Friday, February 3, 2012

Returning A Gift? What You Need To Know About This Year's Return Policies

An ugly sweater. A book you have no in interest in. A leg lamp. Whatever unwanted item you’ve been gifted this year you’re in luck because you don’t have to keep it–for the most part.

Sure it’s the thought that counts but let’s face it returning an awful gift and getting something you actually want is ideal. But there are some caveats to returning gifts this holiday season like tougher return policies.

According to the National Retail Federation, 83% of stores are keeping their return policies the same this year while 13% are tightening them particularly when the returns are on electronics.

Says ConsumerWorld, “Many stores continue to “slice and dice” their return policies, creating complicated rules for different categories of items. Electronic items may be subject to stricter rules than say, clothing. Computers, digital cameras, and opened goods may be subject to limited return rights, restocking fees, shorter return periods, or no refunds at all, in part to discourage buyers from “renting” goods for the weekend and to help thwart return fraud. Online policies may also differ from store rules.”

The biggest name making a significant change to its return policy: Target. According to ConsumerWorld, customers returning computer hardware (netbooks, eReaders, tablets), cameras and camcorders must now be return their items in 45 days–not 90, and open items may be denied a refund/exchange. The good news: Target‘s previous 15% restocking fee has been dropped.

At BestBuy, the holiday return policy has been shortened by a week but it’s and is now waiving its restocking fee on special orders. For certain Reward Zone members the return policy is extended.

Kids don’t like their toys? Wells Toys-R-Us is keeping its 45 day return policy for electronics and similar items but if the items! are ope ned they can’t be returned.

Wal-Mart has adjusted its return policy for the season for items that usually are subject to limited 15 and 30 days returns. For items purchased between November 1 and December 24 the limited return period won’t begin until December 26. That includes electronics like cameras, TVs, computers and DVD players.

Amazon’s return policy can get tricky. In addition to its regular return policy it also has has 30 different product-specific return policies. And there’s a list of items Amazon.com does not accept:

  • Items that are classified as hazardous materials or use flammable liquids or gases
  • Computer laptops, desktops, and Kindles more than 30 days after delivery
  • Any product missing the serial number or UPC
  • Downloadable software products
  • Gift cards
  • Pay As You Go (or prepaid) phone cards
  • Prepaid game cards (World of Warcraft, Xbox 360 Live, Wii Points, etc.)
  • Items purchased from sellers other than Amazon.com
  • Some Jewelry orders
  • Some Health & Personal Care items
  • Grocery products

Macy’s has a fairly generous return policy all year round. Most items are accepted within 180 days all year round. And as ConsumerWorld points out Macy’s affixes a customer return label to its items so a receipt may not be necessary.

Here are some more tips from ConsumerWorld:

  • Don’t fight the crowds on the return lines the day after Christmas; grab some of the advertised bargains instead. Go back a day or two later. To improve your chances of getting full credit, provide a sales slip or gift receipt, return the item in new condition, unopened, and with all packaging material. Returns without a receipt are subject to the posted return policy, which might result in your receiving only a merchandise credit for the lowest price the item has sold for recently, or possibly no refund or exchange at all.
  • If the item to be returned is de! fective, some states such as Massachusetts, require the store to give the consumer his/her choice of one of the three “R’s”: repair, replacement or refund, irrespective of the store’s posted return policy.
  • Consumers who have a problem returning a gift, should first contact the store manager or customer service department of the retailer. If a satisfactory resolution is not obtained, then a complaint can be filed with the state Attorney General’s office or local consumer agency.

 

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Introducing the 24/7 Wall St. Wire

After today’s close we’ll see earnings out of Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD).  The estimates have gone from bad to ugly as problems have mounted with the company’s processors.  Analysts are looking for -$0.36 EPS on revenues of roughly $1.79 Billion.  We would caution that estimates have widened out for larger losses even from a few weeks earlier and there are many out there who believe that AMD’s targets for 2008 were too robust at the December analyst meeting.

There is the possibility that a negativeon Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) was caused by AMD.  We just aren’t finding anyone on the research side nor on the technology side that agrees with this.  That is even more true when you consider that the quad-core is more like a tri-core and the clocking speeds are running much slower than both original goals and revised goals.  There are also the issues of delays and damaged relationships as a result of the delays.

The good news is that the graphics side of the business might actually carry the quarter.  That alone won’t make up for the processor shortfalls for an entire year ahead, but at least if your name is Dr. Pangloss you could have at least one bright spot to hang your hat on.   

Yesterday’s surge after a disappointing Intel may have been more short covering than anything else as the latest short interest reading grew to 79,207,000 shares from 75,656,300.  That is more than 14% of the float.  We also believe that many are speculating that today could be Hector Ruiz’s last earnings release as the head of the company.  Ruiz is our own top pick for the next technology CEO to be fired. We are not as convinced as Hector Ruiz is that their current succession plan with Dirk Meyer will fly with Wall Street.  Wall Street might be communicating to Mr. Clegg that entirely new blood with a fresh start is needed.  The good news for Ruiz himself is that a general recession might a! ctually give him the excuse to continue poor performance and take away the timing demands on its new processors.

There is also the shot that ATI’s future status and AMD’s current fab-process may all be up for review, although the company has some hidden benefits in keeping each somewhat as is.  Lastly, we are now a year or so away from the Intel trial and now that 2009 is only a year away this could start to at least get some attention from at least the legal watchers that trade stocks.

Covering the financial metrics on this one is actually fairly easy.  The analysts are negative on it, the chart is ugly.  You just have to wonder if the stock has based out or not, particularly if you consider that the one thing that may save AMD is that AMD has to exit to keep Intel from being an official monopoly.  Options expire tomorrow and because each $1 move represents such a large percentage in stock price the open interest isn’t what we’d normally expect.  So we are not using options as a measurement today.

AMD shares have given back almost half of yesterday’s gains and at $6.37 are actually up nearly 20% from recent lows of $5.31. 

Jon C. Ogg
January 17, 2008

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CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Reports Record Profits With Expected Expansion and Growth Highlighted in Back-to-Back Webcasts Tomorrow and Wednesday (DrStockPick.com Stock Report!)

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Monday August 31, 2009


CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTC.BB:CCTR)

China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Reports Record Profits With Expected Expansion and Growth Highlighted in Back-to-Back Webcasts Tomorrow and Wednesday

DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 08/31/09) - China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTC.BB:CCTR) recently reported record profits of $1.1 million in net income and $17 million in revenue for the first six months of 2009. The Company has forecasted profitable revenue growth in 2009 compared to 2008 in which the Company reported over $40 million in profitable revenue.

This week, the Company has scheduled two on-demand corporate Webcasts. The first, scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, will present the Company’s recently announced plans for expansion into Africa, including a planned trade mission to Kenya. The second Webcast, scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 is scheduled to review the Company’s $50 million profitable revenue forecast, recent Hong Kong contract and $30 million in new business. Links to the Webcasts will be available on their scheduled release dates on the Company’s website www.chinacrescent.com.

Corporate Email Updates

To sign up to receive company updates or to obtain more information on the Company, please visit www.chinacrescent.com.

About China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (www.chinacrescent.com)

China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. reported over $40 million in profitable Revenue in! 2008. T he Company is a technology leader in the rapidly developing Chinese market specializing today in software engineering, high quality software development and digital multimedia outsourcing services delivered to customers globally. At the same time, the firm is a systems integrator and value added reseller of major global hardware brands in the Chinese domestic market.

Headquartered in Dallas with operations in Shanghai and Beijing, China Crescent bridges the gap between Western and Eastern business cultures to assist Western clients in realizing the advantages of the high quality, low cost technology products and services available from China. China Crescent also assists Western clients in localizing products and services to realize the tremendous growth potential available by expanding into the Chinese Market.

“SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT” UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results, events and performance could vary materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause China Crescent’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, product demand and market competition. You should independently investigate and fully understand all risks before making investment decisions.

Contact:
China Crescent Enterprises, Inc.
ir@chinacrescent.com
214-722-3065

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Pfizer Gets a Golf Clap

2012 is shaping up to be a patent nightmare for most of the largest pharmaceutical companies. Nearly $29 billion in annual sales are at risk as patents are set to expire on some of the world's best-selling drugs -- including Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) Lipitor, the world's best-selling drug that lost patent exclusivity in November, and is currently responsible for 15% of the company's third-quarter global sales. Pfizer, along with nearly every other Big Pharma out there, is looking for pathways to replace an aging pipeline.

Pfizer isn't going to just roll over and die now that its top-selling drug is no longer exclusive; it's also using its clout to bring new drugs to market. On Friday, the FDA approved Inlyta, a second-option twice-a-day pill for those who have kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Under normal circumstances a new drug approval might be cause for celebration -- in this instance I'm simply going to reserve a golf clap for Pfizer.

First off, kidney cancer is a brutally overcrowded field, with seven drugs having been approved since 2005. Of those seven, five are a primary line of treatment, including Roche's (OTC: RHHBY) Avastin, GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE: GSK  ) Votrient, Onyx Pharmaceuticals' (NYSE: ONXX  ) Nexavar and Pfizer's own Sutent. Pfizer is also up against Novartis' (NYSE: NVS  ) Afinitor as a second-line kidney cancer treatment. Even with a balance sheet as large as Pfizer's, it could be difficult to make a dent against these already firmly planted Big Pharma names. It is always wise to make sure a new drug doesn't disrupt the current pecking order, but if you are an investor in any of Pfizer's competitors, Inlyta's approval should not keep you up at night.

Secondly, the market for kidney cancer simply i! sn't tha t large. That doesn't mean that drug companies shouldn't seek cures -- that would be misconstruing what I'm saying. But according to estimates from the American Cancer Society, 64,770 people in the United States will be diagnosed with kidney cancer. From a sentimental perspective, that's 64,770 more cases than I'd like to see. From an investment perspective, this represents just 0.02% of the entire U.S. population, which seems a ridiculously small slice of pie from which seven companies are expected to eat.

Will Inlyta contribute to the bottom line? It depends on whether Pfizer can get it approved as a first-option treatment (which it is currently working toward). In the meantime, Inlyta's approval isn't likely to move the needle much in regard to Pfizer's profitability -- but feel free to give Pfizer a golf clap nonetheless.

If you'd like some free insight into the next name our top-notch team of analysts think is ready to break out in the health-care sector, download our latest special report, "The Next Rule-Breaking Multibagger." Yes, it really is free, but only for a limited time, so don't miss out!

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Gold Bugs Get Ready For Another Debt Ceiling Debate In Early 2012 (GLD, UST)

More than a few economists are projecting another debt crisis for the United States as early as next month. The Treasury is now only $149 billion away from its debt ceiling. Should this happen, gold (NYSEARCA:GLD) could easily test the $1,900-an-ounce peaks it printed in August.

On September 22, the United States debt ceiling was raised to $15.045 trillion. Given the Congressional "super" committee's failure to come up with short-term spending cuts, that limit will be reached in January.

When that happens, markets could be headed for another monster fall, given the way confidence in American economic leadership has eroded since August.

Moody's recently issued the United States another warning about the conducting of its fiscal matters.

Fundamentally, the economy continues to drift. As an article in the Financial Times by Robin Harding and James Politi pointed out, businesses only reported 120,000 new jobs last month and unemployment only declined because people are leaving the work force.

A new crisis of confidence could finally force the U.S. government shutdown that global traders dreaded over the summer.

That could have catastrophic short-term economic effects �� but might also finally motivate law makers to get serious about the budget.

The world's flight to Treasury debt?(NYSEARCA:UST) has been a safe haven for Washington. A move to gold instead could eliminate that source of support.

Written By Jonathan Yates From Emerging Money

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Christian Diet - Exercise Plan to Lose 100 Pounds Without Surgery

Whether trying to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds you are facing the challenge of changing your habits, which is never easy. You are making the choice to turn away from one way of living and eating to a way that is healthier and more life-giving, but as a Christian woman you know that God is with you, and that he will strengthen you in the midst of any challenge you will face in your life. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we learn that, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

If you want to lose one hundred pounds or more there are a few things that you must do if you want to be successful. Here are a few tips to help you formulate a weight loss plan to lose weight.

• Find a support group

When you make up tour mind to lose 100 lbs. you will need the support of others who have a similar goal to yours so that you can encourage one another. The support of a group of other like-minded women will be crucial for you as you work towards your weight loss goals.

• Pray without ceasing

Prayer is going to be one of the most important ingredients to the success of your weight loss plan. When you pray you set your mind on God, who will give you the strength to overcome your flesh. Romans 8:6 reminds us, "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

• Keep a diet and exercise journal/diary

A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that keeping a weight loss diary can double the results of your weight loss plan when used along with a managed weight loss program. The better the records the participants kept the more weight they lost.

• Make incremental changes in your diet

Attempting to make lots of drastic changes in your diet too quickly can make you want to ditch the di! et and g o back to your old ways. Make small changes, and stick to your weight loss program and you will see success.

• Commit to daily exercise

Exercise and modifying your diet go hand in hand to achieve fat loss. If you want to lose on hundred pounds, you've got to be willing to commit to exercising daily. After a few weeks you will have formed a new habit and you'll start to feel strange when you don't workout.

Weight loss is mostly an inner game. You must be prepared to do battle with your flesh, which will resist the changes you are making to your diet, your lifestyle and your thinking. Your faith in God the support of your friends will help you to achieve your goal of losing the excess weight that holds you back from feeling great.

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Precious Metals Decline as U.S. Dollar Strengthens from Euro Weakness

On Monday, gold?(NYSEARCA:GLD) futures for February delivery edged $1.20 lower to settle at $1,731 per ounce, while silver?(NYSEARCA:SLV) futures fell 26 cents to close at $33.53.

The euro slipped under $1.31 as Greece has made little progress in resolving its debt crisis.? A summit in Brussels today where European leaders were meant to work on a permanent aid fund and tougher budget rules quickly devolved into a sparring match between Greece and other nations critical of Greece��s half-hearted efforts to get its deficit under control.

Don’t Miss: With Friends Like These Does Gold Need an Official QE3?

Greece fended off German and Dutch calls for an overseer to take command of its budget after its deficits surpassed targets in each of the last two years. Concerns over Greece��s ability to deliver budget cuts and economic reforms are holding up other parts of the nation��s next aid package, which it needs to meet a 14.5 billion-euro bond payment due on March 20.

In afternoon trading, the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV) declined as the U.S. dollar (NYSE:UUP) index climbed higher.? However, gold miners (NYSEARCA:GDX) such as Yamana Gold (NYSE:AUY) and Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX) increased .80 percent and .06, respectively.? Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) also gained .31 percent.? Silver miners (NYSEARCA:SIL) such as Endeavour Silver (NYSE:EXK) and First Majestic (NYSE:AG) both declined, while Silvercorp Metals (NYSE:SVM) edged .37 percent higher.

Investor Insight: Is 2012 the Year of the Golden Dragon?

Over the weekend, new data was released that showed strong gold demand in China has continued into the new year.? According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce, sales of gold, silver and jewelry increased 57.6! percent at Caibai during China��s week-long Lunar New Year holiday.? Caibai is one of Beijing��s most popular gold retailers.? Guan Qiang, assistant manager at Caibai explained, ��Long treasured by Chinese, gold is no longer owned only by a privileged few, but has become a new investment channel open to all.��

If you would like to receive more professional analysis on equity miners and other precious metal investments,?we invite you to try our premium service free for 14 days.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric McWhinnie at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 8/28/09, MGPI, KTOS, ATK, CSKI, CBGH, CXDC

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Friday August 28, 2009


Ladd Seaberg has announced his retirement as a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of MGP Ingredients, Inc., (Nasdaq:MGPI) effective at the close of business yesterday. However, he will remain available in a consulting capacity to the board and company management for a period of approximately two years. Seaberg, 63, a director for 30 years and chairman since October 2006, said his decision to step down from board service was based on his desire “to focus additional time on other non-business-related activities and priorities” and was “partially influenced by health-related reasons.”

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a leading national defense, IT and security solutions provider, announced today the pricing of the sale of approximately 26 million shares of its common stock to institutional investors at a purchase price of $.72 in a registered direct offering. Kratos expects to receive net proceeds of approximately $17.6 million after deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this transaction to repay existing indebtedness. To the extent that the net proceeds are not applied to repay existing indebtedness, the Company intends to use them for general corporate purposes, including the funding of potential strategic acquisitions and other general corporate expenses. The transaction is expected to close on September 2, 2009, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The shares of common stock sold in this transaction will participate in the 1-for-10 reverse split of the C! ompany&# 8217;s common stock which is scheduled to occur on September 10, 2009.

Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) demonstrated its innovative firepower capabilities at the U.S. Army’s Ft. Benning Red Cloud Range, on August 27, 2009. During the live-fire event, ATK demonstrated advancements to its battle-proven Bushmaster Chain Gun systems, on a variety of platforms, with enhanced precision, lethality, reliability, and range to address current and future operational needs. ATK is a leader in integrated weapon systems capabilities that include remote-operation, electronics and fire control, and compatibility with a full-suite of ATK ammunition, including a compatible Programmable Airburst Munition (PABM) that extends operational effectiveness.

China Sky One Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSKI), a leading fully integrated pharmaceutical company producing over-the-counter drugs in the People’s Republic of China (”PRC”), today announced that the Company’s 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at Harbin Shen Te Hotel which is in close proximity to the Company’s headquarters in Harbin, China. The proxy materials and annual report on Form 10-K are available on the Company’s website http://www.cski.com.cn .

China YiBai United Guarantee International Holding Inc. (Pink Sheets: CBGH) announced that the Company, along with China Mining United Fund and the City of Xining TV, is going to hold 2009 China Small & Medium Enterprises (Qinghai) Venture Capital Summit in Sep, 18th.

China XD Plastics Company Ltd., (OTC Bulletin Board: CXDC), is engaged in the development, manufacture, and distribution of modified plastics primarily for use in automotive applications in China, today announced that the Company’s management team will atten! d the u pcoming Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference and the Susquehanna International Group of Companies (”SIG”) 3rd Annual Beijing Management Summit.

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Vanguard's Gus Sauter on Why the Recovery Could Take Years

The biggest roadblock holding the economy back right now is deleveraging. Household debt as a percentage of disposable income increased from 59% in 1960 to 130% in 2007. As consumers pare that debt back down to sustainable levels, money that used to be spent on goods and services now goes to debt repayment, fueling less growth than we were used to in the past. That's the simplest, but probably most complete, way to describe why the economy is slow, and why it could stay slow for years.

I recently sat down with Gus Sauter, chief investment officer of the Vanguard Group, one of the world's largest investment companies. He added a unique twist to the deleveraging argument, noting that aging demographics changes how much debt U.S. households can maintain compared with the past. Have a look:

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Why the Street Should Love Teekay LNG Partners' Earnings

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

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 Teekay LNG Partners (NYSE: TGP  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. FCF = free cash flow. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over the past 12 months, Teekay LNG Partners generated $111.6 million cash while it booked net income of $125.9 million. That means it turned 29.3% of its revenue into FCF. That sounds pretty impressive. However, FCF is less than net income. Ideally, we'd like to see the opposite. Since a single-company snapshot doesn't offer much context, it always pays to compare that figure to sector and industry peers and competitors, to see how your business stacks up.

Company

TTM Revenue

TTM FCF

TTM FCF Margin

Teekay LNG Partners $380 $112 29.3%
Linn Energy (Nasdaq: LINE  ) $793 $42 5.3%
AmeriGas Partners (NYSE: APU  ) $2,538 $112 4.4%
Golar LNG (Nasdaq: GLNG  ) $284 ($108) (38.1%)

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. FCF = free cash flow. TTM = trailing 12 months.

All cash is not equal
Unfortunately, the cash flow statement isn't immune from nonsense, either. That's why it pays to take a close look at the components of cash flow from operations, to make sure that the cash flows are of high quality. What does that mean? To me, it means they need to be real and replicable in the upcoming quarters, rather than being offset by continual cash outflows that don't appear on the income statement (such as major capital expenditures).

For instance, cash flow based on cash net income and adjustments for non-cash income-statement expenses (like depreciation) is generally favorable. An increase in cash flow based on stiffing your suppliers (by increasing accounts payable for the short term) or shortchanging Uncle Sam on taxes will come back to bite investors later. The same goes for decreasing accounts receivable; this is good to see, but it's ordinary ! in reces sionary times, and you can only increase collections so much. Finally, adding stock-based compensation expense back to cash flows is questionable when a company hands out a lot of equity to employees and uses cash in later periods to buy back those shares.

So how does the cash flow at Teekay LNG Partners look? Take a peek at the chart below, which flags questionable cash flow sources with a red bar.

anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. TTM = trailing 12 months.

When I say "questionable cash flow sources," I mean items such as changes in taxes payable, tax benefits from stock options, and asset sales, among others. That's not to say that companies booking these as sources of cash flow are weak, or are engaging in any sort of wrongdoing, or that everything that comes up questionable in my graph is automatically bad news. But whenever a company is getting more than, say, 10% of its cash from operations from these dubious sources, investors ought to make sure to refer to the filings and dig in.

Teekay LNG Partners' issue isn't questionable cash flow boosts, but items in that suspect group that reduced cash flow. Within the questionable cash flow figure -- here a negative-- plotted in the TTM period above, other operating activities (which can include deferred income taxes, pension charges, and other one-off items) constituted the biggest reversal. Overall, the biggest drag on FCF came from capital expenditures, which consumed 38.4% of cash from operations.

A Foolish final thought
Most investors don't keep tabs on their companies' cash flow. I think that's a mistake. If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're in a much better position to spot potential trouble early. Better yet, you'll improve your! odds of finding the underappreciated home run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

We can help you keep tabs on your companies with My Watchlist, our free, personalized stock tracking service.

  • Add Teekay LNG Partners to My Watchlist.
  • Add Linn Energy to My Watchlist.
  • Add AmeriGas Partners to My Watchlist.
  • Add Golar LNG to My Watchlist.

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Mckesson¡¯s (MCK) Muted FY12 Outlook Provides Less Charm In The Stock After Q3 Results

Healthcare services and information technology company McKesson Corp. (MCK) provided cautious outlook for the year 2012 thereby limiting any upside in the stock movement after its third quarter earnings and revenues came in above Street expectations.

The company separately announced its decision to buy Medicine Shoppe Canada Inc. and Drug Trading Company Ltd. for C$920 million from Katz Group of Canada. The results and the acquisition stock created enthusiasm in the market for a brief period by reversing the trend in the extended hours trading. But it failed to hold on and the gains of more than 3 percent witnessed immediately after the news flow were slowly lost for a slender gain of around 0.3 percent.

McKesson does not expect the deal to allow accretion of earnings in 2012 and sees it only after first year from closing.

Q3 Results

The San Francisco, California-based McKesson reported net income of $300 million, up 94 percent from $155 million and earnings doubled to $1.20 a share from $0.60 a share in the year earlier quarter. Excluding any special items, the company would have earned $1.40 a share, still higher than $1.28 a share in the year-ago quarter. Last year results included litigation charges of $189 million compared with latest quarter's $27 million.

Top line recorded a growth of 9.2 percent to $30.8 billion from $28.3 billion in the previous year quarter. Wall Street analysts were estimating the company to deliver earnings of $1.37 per share on revenues of $30.08 billion.

Adjusted operating margin in technology solutions slipped to 10.8 percent from 15.3 percent, while distribution solutions' adjusted operating margins improved slightly to 1.91 percent from 1.88 percent in the year-ago quarter.

The company also disclosed that its board gave an additional $650 million for share buy back taking the total available authorized amount to about $1.5 billion, which will allow the company's EPS to grow faster.

Outlook

Moving ahead, McKesson sees adjusted earnings of $6.19 - $6.39 a share for the year 2012. This is based on the current market trend and 9-months performance. The company had already delivered adjusted earnings of $4.30 a share from the nine-month period. Street analysts' are predicting the company to earn $2.07 a share for the fourth quarter. If the company could achieve this, then it could surpass analysts' full year estimation of $6.33 a share.

Given the company's full year earnings outlook and taking into account nine-month earnings, McKesson's fourth quarter earnings projection comes to around $1.79 - $1.99 a share. This is lower than analysts' estimation of $2.07 a share. But the company seems to be taking cover under third quarter's adjusted earnings performance, which came in three cents more than expected.

Deal

McKesson struck a deal to buy independent banner and franchise units of Katz Group Canada Inc. for about C$920 million. The Canadian independent banner handles approximately 160 pharmacies. The company sees the transaction to close by the first half of 2012.

Our Take

An investor would always like the momentum to be there. If the company's earnings came in above expectations in third quarter, naturally investor will expect similar trend to continue in the coming quarters too. But McKesson projection of full year earnings outlook leaves fourth quarter earnings to be less than Street consensus. By doing this, the momentum seems to be lost and the stock appears to offer less charm in the near term.

{$end}

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Monday, January 30, 2012

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08 and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue Through First Six Months of 2009

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK

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NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08

and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue Through First Six Months of 2009

 

Thursday August 20, 2009

NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08 and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue Through First Six Months of 2009

DALLAS, TX�C(CRWENEWSWIRE - 08/20/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT) today announced a 43% net income increase in the second quarter 2009 over the same three-month period in 2008. The approximate $1.2 million in second quarter net income beat management��s expectations and puts the Company ahead of pace for its yearend profit objectives. The Company also realized a revenue increase in the second quarter of 2009 of approximately 8% to $24.5 million compared to the same three month period last year. The revenue through the first six months of the year is approximately $43 million with a net income of over $700,000. The substantial net income growth can be attributed to the favorable bottom line performance of the Company��s maturing Chinese operation.

2009 Profitable Revenue Forecast Anticipated to Beat $95 Million Reported in 2008

NewMarket management is forecasting profitable revenue growth in 2009. The Company reported $95 million in revenue in 2008 and $93 million in 2007. Management anticipates accelerated revenue growth in the second half of 2009 resulting from strong offshore sales.

Qu! arterly Performance Webcast Friday, August 21 to Include $1.00 - $2.50 Target PPS

Management is scheduled to review the Company��s second quarter 2009 financial performance in an on-demand Webcast tomorrow, August 21. The Webcast will include a discussion on the suggested $1.00 to $2.50 fair value target price per share. A link for accessing the on-demand Webcast is scheduled to be available on the Company��s website tomorrow.

Corporate Information and E-mail Updates

To sign up to receive email updates or to obtain more information on the Company, please visit www.newmarkettechnology.com.

About NewMarket Technology, Inc. (www.newmarkettechnology.com)

NewMarket helps clients maintain the delicate balance between maintaining legacy systems and gaining a competitive edge from the latest technology innovations. NewMarket provides certified systems integration and maintenance services to support the prevailing industry standard solutions from companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Infor, Cisco Systems, SAP, Siebel and Sun Microsystems. Concurrently, NewMarket continuously seeks to acquire emerging technology assets to incorporate into an overall product portfolio carefully packaged to complement the prevailing industry standard solutions.

NewMarket delivers its portfolio of products and services through its network of Solution Integration subsidiaries in North America and the leading emerging markets around the world to include Latin America, China and Singapore.

NewMarket ranked Number One in Texas, Number Three in the United States and Number Five in North America on Deloitte��s 2006 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over five years, from 2001-2005. The Company grew from less than $1 million in revenue in 2001 to over $50 million in profitable revenue in 2005.

The company ha! s contin ued its rapid growth, reporting $77.6 million in revenue with a net income of $5.8 million in 2006 and most recently $93.1 million in revenue with a net income of $7.3 million in 2007.

��SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT�� UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results, events and performance could vary materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause NewMarket��s actual results in future periods to differ materially from results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, product demand and market competition. You should independently investigate and fully understand all risks before making investment decisions.
Contact:

Contact:
NewMarket Technology, Inc.
Investor Relations
214-722-3065
ir@newmarkettechnology.com

Source: NewMarket Technology, Inc.

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Fastest-Aging Society Greets Ma in Taiwan Asset-Price Risk

Ma Ying-jeou��s second term aspresident of Taiwan, secured in an election win three days ago,may be one of the island��s last opportunities to address theconsequences of something unmentioned on the campaign trail: theworld��s fastest-aging society.

Ma��s push for closer ties with China won a fresh mandate ashe defeated Tsai Ing-wen, who said the tighter bonds may riskTaiwan��s autonomy. While Taiwan��s top planning body predicts theisland��s population will start falling in 11 years, coping withan aging society and low birth rates were absent from the debatebecause the challenge is intractable, said Chuang Meng-han, anindustrial economics professor at Tamkang University in Taipei.

Failure to tackle the change, by reducing the cost ofraising families or allowing immigration, will leave Taiwan��slabor force shrinking, putting pressure on growth and assetprices. The economy��s trend rate of expansion is poised to fallto about 3.5 percent annually in the next decade, from 5.1percent in the 20 years through 2010, according to DBS Bank Ltd.

��The impact will be huge,�� said Chuang, who has analyzedthe housing market. ��Most people aren��t well-prepared for theaging society. The later the government faces the consequences,the more difficult they will be to deal with.��

Taiwan��s 2010 total fertility rate was 0.9 babies per woman,according to baseline estimates compiled by Taiwan��s Council forEconomic Planning and Development. That��s less than in the 196other countries and territories tracked by the United Nations.Taiwan��s 23 million population will fall to less than 19 millionby 2060, according to the council.

Bear Market

By 2050, Taiwan will have an aging index of almost 413percent, compared with Japan��s 339 percent, the CEPD estimates.That makes the island the most rapidly aging society, said LoYu-mei, a council researcher. The index is defined as the numberof people aged 65 and over per 100 youths under age 15.

��Taiwan is heading the way of Japan, who! se popul ation isshrinking,�� said Tim Condon, chief Asia economist at ING GroepNV in Singapore, who previously worked at the World Bank.��Taiwan��s stock market resembles Japan��s Nikkei in that bothhave been in a bear market since asset bubbles burst in 1990.��

Japan has struggled to overcome an aging and decliningpopulation, leading to two decades of depressed economic growth.The Nikkei 225 stock index is down 78 percent, the most in theworld, since a peak in December 1989. Taiwan��s Taiex (TWSE) index isdown 25 percent in the period, the third-worst performance.

Ma, 61, has put in place a monthly childcare stipend ofNT$2,500 ($83) for newborns, payable to certain householdsearning an annual net income below NT$1.13 million until thechild is two, to try and turn the birth rate around.

Property Risk

During the election, neither he nor Tsai of the DemocraticProgressive Party recommended greater immigration to boost thepopulation. The CEPD has said Taiwan has the world��s second-densest population among territories with more than 10 millionpeople, limiting political scope for such a policy.

Aging raises the risk of substantial future home-pricefalls, said Laura Ho, an economist at Grand Cathay Services Corp.in Taipei. Property prices ��are disproportionately high�� and��older people are investing in property they won��t be able tofind buyers for in years to come,�� she said.

The president has vowed to consider imposing new taxes torein in property costs. Housing prices in Taipei have more thandoubled since 2000 and reached a record last year.

��Young people are discouraged from getting married becausethey can��t afford to buy a home,�� Tamkang��s Chuang said.

Costly real estate and stagnant wages combined with therisk of recession to stir voter discontent. Gross domesticproduct fell 0.15 percent in the third quarter from the previousthree months, as Europe��s fiscal crisis damped the export-ledisland��s overseas sales.

Stagnating Wages

Hous! ehold in come adjusted for inflation was lower in 2010than in 2000. Joblessness, at 4.3 percent, compares with lessthan 2 percent three decades ago.

Ma says detente with former civil-war foe China, theisland��s largest trading partner, will help bolster Taiwan��s$430 billion economy. He has relaxed trade, tourism andinvestment restrictions. Tsai argued his policy risks givingChina too much sway over Taiwan.

China��s economy expanded 8.9 percent in the fourth quarterfrom a year earlier, a report showed today. One consequence ofcloser economic ties to the nation has been an exodus offactories to the lower-cost mainland, crimping job opportunitiesat home.

Taipei-based Foxconn Technology Group (FOXCGZ), which assemblesApple Inc. iPhones and iPads, employs more than 1 millionworkers at its Chinese factories, compared with 10,000 in Taiwan.

About 800,000 Taiwanese live in China, according toTaiwan��s Mainland Affairs Council. Some of them may be countedas part of the island��s population depending on their periods ofcontinuous residence in Taiwan, the statistics bureau said.

Pace of Detente

In his victory speech, Ma said he will ��control�� the paceof rapprochement with Asia��s largest economy to ensure thepolicy retains public support. He took 51.6 percent of the votein last week��s election, compared with Tsai��s 45.6 percent.

��Rapid ageing means declining labor input and, in the longterm, suggests population will fall, which will slow theeconomy,�� said Ma Tieying, an economist at DBS Bank inSingapore. ��The savings rate will drop too, as older peopleusually have to spend their savings. That will be negative forinvestment.��

Taiwan��s predicament echoes a trend across Asia, signalingincreased regional pension and healthcare burdens. Asia willaccount for 62 percent of the global elderly population by 2050,up from 44 percent in 1950, the Asian Development Bank said in a2009 report.

While 2012, the year of the dragon, may boost Taiwan��sbirth rate tempor! arily as it��s considered an auspicious period,population decline is inevitable, according to the CEPD.

��The economy isn��t in good shape,�� Tamkang��s Chuang said.��But you need to have a stable income and feel secure aboutyour job to have children.��

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If this bearish resistance line gives way, the intermediate trend will change

An absence of economic data and a lack of news from Europe kept a lid on trading until mid-afternoon yesterday. Then a story surfaced that two separate bailout funds were being considered and that there might even be an American-style increase in the money supply. The Dow jumped 60 points in 15 minutes to the high of the day at 12,216. But the entire gain was lost in the last hour of trading and stocks closed mixed.

For the day, the Dow closed up 0.43%, the S&P 500 rose 0.11%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.23%. Volume on the NYSE was light at just 801 million shares, and lagged on the Nasdaq as well at just 387 million shares. Breadth on the Big Board was even, but the Nasdaq had more decliners than gainers by a margin of 1.3-to-1.

The S&P 500 has been hammering at the 200-day moving average for almost two months. More recently, buyers have also been attacking the bearish resistance line that connects the May and July highs with the October high. That line represents the intermediate downtrend. If it gives way, the intermediate trend will turn to neutral.

With momentum positive, the bulls are increasing the odds that they will poke through this resistance line. No line can resist forever, and the longer buyers can sustain the attack on this level the more likely it will eventually give way. It is simply a matter of numbers since there is a fixed number of sellers, and once they are removed, prices will move higher.

But like a defensive position in battle, there are reserves available to plug the breach. So even if 1,266 and then 1,293 were to be surmounted, buyers that took positions from April to July will be jumping in to sell stocks that they��ve held for four to eight months. And others that bought close to the 1,330 line may increase the potential sellers and, thus, the difficulty to sustain a meaningful rally.

The Europeans are receiving a lot of advice from the United States, and behind the scenes, from China and India. No one will benefi! t from a weakened European economy. And yet the difficulty of getting 17 countries with very different histories and internal makeups to agree seems almost insurmountable.

We may know something more definite before the week is done, but it is more likely that the outcome will not be known for many more months. And this situation is what is currently driving the market.

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Market Wrap (JAN 29, 2007)

Stocks in the news today; followed by Stock Ticker, closing price, and net price change.

DJIA    12,490.78; Up 3.76 (0.03%)
NASDAQ    2,441.09; Up 5.60 (0.23%)
S&P500    1,420.62; Down 1.56 (0.11%)
10YR-Bond    4.8920%; Up 0.013
NYSE Volume    2,695,803,000
NASD Volume    1,978,324,000

Verizon (VZ-NYSE) after meeting earnings.
VZ     $38.03      $0.20

Citigroup (C-NYSE) fell after buying Egg for online banking in UK.
C     $54.06      $(0.61)

Intel (INTC) on making smaller chips to compete against AMD (AMD-NYSE); AMD shares didn’t reactto well as they are already being guttered.
INTC     $20.89      $0.36
AMD     $15.95      $(0.27)

Apple (AAPL-NASDAQ) up after Needham takes target to $135.00.
AAPL     $85.94      $0.56

Sirius (SIRI) down 1%…would Karmazin leave?
SIRI     $3.70      $(0.04)

Symantec (SYMC-NASDAQ) fell after making an acquisition.
SYMC     $17.52      $(0.25)

Amgen (AMGN) slid again.
AMGN     $69.97      $(1.53)

Bristol-Myers Squib (BMY) rose on hopes of a Sanofi-Aventis buyout.
BMY     $27.43      $1.22

Abitibi-Consolidated (ABY-NYSE) & Bowater (BOW-NYSE) up big on ‘merger of equals.’
ABY     $3.33      $0.69
BOW     $27.44      $5.29

Countrywide (CFC-NYSE) up on continued partnership hopes with Bank of America (BAC-NYSE).
CFC     $43.38      $1.38
BAC     $51.46      $(0.58)

Molecu! lar Devi ces (MDCC-NASDAQ) up huge on buyout.
MDCC     $35.07      $11.19

First Republic Bank (FRC-NYSE) up big after Merrill Lynch acquires it, MER shares fell marginally.
FRC     $53.63      $15.33
MER     $92.39      $(2.14)

Laureate (LAUR) up 11% on management buyout with private equity consortium.
LAUR     $60.80      $6.39

ISSUES FOR TUESDAY:
Economics: JAN Consumer Confidence.

Pre-Market Earnings: 3M (MMM) $1.14; Burger King (BKC) $0.26;Diebold $0.74; Illinois Tool (ITW) $0.73; JetBlue (JBLU) $0.11; Kellogg(K) $0.46; Merck (MRK) $0.50; Wyeth (WYE) $0.71.

Earnings After Close: Celestica (CLS) $0.04; Chubb (CB)$1.34; Flextronics (FLEX) $0.22; Juniper (JNPR) $0.19; Red Envelope(REDE) $0.49; SanDisk (SNDK) $0.75; SiRF (SIRF) $0.24;  WebSense (WBSN)$0.25

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