV) sets. In 2012, it began streaming certain live television programming online and through its mobile applications in some of its markets.
The Company offers a variety of high-speed Internet services with downstream speeds of up to 105 Mbps. These services also include its Internet portal, XFINITY.com, which provides access to email, voice mail, an address book, online storage, and online security features. Its customers also have the ability to access these services, including managing their e-mail accounts, through its mobile applications using smartphones and tablets. It offers voice service plans, using an interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, that provide either usage-based or unlimited local and domestic long-distance calling, include the option for a variety of international calling plans, voice mail, caller identification (ID), call waiting and other features, including the ability to access and manage voice mail and other account information online and through its mobile applications using smartphones and tablets.
The Company offers its cable services to small and medium-sized businesses (business services). In addition to the features provided to its residential customers, its services for business customers also include a Website hosting service, an interactive tool that allows customers to share, coordinate and store documents online, a business directory listing and the option to add up to 24 phone lines. Medium-sized business customers are also offered its Metro-Ethernet data service capable of connecting multiple locations at speeds of up to 10 gigabit per second. It also provides cell backhaul services to cellular network operators. To offer its video services, it licenses a substantial portion of its programming from cable and broadcast networks.
Cable Networks
The Company�! � Cable ! Networks segment operates a diversified portfolio of 15 national cable networks, 13 regional sports and news networks, more than 60 international channels, and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned and other websites, including DailyCandy, Fandango and iVillage. Its 13 regional sports and news networks are Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore/Washington), Cable Sports Southeast, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, MountainWest Sports Network, Comcast SportsNet California (Sacramento), Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston), Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland), Comcast Sports Southwest (Houston), Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco), New England Cable News (Boston), Comcast Network Philadelphia and Comcast Network Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore/Washington). The Company markets and distributes its cable network programming in the United States and internationally to multichannel video providers, as well as to Internet and wireless distributors.
The Company�� cable networks develop their own programs or acquire programming rights from third parties. Its Cable Networks segment includes its production studio, Universal Cable Production that identifies, develops and produces original content for cable television and other distribution platforms both for its cable networks and for those of third parties. It licenses the content to all forms of television, including broadcast and cable networks, and through home video and various digital media platforms, both in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Networks segment primarily generates revenue from the distribution of its cable network programming and from the sale of advertising. Distribution revenue is generated from distribution agreements with multichannel video providers. Advertising revenue is generated from the sale of advertising time on its cable networks and related digital media properties. It also generates content licensing and other revenue from the licensing and sale! of its o! wned programming in the United States and internationally, including revenue from the sale of its owned programming on standard-definition digital video discs and Blu-ray discs (together, DVDs) and through digital media platforms, and from the licensing of its brands for consumer products.
Broadcast Television
The Company�� Broadcast Television segment operates the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, which together serve audiences and advertisers in all 50 states, including the United States metropolitan areas. Its Broadcast Television segment also includes its owned and operated NBC and Telemundo local television stations, its broadcast television production operations and its related digital media properties. Its Broadcast Television segment primarily generates revenue from the sale of advertising and from content licensing. Advertising revenue is generated from the sale of advertising time on its broadcast networks, owned local television stations and related digital media properties. Content licensing revenue is generated from the licensing of its owned programming in the United States and internationally. The Company also generates revenue from the sale of its owned programming on DVDs, through digital media platforms and from the licensing of its brands and characters for consumer products. In addition, its owned local television stations are beginning to receive retransmission fees from multichannel video providers in exchange for consent that allows carriage of the stations��signal. It also receives a portion of the retransmission fees received by its NBC affiliated stations.
The NBC network distributes more than 5,000 hours of entertainment, news and sports programming annually, and its programs reach viewers in virtually all United States television households through more than 200 affiliated stations across the United States, including its10 NBC owned local television stations. The NBC network develops a range of content through its entertainment, news ! and sport! s divisions and also airs a variety of special-events programming. The NBC network�� television library consists of rights of varying nature to more than 100,000 episodes of television content, including current and classic titles, unscripted programming, sports, news, long-form and short-form programming and locally produced programming from around the world. In addition, the NBC network operates various Websites that extend its brands and content online. The NBC network produces its own programs or acquires the rights to programming from third parties. NBCUniversal has various contractual commitments for the licensing of rights to multiyear programming, including sports programming.
The Company�� broadcast television production operations create and produce original content, including scripted and unscripted series, talk shows, and digital media projects that are sold to broadcast networks, cable networks, local television stations and other media platforms owned by the Company and third parties, as well as through home video, both in the United States and internationally. It also produces first-run syndicated shows, which are programs for initial exhibition on local television stations in the United States, on a market-by-market basis, without prior exhibition on a network. It distributes some of its programs after their exhibition on a broadcast network, as well as older television programs from its library, to local television stations and cable networks in the off-network syndication market in the United States.
The Company owns and operates 10 NBC affiliated local television stations that collectively reached approximately 31 million United States television households, which represents approximately 27% of all United States television households, as of December 31, 2011. In addition to airing NBC�� national programming, its stations produce news, sports, public affairs and other programming that addresses local needs and acquire syndicated programming from other ! sources. ! Telemundo is a Hispanic media company that produces, acquires and distributes Spanish-language content in the United States and internationally. Telemundo�� operations include the Telemundo network; its owned local television stations; mun2, a cable network featuring diverse, youth-oriented entertainment for bicultural Latinos, and Telemundo-related digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned websites, such as Telemundo.com.
The Telemundo network is a Spanish-language broadcast network featuring original telenovelas, theatrical films, news, specials and sporting events. The Company develops its own programming primarily through Telemundo�� production studio and also acquire the rights to content from third parties. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it entered into an agreement with Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to license the Spanish-language United States broadcast rights to FIFA World Cup soccer from 2015 through 2022 and also acquired the Spanish-language United States broadcast rights for the National Football League (NFL) games that the NBC network will broadcast as part of its agreement with the NFL that runs through the 2022-23 season. As of December 31, 2011, Telemundo owned 15 local television stations, including 14 local television stations affiliated with the Telemundo network and an independent television station in Puerto Rico.
Filmed Entertainment
The Company�� Filmed Entertainment segment consists of the operations of Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets and distributes filmed entertainment worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television and increasingly through other distribution platforms. It also develops, produces and licenses stage plays. Its content consists of theatrical films, direct-to-video titles and its film library, which is comprised of approximately 4,500 titles in a variety of genres. It produces films both on its own and jo! intly wit! h other studios or production companies, as well as with other entities. Its films are produced under both the Universal Pictures and Focus Features names. Its films are marketed and distributed worldwide primarily through its own marketing and distribution companies. The Company also acquires distribution rights to films produced by others, which may be limited to particular geographic regions, specific forms of media or certain periods of time. After their theatrical release, it distributes its films globally for home entertainment use on digital versatile disc (DVD) and in various digital formats, which includes the licensing of its films to third parties for electronic sell-through over the Internet. The Company also licenses its films, including selections from its film library, to all forms of television, including broadcast, cable and premium networks, and pay-per-view and video on demand services.
The Company�� Filmed Entertainment segment primarily generates revenue from the worldwide theatrical release of its owned and acquired films, content licensing and home entertainment. Content licensing revenue is generated from the licensing of its owned and acquired films to broadcast, cable and premium networks, as well as other distribution platforms. Home entertainment revenue is generated from the licensing and sale of its owned and acquired films through DVD sales to retail stores, rental kiosks and subscription by mail, as well as through digital media platforms, including electronic sell through. It also generates revenue from distributing third parties��filmed entertainment, producing stage plays, publishing music and licensing consumer products.
Theme Parks
The Company�� Theme Parks segment consists primarily of its Universal theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood. Universal Orlando includes two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal�� Islands of Adventure, as well as CityWalk, a dining, retail and entertainment complex. Universal Or! lando als! o features three on-site themed hotels, in which it owns a non-controlling interest. Its Universal theme park in Hollywood consists primarily of Universal Studios Hollywood. In addition, it licenses the right to use the Universal Studios brand name, certain characters and other intellectual property to third parties that own and operate the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, Japan and the Universal Studios Singapore theme park on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It also owns a water park, Wet �� Wild, located in Orlando.
The Company�� Theme Parks segment licenses the right to use a substantial amount of intellectual property from third parties for its themed elements in rides, attractions, retail outlets and merchandising. ItsTheme Parks segment generates revenue primarily from theme park attendance and per capita spending, as well as from management, licensing and other fees. Per capita spending includes ticket price and in-park spending on food, beverage and merchandise.
The Company competes with DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T, CenturyLink and Verizon.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Brian Stelter]
A combination of Time Warner and 21st Century Fox could have a market value equivalent to The Walt Disney Company and Comcast (CCV).
Consolidation among content producers has been widely expected in recent months because of two big deals on the other side, the distribution side: Comcast's pending merger with Time Warner Cable (TWC) and AT&T's pending acquisition of DirecTV (DTV).
Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Invest In 2014: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)
Swedbank AB is the parent company of Swedbank. Swedbank consists of subsidiaries, associates and a joint venture. The Company operates in six business areas: Swedish Banking, Baltic Banking, International Banking, Swedbank Markets, Asset Management and Ektornet. On January 20, 2009, Swedbank Robur AB acquired Banco Fonder AB from Alfred Berg. In February 2010, the Company acquired a 15% equity stake in OAO Swedbank from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). During the year ended December 31, 2009, Swedbank sold four branches to Sparbanken Nord, three branches to Sparbanken Dalsland, two branches to Sparbanken Rekarne, one branch to Tidaholms Sparbank and one branch to Sparbanken 1826.
Swedish Banking
Swedish Banking is engaged in offering a range of financial products and services to private customers, corporates, organisations and municipalities through close to 400 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank in Sweden. Swedbank�� products are also sold through the cooperating savings banks, which account for another 275 branches. The subsidiary in Luxembourg, with a representative office in Spain is included in the business area as well.
Baltic Banking
Baltic Banking offers a range of financial products and services to private and corporate customers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It offers its services through 226 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank.
International Banking
International Banking consists of operations outside Swedbank�� home markets, primarily the banking operations in Ukraine and Russia. In addition to Ukraine and Russia, the business area includes the branches in Denmark, Norway, the United States and China, as well as the representative office in Japan. The branch network in Ukraine, consists of 156 branches, serves both private and corporate customers. The Nordic branches offer corporate customers, mainly Swedish customers with operations in! the Nordic markets, a range of financial products and services.
Swedbank Markets
Swedbank Markets has operations in equity, fixed income and currency trading, corporate finance, as well as project, export and acquisition financing. In addition to its operations in Swedbank�� home markets, the business area includes the subsidiaries First Securities ASA in Norway and Swedbank First Securities LLC in New York.
Asset Management
Asset Management, which consists of the subsidiary Swedbank Robur Group, offers services in fund management, institutional and discretionary asset management in all of Swedbank�� home markets. Its customers include private customers, as well as institutions, foundations, municipalities, county councils and other investors. Its products are sold and distributed primarily by Swedish Banking and Baltic Banking and the savings banks in Sweden.
Ektornet
Ektornet is an independent subsidiary of Swedbank AB. It focuses on managing the Company�� repossessed assets and developing them over time. Most of the collateral consists of real estate, the part of which will be in the Baltic countries, though also in the Nordic region and the United States.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By David Hunkar]
Current Dividend Yield: 5.16%
Sector: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Country: France
Company: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)Current Dividend Yield: 6.50%
Sector: Banking
Country: Sweden
