The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of existing home sales in August rose 1.7% to 5.48 million from an unrevised total of 5.39 million in July. Sales are up 13.2% year-over-year for the month. The consensus estimate called for sales to reach 5.25 million.�August sales are the best they have been since February 2007 when 5.79 million existing homes were sold.
Housing inventory rose again in August, up 0.4% to 2.25 million homes, which is equal to a supply of 4.9 months, down from a five-month supply in July. Listed inventory is down 6.3% year-over-year, when there was a six-month supply available.
According to the NAR, the national median existing home price in August was $212,100, down from $213,500 in July, but up 14.7% compared with August 2012. That marks the 18th consecutive month to see a price gain and the eighth consecutive month of double-digit increases.
NAR�� chief economist said:
Rising mortgage interest rates pushed more buyers to close deals, but monthly sales are likely to be uneven in the months ahead from several market frictions. Tight inventory is limiting choices in many areas, higher mortgage interest rates mean affordability isn�� as favorable as it was, and restrictive mortgage lending standards are keeping some otherwise qualified buyers from completing a purchase.
Top 5 Semiconductor Companies To Own In Right Now: Nortel Inversora SA ADR(NTL)
Nortel Inversora S.A., through its subsidiary, Telecom Argentina S.A., provides telecommunication services in Argentina and Paraguay. It offers voice, data, and Internet services that include local area, national long-distance, and international communications; supplementary services comprising call waiting, itemized invoicing, and voicemail; interconnection with other operators; data transmission consisting of private networks, point-to-point traffic, radio, and TV signal transmission; outsourcing of IT solutions; and Internet services. The company also provides wireless services, including high-speed wireless, videoconferencing, full track download, multimedia messaging, online streaming, corporate mailing, and BlackBerry solutions over various networks; and involves in the sale of wireless communication devices, such as cellular phones, 3G modems, 3G hotspots, wireless Internet, and netbooks. Nortel Inversora S.A. was founded in 1990 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argent ina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Nortel Inversora (NYSE: NTL ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Penn Virginia Corporation(PVA)
Penn Virginia Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, primarily engages in the exploration and development of natural gas and oil properties in various onshore regions of the United States. The company is involved in the production and sale of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquid products. It primarily focuses on developing the Eagle Ford Shale play in south Texas; and the horizontal Granite Wash play in the Mid-Continent region. The company also drills exploratory wells in the Marcellus Shale play in Pennsylvania; and has interests in the natural gas properties in the Haynesville Shale and Cotton Valley Sands in east Texas, and Selma Chalk in Mississippi. As of December 31, 2011, it had proved natural gas and oil reserves of approximately 883 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent; and owned approximately 1.1 million net acres of leasehold and royalty interests. The company sells its products using short-term floating price physical and spot marke t contracts. Penn Virginia Corporation was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones] ng>Yield: 16.40%
Up 99% over 12 months, Penn Virginia Corporation, an independent oil and gas E&P company, has a market cap of $600.69 million; its shares were traded at around $9.20. Shares trade with a P/B of 0.67.
Guru Action: As of the second quarter of 2013, George Soros holds 1,878,242 shares valued at around $8.82 million.
PVA is a new buy for Soros who last sold out in the first quarter of 2010, selling 9,700 shares at an average price of $24.89, for a loss of 63%.
In the second quarter of 2013, Soros made a gain of 108.6% on his new buy of 1,878,242 shares at an average price of $4.41.
Over his trading history, he has averaged a gain of 109% on 1,878,242 shares bought at an average price of $4.41
Track historical pricing, revenue and net income:
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Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (MIC)
Yield: 5.33%
Up 26% over 12 months, Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC, an industrial distribution company, has a market cap of $2.95 billion; its shares were traded at around $55.13. Shares trade with a P/E of 641.00.
Guru Action: As of the second quarter of 2013, George Soros holds 25,000 shares valued at around $1.33 million.
In the second quarter, he reduced his position by 13.76%, selling 3,989 shares at an average price of $54.9, for a gain of 0.4%.
In six quarters he has bought 28,989 shares at an average price of $49.71, for a gain of 11%. He gained 0% selling 3,989 shares at an average price of $54.9.
Track historical pricing, revenue and net income:
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STMicroelectronics NV (STM)
Yield: 4.67%
Up 28% over 12 months, STMicroelectronics NV, a semiconductor company, has a market cap of $6.77 billion; its shares were traded at around $7.60. Shares trade with a P/B of 1.20.
Guru Action: As of the second quarter of 2013, George Soros holds 1,766,666 shares valued at around $15.88 million.
STM is a new hold
- [By ResearchCows]
Headquartered in Radnor, PA, Penn Virginia Corporation (PVA) is focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the U.S. It owns 109,900 gross acres of operation spread across the states of Texas, Mississippi and Appalachia. On August 7 the company released better than expected second quarter results and painted a positive outlook for rest of the year. This article examines the operations and the financials of PVA to determine if investors should go by the company recommendations.
Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: American Vanguard Corp (AVD)
American Vanguard Corporation, incorporated on January 2, 1969, operates as a holding company. The Company is primarily a chemical manufacturer that develops and markets products for agricultural and commercial uses. The Company manufactures and formulates chemicals for crops, human and animal protection. The Company conducts its business through its subsidiaries, AMVAC Chemical Corporation (AMVAC), GemChem, Inc. (GemChem), 2110 Davie Corporation (DAVIE), Quimica Amvac de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (AMVAC M), AMVAC de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima (AMVAC CR), AMVAC Switzerland GmbH (AMVAC S), AMVAC do Brasil Representacoes Ltda (AMVAC B), AMVAC Chemical UK Ltd. (AMVAC UK), AMVAC CV (AMVAC CV), AMVAC Netherlands BV (AMVAC BV), and Envance Technologies, LLC (Envance). In July 2012, the Company completed the restructuring of the International Sales & Marketing function of its principal operating subsidiary, AMVAC Chemical Corporation. On November 30, 2012, AMVAC and TyraTech, Inc. formed Envance Technologies, LLC, in which the Company owns 60% of the equity interest. In July 2012, the Company formed AMVAC CV and AMVAC BV.
AMVAC is a chemical manufacturer that develops and markets products for agricultural and commercial uses. It manufactures and formulates chemicals for crops, human and animal health protection. These chemicals, which include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, growth regulators, and soil fumigants, are marketed in liquid, powder, and granular forms. AMVAC owns and/or operates the Company�� domestic manufacturing facilities and is also the parent company for all its foreign companies. DAVIE owns real estate for corporate use.
GemChem is a national chemical distributor. GemChem, in addition to purchasing key raw materials for the Company, also sells into the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutritional markets. GemChem is a wholly owned subsidiary of AVD.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Investors in American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD ) will be receiving dividends twice as frequently as in the past. The company announced Monday that is has launched quarterly distributions with a $0.05-per-share payout, to be paid July 19 to shareholders of record as of July 5.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Margins matter. The more American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong American Vanguard's competitive position could be.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of specialty chemical maker American Vanguard (NYSE: AVD ) jumped 10% today after the company released earnings.
So what: First-quarter revenue jumped 39% to $121.5 million and adjusted earnings per share nearly doubled to $0.59. Analysts only expected $115.4 million in revenue and earnings of $0.46 per share so the company easily beat on both the top and bottom line. �
Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (CWCO)
Consolidated Water Co. Ltd., through its subsidiaries, develops and operates seawater desalination plants and water distribution systems. It operates through three segments: Retail, Bulk, and Services. The Retail segment produces and supplies water to end-users, including residential, commercial, and government customers, as well as tourist properties. The Bulk segment supplies potable water to government utilities and private customers. The Services segment designs, constructs, and sells desalination plants to third parties, as well as provides desalination plant management and operating services to plants owned by others. The company uses reverse osmosis technology to produce fresh water from seawater. It operates approximately 14 reverse osmosis desalination plants in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and the United States. Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is based in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Dittman]
Question: Thanks for your input and the chat opportunity! Your long term thoughts on water stocks such as Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo (NYSE: SBS), known popularly as Sabesp, and Consolidated Water Co Ltd (NSDQ: CWCO)? I hold Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR) since your recommendation.
- [By David Dittman]
Answer: I like Consolidated Water Co Ltd (NSDQ: CWCO), which specializes in large-scale desalination systems.
Question: Why has the Australian currency shown such weakness recently compared to the US dollar and the euro?
Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: TransAlta Corporation (TAC)
TransAlta Corporation operates as a non-regulated electricity generation and energy marketing company. The company engages in the production and sale of electric energy through its diversified portfolio of facilities fuelled by coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, and biomass resources in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It has an aggregate net ownership interest of approximately 8,025 megawatts of generating capacity in operation. The company was founded in 1911 and is based in Calgary, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By alicet236]
TransAlta Corporation (TAC) Reached the Five-Year Low of $12.78
The prices of TransAlta Corporation (TAC) shares have declined to close to the five-year low of $12.78, which is 47.9% off the five-year high of $23.30. TransAlta Corp. is owned by one Guru we are tracking. Among them, zero have added to their positions during the past quarter. One reduced their position. TransAlta Corp. was incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act in March 1985. TransAlta Corp. has a market cap of $3.43 billion; its shares were traded at around $12.78 with a P/E ratio of 96.80 and P/S ratio of 1.46. The dividend yield of TransAlta Corp. stocks is 8.71%. TransAlta Corp. had an annual average earnings growth of 0.20% over the past 10 years.
Best Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014: Addus HomeCare Corporation(ADUS)
Addus HomeCare Corporation provides a range of social and medical services to individuals in the home. The company serves individuals with special needs who are at risk of hospitalization or institutionalization, such as the elderly, chronically ill, and disabled. It offers various health services that include personal care and assistance with activities of daily living, skilled nursing and rehabilitative therapies, and adult day care. The company?s Home and Community Services division offers assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene and medication reminders, and other activities of daily living on a long-term, continuous basis, with an average duration of 20 months per consumer. Its Home Health Services division comprises physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as skilled nursing services, which are offered on a short-term, intermittent, or episodic basis to individuals recovering from an acute medical condition, with an average length of care of 80 days. The company?s payor clients include federal, state, and local government programs, such as Medicaid funded programs and Medicaid waiver programs; other state agencies and Medicare; and the Veterans Health Administration, commercial insurers, and private duty consumers. The company was formerly known as Addus Holding Corporation and changed its name to Addus HomeCare Corporation in September, 2006. Addus HomeCare Corporation was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Palatine, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Addus HomeCare (NASDAQ: ADUS) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $68.07 million.
magicJack VocalTec (NASDAQ: CALL) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $35.93 million.
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